Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Gorgeous Gorge

We've been having a grand time here in Oregon!

After an early dinner at Beckie's (reported in yesterday's post) we drove north about 500 yards to the parking area for the Rogue River Gorge. The Rogue, of course, is designated a Wild and Scenic River, and is often known for the jet boats that originate at Gold Beach on the Oregon Coast.

At the head of the gorge, the river splits around an island of basalt boulders. Not knowing this, we failed to walk the full gorge trail. But what we saw was splendid. The gorge itself narrows to as little as 10 feet across, and spreads up to 45 feet in places.

Professional photographers admit that the light in the gorge is tricky making it difficult to convey some of the most interesting features. Here are some of the pictures we captured. More can be found in our web album, 2013 Rogue Gorge.



In the side of the gorge we could see two exposed lava tubes. Lava tubes are caused by the rapid cooling of a basalt flow. The outer layer hardens while the hotter lava continues to flow through the center. When the molten lava drains out, it leaves behind a hollow tube.
This tube is partially blocked, but gives the appearance of a cave.

This one has partially collapsed.
Moving further up the gorge:

After our walk, we returned to the highway where we found a more serene, yet still scenic, Rogue River.

What will we see next in ... Our Life on Wheels?

7 comments:

  1. You got some really nice photos of the Rogue River Gorge area. Another place I hope to visit some day.

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  2. Looks like a good place to visit, Jerry and Suzy. We went on one of the jet boat tour a few years ago, but it looks like there's a lot more to see in that area.

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  3. Glad you are having a wonderful time.

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  4. Friend Mary Russell e-mailed this piece of high praise. Gee shucks!:

    You mean OTHER professional photographers ;-) As always, your work is exemplary!

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  5. Love that new header photo - it's pretty awesome!

    Great pics of the Rogue River - a place we'll have to stop and explore the next time we're in the area.

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  6. Beautiful photos!!! Wish we were there with you!

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  7. So loved looking at your Crater Lake photos, and as everyone says, the header shot is just a gorgeous reminder. Nice photos of the river as well, glad you found it.

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