Smith's Rock State Park

Saturday
Sally and I drove the twenty miles to Smith's Rock State Park today. Although it has a peculiar rock formation you can drive past it without realizing what it is, in fact Highway 97 passes within 3 miles and unless you know it is there I am sure you would not notice it. However it is a volcanic crater, with a central cone and high walls almost all round it, about half a mile wide. However the Crooked river has found its way in, flows round the inside and flows out again on the other side, making a wonderful river gorge with towering, vertical cliffs which make for brilliant rock climbing and people come from all over the world to climb here. Today was no exception, with no exaggeration there were probably at least a thousand people taking part in activities in the park, mostly climbing, walking, cycling or just enjoying the views. A quite amazing place.
Highlight for us was being offered a view of a Golden Eagle nest, complete with two chicks, Sally spent about 45 minutes watching the nest trough the monocular and was completely delighted. Meanwhile Anne and Roy took a hike up the Misery Trail on the far bank of the river from us, we could see them climbing for part of the way, it looked hard, long and steep.

After visiting Smith's Rock Sally and I called in at the Rex Barber Bridge Overview, also the Crooked River. The river has cut a 300 ft deep gorge into the lava beds that at one time poured out of the Smith's Rock area. Crossing the gorge are the old road bridge, the new road bridge and the railway bridge. The are very impressive. The bridge area is named after a local war fighter pilot ace who grew up in Culver, a town nearby, and flew in the second world war. He was the pilot who shot down the bomber that was transporting Admiral Yamamoto around (he who masterminded the attack on Pearl Harbor), killing him and a number of his top staff, thus striking a blow for the war effort.