We left a tepid 10-12C behind in Victoria with partly sunny skies. As we drove south at first it was mild and not too different. However, we could see dark clouds pass through and by the time we hit Olympia it was snaining (snow/raining). It would clear up from time to time only to return despite temperatures of 6C. Just north of Portland we got quite a shock. We came over a bridge to find the I-5 basically halted. It was snowing so hard and accumulating fast! Everyone ground to a near halt as visibility was terrible and the road was slushing and slippery. 10 minutes later and we were in sun again and temperatures climbed slowly to our high of 11C by the time we reached Portland.
We camped in a beautiful oak forest south of Portland (Champoeg (pronounced Shampooey) where apparently a bunch of men (HBC, French fur traders and American settlers) had stood outside a barn and decided they needed government--prior to being a state--HBC'ers voted against).
Then we drove up and over through the mountains (and into snowy driving conditions again) to our pitstop near Bend to climb through a lava tunnel/cave! Kids thought it was pretty cool and so weird--not a tourist destination but a small opening in the middle of the ground with a staircase amongst the sagebrush. A good thing to do on a snowy/rainy day. Then on to Klamath Falls.
Today we ventured one more day into the snow. Crater Lake has reopened to the top so we went up there and did some snowshoeing and sledding. We didn't go far and the kids don't know what the lake is like as it was too foggy but a fun snowy wet time was had. I'm personally done with rain and snow....we're trying really to get away from it. We already had to do laundry... the kids have got so muddy and wet! It looks like tomorrow (and thereafter?) promises to be warmer than 10C (maybe like 25?C) as we coast towards Sacremento (bye bye Oregon) and in then into Yosemite. Fingers crossed!
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