Sylvia's RV Journey

Well, much has changed over the last 10 days to two weeks. A pipe burst at my house, and my attic was flooded affecting drywall, insulation, electrical, dripping, moldy, slop. I decided to go home two and a half weeks early so I could deal with this, and coordinate with contractors for repair. Part of me is really upset, but I can't be, in the end, because up until this moment my trip has gone exceptionally well. At any moment I knew there could be a reason to drive me back home, and at least I got the majority of my trip in before this unfortunate mishap. Because I am that stubborn, I do plan on finishing off the 2 and 1/2 weeks of my 3-month journey sometime in September to October. I may just go to the Yosemite area, which I had been to previously, and it may be just as well, to avoid the summer time crunch, with excessive travelers where temperatures will be cooler and crowds will be more subdued. And then I'm thinking I need to visit Death Valley, and Joshua Tree and ...

What a beautiful morning spent at Lasson Volcanic National Park. I was able to climb all the way up 9,000 feet where there were patches of snow everywhere. Lake Helen still had a layer of ice and snow but you could see that brilliant aqua blue water. A whole different type of spring wildflowers were in bloom, in this area, very different than the other mountains within the cascade range. It was a brilliant blue sky day, and I feel fortunate that the weather has been so wonderful. I was able to view some of the steam vents and the boiling pots at Sulphur Works! Well my head was feeling quite light, and the drive down windy and treacherous as usual, but I survived this mountain journey!

I got up really early today. I wanted to hike at least 3 lava caves before the heat set in, as Jo Jo is not allowed in the caves. I was the only one in the Sentinel Caves which is over 3800 feet long and categorized is easy.  Though there were plenty of stairs and deep steps. I had to bring all of my own flashlights, as I went through this unlit cave by myself, in the dark. I don't normally watch horror movies, but this could have turned into one, if I let my imagination run wild. A bit spooky when alone! I did not see any bats, and there was complete solitude and a silence that you do not hear above ground. I continued on to explore the Merrill (ice cave), but did not see any ice, however it was quite chilly down there, actually very refreshing. I also paid a visit to the Mushpot Cave, one of the few lit caves, and ran into a park ranger who seemed to be "lurking" in the dark. I did nervously tell him that it was creepy, but  he just laughed. Apparently there are o...