I made it to the upper Klamath wildlife refuge for camping and paddling! I’ve wanted to go here forever and had a reason to go, my birthday trip!
I camped at Rocky Point, the northwestern part of Klamath Lake. I learned today that this is the largest body of fresh water by surface area in Oregon.
The first night sleeping by this water was incredibly active with the nightlife of many animals and birds. I got maybe an hour of sleep. This is my livestream that I wrote:
In Klamath, going to bed at 8:30.
Wind blows - I hear it move through weeds and grasses two feet from me.
Then a lot of noise! Like big splashy sounds.
This happened in waves, though there were no waves.
I guess there are massive roiling water beasts just below from my tent at waters’ edge. Do walruses reside here? What are they?!! I investigate.
In the dwindling light I can only see large swirling motions but I can’t tell what it is. Is it one thing or twelve things?
Giant otters?! I know about them because I wrote about otters one time.
I am thrilled and mystified and a tiny bit spooked.
Giant sloshing river serpents is probably what it is. I slip back into my tent and burrow deeper into my sleeping bag.
Hours later I hear chewing. Is this beavers?! Then baby beavers sound off. Ok now I’m too excited to sleep.
I see moonlight on the marsh. Big sky, great stars. The milky way spread out loose and free, loud and proud. Would be an excellent place to see a UFO.
This is where they all live and I feel like a guest. The birds I saw today looked healthy and clean, well fed and successful.
In the morning before dawn owls hooted. At sunrise ravens croaked.
The second day at camp:
You from Eugene?
Yeah, how did you know?
The Lane County sticker on your car.
Well, Lane County is huge, so how did you know I’m from Eugene?
You look like you’re from Eugene, she said.
Yes, I do. I sure do.
Then she and her friend talked with me about paddling spots.
One spot is Malone Springs. There is a boat launch though you wouldn’t know that because there isn’t a sign. I drove down the 1/2 mile gravel road to find the launch. They want you to park above, on the highway. I didn’t want to do that so tucked my car in a spot off the turnaround and hoped it would be ok.
This place is 4 miles north on the canoe trail from where I was staying. Less people, more animals. I wanted to see a muskrat. This is a very calm paddle, no current. Lots of wocus plant, a favorite of the Klamath and Modoc tribes.
First sighting was 3 otters swimming and playing on the bank. They bobbed their heads, looked at me and sniffed the air. I found a beaver lodge, then another, and more. Many were quite large, the biggest I’ve seen. No beavers were out. A muskrat swam parallel to me for a ways, closer to the bank. It was purposeful.
I wanted to study one of the beaver lodges so I glided up very quietly to the edge of it and looked at all the sticks and mud and entries and exits. Then I heard kits. Their high-pitched voices seeped through the sticks and earth. I sat very quietly. They talked like small children, rapidly and punctuated. Sometimes an adult would softly grunt or go hmmmhhhhhh.
Well, that was great.
Camping reminded me of how hot the sun is out in places like this as I had no shade while the sun was up, but I had a great view.
There are tons of quaking aspen and willow here.
I walked out to the end of this dock to listen to the debate. I asked if they were going to play the debate at the resort restaurant and they said “what debate?”
I think the roiling river beasts were really a squadron of pelicans. They have a way of group splashing and dipping down and up and swirling the water to find food. By the dock I saw huge fish balls, hundreds of fish connected and moving like a smooth fluid sculpture in rotation.
I drove through smoke from several wildfires to get here, so much it made me worried. It cleared up when I reached the lake. I read where Klamath tribe members would pass through smoke to purify. I drove back in pouring rain. It felt cleansing. I started out the trip with a head cold that got worse sleeping outside in upper 40s. I cut the trip short but still had two nights and felt the awe of the marsh, the birds and animals, the stars, sleeping near the wild things.
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