Heading south from Klamath Falls, we went first To Captain Jack's Stronghold, a fortress in the lava beds. Captain Jack was the leader of a small band of Modocs who wanted to have a reservation on the Lost River, part of the Modoc's traditional homeland, instead of being sent to a reservation in the north that housed other tribes. A series of mistakes and miscommunications led to the Modoc War of 1872-73, when Captain Jack and 60 warriors held 600 Federal troops at bay for five months before being cut off from their water supply and forced to leave the Stronghold. It was quite a fortress, built with redoudts, passage ways, observation points that mimicked the best fortresses of medieval Europe. And it was all done by Mother nature. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring extra batteries for the camera on so have only one picture. If you look really closely just in front of the dark rock jutting into the sky you can see a lite line that is Arleen at the point where the walkway makes a bend.
In the two battles to dislodge the Modoc from the stronghold, the army suffered numerous casualities without seeing any of the Indians, while the Modoc lost only one, a warrior who picked up a motar shell that exploded in his face. After a harsh winter, short of water a food, and harrassing fire by howitsers and mortars, Captain Jack led his 59 warriors, their wifes, children, and elders out of the strong hold and across the lava fields. They were later captured. Captain Jack and his three subordinates were executed and the rest of his people were sent to Oklahoma. There were numerous incidents of treachy on both sides of the war, one of which led to the death of the only US army general to be killed during the Indian wars of the west. As the author of one of the brochures side, "There are no innocent parties in war."
The walkway in Skull cave, one of the over 500 lava tubes in the park. It is named for the many bones that were found in it. It is an ice cave where water freezes in the winter and remains frozen most of the summer, suppling water to many animals and humans hence all the bones. The walkway and the path into the tube were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930's. Most of the park access, including into the tubes, was constructed by the CCC.
Ice, hard to see, at the bottom of the tube. Many of the caves have lost their ice over the years due to the warming climate. One cave that had been used as a skating rink has no ice left at all.
Black crater is a spladder cone that has the most fascinating lava flows and remelts of lava like the one above. Remelts occur during later erupions when old lava is remelted.
The minerals present in the lava give wonderful colors and textures to the lava remelts.
Reds,blues ,silver, gold, green, all with a marvelous sheen
And just at the edge of the flow life finds a way of adding more beauty.
Fleeneer's chimneys were the source of lava flows that covered six miles and made numerous lava tubes
And they seem so small and insignificant compaired to the lava fields they created
In the two battles to dislodge the Modoc from the stronghold, the army suffered numerous casualities without seeing any of the Indians, while the Modoc lost only one, a warrior who picked up a motar shell that exploded in his face. After a harsh winter, short of water a food, and harrassing fire by howitsers and mortars, Captain Jack led his 59 warriors, their wifes, children, and elders out of the strong hold and across the lava fields. They were later captured. Captain Jack and his three subordinates were executed and the rest of his people were sent to Oklahoma. There were numerous incidents of treachy on both sides of the war, one of which led to the death of the only US army general to be killed during the Indian wars of the west. As the author of one of the brochures side, "There are no innocent parties in war."
The walkway in Skull cave, one of the over 500 lava tubes in the park. It is named for the many bones that were found in it. It is an ice cave where water freezes in the winter and remains frozen most of the summer, suppling water to many animals and humans hence all the bones. The walkway and the path into the tube were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930's. Most of the park access, including into the tubes, was constructed by the CCC.
Ice, hard to see, at the bottom of the tube. Many of the caves have lost their ice over the years due to the warming climate. One cave that had been used as a skating rink has no ice left at all.
Black crater is a spladder cone that has the most fascinating lava flows and remelts of lava like the one above. Remelts occur during later erupions when old lava is remelted.
The minerals present in the lava give wonderful colors and textures to the lava remelts.
Reds,blues ,silver, gold, green, all with a marvelous sheen
And just at the edge of the flow life finds a way of adding more beauty.
Fleeneer's chimneys were the source of lava flows that covered six miles and made numerous lava tubes
And they seem so small and insignificant compaired to the lava fields they created
One of the first views of the lake heading west on the Rim Drive. Wizard Island was formed by a later eruption and reaches an elevation of 6940 ft and is 767ft above the water level of the lake
Another view of Wizard Island.
And another.
A young Grey Jay begging for food from an adult Jay not in the picture. Wonder if our kids would do any better with this approach. It didn't work too well, he finally gave up and flew away.
One last picture of the Wizard
What makes snow red? The blood of tourist who aren't used to playing in snow? Dust from the Painted Hills? No one is telling. We have learned that the red stain is caused by a blue green algae that lives in the snow during the winter and some how produces the red stain. So now we know.
Red Cone with Mt. Balleyin the back ground. There is still a lot of snow around even in July, one reason why the Rim Drive is closed 8 to 9 months a year.
And this was where Arleen saw it all from. And why I didn't spend more time and didn't take more pictures. I wasn't sure she had enough money for me to stay away too long. Of course,I was wrong. Over all, she is still playing on her winnings. So it was a good day for both of us.
Aren't they neat looking?
See the 2 craters in the distance.
Look at the colors in these hills.
