mount Bachelor - toyota Fj Cruiser - Photo 41970438

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The FJ seems right at home parked outside my campground yurt at Tumalo State Park campground just north of Bend alongside the Deschutes River. All that was missing was some snow and the smell of a burning pine log fire.

One of the great sights in North America — Crater Lake in winter. Unfortunately for me on this trip, I was skunked by the foggy weather and had to buy the postcard.

For the non-skiers and snowboarders, one could play Iditarod competitor for 35 minutes or so as this dog team was mushed through the fresh snow on the Mount Bachelor trails. It’s a very unusual and grounding experience for relatively little money.

Yurts are not an uncommon sight in Oregon being used on the top of mountains as a functional building or as a cabin at a State Campground.

The FJ seems right at home parked outside my campground yurt at Tumalo State Park campground just north of Bend alongside the Deschutes River. All that was missing was some snow and the smell of a burning pine log fire.

The lack of snow at the lower altitudes did not keep me from climbing above the clouds that followed the river valley.

Not once did the FJ put a foot wrong no matter what trails or terrain were traveled.

The snow-and-ice-covered Siah Butte road southwest of Highway 45 finally gave me the snow storm I had been looking for. There were no other cars and the solitude was both inspiring and of concern. But no real worries since again the FJ oozed confidence, even without snow tires or chains.

When clouds cleared and the sun graced me with its presence, the beauty of this short winter became obvious for all.

It was Christmas after all and I could not resist studying this house along the Deschutes River in Bend. No shortage of hydro-electric power here.

It is amazing what a little bread will do to coax out the local wildlife. This is your basic common or garden squirrel only too willing to pose for its next meal.

Where the FJ would not go, a short hike would bring evidence of the life around you.

A yurt is a portable structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Today these Pacific Yurts are made in Oregon of a bent wood frame with a reinforced vinyl fabric outer covering. They are very cozy in winter and can be seen at many of Oregon’s State Parks.

Not all of my fun was in the driving but also in the quiet of contemplating nature as in this walk along the one part of the Deschutes River where there was still a little snow.

It is almost impolite when traveling north on I-5 not to spend a moment in awe of Mount Shasta. The lack of snow in this twilight shot was an omen of the weather to come.

Not the prettiest of days for Mount Bachelor. I have seen it better and with much more snow but it is still an impressive sight.

A relic from the late 1800s, this was a stage stop and horse change station on the way to Gold Hill and the Rogue River Valley.

The small town, actually more like a village, just west of Medford is not only beautiful but also honors much from the opening of the west and the gold country of Southern Oregon. Here is a statue of the Pony Express rider outside of Jacksonville Town Hall.

Was I having fun in spite of the general lack of snow? You bet. A lot of trails suffered from huge puddles as a result of the almost continuous rain.

With low clouds and sudden snow these guys were caught out on their way to the summit – fortunately there were no injuries. Just the embarrassment of a lot of bent metal.

Is this the ultimate snowplow? This one was sitting at the entrance to Diamond Lake, north of Crater Lake off Highway 230.

Yes, snowmobiles are likely to come screaming out of the woods and across the narrow forest roads such as this.

This huge restaurant attraction is a reminder that hunting and fishing are a way of life in the Oregon Cascades.

The sound of a Jake brake is often all you will hear in advance of the arrival of a great logging truck. They are something to beware of as they thunder through the mountain passes.