Snow Spelunking & Crooked Rivers?

Okay, I've been known to do some really stupid things in my life. A thousand fold over! Here's another one. Thankfully I realized how 'un-smart' I was mid-experience and pulled the plug on the operation before we were injured (which was quite possible thanks to the freak conditions we found ourselves in at the time).

We wanted to go spelunking.

In the snow.

I won't post the pictures to the mouth of this cave so as to protect its innocence. ;)

We were outfitted with the appropriate gear as we'd been spelunking quite often in the past.

However, we weren't prepared for a 2 foot thick sheet of smooth ice covering the entire mouth to the entrance to the cave. It had originally just been a layer of snow that blanketed the area but thanks to the freeze/thaw/freeze cycle that came with the sun's shining each day it developed into this smooth, layer of icy 'candy-coating' shell atop everything in the area. Not too difficult except for the fact that the entrance to the cave involved about a 12% incline as it descended into the dark. It was obvious that dozens and dozens of heartier souls than us braved the conditions. I'm curious if they toted crampons and spikes along the way? ;)

Here are some of the interesting sites we experienced before we aborted the operation.

Icicle 'stalactites' at the mouth of the cave. These are about a foot long.

Icicle 'stalagmites' closer to the entrance. This picture doesn't do them justice. They're about 2-3 foot tall!!!

The ice skating rink entrance to the cave! This also doesn't do the situation justice. We used all our strength merely to pull ourselves up the ice rink by grabbing onto the frozen metal 1960s era railing adjacent the stairs--to avoiding slipping all the way. Of course, our treasure quest ended WAY before we ever had a chance to hunt it out.

Rumor has it that there's a fully sanction GC in that thar hole in the ground, too! Even advertised on the regional Chamber of Commerce site!

We capped off our day of icy adventures high above the banks of the Crooked River.

Here's a view of the railroad bridge that spans the gorge some 300' above the river!

300' above the raging waters of the Crooked River in Terrebonne, Oregon--as viewed from the center of the old Crooked River Bridge!

RnrB hanging out on the dock at Palisade Cove State Park in Oregon.

Very interesting area--spectacular views!!! A boater's paradise!!!

Our trip to Central Oregon was a quick jaunt into the belly of letterboxing mecca. We thought it would at least satisfy our appetite for letterboxing for awhile but instead it only whetted much, much more. We found many letterboxes during our outing, bungled finding almost twice as many more than we actually found. (Typical state of affairs in our letterboxing experience over the years) We enjoyed gorgeous vistas, exposure to all sorts of animals we have never before seen and were fortunate enough to run into many letterboxers along the way. All in all an incredible weekend! If anybody is looking for an interesting vacation far away from the sights & sounds of 'touristy' America--Central Oregon is the place to visit!!!

Now that we've captured our boxing binge in Bend. We're heading further west. In fact, so far west we'll be east again.