Like a lot of areas of our planet we have been experiencing some extreme weather as of late. My anecdotal evidence from watching the high temperature readings suggests most of our summer daytime highs so far have been 10-15 degrees F above normal.
Yesterday was a more average day so I got out for a trip along the Old Santiam Wagon Road. The route I was taking, on and off, roughly follows a portion of the old road as it crosses the Cascade Mountain Range in Central Oregon. Built in the 1860's it served as a crucial commercial route between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon. Learn more about The Santiam Wagon Road.
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Here are a few shots just prior to me arriving at the junction with the old wagon road.
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My conveyance for the day was my trusty old Jeep Wrangler. It has taken me to quite a few extraordinarily beautiful places over our 16 years together.
My Jeep is just a bit more modern than the original vehicles that probably traversed this route. 😀
From this vantage point the old wagon road is down below in the valley. The road I am on will meet up with it again a few miles further ahead. Mt Washington starts to stand out as you can see in the center right of the picture. On the far left you can see two of The Three Sisters peaks (North and Middle).
A last shot of the Sisters before they go out of sight for the day.
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These are some of the closest shots of Mt Washington that I would get this day. A couple panoramas and some extreme zoom shots.
Back on the original wagon road here are a couple shots of the dirty, dusty trail. 😀
Little lakes like these must have been a welcome sight on the journey for humans and animals alike.
As I approach Santiam Pass and prepare to meet up with HWY 20 to take the main road home, here is a shot of Three Fingered Jack.
A couple last shots at a roadside pullover on my way down the east slopes of The Cascades. This is Blue Lake and it certainly looks like somewhere I need to visit in the not to distant future. 😀
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Please feel free to make comments or ask me any questions about this post.
Photos taken by me, 
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Thanks for looking and enjoy your day!