Klamath River 2012

As you approach the Mt Shasta area, the majestic Mt Shasta Mountain looms high in the sky. It is the second highest volcano in the United States rising to 14, 179 feet.

Complimenting the mountain range are healthy stands of sugar pine, incense-cedar, white fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and canyon live oak. It is a sight that is not soon forgotten.

Our destination in the Mt Shasta area was Klamath Ranch Resort. We have stayed here before and looked forward to our return.

The Klamath River is famous for salmon and trout fishing. The first non-natives to explore the Klamath River were Hudson's Bay Company fur trappers working South from Fort Vancouver in the 1820.

We have a scenic river front site where we can observe fishermen floating down the river in their boats and various wild life that use the river for sustenance.

 

The numerous trout and other fish were a major source of food for Native Americans, who have been living in the basin for at least 7,000 years. The river flows more than 250 miles to the Pacific Ocean.

      

 This is the Fish Hook Restaurant owned by Jim and Kathy Burney who also own the RV Park and the surrounding 565 acres. We met Jim and Kathy in 2008. Before their venture into the RV Park business, he was in the automobile agency business in Sacramento, CA. One of the things we had in common was our association with a local bank.

On top of that mountain is a American flag and also the future site of Jim Burney's lodge.

Remember that flag on top of Burney mountain? We are about to hike up to it, Donna is equipped with her walking sticks.

Donna is going great guns with her sticks, still a long way to go!

And there is the flag perched on the mountain top. You can barely see the river down below.

There are wild horses roaming the hills above our campground. They are traditionally seen grazing on the fringe of the tree line or in open meadows. 

The lead stallion is the large black horse in the center of the picture and a little to the right.

The dense timber within the area allows the horses to have shelter in adverse weather conditions and provides covered areas where the mares will foal. These conditions make it difficult to get an accurate count of the herd. 

During the evening, they will venture down to the RV Park and wander around the motorhomes. You can hear their hoofs on the payment and communicating with each other. It was an interesting experience observing the wild horses.

We were lucky to get this close to the doe for this great picture. She was looking us over and likewise.

 This is a real treat, do you see the telephone wires which end at the telephone pole?

 By my telephoto lens, I was able to photograph two adult eagles and two chicks.

 

Here's a better shot of the eagle and the chicks. It looks like they were pretty hungry. On our walk one day, when we walked underneath their nest, on the road below,  the female took off and screeched at us. We hoped she wouldn't attack us, she didn't.

What a great treat to see the wild horses, deer and eagles, these are the rewards that await us in our traveling lifestyle.

How blessed we are!