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Rimrock Lake at high water level
Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos
Spring 2000
Since the weather forecast called for overcast and
rain for
western Washington, we decided on the spur of the moment
to make a run for the sun. A quick drive down I-5 on
Saturday afternoon, past Chehalis, and then east on
Hwy 12. Once away from I-5, the scenery becomes quite
beautiful, especially where Hwy 12 winds its way through the
Cowlitz River Valley. Once we made it through the small
town of Packwood, the terrain becomes more mountainous,
and the clouds thin out, and we see some patches of blue
sky. The climb up White Pass is not too steep, but it does
go up steadily, and most of the time we climb at 40 to
50 mph, not pushing it. There are some very stunning
views of the (other side) of Mount Rainier from some
of the turnout points, so we weren't in too much of
a hurry anyway.
Once across White Pass, it's hot and sunny, and the terrain
is more like in Eastern Washington, and
the familiar fir
trees have been replaced by pines.
Great, just what we came for. Now its 4 pm Sat., and we think it
might be a good idea to find a campsite for the night
Turns out for the spontaneous camper, this general Tieton River and
Rimrock-Clear Lake area is heaven on earth. There are
a plethora of different campgrounds. Many campgrounds
around the lakes are connected by small unpaved roads,
and some of the campgrounds are supervised, while many
others are very primitive. We end up finding a prime spot
by Clear Lake Falls with a view of the waterfall
and the stream from the front window of the westy. In one word,
gorgeous. Most other campers appear to be from east of
the Cascades, and are here for the outstanding trout fishing.
But we discovered that trout and landlocked salmon aren't the
only fish. The river is also populated by an interesting fish
everyone called "suckers". We saw lots of those in the stream
bed, and they are quite easy to catch. They have a mouth that
reminds you of a slug, and apparently suck the algae off the rocks.
One can observe many birds here. Saw several ospreys dive
and catch fish, while on a evening walk by Clear Lake.
The campground was quiet, and the fellow campers
were very friendly. We were the only Volkswagen camper in sight.
After Sunday morning breakfast, we took a drive east around
Rimrock Lake, and end up by a place called Peninsula CG,
next to a small emergency airport. Again, lots of campsites here,
many right on the lake, and very wild. Stunning view of the volcanic
mountains to the southeast. Also while having a picnic,
we discovered that we were sitting in the middle of a frog
freeway to the water. Thousands of tiny but mature
frogs on their way from the dry forest to the lake,
and once in the water they would paddle off, fighting the
small waves with eager determination.
Also were greeted by a bear and her cub. But when I went
to get the camera, they ran off. The mother looked like a
brown bear, and was standing on her hind legs,
looking at us from behind a bush.
Note: We were told by a ranger that the water level in
Rimrock Lake fluctuates. Right now, the lake is full.
There weren't too many mosquitoes. But later in August,
mosquitoes can be more abundant, as the water level drops.
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