Feel the Powers

I just got back from the rainforest of southwest Oregon known as the city of Powers. My task was to inventory and measure trees in areas that were clearcut back in the 50's and 60's. Some of the stands were exceedingly brushy and some were growing quite nicely into a well-forested landscape. Some of the work we had to do was in boring and aging the trees by counting the rings. Trees grow extremely fast up there and one of the best examples was a 59 year old Port Orford cedar that was 31 inches in diameter at 4.5 feet.

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The weather up there was the biggest challenge. Seven out of the ten days were wet, cold and rainy, with a little snow thrown in for good measure. We had to spend up to eight hours per day in the woods, wearing our raingear and "cork" loggers boots, to deal with the wet conditions. Several members of our group got sick during this time, and I didn't get their colds until it was time to go home. Now, I'm stuck at home, sick and tired, but happy to say that I have been there and done that.

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Now, on to the pictures! There was water everywhere up there and small waterfalls were a dime a dozen. Elk Creek Falls, pictured below, is one of those that is so easy to see, being only 5 minutes off of our main access to the work areas.

That access route runs alongside the south fork of the Coquille River. This wild river is full of great spots to stop and enjoy. If you're ever in the area and have a whole day to explore, this road goes all the way from Powers to Glendale (on Interstate 5) all through the Oregon backcountry.

This next pic of of Elk Creek, below the falls but above where it flows in the the south fork of the Coquille River. I did have some trouble with the camera's automatic mode overexposing the white water of the stream. I attempted to mute the brightness but, nothing I seem to try will bring back the details of the white water.

And, here's another picture of Elk Creek, with all the moss and ferns so typical of a temperate rainforest.

Finally, we're back to the falls. Again, the white water was overexposed, so I played around with the watercolor effect and got this interesting subtle view. Right click on the pic and then select "Open in a new window" for a closeup view.

EDIT: Now that I look at it, I think it looks more and more like a new Hamm's Beer Bar sign!