The original plan for the January break, was to take jibC to Crater Lake. Our excellent adventure of
2012 was going to be re-created, but to make it new for myself and snowblasta, we were planning on
touring around the lake the other way around - counter-clockwise.
As 2014 drew closer, our hopes for Crater Lake evaporated.
Bend had the closest snow, so we made the drive and had a good time, despite the bullet-proof snow.
-----------------------------------
After the ice skating of Broken Top,

we had to come home to drop off jibC. He had to get back to work.
There was a storm brewing anyways. Perfect! Some much needed snow.
We lazily waited out the Oregon storm in the sunny, dry and brown Napa Valley.
With my vacation time dwindling away, we soon got anxious.
Hoping there would be something closer and trying to avoid another 8 hour drive to Bend,
we made some calls and research on the 'net (how did we - or anyone, do this before the internet...)
There appeared to be enough snow for a shorter drive.
We thought about Bailey and Thielsen. McLaughlin maybe...
But, with the Crater still on our minds, we gave it a go.
With not much time left, we opted to head out into the last day of the storm.
Clear weather was on the horizon. Might be just enough time.
The plan was to drive up on Friday, get a motel and wait out the last of the storm on Sat.
The motel I was thinking of - the Rapids Motel at the Crater Lake Junction, was closed.
We soon found out what a useless town Chiloquin really is.
It was getting dark. We found the only other place to stay.
Melita's.
What a great find! Seriously. Motel, restaurant, full bar.
Very nice folks.
Perfect location. Just down the road from the Chiloquin exit for Crater Lake and only
three miles north of the KLA-MO-YA Casino

We checked in and headed down to the casino.
Only a few dollars in and I had won $50.
Got some dinner at the casino's restaurant and headed back to Melita's.
Saturday, the storm intensified. We were bored, so we got some breakfast at Melita's and decided to drive up to Park Headquarters to
get our permit. Not much snow on the 97, but the ice fog was making driving tricky.
The snow soon covered the road. Blinding white-out conditions. The Jeep performed flawlessly and
we were soon trudging through the storm to the office.
As we were talking to the Rangers about our trip and signing the paper work, she pulls out
this folder that shows the rules, regulations, dangers, etc.
As she was flipping through the pages, doing her job of informing us, something caught my eye.
"Wait, wait - go back." I said. "To that last picture."
Turns out, a picture from our 2012 trip that snowblasta had taken of me was in there.

Snowblasta noticed that I had credited that picture to myself. Oops!
So, here you go snowblasta -
Photo credit: Mark Chon.
You happy now?!

With the paper work done, we had a leg up on tomorrow.
We drove back down the snowy, road. Still white-out conditions.
Back to Melita's and the casino.
2012 was going to be re-created, but to make it new for myself and snowblasta, we were planning on
touring around the lake the other way around - counter-clockwise.
As 2014 drew closer, our hopes for Crater Lake evaporated.
Bend had the closest snow, so we made the drive and had a good time, despite the bullet-proof snow.
-----------------------------------
After the ice skating of Broken Top,

we had to come home to drop off jibC. He had to get back to work.
There was a storm brewing anyways. Perfect! Some much needed snow.
We lazily waited out the Oregon storm in the sunny, dry and brown Napa Valley.
With my vacation time dwindling away, we soon got anxious.
Hoping there would be something closer and trying to avoid another 8 hour drive to Bend,
we made some calls and research on the 'net (how did we - or anyone, do this before the internet...)
There appeared to be enough snow for a shorter drive.
We thought about Bailey and Thielsen. McLaughlin maybe...
But, with the Crater still on our minds, we gave it a go.
With not much time left, we opted to head out into the last day of the storm.
Clear weather was on the horizon. Might be just enough time.
The plan was to drive up on Friday, get a motel and wait out the last of the storm on Sat.
The motel I was thinking of - the Rapids Motel at the Crater Lake Junction, was closed.
We soon found out what a useless town Chiloquin really is.
It was getting dark. We found the only other place to stay.
Melita's.
What a great find! Seriously. Motel, restaurant, full bar.
Very nice folks.
Perfect location. Just down the road from the Chiloquin exit for Crater Lake and only
three miles north of the KLA-MO-YA Casino

We checked in and headed down to the casino.
Only a few dollars in and I had won $50.
Got some dinner at the casino's restaurant and headed back to Melita's.
Saturday, the storm intensified. We were bored, so we got some breakfast at Melita's and decided to drive up to Park Headquarters to
get our permit. Not much snow on the 97, but the ice fog was making driving tricky.
The snow soon covered the road. Blinding white-out conditions. The Jeep performed flawlessly and
we were soon trudging through the storm to the office.
As we were talking to the Rangers about our trip and signing the paper work, she pulls out
this folder that shows the rules, regulations, dangers, etc.
As she was flipping through the pages, doing her job of informing us, something caught my eye.
"Wait, wait - go back." I said. "To that last picture."
Turns out, a picture from our 2012 trip that snowblasta had taken of me was in there.

Snowblasta noticed that I had credited that picture to myself. Oops!
So, here you go snowblasta -
Photo credit: Mark Chon.
You happy now?!

With the paper work done, we had a leg up on tomorrow.
We drove back down the snowy, road. Still white-out conditions.
Back to Melita's and the casino.
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