| THE OREGON STATE FIBER RUN JULY 2009 |
| Our special thanks to those farms who volunteered to be collection points for this 2-day, 611-mile trip! We couldn't have done it without you! Richard & April Angotti, Benvenuti Alpacas, Bend Gene & Sharon Culver, G Lazy S Alpacas, Klamath Falls Norm & Noreen Andresen, Andresen Acres, LLC, Eagle Point Larry & Paula Vellozzi, AdoraBella Alpacas, Grants Pass Cookie & John Cullett, Lonesome Pine Ranch, Azalea Pat Matovich, RAM Ranch, Myrtle Creek Ron & Marilyn Oliveira, Alpacas of Shepherd's Pasture, Roseburg Chuck & Julie Johnson, SkyeFyre Suri Alpacas, Oakland Sulayla Fuller, Enchanted Cottage Alpacas, Creswell Jackie Lucas, Ridgeview Alpacas, Eugene Herb & Susan DeBates, April's Acres Alpacas, Junction City |
Thursday evening, July 2: I can't believe we're doing this
again! We took off through the Cascade mountains on our
way to Bend for our first pick up. It was a gorgeous evening
and traffic was surprisingly light!
again! We took off through the Cascade mountains on our
way to Bend for our first pick up. It was a gorgeous evening
and traffic was surprisingly light!
Well, I guess it was TOO good to be true! A wreck between
the pass and Sisters, which included a car fire, closed all
lanes of traffic. We either stopped or crawled along for
about half an hour. It was a strange site to see so many cars
just parked, no engines running, on the highway.
the pass and Sisters, which included a car fire, closed all
lanes of traffic. We either stopped or crawled along for
about half an hour. It was a strange site to see so many cars
just parked, no engines running, on the highway.
The B&B fire of 2003 is still visible for miles around the pass.
Millions of bare trees stand like spectres on the ridges and
valleys. Without the cars' engines running you could hear
the wind moaning through them, like spirits crying over the
loss of the forests.
Millions of bare trees stand like spectres on the ridges and
valleys. Without the cars' engines running you could hear
the wind moaning through them, like spirits crying over the
loss of the forests.
Although the trees are gaunt and skeletal, there is new life at their feet, a sign of
a slow return to a lush, green forest.
a slow return to a lush, green forest.
After what seemed like hours waiting to cross the pass, we
were finally on the east side and heading toward Bend. The
Three Sisters is always a grand site from Central Oregon.
were finally on the east side and heading toward Bend. The
Three Sisters is always a grand site from Central Oregon.
Our first stop was at
Benvenuti Alpacas in Bend
where we met Richard &
April Angotti, as well as
Darrell & Barbara Pieper
of Panorama Ranch. The
fiber collection had begun!
Benvenuti Alpacas in Bend
where we met Richard &
April Angotti, as well as
Darrell & Barbara Pieper
of Panorama Ranch. The
fiber collection had begun!
This trip we decided to try bringing our bale bags from Pendleton
to pack the fiber in. It didn't take long to fill them as we just
couldn't pack them down the way we could in the construction
clean up bags.
After this pick up, we headed down Hwy 97 toward K Falls.
to pack the fiber in. It didn't take long to fill them as we just
couldn't pack them down the way we could in the construction
clean up bags.
After this pick up, we headed down Hwy 97 toward K Falls.
We drove until 11:30 pm and
found refuge in a
construction site for the
night. The next morning,
bright and early, we arrived
at G Lazy S Alpacas and met
Gene & Sharon Culver. The
fiber we collected there filled
more of our bale bags.
found refuge in a
construction site for the
night. The next morning,
bright and early, we arrived
at G Lazy S Alpacas and met
Gene & Sharon Culver. The
fiber we collected there filled
more of our bale bags.
I don't remember every really visiting the Klamath Falls area, and
it was so much prettier than I imagined, having only passed by on
the Silver Lake side. Our route took us along Hwy 40 toward
Medford. (What looks like smoke coming from the mtn on the right
is actually a bug spatter on the windshield. Sorry about that!)
it was so much prettier than I imagined, having only passed by on
the Silver Lake side. Our route took us along Hwy 40 toward
Medford. (What looks like smoke coming from the mtn on the right
is actually a bug spatter on the windshield. Sorry about that!)
We reached Eagle Point in plenty of time to stop at Mickey-Ds for
an egg McMuffin and coffee before meeting Norm & Noreen
Andresen, Dorothy Otten, and Renata Guyro at the Eagle Point
WalMart for our pick up.
an egg McMuffin and coffee before meeting Norm & Noreen
Andresen, Dorothy Otten, and Renata Guyro at the Eagle Point
WalMart for our pick up.
Then we were off to
AdoraBella Alpacas in
Grants Pass where we
caught up with Larry & Paula
Vellozzi. It wasn't too hard to
find, since we had been their
guests during last year's
AlpacaMania. They have a
beautiful farm, which is for
sale, if you're in the market!
AdoraBella Alpacas in
Grants Pass where we
caught up with Larry & Paula
Vellozzi. It wasn't too hard to
find, since we had been their
guests during last year's
AlpacaMania. They have a
beautiful farm, which is for
sale, if you're in the market!
The truck was starting to get full by the time we reached Roseburg
and Alpacas of Shepherd's Pasture, the home of Ron & Marilyn
Oliveira. Not only that, but the temperature was topping out at
about 94 degrees and our poor little 1/2-ton truck was starting to
make a disturbing noise when we traversed the up and down
grades of I-5 with all this weight! Hmmm. Better call the shop on
Monday morning!
and Alpacas of Shepherd's Pasture, the home of Ron & Marilyn
Oliveira. Not only that, but the temperature was topping out at
about 94 degrees and our poor little 1/2-ton truck was starting to
make a disturbing noise when we traversed the up and down
grades of I-5 with all this weight! Hmmm. Better call the shop on
Monday morning!
With no more room in the truck it was
time to start filling the trailer. It's only a
17-foot Jayco Kiwi trailer, so it doesn't
have too much room, but every little bit
helps!
time to start filling the trailer. It's only a
17-foot Jayco Kiwi trailer, so it doesn't
have too much room, but every little bit
helps!
Some of their
curious cria!
curious cria!
No trip (and I mean NO trip!) along the I-5 corridor is complete
without stopping at the K-R in Rice Hill! Even with the 20-minute
wait in 95-degree heat! I mean, it's a tradition! I've been coming
here since I travelled this freeway on my way to Southern Oregon
State College (now Southern Oregon University) in Ashland 30
years ago! Their prices have gone up, but they still serve those
great burgers, humongo french fries and absolutely awesome
shakes! Huckleberry cheesecake! Oh, yeah, We also met Julie
Johnson from SkyeFyre Suris to pick up fiber too.
without stopping at the K-R in Rice Hill! Even with the 20-minute
wait in 95-degree heat! I mean, it's a tradition! I've been coming
here since I travelled this freeway on my way to Southern Oregon
State College (now Southern Oregon University) in Ashland 30
years ago! Their prices have gone up, but they still serve those
great burgers, humongo french fries and absolutely awesome
shakes! Huckleberry cheesecake! Oh, yeah, We also met Julie
Johnson from SkyeFyre Suris to pick up fiber too.
It was getting on toward evening when we finally pulled into
Sulayla Fuller's Enchanted Cottage Alpacas in Creswell. We'd
been travelling since 4:30 pm the evening before, with about 4
hours of sleep that night, and were absolutely exhausted!
Sulayla Fuller's Enchanted Cottage Alpacas in Creswell. We'd
been travelling since 4:30 pm the evening before, with about 4
hours of sleep that night, and were absolutely exhausted!
We were nearing the end of our route and running out of room in the trailer.
With one more stop to go it was definitely time to go home.
With one more stop to go it was definitely time to go home.
Finally home at about 7:30 pm with approximately 1,000 lbs
of fiber. Not quite the haul we had made in Washington, but
we still have the northwestern part of the state unaccounted
for. We'll be making that run in August after our
well-deserved vacation to British Columbia. Until then, we
have an AWFUL lot of sorting to do...
of fiber. Not quite the haul we had made in Washington, but
we still have the northwestern part of the state unaccounted
for. We'll be making that run in August after our
well-deserved vacation to British Columbia. Until then, we
have an AWFUL lot of sorting to do...