September 21
I knew I was back in California when I saw the prices at the first gas station; $5.79/gal for regular unleaded. Tonight is in Alturas, about the farthest northeast one can get in the state. Not too many gas stations around, in any direction. The Lazy B restaurant provided an excellent pulled pork sandwich (w/ coleslaw, of course) and large fries. This section of California has two National Park units, Tule Lake NMon and Lava Beds NMon. Pretty easy to get to Tule Lake from Albany, Oregon, where I stayed last night. OR route 58, off I-5, turned out to be a joy. What a lovely (and excellent pavement) stretch of scenery, until ending at US 97, which heads south to Klamath Falls. Klamath Falls is the only large city in south-central Oregon, but it has wonderful Green Blade Bakery (I had heard one has to get there before noon or run the risk of all items being sold out for the day). Yes, I had to help support the local establishment by purchasing some sweets. Twenty-five miles southeast on OR 39 (then CA 139) is the town of Tulelake. There are two parts of the NMon, with one being 4 miles west of center of town. This is Camp Tule Lake. The CCC built the camp in 1936, but the War Department took control in 1942 in order to hold the Japanese-American men who refused to sign the Loyalty Questionnaire (see Daily Trip Report for image of questions 27 and 28). After the Japanese-Americans were moved back to the main center in 1944, 150 Italian and 800 Germany POWs were housed in the camp.
The camp area was much smaller, though, then the huge Tule Lake Relocation Center, which is 8 miles south of the town on CA 139. Between the two facilities, Tule Lake held over 18,000 people, the largest grouping of the ten Internment Camps spread across the Western United States. In July-1943, a decision was made that anyone who answered “no” to the loyalty questions would remain at Tule Lake for the rest of the war, under maximum security. Tule Lake was the last of the ten camps to be closed, in 1946.
Lava Beds NMon is just a few miles down the road. I came into the park from the northeast corner, by Petroglyph Point. This is a large butte by today’s standards. But over 100 years ago it was an island in the middle of a large lake. Governmental entities began draining Tule Lake in 1912 so new farmland could be created, to support homesteaders. A much smaller Tule Lake remains today, part of the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge. At the base of the Point are many petroglyphs. A wire fence keeps people away from the delicate artwork. The park has one road that is in the shape of a “C”, with two entrances on the north and one on the south. By coming in from the northeast, I was able to drive the section pertaining to the Modoc War in 1873. Captain Jack was a Modoc Chief. He created a stronghold (called Captain Jack Stronghold) at one of the lava rock outcroppings to protect his people. A mile or so away is Hospital Rock where the Army located a field hospital to tend to the wounded. Then I made the turn to head south on the park road.
The landscape is that of large and small lava boulders and rocks, black and red colored, with a few tall cinder cones. If one did not know better, they would think they are in Craters of the Moon NMon. And just like Craters, there is an underground element to the park. There are about 15 “caves” (these are all lava tubes) which you can climb down into. Not all are open at any one time. Today about half were closed. But always plenty to enjoy. A couple even have ice at their lowest elevation, such as Skull Cave. I climbed down and walked in Golden Dome, Garden Bridge, and Catacombs. I used my iPhone flashlight to see the way. Each cave has a ladder for access. Valentine Cave is the longest exploration at 1,635 feet.
Back on CA 139, I headed south to Alturas. In a couple miles I had to stop at a California Inspection Station. The state is highly protective of its produce industry, just like the NPS is relative to White-Nose Syndrome with bat populations.