Success through the Siskiyou Pass - Now in Salem, Oregon

Leaving Red Bluff, CA.

We were up early.  The first order of the day?...check the web site and weather cameras for the Siskiyou Pass on I-5 northbound.  All looked good for our journey. Off we went.

Threatening skies near Redding, CA

Approaching the south end of the climbing stretches through the four passes we had to navigate.

Shasta Lakes - eastern view

So far, so good.  There were a few raindrops but nothing of note.  The interstate was almost bare (with some wetness and dryness)  and with no winds or snow. 

Very good conditions

Still looking good as we approach the highest elevations.

Yep!.. Foggy and wet - snow in the shoulders and ditches - but driving conditions were relatively good.

So we plugged along at reasonable speeds.  We clearly chose a good day to cross this ominous countryside. For those who have driven the passes between Oregon and California, the weather can change in a heartbeat.  Looking at the weather there from our overnight spot just south of Portland, Oregon, this morning) the passes are treacherous today, with snow and freezing rain in the forecast.  Glad to be on the north side of that weather.

Best view we could see of Mount Shasta.

The skies are opening up as we near the Oregon border.

We crossed into Oregon and, once past Grants Pass, the skies opened up and we had sunny skies for the balance of our drive.  We chose to overnight in a really nice RV Park in Salem, Oregon - 45 miles south of Portland.  Jeanette  found this park in one of our RV Resort books.

Now in Oregon

Gotta watch out for these guys/girls.  Not a problem when our average cruising speed is 55 mph.

After refueling about one hour south of here, we set the GPS coordinates and arrived at a really nice facility.  It's a Good Sam park and the discounts worked in our favour.

Wide and long pull through sites - with all the goodies needed for a nice stay.

This is an American Native owned and operated RV Resort.  It is quite new, well landscaped, and well managed.  We were instantly impressed by the quality of this park.  The price is most reasonable too.  This park is now on our 'stay' list.

We chose not to unhitch.  We set up all services, turned on the heat and left for a walk about in this park.  Here are a few pix.

Very level concrete sites.

Outdoor pool and play area.

Well landscaped and angled pull throughs.

Very clean.

Checking email and weather for the greater Vancouver area of BC, we saw a wind and storm warning for today.  Email from some friends stated the obvious.  Winds would be gusting to between 90-100 km/hr. (55-60 mph).  Thinking this would prove to be a harsh drive for us - with the big long load behind - we thought to take it easy in the morning, check the weather reports, and possibly adjust our travel plans by travelling only part way, today.  Instead of the seven hour drive home, we now plan to leave and drive half that distance - likely overnighting just south of Olympia or Seattle, WA.  If the winds are problematic, we'll pull over sooner and wait it out.  No need to create any added stress when we don't have to.

Nice RV facility

Having our own accommodations makes for easy decisions while travelling.  So, we're leaving here (Salem, Oregon) within the next hour and we'll see just how far we get before - or if - the winds prove difficult.

Onwards and forwards.