Lightning strike evidence of Mother Nature's power

A recent lightning strike and its deadly outcome at a NASCAR race in Pennsylvania reminded me of the time I witnessed the remnants of a lightning strike near Timothy Lake in the Oregon Cascades. It was yet another reminder of how awesomely powerful Mother Nature can be.

Hitchhiker reminds of dangers lurking



Timothy Lake log bridge (Photo credit: freddy)

As the father of a teenage daughter and because of the number of  girls perpetually reported missing and eventually found lifeless, I feel the need to tell girls and young women to stop getting into situations that make them an easy target. It is sad things have come to this, but it is a fact of life.

Unfortunately, society has taken a long and drawn out turn for the worse. As for the reasons behind this decay, that is a subject for another time. For today, a growing number of predators now walk within the urban jungle. Unfortunately, they most often find their prey before they can be hunted and thinned from the herd.

What prompts me to say this is the memory of finding a girl years ago in the mountains, up around Timothy Lake - all by herself. After hiking around the lake one fall day, after the summer crowds had left, I saw a hitchhiker along the main road near the lake. Soon, I noticed it was a girl. I was on my way home and had barely driven a mile down the lonely road when she appeared.

Bear in the proximity of Timothy Lake teases then vanishes

Winter time at Timothy Lake

It was the early morning when I left the small camp located lying along the north end of Timothy Lake and hooked up with the PCT near the intersection with the trail to Little Crater Lake, a small but deep, turquoise pool created from springs. From there, I intended to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to its intersection with road 58. I eventually had to cut the hike short because of a rare sighting that begged for a great deal more attention.

I can't honestly say whether it was movement caught out of the corner of my eye or if I just happened to look in that direction. Either way, the movement was that of a large animal which, I would like to believe was observed as a result of keen awareness of my surroundings, developed over time in the wilds. After spending a lot of time in the woods, senses sharpen and a feel for one’s surroundings matures.

 Then again, it was probably just dumb luck that I spotted the bear.