May 30, 2007: Round Lake, Marion County, OR: It promised to be a hot summer day so Chris and I determined to check the snow pack between NFD 46 and one of his favorite fishing lakes. (Round Lake is accessed on one of the branches of NFD 63 but washouts have closed the road so one must work your way in from NFD 46.)
Round Lake is not much more than a shallow pond. The shoreline contains pond lilies. Rough skinned newts can be seen making their rounds. Later in the summer algae blooms will cloud the lake. Deeper water is beyond casting range so a float tube is necessary for the serious fisherman. The trout are small but plentiful enough to make fishing interesting. The rhododendrons will be blooming soon to add to the alpine beauty of the area.
I was pleased to find a specimen of fuschia-flowered gooseberry (Ribes lobbii), an uncommon plant.
There were still a few spots of snow blocking the road but with 4-wheel drive engaged we plowed through. Trees were down across the road in a few places but the road was reasonably clear. It would make sense to carry an axe, chainsaw, and a cable… we could yank some of that stuff out of the road.
byLarry
