C to D to E: Fremont National Forest to Lava Beds National Monument to Medicine Lake

We wake up fairly early, still heavy from our steak dinner the night before. Using our Fremont National Forest map and the GPS we navigated our way south from the campground through the forest on forest roads 28 and 30. The roads were mostly paved, with little potholes. A dream to drive on. We stopped along the way for a snack of leftover steak and dinner rolls. Yum.We continued south through the towns of Bly, OR and Bonanza, OR into California and the community of Tulelake. From there we entered the Lava Beds National Monument at the north entrance where the enthusiastic ranger told us that lucky for us, we had arrived during Jr. Ranger weekend! We got a list of events and headed off to the Visitor Center, where we immediately realized that Jr. Ranger weekend meant that there would be lots and lots of kids. Not that we don't enjoy some children, but the thought of being underground in Lava Caves with lots of echoing screaming didn't sound very enjoyable. In addition to telling us about the white-nose syndrome that is killing bats across the county, the ranger at the front gate pointed out two spots that not many people visit towards the southern end of the park, so we headed there. When looking at the map, it seemed like you could continue on Hill Road towards Medicine Lake and Glass Mountain, so we skipped the recommended spots and proceeded onto the bumpiest, most wash-boarded road we had traveled on so far. We started seeing signs for Glass Mountain and followed them up more terrible roads. By the time we got to the trail head for Glass Mountain, we were well shaken up. It felt worthwhile while we walked through the incredible obsidian flows, where the obsidian used for arrowheads traded all over the continent came from. We lifted giant pumice boulders over our heads, and took pictures of the glass boulders' marbled ebony surfaces and razor sharp edges. The sky started to darken, though, so we headed down another road back towards Medicine Lake and the campgrounds there. The road down was way better maintained and intersected with a lovely paved road after only 4 miles. Apparently we had taken the back way in.We arrived at Medicine Lake to find all of its four campgrounds were full. We started to worry that we wouldn't have enough gas to roam the National Forest in search of another place to camp and also explore the lava beds the next day without having to drive back north to Merrill, OR (the nearest gas station) first. It was getting late, but we decided it would be best to gas up tonight, even if it meant having to also stay in a hotel (for the first time since Seattle) in Merrill if camping could not be found. Our fears of hotelling it would not be realized, however, as while driving north out of the area we passed a free National Forest campspot at Blanche Lake with a newly built pit toilet that was empty. Deluxe and secluded, less than 20 miles from the packed shores of Medicine Lake. Score! We settled in, made mac&cheese with Cowboy Dinner Tree steak and green beans and listened to NPR as we went to bed. Gas could wait till morning.