E to F to G to H: Medicine Lake to Merrill, OR to Lava Beds NM to Cedarville, CA

After waking up early, we drove up the more easily drivable road back to Glass Mountain and walked around and took pictures in better lighting. Emily had also wanted to get some sound clips of the way the obsidian and pumice sounded when you walked on it. It was something closer to walking on glass than through gravel and dirt. After a brief walk around, we headed back down the mountain and out to 299 where we were headed back north, back to Oregon, for gas and breakfast. We found the gas station in Merrill, OR and then to Pappy Gander & Co. - a ridiculously named restaurant that served us equally ridiculously sized portions of bacon with our breakfast. We left feeling really full, albeit greasy.One of our main goals of this trip was to explore the Lava Beds and learn more about the Modoc Wars. We had first read about it in our ancient guidebook a few years back and had felt drawn to this place and its history since. We are still not experts on this war, and probably wouldn't do it justice to summarize it. From what we had read from National Park Service pamphlets,Cheewa James' Modocs: The Tribe that Wouldn't Die and sites on the Internet, it seemed that as with all history, each side has its own account of events. The most interesting aspect, which we hope to continue to learn more about, was how Jesse Applegate - the founder of the Applegate Trail through Modoc Country and a prominent landowner - seemed to have enough influence on the government to move a group of predominantly peaceful people out of the land that they had lived on for centuries.We had picked up a map of war sites, and we stopped to check out the Natural Bridge, where the Modoc War's first shots were fired. It is now dammed, and there were two plaques erected - one discussing the Modoc War and one honoring the settlers who came through on this trail. One bridge - two different stories. On our way back to the Monument, we noticed a CCC camp that we had thought had been used as a segregation center for Japanese-Americans during World War II, so we turned off to read the informational posters. We saw that a tour happened to be starting in five minutes, so we turned in. We were met by a welcoming and knowledgeable Student Conservation Association intern who proceeded to give us a very detailed history of the camp. We were the only ones on the tour, so we were able to ask lots of questions. The camp had been used for many different purposes after the CCC ended their use of the facility, including as a place where POWs from Germany and Italy were housed during WWII and then lent out to area farmers as farm workers. Surprisingly the Farmers and POWs got along very well. Apparently a few of the German POWs liked it so much that they petitioned for a homestead after the war. After the tour, we chatted more with our tour guide and learned that she had just graduated with a degree in History and wrote her thesis on the Weather Underground, with a focus on how personal accounts of a particular account can differ so vastly. This seemed to be our theme for the day.After the fun and informative diversion, we continued along to the Lava Beds, where the same friendly gatekeeper asked if we had become Jr. Rangers yet. We had to admit that we hadn't, but did brag that we visited Glass Mountain. We began our war sites tour at Gillem's Camp Trail, where the US Army had their camp during the Modoc War. From there, we thought we should check out at least one cave while we were there, so we went to Valentine Cave which was purported to be the locals favorite. It was a bit out of the way, so it was nice and empty. After a cool but brief respite in the cave (it would seem clambering through the mile plus Ape Cave in Washington satisfied our entire need to be in cave for this trip,) we drove to the Wright Battleground trailhead and walked the mile to the battle sight. It seemed amazing to us that the US soldiers would take a break in a valley beneath large hills where they could be so easily sniped at. How could they not anticipate that the fleeing warriors wouldn't take this chance to protect their family from an attack? From there, we drove over to General Canby's cross (the only general to be killed during an Indian War - Custer was not actually a general) which commemorates the spot where Captain Jack killed the general. The general was unarmed and attending a meeting of the Peace Commission, and so the cross proclaims it as the spot where General Canby was murdered. Jack had been put up to the killing by the more aggressive of his men, who saw it as their only chance to end the conflict. They believed that, as in Modoc culture, if a leader is killed the soldiers are required to retreat, and not sharing the cavalry's reverence for the Peace Commission's rules, saw it is their best opportunity to achieve that goal. Of course, the killing of a general at a meeting of the Peace Commission was more than enough to swing public opinion in favor of whatever it took to bring Jack and his band "to justice" and off of the only land they ever knew. The Forest Service interpretive plaque does a remarkable job of presenting this difference of cultures so endemic to Modoc War story. After seeing the US Cavalry's camp we went across the the rough lava flows of The Devil's Homestead and on to Captain Jack's Stronghold- a series of natural trenches, walls, and caves created by lava flows that offers an ideal position for a defending force. This is what allowed less than 60 warriors to hold off almost 1,000 US soldiers for more than 5 months. As we walked through the lava flow that formed an ideal fortress for the Modocs and their families, we imagined what it would be like for them and the army that attempted to capture them here. We were amazed that the US Army thought they could so easily defeat the small band. The fortress of lava seemed impenetrable - and apparently it was. The Modocs were only captured when they fled the Stronghold and after internal conflict had divided them into smaller groups. There are lots of good resources for a more complete summary of the Modoc War.By this point, the sun was low in the sky and we were tired. We had walked a lot, and had taken in a lot of information, much of which was quite disturbing. So much of our country's history contains stories of one group taking land from another. It made us question our own desire to own property.

We initially planned to camp somewhere in Alturas, CA, but the camping prospects seemed limited to sketchy RV parks, so we returned to the Internet to find a better alternative. Emily looked up some campgrounds in the Modoc National Forest, and then on a whim, looked to see if there was a fairgrounds nearby. There was one in the largest town in the aptly named Surprise Valley, Cedarville. Not only did the Cedarville have a fairgrounds that allows dry camping, but there was a Motocross event this weekend. We decided to drive over the pass into Surprise Valley and see what we could find. We easily found the fairgrounds after dropping 4,000 ft. down into Cedarville and the enormous Surprise Valley. We parked at the fairgrounds, asked someone who was in charge and were pointed in the direction of the photo booth, run by the amiable Tim and Terry. They admitted they weren't in charge of the fairgrounds, but saw no reason why we couldn't park our van and spend the night with all the Motocross racers and their families. They recommended Woody's as a good spot to get a burger and a beer and we followed their suggestion and directions into town.

We were warmly welcomed at the Cafe .22 next door to Woody's and were told we could eat at the bar. We met the owner and his son, laughed at the Uncle Sam poster that read "Zip it Hippie" and chatted with the workers building a new gas station in town. After a satisfying meal, we drove back to the fairgrounds and found a quiet spot to park. We fell asleep listening to the wind rip around the van.

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