SPORTS
Explore Fort Rock valley for unique outdoor option
i INTO THE
OUTDOORS
BY JAYSON JACOBY
Most outdoor enthusiasts
tend to head for the
mountains and the for
ests during the winter months
in search of ret reational oppor
(unities sue h as cross country
skiing iind snow (tamping For
Hugene Springlield area resi
dents, that typically means
somewhere in the ('.asoades.
w here there is an abundance ol
groomed ski trails, as well as
more adventurous areas to
choose from, each offering a
different winter experience
Hut most people concentrate
only on those areas while ig
noring some unique recreation
and exploration areas oast of
the Cascades One of the most
interesting is the Fort Koc k y.il
ley southeast of Bend, whii Iv is
au essible most of the winter
Fins desert, dominated hv
sagebrush and a leys stunted ju
niper trees, gets only about HI
inches of annual prei ipitalion,
most coming either in summer
thundershowers or as winter
snow The hills and ridges sur
rounding the valley usually get
atKlUt twice as nint h and serve
to block incoming moisture
But although this technically
is a desert, it shouldn't he asso
rialed with its distantly related
cousins such as the Sahara
There is much more than (list
sand here
To get to fork Rock yalley,
drive east of l.ugene on High
ysuy 5(1, crossing Willamette
CUBA
Daily Life Under
the Revolution
I)isi ussion ,iiuJ Slides
w ith
Linda Fuller
5:00 p.m. f riday, Nov. 22
Ben l mder R(x>m, I MU
NO CHARGE
Sfxm*>icd hy iht' l Jim
Anu-rn .in Su/ifxiil ( otnmilHm
i a ii i-«JT~iH-^
EVERY POSTER
IN STOCK
WTTH THIS AD
(Qood through 11-30-91)
La Follette
Frame Shop
and C/d I lory
1 llh iMill • rug.ru
484-1420
Pass and rvimtuiiljv rear King .1
junction with Highway :*•?.
which runs north south the en
tire length (if central Oregon
from The Dulles to Klamath
Falls
Turn north on '<7 and drive
1H miles through the small
communities of (Olchrist and
t'.re*. tintTo .1 June tion yy ith ()ro
gon 111 gh w ,1 \ it. which is
marked by signs for l.akevieyv
and Keno Nn Folinvy this
road for H5 miles and look lot a
sign pointing left to I t>rt Koc k
and ( hristmas Valley
This paved road then leads
riorth five miles to the tins
hamlet of Fort Kock. when* an
other road runs two miles to
Fort Roc k
The feature idler which this
entire area was named is the
centra! feature of the valley l!
truly is one of the most iuipres
sue and awe inspiring natural
features m the stale
Fort Hoc k is a large column
o! basalt lava 21)0 feet high w ilh
a roughly circular shape Dur
ing the Pleistocene era roughly
one million years ago, .1 shal
loyy inland sen stretched ac ross
this valley Over time, the
waves eroch'd the sober parts of
Fort Kock eventually breaching
the eastern side and creating a
huge amphitheatre
I'hc* erosive forces loft tiehltld
sheer sides on the outside oi
the formation, whic h plunge
vertical 11 y In the floor of the val
ley below Fort Kock can best
he described as a huge natural
version of a Human Coliseum
When seen Irom the road to tin
town of f ort Kock. it appears to
be .1 hug*' medieval fortress,
surrounded hv high cliffs
Ihere In .i state park at l-’orl
Hot k. as well .is .1 small inform
ative display and an old ceme
tery with stones dating ha* k lu
tlm tilth i «‘nlur\ There an* ho
offu lal trails inside tin* roi k.
hut that just leaves th<* explor
ing up to the individual It is
possible to Climb In tin- tup !
hurt Hoik from the insult*. t•.it
hi t ausi ol thr sleep drop. ex
trerne i aution should In- u>*■<i
I hi* aloft v tsitor may sit i
hawk -*r eagle who h usi the
i hits a*, nesting areas
\ II vs s from the roi k it:; hide
v ast expanses of sagebrush * os
efed desert to the east and
south, and the gently sloping
shield id the New berry vuh.ino
rises t.- the northwest t he vista
ol l oft Rock from the an ess
road during a sunrise is m.ignif
it i nt
Hut 1 ort Km k iso t (tie only
worthwhile soli.imi feature o!
this area Six miles south ot the
monument is Hole t n t he
t .round
i he good gravel road that
leads to tort Kink continues
south to tile hole, ss III* h Is
about -lOti feet deep and 1 S
miles a* russ The huge pit is
considered a muur. which are
formed when eruptions of hot
I,is a * uim- into i onlni l ss ith vs a
ter, * ausing an explosion and
having behind a pit A road
leads down into tin hob and.
there is a l-’urest Servile inlor
matton sign on the south rim
In addition to I orl Kim k and
Hole in the Ground. this area
also lealufes a i.ise, two miles
northwest of fort Koi k. to
f ort Rock, a column ot basalt lava that stands 200 teat high, is one
oI the main attractions in the valley southeast of Rend At a distance,
this huge formation looks like a medieval fortress, surrounded by
high cliffs
which N.ih'. i Ann i u .in sitnd.ik
d.ited nl ‘MHtn years old wn
luilttli in (hr l'l.r>Oh
Although the I'Hr! Km k. v.iS
ley is .m I'lijiiy.ihin pliii c lo sis
i! in tin' vs i nli'i. it i .m feature
Itlhosptl.title weather Despite
tin1 liii.L ni prm t pit .it ion. stiirins
Citj) dump up In .t hint ur murr
nl snow it litntis And Irmprrii
tliri's oltt'li dip vs i'Ii lielnvs /ITU
In-re usuitllv itriompiinleii hv
strong winds Visitors should
unit' prep,in d fur the vvi .illu r.
and hi i iiusr this is fairly isolat
. ! ( I !! !l \ with I III: hi", .111:1
i-spt'i nil h sturi s .mil servit e
stations lew .mil tar briwerii,
t'.is tanks shonI<I In 11111 I m
l.ih lir 1st or t rt'Mi nl httlore
making this trip
rlii- nearest tourist in i uinino
• l.ittiins urn in Silver hake. 1H
mill's sou I lira si on Highway It,
an i ( diristniiis VaIll's. .’.7 mills
I-1st oil a paved road
/.(isiiu /,ii o/n /s ,i s/turfs re
fuirh'i I nr ihr lanerald
The Book
Interpreted by
Harold Itloom
Translated by
David Kosenburj>
Brilliant...a hook of
surpassing originality and m
critical penetration...extraordinary ^
I he .Wm York l imes
This audacious and controversial work of literary restoration a
collaboration fsclwcen one of our foremost literary critics and
addled translator reveals one of the great narratives of all time
and unveils its mysterious author Ihe Hook of J is nothing less than an
innovative look at the test ttmi runs through the first live lx>oksot the Old
Testament one that, according to Harold Bloom, was probably written
by a woman and whose characters are as lively and complex as any
imagined by Shakespeare. Tolstoy, or Kalka
(iENERAE BOOK DEPARTMENT
"Advanced vcith the learning and ingenuity, the charm ami the
cheek that characterize Mr Bloom at his brilliant Ivst A lx>ld anil
deeply mediated translation beguiling In /7ie Hook at J bright
ideas gleam, vanish, and are replaced by more "
t rank Kerrrunie,
I hr Wh York t imr\ Book Review
UO BOOKSTORE
13ih & Kincaid M-K 7:30-6 Sal. 10:00-6