Very Fine, Soft Dust That Sticks to Everything.

….“ …. and discover that the pine needles just barely cover what must be many feet of soft spongy dust. I’ve never seen anything like it. We have to be careful not to kick up the needles or the dust flies up over everything. .. We spread out the tarps and put the sleeping bags on them. That seems to work. “ (Cont.Next)

5.8 Miles North of La Pine, OR. I found this dust several places in Oregon, exactly as described by the Narrator. The first place was at the Lava Lands Visitor Center just South of Bend, OR. The 2nd and 3rd places were some 55 travel miles further South, at the Coral Springs Campground (where I stayed overnight), and then some 29 miles further South, at the entrance to Crater Lake National Park.

In This General Area, Widely Spaced, Short Scrubby Pines Seemed To Be An Indicator Of This Especially Deep Dust. In This Same Area, The Gravel Along The Road, As Seen In My Photographs, Was Brick Red Volcanic Cinders.
….I hypothesize that vehicles will bog down and get stuck easily in the soft spongy volcanic dust. Hence the necessity for the red volcanic cinders, seemingly the only available substitute for gravel or hard packed earth.
….I imagine that the red volcanic cinders must likewise be used to make a stable road bed under the asphalt pavement.
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(Photo = 113-1353cd ...... ZMM Page = 294 ...... WayPt = 358i4 ~4219ft. Photo at = 364w 4560ft)