3/16/2010
Several days each week I start out my Day atChurch.I never
Really Know just what I'am going to do afterwards. Sometimes go Home. Or hang out
with Freinds, Or Job Hunting. Or like on this Day I decided to go give Tallowbox Mt
another try. I Allways go to Church Prepared for anything. Here I'am in the Church-Parking-lot..
It's kind of Funny. Tallowbox Mt is Visible from the Parking-lot there.
I have left the Parking-Lot of Church. It's Probably about 8:00 a.m. here.
And Cold. It does not look like it at this Point in the Trip. But I would Run
into Snow up there. Tallowbox Mt is Straight ahead in this First Picture. It's
the Small one on the Right. It is Farther back then the Big Mt on the Left.
That is N-Bend towering over-Head.
About a Mile South from the Church We find the Turn off road at Cantrall-Buckley-Park.
Going across the One-Lane Bridge We begine the Long drive up The Switch-Back-Road.
About 5 Miles later we will be at the Saddle between N-Bend & Tallowbox. The Road will turn
to Dirt and become narrower. But still just fine for My little Nissan.
Here I'am way up on N-Bend driving the Switch-Back-Road. Its Black-Top all the
Way to the Saddle. If It was not for the Trees along the Road we would have a
Nice View of the The Church & Ruch. In the Next Picture we see the Saddle-Area
A head where the Black-Top will change to Dirt.
Ok Now I'am at the Saddle. End of The Black-Top. Stoped here and took a short
Break. My First indication of The Fact that I would be stoped by Snow in about
3 miles from this Point. Was Here. As You can see there is some snow Here. I Guess
I should have Realized it would get worse. But as they say. "No pain No Gain" Right?
So I Pressed on and Hoped for the Best.
Lets begine the Drive up the Dirt Road. The Next Saddle area is about 2 miles up the road from
here. That is where the Original Trail/Road to the top of the Mt begins. Its not used anymore.
I would get just a Quarter Mile Past that when I get stoped by Snow.
Ok Here I'am. This is where I got stoped by Snow. I Admit it does not look
to bad here in these Picture. But Beleve me I made the correct Choice NOT
to go any farther. Lets walk up there a ways and take a look. The Road here is
Not Steep but it is going up Hill. And Around the Corner there is More Snow ahead.
If I had tryed to continue on. In My Car. (NOT a 4-Wheel-Drive) I could have easly
gotten Stuck. I would NOT have slide off the side of the Mountain. But I'am sure I
could have easly gotten sideways.. (Crossed-Up) And then there I would be.. How would
I have gotten My self out of that.? I was a little Sad to have to Turn around here.
But I made the right Choice. I got to go home. And that was all that Mattered..
I have walked back down to the Car and Am Preparing to Turn it around. Not going
to be Easy. Very Little room. I can See throught the Tree here Mt Isabelle 6 or 7
Miles to the North. Was just up there a few Days before. Didnt make it to the Summit.
Well Lets get the Car Turned around then Head back down to the Saddle-Area. I will find a
Great Hiking Opprotunity there.
Here is the Saddle-Area just a Quarter mile down the Road from where I got
Stoped. I was Just going to take a few Pictures here. Nice View. And then I
Remembered the Old-Original-Road/Trail from many many Years ago Starts right here.
It goes up the Other side of the Ridge oposite the New Road. I thought. "Well Dan..
Why dont I go Walk that Trail/Road." Sounds like fun. And that Side of the Mountain will
be in the Sun all day. So I did. Lets go take a look at that Trail Now..
Here at the Saddle. We have a Nice View of Greyback in Josephine County.
I have made two Attemps at the Summit of Greyback in My life. Never did
make it all the way to the Top. It is such a long walk just to get to the
Mountain. Very difficult. I thought.. Notice the Clouds just starting to
Come in from the Coast over the Mountain. They will get worse and worse as the Day
goes on. No Problems for me. I will Enjoy there Company on this Hike today.
There is the Top of Tallowbox Just visible over the tops of the Trees.
Also You Can see a small part of the Road/Trail that we will be taking on
this Hike Far ahead.. Just a Small Part of it is Visible in that Bald spot
to the left of the Picture.
Here is the Trail head. Back in the oldin days. This was the ONLY Road
that would take us Up to The Look-out. I'am afraid My Nissan would NOT make
it. An attempt was made here to Block off the Trail/Road to off-Roaders.
Some of them Stupidly still drive over the Blockade and try it. along the trail
I will see evidence of the Problems they encountered. Oh Well. Lets begine walking down
the Old Road. If You look far a head in the Next Picture You can see the the Road
going Steeply up the side of the Mountain. I want to go atleast that far today.
These Next two Pictures are of a Favorite Place I used to go Hike at in
Josephine County back in My Motor-Cycling-Days. Whiskey-Peak. A Very Beautifull
Area. A little out of My Reach now I think. Whiskey-Peak is situated between those
two closer Mountians.
Here I'am proceeding down the Road as Planned. The Sun feels really good this
Early in the Morning. As You can see The Trail/Road is about as Narrow as it gets.
NO Place to turn around here in a Car.
Looking back to where I just came from. The Car is Parked over the Ridge.
Its Funny. The Trail/Road goes down HILL here in the Beginning. I dont know why.?
Because now we will have to go up hill agine to make that up. I would have
thought the Road Builders back then would have wanted to keep the Road level
as Possible.? Well I dont know.? Its here. Let continue to follow it. Along this
Trail/Road I kept finding these old "widow-makers-Trees." As the Old-Timers Used to call
them Back in My Younger days. When I first started Logging.
I have began to go up Hill Now. The Road is very over-Grown as You can see.
Its hard to see very far ahead most of the time. I did NOT Realize How far this
Road was going to go. And I Did NOT Realize Just how Steep it would get. But You
Know I just Could NOT Stop My Self once I got going. It was Fun.
Looking back to where I just came from. The Car is somewhere over there across the
Forrest at the Saddle area. That is What I just came Through. Now That I'am going
up the Steep Hill. The Forrest cover is mostly gone now. Remember We could See
The Trail/Road going up the side of this Hill from the Car. We have NOT gotten
to that Part of the Trail/Road Yet. Notice The Clouds starting to come in
Behind Me. They will be moving in Pretty Quick as the day goes by. They would become
Nice Company for me on this Hike. It was Acctually Very Lonely up Here. No One Eles around
for Miles and Miles. NO Sounds Nothing Except The Jets going over head. On the Way back down
the Trail I would be Joined by what I thought was a Vulcher/Buzzard Over Head. It turned
out to be some sort of Eagle Soaring above me.
Lets continue up the Trail/Road Now. Taking Frequent Breaks along the way.
I must be Traveling less then One-Mile-An-hour Here. If even that. Its Such a
Beautifull Day. So Much Beauty to see Here. So Thankfull to The LORD for this
Wonderfull Blessing to beable to come out here and do this. Before You Know it
That Possiblity can be Gone so Quickly. I'am Truly a Blessed Man.
This is Steep. Let me tell Ya. It is. Also this is The Part of the
Trail/Road that could be seen from back down where the Car is Parked.
Lets look back down there in the Next Picture. I can NOt see the Car
In this Picture but I can see the Area that the Car is Parked in.
If You Google-Earth This Area. This Trail/Road Shows up Pretty Nicely.
Seen ahead here. The Trail will begin to go into the Forrest for the Rest of
the Hike. Its only a few 100 feet away. I wont beable to go on Much past the Trees
You see ahead. Infact it will take me Quite Awhile just to get to that Point.
Between here and the Trees I will take some Pictures of the Surrounding area.
And I will be going back to My Childhood for awhile and spend some time Rolling big Rocks off the
side of the Cliff here. That was Fun. I could Hear them continuing to Roll far
down the Hill side out of My site..
In these next two Pictures we see "Josephine Countys own Whiskey Peak" situated between
those two Ridges. Let Zoom in on one of My old Favorites from Years past.
Zoomed in now. (and I know its not much of a zoom) on The Red-Buttes in Northern
California. Just after Sunrise these would have looked alot diffrent. And in the Next
Picture we have Dutchmans-Peak. This has a Federal Look-out on Top. And You can drive all
the way to the Top with in 50 feet of the Look-out. We saw Pictures of this Mt top
Earlyer in My Photo-Album. 89 or 90. Something like that.
Ok Lets continue on. (slowly). There will acctually be another short little bald
spot just after these Trees You see ahead. But not for long. Soon we will be in a very
dence forrested area that will continue for a ways untill we join up with Star-gulch-Rd.
And in the Next Picture I'am looking way back down the Trail/Road. And constently Remembering
that I must go all that way back down the Hill agine. "So dont go to far Dan..."
In These next two Pictures. I have gotten into the first set of Trees.
Took a Short Break before Pressing on.
I'am Beat. And Very Much feeling My 50th Birthday Quickly Approching.
Aginst My Better Judgment I decide to continue on just a little Farther.
I'am sure The Joining of this Trail/Road and the Main Road is just around the
Next Bend.? Lets go find out.
Moving right along now. Just 10 more feet and I can stop and rest agine.
The Big Tree on the left side of the Picture is where I will stop for my
Next Break. At this Point in the Hike. I'am lucky to Hike for more then
42-Seconds between Breaks. I'am flat out Whipped. From the Tree in this
Picture I will make one more attempt to go on farther.
After My Break at the Tree. I decided to Press on. I got another 10 feet or
so and Realized I left my Walking sticks back there leaning up aginst the Tree.
That was all the Excuse I Needed to Call its Quits and go back. Besides looking
up the Trail/Road I can still NOT see the END. I was just to tired to go on
any further. Remembering I have a long walk back to the Car. It was time to
start Heading back down the Trail. However I Vowed to come back up here.
I know I would beable to Park up on top sometime soon and walk back down to
this area. That will happen soon. But for Now. It time to head back down.
Starting back down the Trail now. I start to notice some views I had missed
while comming up here. Like this Picture of the Trail/Road far below.
That is the Flat part of the Trail/Road just after leaving the car.
These Next four Pictures are of Dutchmans-Peak. The California border is just
2 Miles on the other side of it. As I'am beginning to come back down the hill now.
I took a lot of Pictures. Nothing new. They are all of the same stuff I took
Pictures of before. So from here on Most of the Pictures will be added with
out "Captions" Untill I get to something New to Photograph. Like the Big Bird
that kept circling above me and following me down the Trail. That was cool.
Be seeing that shortly.
(this is photo #1400 for my Album)
Now I have Reached the Bottom of the Trail/Road. I still have a long way to walk.
But now it will be somewhat level from here on. We are now getting to the Place
where I found four diffrent Widow-maker-Trees all in the same area. They are
Dangerous Certainly. But as I was Trained many Years ago in My Early Logging
Days. You must be Carfull around them. Keep an Eye and Ear out when around them.
You must pass Directly undernieth a few of them on this part of the Trail.
Well Lets continue on.
Now We come to My Bird Freind that Joined me for a Good 12 or 15 minutes while
I was comming down the Trail. I first Noticed Him/Her back when I was makeing my
way throught the Widow-Maker-Tree-Area. At First I thought it Might be a
Vulcher or Buzzard Circling above me. I wondered then if I looked so tired &
Worn out walking back down the Trail that I was Attracting a Vulcher/Buzzard.?
I was Hoping NOT. And I Shouted a few times at it circling above me to go away.
"Stop wasting Your time. I have NO intentions to fall over Dead here on this Trail."
I Soon Realized it was NOT one of them Guys. Took lots of Pictures of it. None of
Which I can compare to a Tree to show its Size. It was allways Directly over-head. It was very big. I would Guess its
wing-Span to be atleast 4-Feet if Not biger. Later when Home I looked it up on Google.
It apears to be some sort of Eagle. This was Really the only signs of Life I saw up here
all day. I was beginning to wonder if this Part of Oregon had been Evacuated and they
forgot to tell me. NO Just kidding. Well as We move on Now. The Rest of these Pictures are
of the Surrounding area, Looking back up the Hill, The Clouds that have Rolled into the Area
to the South. The Storm beginning way to the south on Greyback in Josephine County..
I'am getting very close to where I left My Car. Should be just Past those
Tall trees we see ahead.
I'am back at my Car now. This was a Fun Hike. But I'am done now. I'am waving
good-Bye here. But the Picture taking is not over yet. Farther down the road I
will stop and take a few More Pictures. (Tech-Note.)( A few days ago while looking at
this area on the new google-Earth-Map. I notice that this Trail/Road that I just Hiked
continues on from this Landing that I'am at in this Picture. And will follow the
Ridge going East all the way to Hwy-238. Or Applegate Road. Which ever it is.
I did NOT Realize that. I allways thought that this little Trail/road originated from this
spot. That is NOT True. The Google-Earth-Map shows the Original Trail/Road and the New Road
are two diffrent Roads alltogather. That Means there is a Whole new section of Unexsplored
Trail/Road for me Hike someday. And at My age it better be soon. Well Now lets get in the
Car and drive down the Road.
Stoping down the Road just about a Mile from where the Black-Top will
begine. I get out of the Car and take a few Pictures. There is Mt Isabelle
a few Miles away. And with a Finnal wave. Its time to go Home Now. Its been a good
Day. Thanks to Our Wonderfull FATHER for making this Possible for Me...
Go To 3/18/2010