pa_fiftytwo.htm

3/5/2010

For The last few Weeks I have been going up to the Morning-Service At Church Prepared to Go Hiking afterwards. I allways make sure I have my Hiking Stuff. You Know. Water. Walking Sticks, Recliner, Correct Shoes, Fozen Pizza. Camara, Color TV, Pizza Oven, 25 Miles of Electrical Extension Cord... No Sorry. Just Kidding. Anyway. Today was a good Day to be Prepared to go Hiking After Church. It was cold Yeah. And It was Cloudy. I Felt Really good. Had a Wonderfull Talk with The LORD at Applegate. I was just Wanting to get out there and have a Good time walking around in Our Wonderfull LORD'S Creation. So I whent back up to Britt. And took off walking to the Rich-Gulch Area from the Upper Parking lot. The Trails were Surprisingly Dry. It did Rain a little yesterday. Ok lets get started.

About 1000 Feet up the Road we come to the 2 City Reservoirs. We have seen them before. Then I noticed Medford was covered in a Big Bank of Fog. Made for a interesting Picture of Mt McLouglin over Near Klamath-Falls.

This is the Old Road going from the Reservoir's to the Gold-Fields I'am seeking. Covered Mostly in Oak. A few Tall Pines. As We get to the Top of the Hill. We will start to See a lot of Madrone & Manzanita Trees.

Now I have Reached the Horse-Trail Turn off to the Right. That will take you down along the Creek walking the Old Ditch-Trail. We are going to keep going Straight Here. The Trail starts to level out now. And You begine to see The Madrone & Manzania.

We Have began to go down Hill now Just Slightly. And as I have Reached my 1000'th Picture. The Trail comes to a STOP. And Splits off into two diffrent Directions. There must have been a good reason the Trail did NOT keep going Straight. Something was Blocking it I'am sure.? The Only Structure I ever seen up here was just slightly to the West of the White Info-Plaque You see ahead.

I'am looking down the Trail that goes to the Right. It gets very Steep Here. I can Remember this as being a Huge Muddy Mess more then one time. Infact some Guys I knew brought there little Ford Falcon up here back in the late 70' Got Really Stuck on this Part of the Road.

Here I'am looking up the Trail that goes to the Left. This would take us to the very Top of the Hill on Rich-Gulch. We will come back down this trail on the Way back down to the Car Later. Here is what The Plaque Says.

Looking back at the Trail I just came up. Will be going back that way in a few Hours. Now lets start down the Hill to look at the area where the only Structure was located back in the 70's

I start down the Trail/road.. Where the Road starts to Level out a bit is the Driveway to the Former Structure to The Left. I Remember it as being More the just a Shack. But Less then a House. It was IN shambles the last time I remember seeing it. It was complete enough to see someone had lived in it at some time. Turning left now We will see the big open space that the Structure once sat upon.

Now We go back to the Steep little Road and Continue going down Hill untill We See a Larger Cross Road. There will also be 2 New Recently Added Cross Trails there as well. The Larger Road. Must have been the main Access to The Rich-Gulch area from Hwy-238. It's a Much Wider Roadway and It goes all the Way to the Saddle part of the Hill where the Hydraulic Minning Was Happening way back when. We will see that a bit later. Lets walk down to where Roads Meet Now.

Standing in The Middle of what I would call The "Five-Cornered-road." The Steep Road I just came down is out of Veiw to My right. Also to the right of the Picture (in veiw) is a Newly Cut Trail going up the side of the Hill. That will come out at the Top of Tree-House-Hill Near the Bench. We Saw that last Week. The Trail to the Left is a Short Cut to Rich-Gulch. We will see where that comes out shortly. Behind Me is the Road going up to the Saddle and Hydraulic Minning area. For Now lets walk down the road As Far as We can. It used to go all the way to Hwy 238 once upon a time. However The last of the roadway is Now Private Propertie. I Remember there was a old Wrecked Car down at the End of the Road acting as a Fence. That House at the End of the Road used to Be owned and lived in by Freinds of my Family when I was Growing up back in the 70's

Well. What do You Know.? That old Car is Still down there after all these Years. I Couldn't See it untill I walked down the Trail a little ways. I'am really Suprised to See that it has NOT been Removed by the City of Jacksonville. There was a Few other old Cars scattered around these old Hills back in the 70's. All have been Removed now. Possibly there Might be one more still Remaining up on the Saddle area. We will check that out later. So Now Lets walk down there and Check out this old Thing. Its been years since I walked down here.

As I walk down the Road I Notice about 50 Feet from the Car there is another New Trail going off to the Left. Also I see a Small Mine Shaft. Does not look like it whent back very far. Off to the right is another Trail. Not sure if that is Part of the Woodlands Trail system. Looking back up the Road I just came down. You can see How Wide this road was Back then. I wonder Why.?

I can see Now the Car is still in Place of a Fence. Looks just like it was the Last time I was up here. On the side of the Hill I see what looks like some old Pieces of a Car or something.?

I would Guess that this Old thing is Probably a Late 1950's Model. Just what? I dont know.? I can find No Makings, Name, Nothing. What is it.? Please Help me with that if You can.

The Front-End of this Car is So Familiar to Me. I have seen this Year and Model of Car around many times before. But I can-not Place Just what it is.? Driving me Crazy here. I Whent back on-line and looked at all the Major 1950's type Cars. I Just can't seem to figure out what this was? Oh well. Not that Important. The Road keeps going past the Car a few 100 feet. Then there is a House. Private-Propertie. My Little Brother and Sister were Friends with Gary and His parents who lived in that House back in the Late 70's Gary was Killed about 12 Years ago in a Truck-Driving Accident just over the California Border on Hwy 199 going to The Coast.

Looking back up the Road I came down from a Veiw over the Old Car. It is now time to start the walk back up to Where I was at before. The 5 Cornered area.

Now Standing in the Center of "5 Corners" The Trail I had Originally came down is off to the Left. As well as the Open area the Shack once stood. The New Short-Cut Trail to Rich-Gulch is to the Right. We will Visit Where that Trail comes out shortly. Lets continue up the Wide Main Road-Way to the Saddle area Rich-Gulch.

We are Aproching The Saddle area. Rich-Gulch. (Saddle. Meaning it between to Mountains.) As Soon as we reach the Top of this little Hill. We will be in the Heart of rich-Gulch. In a Place I have Nick-Named Plaque-City. You will see why.

Plaque-City. Straight ahead. Before we go there. Let's turn off to the Right here and Join up with the Short Cut Trail to Rich-Gulch.

In the Distance You see a Black Metal Fence. That Fence is surrounding a Very Deep Mine Shaft going Straight down in the Ground. I Mentioned before that I thought there Might be another Old Car Remaining up here. There is Acctually a Car and Half Remaining. They are both down inside that Mine we see ahead. I'am so Glad As I came up here today to finnally see a Fence around the Mine-Shaft. It was Very Unsafe for many Years with-out it in place. Just beyond the black Fence is the "petard Ditch" We will Learn more about what that was as we Walk over there to see all this close up.

Joining up with the Short-Cut Trail now. You can see a Nice Bench Has been put there. Sitting at the Bench We will get a view of the Ditch Trail. Here is what The Plaque Facing the Mine Shaft says. And the Field You see Was Cleared off of all Brush back in the Late 70's I think before The Woodlands People got a hold of this Propertie. Someone was Planning a House in this area.?

This is The Starting Point for the Ditch-Trail. I have walked the Trail Part way in the Past. It whent so far then Stoped. At some point this Ditch had to Connect up with The Creek somewhere along Jacksonville Hwy.

Now lets go have a look at the Deep Mine-Shaft with the Black-Fence around it. There is an Entire Old Wrecked Car that has been droped down into the Shaft. And when that was NOT Enough to fill the Shaft. An Old Ford Pick-up Cab was Droped on top of the Wrecked Car. Still that was not enough to make it Safe. Lets go take a look down inside there.

Looking down the Shaft You see the Ford-Pick-up-Cab. Its kind of Hard to tell from this angle. Directly underneith that was an entire old Car. Shoved in there frontend First if I Remember Right. In the Next Picture You see me with a Smile on My Face. Just Glad and Thankfull that Fence is there Now. And Glad and Thankfull The LORD has Blessed me with the Ability to Even walk up here and see all this. How Stupid WE are to Take so Many Everyday things for Granted. We Are Blessed By GOD. Truly.

Now Walking to just a few feet to the East to Plaque-City. We are at the Place all the Trails meet. Straight ahead is a Large sink-Hole You allso see Part of the Cleared out field to the Right. Originally The Trail Ran directly over where the Sink-Hole is Now. It has gotten Larger over the Years. No Fence is needed at this Hole Yet. A Person could climb down into it and back out Pretty easy.. Before I could take the Next Picture. I got side-Tracked by a Chopper flying over.

Still Standing there at the Sink-Hole I look over to where the Next Plaque is Located. Just in front the Plaque. You see a Bank of Dirt going across the the Picture. North to South. I did NOT Know what that was untill The last time I came up here and Read that Plaque. That is A Dam. The Water from the "Petard Ditch" would fill this entire area that I'am standing in with water. And then it was used for the Hydraulic Mining Operation. I did-Not know that for all These Years. Interesting. Well we will take a close look at that Plaque in just a few Moments.. For Now Lets turn around and look at where I just came from.. The Ditch is there in the Trees to the Right of the Trail. Also the Black-Fenced in Mine is Just Barly visible through the Trees. As I start to Turn to the Right 180 Degrees we are now Looking at the Dam agine. Lets start walking down there.

It's very Hard to see in any of the Pictures. I Guess I just didnt think to get a Picture of the Opening in the Bottom of the Dam. That would have been the Feed for the Hydraulic Hose. It is Just barly visible in this Picture between the Plaque & Small Madrone Tree Growing out of the Dam.

The Sign on The Tree Reads "French-Gulch-Trail" That Trail is going around the Dam and turns in to a Road/Trail that will take You all the way down to where there are now Houses. That is where French-Gulch was located. Evidently.

Looking at the Dam agine. I dont Remember but this must have been my Attempt to get a Picture of the Opening in the Bottom of the Dam. If It was.? I Failed. Sorry. Just inches to the Left of the Little Madrone is the Opening. Just barly Visible in this Picture.

Turning around now 180 Degrees. We see The Petard-Ditch as it starts to become the Reservoir. I Imagine the Water would have been backed up to atleast where You see that Plaque. While I was down here taking these Pictures I noticed another Plaque up on the Hill to the Left of Where I'am standing in this last Picture. I will be walking across the big Cleared out Field to the Next Plaque up on the Hill.

Here I'am up on the Hill now with the New Plaque I just discovered. Where You see the Plaque down in the valley to the far right is Just where I was standing. The Dam is to the Far Right. Hidden behind the Trees. You can see and Imagine Just how Much of the Valley below would have been Flooded with Water. Through the Trees here I could get a bit of a Foggy Veiw of Jacksonville. Lets go over and see what that Plaque has to say.

I dont know what I was doing Here.? Probably just snaped the Picture accidently?

I took some of these Pictures out of the Order I wanted to be taking them in. Sorry. This is the Plaque just where the "Petard Ditch" comes to an End and the reservoir begins.

This is the Last Plaque in "Plaque-City. Now I begine to take the short Trek to the Highest Point of Rich-Gulch. We will Have a Nice over look there. I found several More Information-Plaques along the way. I didnt know about them.

This is the Road/Trail down to French-Gulch.

I have walked about half-way up the Hill now. Here is the Next Plaque. Here we are looking out over the Hydraulic Dam area. The Sink-Hole is Visible as well as the Cleared-out-Field and The Dam to the Far Left of the Picture. Much of This area would have been Flooded during the time of Mining.

In this Picture. I was just about to take another Self-Portrait. When Suddently I heard someone Sneeze. I was Startled just as the Picture was being Snaped. A Couple of girls where comming up the Trail behind me. I didnt know they were there.

Walking up the Trail going East. The Trail to the Left will take us to the Top of the Hill. When I got to the Turn off. I noticed the Trail ahead that will Takes us down the Hill to South Oregon St has a Plaque just ahead. SO I had to go Check it out.

And then I noticed Yet another Plaque just Past that one.

While down there at the second Plaque I noticed a nice view of Roxy-Ann & Mt McLoughlin in the distance with a big cool looking Bank of Fog hovering over Medford. Also down the Hill in what would be The French-Gulch area. I see another Plaque. But I'am not going down there to Read it.

Now I have walked back up the Trail and I'am just about to Summit the Hill of Rich-gulch. Its not Much. Been here a 1000 times in the last 40 Years. On top we have a Bench thanks to the Woodlands People. And a Tree that did have a Tree House in it many Years ago.

In the Beginning of this Hiking Trip I talked about another City Reservoir. On top of the Hills we see in the Next two Pictures is where that Reservoir is Located. I know It used to be Just slightly Visible from here. Now I guess things have Grown up enough to Hide it.?

In these Next two Pictures we Have Grizzly-Peak on the Right And Baldy on the Left. Roxy-Ann is just out of Camara View to the Left. That is the East Medford Mountain Range that Dominates our city.

Well its time to Head back to My car. We will Now follow the Trail going down the Back of the Hill. This will take us to the Place we found the First Plaque on our Hike today.

And there it is. The First Plaque we found. Here we will take the Trail that goes to the Right which will lead us back down to the two Reservoir's and to My Car.. Hopfully it is still there.?

The Last 3 Pictures of the Day. I have allready Past the Reservoir's and Now Am on the nice Granit Road approching The Upper Britt Parking-Lot. In the last Picture we start to See My Car. Sure looks good there. I'am tired. Had a great Day today. Truly a Blessing for Me to get out here and do this sort of thing. I Could'nt allways. I still Have some Hiking to do in the Rich-Gulch Area. Like starting out down in the French-Gulch Part and comming up to the Petard Ditch trail. I haven't Had My Camara out there Yet. Stand by for that. GOD Bless...

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