2/18/2010

Well I'am back agine for my Early Morning Hike at Applegate-Lake. On this Day I'am going to take a Hike up to the Only Known Big-Foot-Trap. Built sometime in the Early 70's before the Lake was here. In these first 3 Pictures I'am at the Trail Head. getting ready to get going. It had been a good 15 plus Years since I have been on this Hike. I thought the Trail was a lot longer. (glad it wasn't) And I didnt realize How steep it was. But I made it in about 20 minutes. If that looks like frost on the Ground it is. Another cold Morning Hike.
In these four Pictures I'am slowly making my way up the Trail. This was the First time I hiked up here to the Trap with out carrying my Side-Arm. 357 Magnum. I Guess I just allways felt better carrying it with me. It is kind of a Spooky Trail. As you can see in these four Pictures. The Forrest is kind of thick. Not a whole lot of Sun light get Through. On this day the Sun was very Bright. It is very Quiet up there. The Trail is Basicly following a Creek Bed. The creek does not make much noise on this day. And I kept hearing sounds in the Forrest. Its Spooky. I was wishing I had my Pistal at this time. What is Spooky is the noises that you hear and you dont know what they are. You Hear a wood-Pecker As I did on this Trip. I knew what that was. But the other sounds.? Well. You dont know. I dont beleve in Big-Foot of Course. So I was not exspecting anything to suddently come leaping out from behind a tree. Good. Anyway I had to cross the creek 4 or 5 times. on the way back down to my Car I took pictures of each one of the Creek-Crossing You will come across.
So I'am walking along the Trail haveing a good time. Talking to The LORD. Enjoying the Beautifull Place He Built. And Just being so thankfull that I have the Ability to even go there and see it and walk the Trail. I Have so much to be thankfull for.. So very Much.. The Trail started getting steeper and then it began to level out. I stoped right there where this Picture was taken. And I just started looking around and Realized. I was at the Place where the Cabin stood. At least I thought I was. The Cabin was Built sometime in the Late 1800's or early 1900's Farther up the Trail is a Gold Mine. That is the reason for the Cabin. We will not be going up there today. I stood there and suddently Realized the Cabin was just to the Right of the Tail were I Remembered it. It had fallen down sometime in the last 15 years. I Remember the Trail to the Trap as being off to the left just past the Cabin. The Next 7 Pictures are of the Cabin area and the short walk to reach the "Trap" Trail to the Left.
In these Next 4 Pictures I have began to walk up the Trail to the Right From the Miners Cabin. Agine because of the Years between trips up here for me. I'am not sure just how far it will be to The Trap. The Trail takes on a Very Steep Grade now. (at least for me it was steep). I had been walking about 5 Minutes or so. Slowly. And in the Last Picture The Trap finnally comes in to Veiw throught the Trees.
Continuing up the Trail. I have made it to the Trap. It was not as long of a Hike as I remembered. I had forgotten how Steep the Trail was. Feel Pretty good. I was Glad to find a Nice Place to sit thanks to a Tree that had fallen sometime in the last 15 Years. And to someone who cut out Sitting places in the Tree.
The Next 7 Pictures are taken right around the Trap. As You can see Heavy Graffiti covers the Trap in any avalible space. You can see how close the Fallen tree came to smashing into the Building. I see Evidence that another smaller tree from the same Place as the Big tree came from had fallen on the Trap causing some Damage that apears to have been repaired. Probably both Trees fell at the same time. You see the Big Metal door (now Permanently Fixed in Position) that would be Triggerd to fall down trapping anyone inside. looking in side You will see the remaining Cables that were part of the Mechanism that caused the Door to be Triggered to fall. The Trap must have been baited with some type of Fresh Meat? I Imagine it caught a few wild animals before being abandoned sometime in the 70's Finnally In the last Photo. I'am tired after that Plesent little Hike.
After sitting down and having some lunch. I took 4 more Pictures then it was time to Head back down the trail to the Car. In the Next Photo We see the inside of the Trap. If it did Originally Have a wooden floor.? Its gone now. I see that the bottom of the walls had began to rot away over the Years. someone has Recently replace at least two of the wooden Planks trying to Preseve the Only Known (as far as I know) Big-Foot-Trap in the World.? We see the Big Tree that allmost fell on the Trap sometime in the Recent Past. And my water Bottle & the only Piece of Protection I Brought with me on this Hike.
I have left the Big-Foot-Trap and walked down the Trail. (filming a you tube video during that time) I have walked past the what remains of the old Miners Cabin and a very short time later come across the first creek crossing.
we have to cross the creek 3 times before we come to the only Bridge between the Hwy and the Trap. farther up the trail going tawards the Mine there is a Bridge going over a Ravine. IF Memory serves me correctly.?
At The Bridge. On my way up the Trail. I noticed something very interesting. A very large-Old-Growth-Tree that had fallen Next to the Bridge. It is very difficult to see in these Two Pictures. And even when walking across the Bridge. It would be easy not to notice this Old-Growth-Tree. I could only Guess as to when this Tree had fallen down. Perhapes more then a 150 years ago. It has layed there and rotted for so long. The Forrest has began to reclaim it. Perhapes it could have been over a 100 Years old when it fell. Well anyway. it is very interesting to see what remains of the Large old tree. The Pictures do NO Justice to it.
Now I come to the last Creek Crossing on my way back to The Car. It is the Widest and Most difficult Crossing on the Trip. It is allso the first Crossing you must do on the Hike after leaving the parking area. It is only About the distance of a Football field away from the Trail Head. So if on your Hike to the Trap if You ever discover this crossing running to swift to cross. at least you would not have wasited to much time and energy Hiking to it.
Just after crossing the Creek I discovered that the trail back to the Road split off into 2 directions. I decided to follow the Left fork for a bit to see where it came out at. It was very steep. And I ended up on top of the Clearing behind my Car.
I allso discovered another trail leading up into the Clearing and Beyond to I dont know where.? I followed it for a short while untill I was about to lose sight of my Car. Took one last Picture. It was time to go. And move on to my other Adventures I had planned for that day. someday I will return and follow that Trail I had just found.
Driving South now on my way to the End of The Lake. I had gotten about 2 Miles away when I found a nice Place to stop and get a Good Picture of The-Red-Buttes. And then on to Seattle-Bar. Another 3 miles head. Which I discoved also to be Gated off & also Keep-out signs. So I just drove across the roadway and proceeded down the old Dirt-road that takes You down the other side of the Lake. At the End of that road (lake wise) is about where the Town of Copper Oregon Was. (under water now.) The Road was in bad shape. But I made it ok.
These Next 5 Pictures are of the End of the Road. Almost. I didnt go the last 1000 feet. As you can see in the Picture. I just didnt like the way it looked.. Between where I'am at and The Boat Ramp that You see across The Water is The Aproximate Location of The Town of Copper. Part of the Original Road is visible.(now covered in mud) And I used to be able to see parts of the Bridge that whent over the little Creek comming down from the side of the Hill. Hard to see now. Sorry.
I have now driven back to my last place to visit and Photograph. Seattle-Bar. I have no Idea why this.(the last park before the lake turns back into river)Is named Seattle-Bar.? when ever Uncle Fred & Aunt Ginger came down from Portland to Vacation. This was there favorite place to come and fish.. This Park has the nice Green Grass area like Hart-tish but not as big. Also seen above the Bridge going over the river is a large Marble Mine. Some of the tailings are seen comming down the Mountain side. It is a Nice Hike as well. Probably about twice the distance of the big-Foot-Trap. The last Picture of the day is the Gate Blocking the Entrance to The Park..
go to 2/19/2010