Klamath Basin - Leg 13

We struggled again with our GPS and in fact weren’t at all successful in documenting the locations of mile points encountered on this trip. Being digitally challenged, I was not able to get my data from the last 12 legs downloaded from my GPS on to my lap top to clear space for the next legs and to forward back to the geographic sciences branch of the Oregon BLM office. I struggled for hours with my Magellan GPS and the TOPO and Vantage Point software I’m using. Couldn’t figure out how to delete the waypoints previously given to me by the Geo folks and the ones I entered at selected mile points monuments we have encountered. This is tremendously disappointing. I was given a new string of the mile points to load for the OR-CA border from Lakeview area to the coast, but just couldn’t get it loaded in since my GPS didn’t have room without deleting the old ones. Consequently, we were simply navigating via the TOPO maps I have loaded without the benefit of mile points. We did encounter quite a few mile points on these three legs ranging from 1919 to 2006 origin. I’ve failed my work organization since this area is their primary interest in as much as most of the CA-OR border has never been surveyed with digital devices or data. I’ll have to get help.

We started late at about 11:30 on Saturday from about 25 miles east of Malin past Willow Valley Reservoir at about Longitude 121. We had to ford a 75 yard section of flowing shallow water with our Saturn on the drive to the start point. Willow Valley Res the water was flowing out into the juniper across the road as the Res is above capacity due to the snow melt and season along the state line and worked our way around and thru the pipeline construction project for a few miles. Juniper forests and fairly flat topography greeted us as we followed fence line for most of the day. 1002jpg We encountered a small herd of perhaps 15 deer in the forest that were too wary to let us get within picture range. It was great weather, sunny with comfortable temps as we slogged along thru the sage and juniper.

Found several recent blaze marks at some of the mile points in this segment that have been surveyed within the last 10 years. Mile point 56 is pictured here near a small seasonal stream we had to cross. 993jpg 996jpg The water is flowing in the high desert/mountains as there’s been rain in the last couple of weeks and the snow is beginning its early melt.

Took our first break between mile points 56 and 57. The flowers are out and our pictures don’t do them justice. The contrast between the green Juniper, grey sage, and the yellow flowers was dramatic. For several miles it appeared like the forest was carpeted to our left and right. We saw the biggest jack rabbits either of has ever seen as we approached the river crossing. Two of them that looked as big as coyotes. They had the body of those giant lop eared rabbits but with the tall legs and ears of the typical jack rabbit. We couldn’t believe they were rabbits at first.

Crossed the Lost River at a point it was only ankle deep, but with 6-12 inches of sand and mud to slog thru. Dwane led off in the crossing. We went barefoot as we crossed while noting the fresh water mussels along the sandy bottom and found a fishing pole we carried to the shore line and left propped up for its owner to claim next time thru. It took some effort to clean the clay mud off our feet and put fresh socks back on before heading on to the last few miles approaching the first hill feature – a ridge perhaps 900 feet high.

You can see the ridge line in the distance and barely make out the scar of the pipeline project, which is within 100 meters of the line up and over the first ridge.

As we approached the impending ridge it was getting long in the day and we debated trying to finish the last 5 + miles over the ridges into Malin. We figured we could easily follow the pipeline up and over, if it followed the state line as closely as it appeared, however that would put us out pretty late and we’d lose the chance at a full day on Sunday. Since we’d knocked out about 20 miles, we decided to bug out and called for our ride as we headed down thru the forest to the nearest highway at Langell Valley. Relaxed in the waning sunlight at an abandoned ranch house while waiting for Paul – I managed to confuse him and he was hanging out near Malin about 30 drive miles away since we had hoped to make it there this day. Had a good rest before Paul arrived to take us back to our car past Willow Valley Res. We ambled back into K Falls, hit WalMart for some foot remedies and supplies and then found a local Buffet that we both proceeded to dramatically overate at while consuming a gallon or more of iced tea each. We went downtown K Falls to find an Econo Lodge on Hwy 97 to check into for a couple of nights. The folks were friendly and accommodating letting us walk across to the Comfort Inn under same ownership in the morning for their free breakfast.