ANNIVERSARY
GET-AWAY 2020
Bates
State Park
July
7 to July 10
Tuesday,
July 7:
Baker
City to Bates State Park
61
miles
Fishing
Trek to Unity: 50 miles
Time to get away! Not to
mention we need the trailer out of the Shop in order to fill the
expansion joints! What better reason for a celebration than our
anniversary (#37 to be exact!)
We pull out of High Country
Lane around 10, making a few stops in Baker City for gas, worms, and
a tire check. We made our own block of ice, so no need to pick one
up. (Our destination does not have electric hookups.)
Over Larch and Tipton Passes
on Hwy 7 to Austin Junction (ok, one mile shy) and the relatively new
state park at Bates, which was a logging camp on the old Sumpter
Valley railroad up until 1975. At that point it became cheaper to
build a new mill with updated equipment in John Day rather than
update Bates. So the town closed – lock stock and barrel! The
park is beautifully maintained with vast lawns and 28 sites. We get
set up next to the only other unit camping, but close to the
restrooms!
After an early afternoon
‘hike’ around the mill pond (rimmed with white daisies!) and
along the river (orange trails on my map), we ate leftover taco salad
and then took off for Unity Reservoir and some fishing holes just
below the dam on
the Burnt River. Only a 25 mile drive over Blue Mt
Pass. We haven’t been to this area for some time. While the
lowering sun was beautiful on the rocky cliffs above the river, the
fishing was not good. Rick got one nibble. Either fished out over
Fourth of July weekend OR the two otters he saw were also doing some
fishing! :)
Back to Bates for a campfire
evening after stopping to check out a few campgrounds on the east
side of the pass (Yellow Pine very nice!)
When walking the trails this
afternoon we found a number of interpretive signs along stretches of
the Middle Fork John Day River, which is fenced off with an 8’
fence! There are some major habitat restoration projects happening
along this stretch of river to enhance fish resources. We learned a
lot!
Wednesday,
July 8:
Arch
Rock Loop – 72 miles
(43
degrees in trailer this morning!)
I
made coffee inside today, and around 7 headed outside to the sunshine
and a walk around campground and up to the dam along the mill pond.
Our goal today was a loop
drive west on the Middle Fork Road (County Rd 20). Rick had done
some research and found an Arch Rock trail that looked promising (and
short!) We explored up a few side roads (Vincent Creek), stopped to
read more about the Habitat Enhancement Project, and then turned
south on Forest Road 36. Stopped at the Camp Creek Campground to eat
a bite of lunch before heading down to find the short spur to the
Arch Rock trailhead.
The quarter mile long trail
wound through basalt rocks and caves to an open
 |
| An anniversary shot in front of Arch Rock |
slope and Arch Rock –
basically a large uplift of basalt with a hole in it! Highlight was
finding some new wildflowers we had never identified before (Elkhorn
Clarkia).
 |
| Yellow flowers lined the roads everywhere along FS Road 36 |
We decided to continue south
on FS 36 to ‘Four Corners’ and a road west toward Lake Magone.
Charles McNeil had said this was his favorite place to camp out of
John Day, so we had to check it out! The campground was probably ¾
full and picnic area busy. But a pretty setting! And the forests
are soooo green and grassy and speckled with yellow masses of flowers
(still to be identified!)
DOWN to Prairie City to grab
gas and an ice cream and then back to Bates. Foil dinners were on
the evening menu. While Rick was preparing a fire and relaxing, I
walked more of the trails around the park (purple ones!)
Rick declared the foil dinner
the BEST he had ever had! High praise! Since we didn’t have
ground beef, I brought Isernios Chicken Sausage, plus onions, yams,
taters, and carrots. They were good!!!
No evening fire, as we let our
cooking fire die out after dinner.
 |
Part of my early morning wanderings - the pond was so still and quiet.
|
 |
| Apparently Rick took a few pictures as well! Relaxing morning! |
 |
| We passed through so many beautiful stands of trees, carpeted with lush grass. |
 |
| You have to love the orange hues of Ponderosas! |
 |
| False hellebore blooming THICK in meadows. |
 |
| Near the beginning of the Arch Rock Trail |
 |
| Don't know why this unusual sign was part way up the trail! |
 |
| A new flower find! |
 |
| Rick stands atop Arch Rock |
 |
| It's good to be outside with my hubby! |
 |
| Peeking through the Arch |
 |
| Heading toward Lake Magone - fields of yellow! |
 |
| A beautiful blend of flowers! |
 |
| Lake Magone picnic area |
 |
| Lake Magone looking north |
 |
| Back in Bates, I take off to explore more of the trails. Here atop Bouder View (which is pretty obscurred by trees now!) |
 |
| Hiking the trails near the state park. |
 |
| The view from the far end of the mill pond. |
 |
| Penstemon near the pond. |
Thursday,
July 9 – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us!
Monument
Rock Wilderness Loop – 101 miles
(38 degrees in trailer this
morning!)
After drawing my prayers and
finishing reading the book “Flowers for Algernon” I needed a
morning stroll! So I took off and hiked the green trails!
Around 10:30 we took off on US
26 over Blue Mt Pass again, past Unity. Near Murray Reservoir,
Forest Road 16 takes off to the west to loop around the south half of
Monument Rock Wilderness Area. The first few miles of the road were
in poor condition (washboardy) as they passed through an old burn,
but then
 |
| So many forests, but few photos today! |
we found ourselves on a single lane PAVED road that wound
through beautiful lush Ponderosa pine forests as it followed a creek
up toward its source in the Wilderness Area. We did not expect such
forests!
Once we turned north on to FS
Road 13, the vistas opened up and we passed through a lodgepole pine
forest that has been decimated by the pine beetle.
Back up to Prairie City and
over Dixie Pass AGAIN to Bates!
More green trails for me in
the afternoon….I want to hike them all before we leave! Before dinner I hike the Dixie Trail which goes high on the ridge to the west of the park. After dinner - the Meadow Trail!
We dine on our ‘classic’
meal: sourdough bread, crab, gourmet cheese, and wine!
More rigs are pulling into the
campground this afternoon. After just the two of us on Tuesday, we
were the ONLY on Wednesday, and now there are 8 sites filled!
 |
| Another flower to identify! |
 |
| Looking down on Bates SP from the Dixie Trail |
 |
| What a nice little campsite! |
 |
| Found this stone building along the Dixie Trail - the park hosts didn't know what it was used for. |
 |
| I spooked a couple of young deer atop the Dixie Trail. |
 |
| Early evening light on the hillside below the Meadow Trail. |
 |
| View down on the mill pond from the Dixie Trail |
 |
| Approaching the pond in the afternoon and the bird life |
 |
| I found mariposa lilies along the Meadow Trail - these both had little bugs inside! |
 |
| Sunset glow in the sky. |
Friday,
July 10:
Bates
State Park to Baker City
66
miles
(45 degrees this morning)
A lazy morning, watching the
energetic little boy across the road run run RUN! I hiked the Clear
Creek trail to complete my hiking goal!
 |
| Clear Creek Trail |
 |
| Coral root growing near trail |
 |
| Junction of Clear Creek and Boulder Loop Trail |
 |
| Flowers (AYC...another yellow composite) along the trail. |
We had a good visit with the
hosts, Jeff and Cheryl, when they came by to let us know the water
pump at the well was out. Hope that doesn’t mean they lose a lot
of campers just at the weekend start. I had a good chat with them
earlier in the week and they seemed very interested in the
Care-a-Vanner program with Habitat.
We pack up and are on our way
home shortly after 10am. Stops in Baker City to pick up wood
permits, a few groceries ($5 Friday!) and a new gas can cap!
 |
| This map shows the two backroad trips we made. |
 |
| Map of state park and the hiking trails...I only missed two tiny connector sections! |
Over Larch and Tipton Passes
on Hwy 7 to Austin Junction (ok, one mile shy) and the relatively new
state park at Bates, which was a logging camp on the old Sumpter
Valley railroad up until 1975. At that point it became cheaper to
build a new mill with updated equipment in John Day rather than
update Bates. So the town closed – lock stock and barrel! The
park is beautifully maintained with vast lawns and 28 sites. We get
set up next to the only other unit camping, but close to the
restrooms!
When walking the trails this
afternoon we found a number of interpretive signs along stretches of
the Middle Fork John Day River, which is fenced off with an 8’
fence! There are some major habitat restoration projects happening
along this stretch of river to enhance fish resources. We learned a
lot!
Around 10:30 we took off on US
26 over Blue Mt Pass again, past Unity. Near Murray Reservoir,
Forest Road 16 takes off to the west to loop around the south half of
Monument Rock Wilderness Area. The first few miles of the road were
in poor condition (washboardy) as they passed through an old burn,
but then 
No comments:
Post a Comment