2B ❚ WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020 ❚ APPEAL TRIBUNE
Rogue
Continued from Page 1B
Day 1: A beautiful
butt-kicking
(Grave Creek
Trailhead to
Meadow Creek
Campsite, 13.2 miles)
It’s always been my
philosophy that the inau-
gural day of a backpack-
ing trip should be diffi-
cult. You’re full of civi-
lized food, feeling fresh
and excited to get mov-
ing.
And so we awoke at
the crack of dawn and
made the three-hour
sprint down I-5 to the
town of Merlin, con-
tinued to Grave Creek
Boat Ramp and Trailhead
and handed the keys to
our shuttle driver with
the knowledge that, yup,
now there’s no turning
back.
That first day was a
blur of beauty and pain.
The Rogue slices into the
Siskiyou Mountains like a
green blade, throwing it-
self down a series of rap-
ids while the trail tight-
ropes the canyon face and
descends into wilder-
ness.
Among the small joys
early on was the number
of landmarks named for
alcohol (who says miners
drink a lot?). We passed
Rum Creek, Whiskey
Creek and Booze Creek in
the first 5 miles, before
eating lunch at a camp-
site where green pools
collected below large oak
trees.
As evening dropped
yellow-orange hues into
the canyon and our legs
began contemplating re-
bellion,
we
reached
Meadow Creek Campsite
and made camp. Dinner
was freeze-dried chili
mac, something only de-
licious after 13.2 miles.
Day 2: Rattlesnake
diplomacy, Zane Grey
and heaven (Meadow
Creek to Marial
Lodge, 10.7 miles)
The truth is that I’ve
never had any problem
with rattlesnakes. They
might be poisonous and
hostile, sure, but it’s diffi-
cult to hate an animal
with such an advanced
warning system. In most
cases, it’s easy to walk
around without incident.
Problem is, the rattle-
snake whose acquaint-
ance we made appeared
in our path after 21 miles
of backpacking. Our legs
were tired. Our feet had
blisters. And the heaven-
ly relief of Marial Lodge
was within striking dis-
tance.
“Hey, so how about
moving?”
“(RATTLE
RATTLE
RATTLE!!!)”
“Yikes. OK, that was
my fault. Let’s try this
again: Mr. Snake, would
you mind terribly if we
walked way around you
— plenty of space, no rea-
son to get jumpy … ?”
“(RATTLE rattle rattle
… rattle … )”
The rattlesnake diplo-
macy actually wasn’t the
day’s highlight, but in
looking back, it’s what we
remembered most.
We’d broken camp
early and hiked in cool
morning air, through for-
ested side canyons and
along a river that spread
out blue and gold below
the mountains.
Along the way — be-
fore we met the rattle-
snake — it was history
that made the greatest
impression,
beginning
with Zane Grey’s cabin at
mile 17.2.
Though not as well-
known today, Grey was
the most commercially
successful American au-
thor of the 1920s, a writer
of rollicking western nov-
els about brave men and
violent times. Among his
lesser-known books is
“Rogue
River
Feud,”
which begins with a
beautiful ode to the river
Grey so clearly adored.
“Deep and dark green,
swift and clear, icy cold
and as pure as the snows
from which it sprang, the
river had its source in the
mountain under Crater
Lake,” wrote Grey.
We passed a second
historic landmark — the
Rogue River Ranch, an old
farmstead converted into
a museum — at mile 22.7.
The site, once home to
100 residents in a small
gold mining town, holds
evidence of Native Amer-
ican habitation from
9,000 years ago.
Finally, our legs turn-
ing to jelly and the after-
noon heating up, we ar-
rived at Marial Lodge
where a glorious dinner,
hot shower and soft bed
were waiting.
Day 3: Lodge life,
black bears and
scenery (Marial Lodge
to Tacoma Camp, 8.8
miles)
It’s no easy thing, leav-
ing a place that serves
glazed spare ribs for din-
ner and bacon for break-
fast to head back upon
the trail.
We’d spent our time at
Marial Lodge sipping
lemonade on a wooden
deck, conversing with a
group of ladies on a raft-
supported hiking trip and
letting our feet dangle in
the river below afternoon
sunshine.
Yet if there were ever a
trail to get us moving, the
stretch from Marial to Ta-
coma Camp beach is it.
The Rogue performs its
most dramatic act when
it squeezes into the jet-
black chasm of Mule
Creek
Canyon
(mile
24.0), where rafters flail
about in Coffeepot Rapids
and Stair Creek Falls
drops in double-decker
splendor.
“This,” said my girl-
friend, standing upon In-
spiration Point (25.2)
above the canyon, “is the
most beautiful spot I’ve
ever seen.”
But while the scenery
remains stunning for al-
most 10 miles, the canyon
becomes a furnace with-
out shade on hot days. We
kicked our legs into over-
drive, passed Paradise
Lodge (mile 27.4) and
headed for the area be-
tween Solitude Bar (31.2)
and Tacoma Camp (33.2)
where the best campsites
are found.
We arrived early and
claimed a gem of a spot,
between canyon walls,
along a sandy beach with
a deep-green swimming
hole. The afternoon’s ac-
tivities were simple: Lie
in the sun, go for a swim
and spend about 30 min-
utes fishing.
Repeat.
I caught a pair of half-
Obituaries
Charles “Chuck”
Fredrick Chambers
SILVERTON - Born
March 19, 1939 in
White Sulphur Springs,
Montana to Charles and
Ruby Chambers. Served
in the US Marine Corps
1956-1959. Chuck often
said that he got out of
the service on August
21, 1959 and into a
much bigger service on
August 22, 1959 when
he married Sharon Lee
Brady. Chuck and Sha-
ron moved to Silverton,
Ore. in 1961. Chuck
worked for Wilco for
over 35 years. He spent
the last 2 plus years at
Marquis at Silver Gar-
dens then most recently
at Marquis Marian Es-
tates where he passed
away on April 25, 2020.
Chuck was preceded in
death by his parents,
his wife Sharon, his
older brother Frank,
and younger sister
Peggy. He is survived
b y brothers Lee (wife
Linda) and Wayne (wife
Maria), sons Charles Jr.
(Rick) and David (wife
Lori), 6 grandchildren
and 10 great-grandchil-
dren, as well his nursing
home family at Mari-
an Estates. Chuck was
a beloved father and
a friend too many. A
Celebration of Life will
be held at a later date.
Private interment at
Valley View Cemetery.
Arrangements with
Unger Funeral Chapel
- Silverton.
pound steelhead on spin-
ners and spoons, while
dinner was pasta and
pesto with dried cherries
for dessert.
The night’s entertain-
ment? That came in the
form of two black bears
lumbering out of the for-
est, on the opposite side
of the river, looking mild-
ly perplexed.
Black bears are com-
mon in this area. My
friend, a rafting guide,
tells a story of waking up
one morning to see a
black bear sitting a few
feet away, looking him in
the eye as though saying:
“Good morning sunshine.
Now, do you have any
food for me?”
That evening, sleeping
without the rain fly, the
nighttime sky was a river
of stars.
Day 4: Swimming and
home (Tacoma Camp
to Big Bend Trailhead,
7.8 miles)
MT. ANGEL - Philip
Wayne Pomeroy age 63,
a resident of Mount An-
gel passed away at home
with his family on April
29th 2020 after a long
struggle with cancer.
Phil was born in Portland
Oregon on October 20th
1956 to Ray and Charlene
Pomeroy and grew up in
Happy Valley alongside
his two brothers. Phil married Ruthie Annen on
October 13th 1990. They had two sons together,
Nick and Doug.
Phil graduated from Clackamas High School in
1974 and pursued a career with Portland General
Electric beginning as an apprentice. Phil worked
with PGE from 1977 to 2017 at which time he
retired as a Journeyman Line Foreman. Phil was
a proud member of the IBEW Local 125 Union
throughout his entire career and beyond. Phil was
respected and admired by his fellow brothers as
a man of kindness and integrity; he was some-
one you could truly count on. In his free time
Phil enjoyed playing golf, with his two boys and
his friends, water skiing, hunting and playing ice
hockey in his younger years. Most importantly of
all, Phil cherished whatever time he could spend
with his family whether it was camping or enjoying
their company. Phil was a one of a kind father,
husband and friend and he will be dearly missed.
Phil is survived by his wife Ruthie, and his two
sons Nick and Doug Pomeroy all of whom reside
in Mount Angel. Due to current circumstances a
private service will be held for Phil, Tuesday May
5th at 11:00 a.m. at Calvary Cemetery in Mount
Angel.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St.
Mary’s Catholic Church or Legacy Oregon Burn
Center. Assisting family is Unger Funeral Chapel
– Silverton.
resources/recreation/
rogue/trail-log.php
Information: Smullin
Visitor Center, Rand:
(541) 479-3735; Gold
Beach Ranger district,
(541) 247-3600; Grants
Pass Interagency Office
(541) 471-6500.
Rogue River lodges
Trailhead directions
Note: Prices per hiker,
per night and typically in-
cludes dinner, breakfast
and bag lunch
Black Bar Lodge (mile
9.3): $130, (541) 479-6507,
blackbarlodge.com
Marial Lodge (mile
23.9): $110, (541) 474-
2057
Paradise Lodge (mile
27.4): $160, paradise-
lodge.com, (541) 842-
2822
Clay Hill Lodge (mile
33.2): $150, clayhilllodge-
.com, (503) 859-3772
Grave Creek Boat
Ramp / Trailhead: Fol-
low Interstate 5 south
and take Exit 61 to Merlin.
Continue straight on
Merlin-Galice Road for
3.2 miles into Merlin and
then another 8.5 miles to-
ward Galice, a popular ri-
vertown on the Rogue.
From Galice continue an-
other 6 miles, cross over
the bridge and turn left
down into a large boat
ramp and trailhead. The
trail begins on the RIVER
RIGHT side. (N42 38.924
W123 35.133).
Foster
Bar
Boat
Launch: From Grants
Pass (only in summer, af-
ter Memorial Day): At
mile 15 on Merlin-Galice
Road, just before Galice,
turn left onto Forest Road
23, the road to Gold
Beach. It’s 37 magnificent
blacktopped miles, over a
5,000-foot pass, to Forest
Road 33, the road along
the Lower Rogue from
Gold Beach, on the coast,
to Agness and Powers.
Turn right on FR 33 and
proceed 2 miles, over the
bridge, to the Foster Bar
turnoff on the right (N42
38.317 W124 03.338).
From Gold Beach (in
off-season): Just before
the bridge over the Rogue
River in Gold Beach, turn
right onto Jerry’s Flat
Road (Forest Road 33)
and continue 21 miles.
Turn right on Agness Il-
lahe Road for three miles
to Foster Bar on the right
(N42
38.317
W124
03.338).
Zach Urness has been
an outdoors reporter,
photographer
and
videographer in Oregon
for 12 years. Urness is the
author of “Best Hikes with
Kids: Oregon” and “Hik-
ing Southern Oregon.” He
can be reached at zur
ness@StatesmanJour-
nal.com or (503) 399-
6801.
Rogue River National
Recreation Trail
breakdown
On the final day of a
long backpacking trip,
there’s an impulse to
sprint toward the finish.
There are no more camp-
sites to find, no more
lodges to explore. And the
thought of riding in a ve-
hicle, where hundreds of
miles disappear without
breaking a sweat, begins
to sound pretty good.
The Rogue River Trail
brought one final high-
light, however, at mile 35.
Flora Dell Falls is a 30-
foot waterfall that drops
into a deep emerald pool
to create one of Oregon’s
great swimming holes.
Despite it being 9 a.m.
— and not exactly warm
out — I couldn’t help but
dive into the water and
swim below the waterfall,
the final act of immersion
on the Rogue River Trail
before it was time to say
goodbye.
The trail makes it pret-
ty easy. In the final miles,
the river exits the canyon,
those
thousand-foot
walls drop into rolling
hills and the sense of be-
ing swallowed by a place
altogether separate from
the outside world begins
to fade.
We weren’t exactly
sorry to finish the Rogue
River Trail — that would
come later, once the blis-
Miller
Philip Wayne Pomeroy
ters had healed.
But a melancholy feel-
ing arrived with the start-
ing of the engine and the
trip down the road toward
Gold Beach and turning
north, a final farewell to
the state’s most beautiful
river.
General
location:
Wild and Scenic Rogue
River canyon between
Grave Creek (outside
Grants Pass) and Foster
Bar (outside Gold Beach)
Distance: 40 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
(although long, the trail is
mostly flat)
Small car access: Yes
Campsites: There are
many primitive camp-
sites along creeks and the
river, none of which have
pit toilets
Campfires: Depend-
ing on the time of year,
fires may be banned.
Campfires within 400
feet of the river must be
confined to a fire pan.
Bears: Black bears are
common, especially the
lower third between Par-
adise Lodge and Tacoma
Camp area. Always hang
food 10 feet high and five
feet out. Many campsites
have bear-proof facilities.
Maps: Maps are avail-
able at the Grave Creek
Trailhead and Smullin
Visitor Center outside
Galice.
Shuttle: Setting up a
shuttle with one of the
outfitters (see list) is
highly recommended.
Trail log: BLM has a
detailed trail log here:
http://www.blm.gov/or/
so.
The major drawback
being the lack of scenery.
Continued from Page 1B
A mustard foot bath?
wearing heavy boots and
ski gloves.
Why ‘stay home’ is
like fishing
A lot of people in the
fishing fraternity, me in-
cluded, have been prac-
ticing for the COVID
quarantine most of our
lives.
After
all,
sitting
around for hours on end
waiting mostly in vain for
something to happen be-
comes second nature af-
ter the first dozen years or
Bogus treatments and
cures for the coronavirus
are not a unique feature
to the current pandemic.
An online article about
the lethal 1918 worldwide
flu epidemic included
“What You Should Know
About ‘Spanish’ Influen-
za,” a poster issued by the
office of the superinten-
dent of Schools in Man-
hattan.
Among the tips under
treatment were:
“Soak the feet in hot
mustard water for ten
minutes, using one table-
spoonful of mustard in
two gallons of water.”
And “drink a large cup-
ful of hot lemonade; then
go promptly to bed.”
A lot of the other tips,
such as hand-washing
and avoiding “parties,
moving picture shows,
and similar assemblies,”
are right out of the cur-
rent protocols.
FISHING THOUGHT
FOR THE WEEK: If wish-
es were fishes, we’d all
have our limits every day
– Anonymous (so I’ll
claim it)
Contact Henry Miller
at
HenryMil-
lerSJ@gmail.com
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