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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR September 4, 2002
As I write this article it’s a beautiful sunny, blue sky day -- a
wonderful respite from the smoke of previous weeks. It brings to
mind the hectic days when Illinois Valley was under the threat of
a 30-minute evacuation notice.
Difficult decisions were made as to what we should put in the
car and what was to be left behind. Filling a moving van was one
alternative, which we chose not to take. Family pictures, finan-
cial/legal records, and medical necessities were our first priorities.
Dishes, appliances, food storage, and winter clothes were aban-
doned to the fire, possibly.
These thoughts then brought me to the decision the fire
bosses had to make, and their priorities. Residential areas and
transportation corridors apparently were highest, while the vast
natural resource, the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, had to be a lesser
priority. They had little choice, and I am not finding fault with
their decisions.
I am thankful for them and their workers, which have allowed
us to unpack our car and try to get our lives back to normal. The
Kalmiopsis contains many renewable resources, unlike our cedar
chest full of family treasures, which we would have left behind.
The Kalmiopsis also has been the source of many personal
memories which, unlike the trees, flowers, and animals, cannot be
destroyed. As I watched the newspaper maps of the fire, I saw it
gradually engulf the entire wilderness. But it was uplifting to
know that some areas were not burned, and we can only hope that
there are many islands of plant and animal life still intact.
One area, which has been important to our family, is the trail
to Babyfoot Lake. Even the road to the trailhead is significant in
many ways. The first part of the road, after crossing the Illinois
River, passes through a dry, desert-like section. It has this appear-
ance because of the lack of many plants due to the serpentine soil.
Once that part is passed, the differences in plant life are quite no-
ticeable. This is not because of a change in rainfall, but due to the
granitic soil, which makes it able to produce more plants.
The road also passes through a landslide on Fiddler Moun-
tain, which is visible from the Illinois Valley floor. When we
moved here 30 years ago it had the appearance of a giant cross or
an airplane shape high on the mountain. The shape is caused by
the road passing through the landslide, which creates the wings
and body of an airplane. Gradually over the years the shape has
grown fainter as the plants have filled back in the space.
This helps me to realize that the forest will grow back. Hope-
fully, the destruction of the plants due to the fire will not lead to
more landslides this winter, when the rain-saturated soil on the
steep slopes will not have the plant roots to help stabilize the soil.
The trail to Babyfoot is quiet, cool and peaceful unless you’re
with a group of Cub Scouts or teen-agers. I’ve never been there in
the winter, but every other season provides a great variety of
flowers and other plants to enjoy. There are a few steep spots at
the beginning and near the lake, but generally it’s an easy hike.
One newspaper report stated that the area near the lake had
not been burned, and that is a good sign. The stands of cedar, fir,
and rhododendron create a beautiful spot in the mountains. The
lake itself is in the bottom of an ancient glacial cirque, and it is
one treasure which will still be available to all when the fire is
just a memory.
Monday, Aug. 26
*9:30 a.m. Public assist:
200 block Madrona Drive.
*12:43 p.m. Motor vehicle
accident (MVA): 24500 block
Redwood Hwy.
*6:39 p.m. Districtwide
medical standby.
Tuesday, Aug. 27
*4:09 a.m. Medical assist:
(all with American Medical
Response/AMR) 200 block
Shadowbrook Drive.
*4:12 a.m. Medical as-
sist : 4900 block Happy Camp
Road.
*4:14 a.m. Districtwide
medical standby.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
*4:23 p.m. Medical assist:
600 block E. River Street.
*5:37 p.m. Grass fire: 600
block Thompson Creek Road.
*11:07 p.m. Medical as-
sist: 27500 block Redwood
Hwy.
Thursday, Aug. 29
*5:22 a.m. Mutual aid:
structure fire, Eagle Point Jun-
ior High.
*2:44 p.m. Medical assist:
300 block Terrace Drive.
Friday, Aug. 30
*3:14 p.m. MVA: 2200
block Holland Loop.
*4:17 p.m. MVA: Red-
wood Hwy./E. River Street.
*9:19 p.m. Medical assist:
9600 block Holland Loop.
Saturday, Aug. 31
*4:20 a.m. MVA: 35900
block Redwood Hwy.
*10:44 p.m. Medical as-
sist: 2800 block Redwood
Hwy.
*1:21 p.m. Medical assist:
300 block Pinecone Drive
*8:14 p.m. Vehicle fire:
2700 block Lakeshore Drive.
Medical assist): 1400
block Lakeshore Drive.
Sunday, Sept. 1
*9:27 p.m. Medical assist:
500 block Draper Valley.
*6:06 a.m. Grass fire: 100
block Three Mill Road.
*12:39 p.m. Medical as-
sist: 500 block Caves Hwy.
*4:39 p.m. Medical assist:
Jubilee Park.
Tuesday, Sept. 3
*12:27 a.m. Medical as-
sist: 33100 block Redwood
Hwy.
*1:50 a.m. Grass fire:
4600 block Dick George.
FOOTBALL SEASON AR-
RIVES - Illinois Valley
High School Cougars
demonstrated good skills
and spirit during a foot-
ball jamboree at IVHS on
Friday, Aug. 30. After-
ward, new coach Bobby
Thornhill congratulated
his charges and told
them that if they want a
successful season, they
have to want it and work
at it. I.V. will play Glide in
Cave Junction at 1 p.m.
on Saturday, Sept. 7.
I.V. Lions Club does it again
with 30th annual Labor Day events
Healing Evangelist from Australia
Special Outreach To Teens
Tuesday & Wednesday, Sept. 10 and 11 - 7 p.m.
Morning Prayer - 9 a.m. both days
Meetings will be held at:
700 Draper Valley Road
Selma, Ore. 97538 - (541) 597-2054
(Please bring a chair)
GOD BLESS
AMERICA!
(R)