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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Winding trails: by Al Hobart
Thursday, July 14, 1966
Illinois Valley News
Illinois - Rogue
Rivers Loop Hike
“There’s a long, long trail a-
winding” that is without a doubt one
of the most beautiful and interesting
in existence; exceptionally beautiful
because of the unimaginably rugged
and scenic views along its wavy,
winding course; and of additional
exciting interest because of the
abundance of wildlife seen along the
way. It is the combined trails of the
Illinois and Rogue River canyons, a
continuous hiking course of about 80
miles.
For several years I’ve been
thinking of making this trip, but
always something intervened to
sidetrack the adventure. Then this
month the gears of fate finally began
meshing properly, and two other
Kindred Souls – Dean and Charles
– got the same idea and their vacations
at the same time. When they told me
–the 3rd K S–of their idea, plans and
preparations were made at once for a
6-day hiking trip down one river and
up the other.
Our hike began at Oak Flat, 20
miles below Selma, on the Illinois.
We were driven to that point by
Charles’ brother, Louis, on Sunday
afternoon. Earlier the same day Dean,
Charles, and I had gone down the
Rogue in two Volkswagens, leaving
one of them at Whiskey Creek, the
intended termination point of our
hike. We camped our first night on
Brigg’s Creek, a short distance below
Oak Flat. Here the road ends and the
Illinois River trail begins.
Monday morning -we set out
down the river over a route that the
Forest Service has made into a trail-
traveler’s dream, each carrying a pack
of around 40 pounds.
Wherever the trail passes
through land over which the Forest
Service has jurisdiction you can
almost count on finding it in excellent
condition–allowing time, of course, for
the maintenance crews to go over the
route each spring. We not only found
this to be true on our own account
but heard from others along our
route that the FS has this reputation.
But the Forest Service no longer
has jurisdiction over all the land that
our trail passed through. Along the
Rogue River, over a stretch referred
to on some FS maps as being under
the management of “other” we often
found the trail in terrible condition.
In many places flood and great slides
have completely obliterated the trail,
making travel both difficult and
dangerous. However, belatedly, the
politicians controlling the “other”
purse-strings are reluctantly beginning
to stir, and at last hopes are being
rekindled for rebuilding and repair of
the Rogue River trail.
On our first day of hiking we
made 18 miles. That part of the trail
that passes over Bald Mt we found
to be still un-worked, but we were
told a contract is being let for its
improvement. Along this part of
the trail lie a series of large grassy
mountain meadows, where numerous
bears have made well-packed trails.
In one magnificent meadow we saw
a huge black bear and 5 deer. That
evening we made camp on a 100-foot-
high bluff overlooking the river near
the mouth of Silver Creek.
Tuesday we hiked only 10 or 12
miles, camping for the night beside
Nancy Creek, at another Oak Flat only
a few miles from where the Illinois
joins the Rogue at Agness.
Next morning, Wednesday, we
were on the Rogue, where for two
miles we followed a road, crossed to
the northeast side of the river above
Agness and hit the Rogue River trail a
few miles farther upriver, near Illahe.
That night we camped on a level sandy
beach at Big Bend. It was here that
our near bread famine was relieved
when the famous old riverman, Glen
Wooldridge, pulled in with his jet
riverboat. Learning of our shortage
he obligingly ran up the river some
distance and came back with a loaf
of bread for us. We met up with some
wonderful people in Rogue canyon.
Thursday we did another
long stretch up the steep-canyoned,
incomparably lovely Rogue, stopping
for the night at Marial. Here we were
warmly greeted by “Casey” Stengel
at the Mule Creek Guard Station,
who gave us hot coffee and use of the
Station campground and facilities.
Next morning he took us up the road a
short, distance to where the interrupted
trail resumes.
That day, Friday, we saw the
worst of the Rogue River trail, where
the great flood had washed out the trail
for a mile or more, and massive slides
added their contribution to the havoc.
But much of the day’s hiking was on
very good trail, much of it cut in the
side of rocky cliffs high above the
river. Once looking down and across
the river we saw a big brown bear
with two little cubs making their way
leisurely up along the rockyriver bank.
Friday we spent the last night
of our long hike at Rocky Bar, where
we had a sumptuous dinner at the
lodge and a swell breakfast Saturday
morning;well-fortified with Mary
Camp’s delicious hotcakes, bacon, and
eggs, we were ferried back across the
river to our trail. 7 or 8 miles farther up
the river, at Whiskey Creek, we spent
a pleasant hour with Lou Martin, an
interesting old river dog who is famous
for his 3-in-1 coffee. When someone
protested at the heaping teaspoon of
instant coffee he was putting in each
cup he was squelched with the query:
“Do you want coffee or water?”
Another mile of steep climbing
brought us to the waiting Volkswagen.
Our 75-mile hike was ended. A
few blistered toes and protesting
muscles failed to detract from our
accomplishment.
And by the time we left Galice,
some distance upriver, with hot
juicy hamburgers and cold liquid
refreshments under our belts, we were
already looking eagerly into a rosy
future, seeking other such wonderful
trails to conquer.