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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1959)
10. MAIL TRIBUNE, McdfarJ, Or. Wednesdjy, Aug. 5, 19S9 Couple on Mexico to Horseback Trip From Canada to in Oregon klCHARD D. JEWETT Mail Tribun Staff Writer - Frontier days of the Far West. long since have passed, but Don and June Mulford, Castle Rock, Wash., ranchers, are sure proof that the pioneer spirit still prevails. Since April 19 they have been traveling by horseback along the trails of the Pacific Grest System on a trek from the Mexican border to the Canadian line: Prompted by a love of the out-of-doors and a Wish to see the West's "high country," the Mulfords also are impelled by the desire to pioneer by being the first to make this long packhdrse journey. - Many a hiker's boot and many a horse's hoof have clamped along the paths of the system, but the Mulfords say they have learned of no one who has made this ambitious jaunt in a single trip on the Sierra-Nevada and Cascade Mountain trails between the two international boundaries. By last Sunday the Castle Rock couple had completed an estimated 1560 miles in 3V4 months of their anticipated months journey. Inter cepted for an interview inter lude on Dead Indian rd. some 25 miles east of Ashland, the Mulfords said they had 820 - miles to go before reaching the United States' northern line. They reported themselv es a bit ahead of. schedule Their target date for reaching Canada is Oct. 1. Becrun in Mexico The Washington cattle ranchers began their trek at Marker 252 seven miles east of Tijuana, Mexico, and in tend to end it on the east siae of Mt. Baker at Marker 78. They are trying to travel on all the major high trails which are recognized and are avoid ing roads as much as possible. The riding and pack train consists of four horses and a mule. . Don and June made their entry into Centennial-celebrating Oregon on Wednesday, July 29. They stopped at the Zinn ranch near Pinehurst after a trip from Lake Copco, Calif. Mulford went to Klam ath Falls for a few contacts with the outside world and for supplies. Resuming their trail ride on Saturday morning, they made their way through unmarked territory to the state department of forestry's Moon Prairie guard station. On. Sunday they were en route to Lake of the Woods where the reportedly well-marked course of the Oregon Skyline Trail begins. Their next mail address on the jaunt is Sisters, Ore. - Travel for the Mulfords has averaged 18 to 20 miles per day and at times they've mov ed at a rate of 20 to 22 miles. In northern California they had to stretch the distances on occasion to reach grass and water for their animals. On three days they rode better than 30 miles, another it was 33 V4. Pace on the trail,' in deference to the horses, has been 2Vt miles per hour at a walking gait On roads they've gone 3Vz mph. Periodic Stopovers t Periodic one-day stopovers have been made to rest the horses. On three occasions the halts have been two days. Six days isthe average travel be tween these layovers but the Mulfords went 11 days once and nine another time without such pause. Horses and mule ake it easy on the stopovers but the self-suficient ranch couple say they find plenty to do. Don heads for a nearby town for supplies while June cleans and works over the travel paraphernalia. The Mulfords have no exact schedule of daily destination "We never pick a stop ahead," Don remarked. "We stop where it is convenient and where there is, water and erass." For their overnight camps the couple has an umbrella tent which can be set up "in about five minutes.' They have a double sleeping bag and air' mattresses. - Seldom have they built a fire to cook a meal or heat water. They use a Coleman gas stove in stead. Canned foods mostly are carried by the trail riders because of the trouble encoun tered in cooking bulk goods. At high elevations water has a low boiling point. The sup ply of pancake flour, however, once was a blessing. All the Mulfords had to eat on one last day before a layover was hotcakes and coffee - for all three meals. They were out of grain for their horses for three days. ' "t Mt. Whitney Pass - Highest elevation on their travels was Mt Whitney Pass (13,777 feet). They reached the summit of the pass on June 6 but could 'not go on over because of snow. The two believe they are the first to reach that summit on horse back that early in the season. ! 4 'tlV 3M '!' iff 9fe ft mmmm HIGH TRAIL TRAVELERS - On a modern day pioneering' venture are Don and June Mulford, above, Castle Rock ranchers. They are traveling by horseback along the Pa cific Crest Trail system - along the high trails of the Sierra-Nevada and Cascade mountains from Mexican border to the Canadian line. The Mulfords believe they are the first to make this long trek in a single journey. They entered Oregon on Wednesday, July 29, stopped at the Zinn ranch Thursday and Friday and resumed their travels Saturday. They are following the Skyline trail in Oregon. Snow also blocked the couple and their animals at Glen Pass and they had to go back off the John Muir trail and along Highway 395. Highest camp site was on Crabtree Meadows (10,333 feet) in the Mt. Whit ney vicinity. The Mulfords and their ani mals crossed the middle fork of the Feather River on a swinging bridge, going from 6,000 feet down to 2,000 and back up to 6,000. Asked if the couple has ev er been lost on the trip, Don replied that he and June were lost all the time because they did not know the country. He reported that they have been off in their directions but had never been off a trail without knowing it. Mulford told of his use of the sun and- stars to tell direction and time. He said that he has a compass but does not trust it. Mulford reported only two encounters with rattlesnakes. One refused to "give the trail" and created a "mix-up" among the horses until the riders, who do not carry a gun, killed the snake with rocks. The couple started their trip with four horses, two of which have had to be replac ed. Maverick and Steamboat have been with them all the way. Silky Sullivan and Traveler, are their other pres ent horses. The mule, Andy, was obtained at Lake Tahoe. Worry About Horses Biggest worry of their trek, the Mulfords said, is their ani mals. Pack laden horses and mule face the hazard of heat and sore backs. "We can suf fer the heat much better than the horses," Mulford pointed out. Riding and packing duties are shifted about' and, gener ally, each day there is one animal without a burden. Enthusiasm of the pair for their horseback venture still seemed vibrant Sunday. They declared that the challenge and the desire to complete the journey is still strong. Never once, they said, have they discussed backing out. The two are looking forward par ticularly to a rendezvous with once skeptical relatives and friends, at White Pass along the Cascade Crest Trail in Washington. They foresee the hazard of snow in late stages' of, their journey since snows are pos sible after Sept. 15 in Wash ington. Such snow may mean a week or so layover waiting for it to melt, Mulford stated. The Mulfords, who have been ranchers 10 years and have raised registered polled shorthorns on the 135-acre Lucky Don Ranch midway be tween Chehalis and Kelso, sold their. 85 head of cattle last year in anticipation of the border to border trek. They began planning the trip in June a year ago and made' a few packhorse trips as . test runs. The ranch was leased out. Don said he and June might not" go back to cattle raising They'd like to travel about and take 'wildlife pictures They are thinking of winter ing in California after finish ing the high trail jaunt, unless interest in their mountain ven ture beckons them to New York for television appear ances. Motion Pictures Mulford is filming 16 milli meter motion picture s' at sound speed and hopes to in terest television people in thenCHis wife is taking slide pictures. Don is writing a bdok on the day to day ad ventures of the trek and hop es to have it published. Don reported that he devel oped his interest in high trails by working on them during his days in the former Civil ian Conservation Corps and from hunting and fishing in Washington. His wife spoke of her lifelong love of the out-of-doors. Mulford now 40, demon strated his adventuresome na ture at the age of 20. Deciding that he wanted to see the United States, he said,' he started out with $6 in his pocket and went "on the road," covering 18,000 miles in four months. Most of the travel, he reported,' was by hitchhiking since he found freight trams too slow. He did some boxing for side mon ey. Criticism of the U. S. forest service for inadequate ' mark ing of trails was voiced by Mulford. He maintained that there would be a lot more use of the out-of-doors and a lot fewer people lost if the trails are kept, open and marked. Mulford' claimed that the for est service is closing trails which should be kept open for fire protection. A Rogue River National for est official here said that the Mulfords should find the Sky line Trail well marked north from Lake of the Woods, where, for all intents and purposes, the Oregon Cascade route really begins. The offi cial said that the trail from Highway 66 to Dead Indian rd., follows old abandoned roads and that , most of the area is private land which it is almost impossible to mark. Camera Better Than Gun Mulford reported that the out-of-doors pn this trip has come to mean more to him than just hunting. He said he is having more fun with a camera than he would with a gun. The two have not had time along the trails to fish. , The horsebacking ranchers expressed desire to acquaint people with the out of doors and want to see it maintained so that it can be enjoyed. They said they feel that, if their trek is successful, others will want to make it. Along with the scenery that they've viewed and the ad ventures that they've had, the Mulfords cherish tjie friend ships that they've made. Nam es of these friends are inscrib ed in a valued "guest book" they've packed along the trail. Hurricane to Miss Most of Hawaii Honolulu-flJPD-The Weather Bureau said today that hurri cane Dot would probably swing far enough south to miss most of the island chain of Hawaii. J The bureau said the storm was moving about 14 miles an hour and was picking up speed. It was expected to pass 180 miles south of Honolulu early today, and 100 miles south-southwest of Port Allen on Kauai tonight. Full gale warnings were still in effect over much of the 50th state, although the intensity of the storm lessened slightly Tuesday. South Point on Hawaii Island reported Tuesday night that it was getting winds of 35 miles an hour, with gusts up to 50 m.p.h. The weather observatory on Moana Loa re corded winds of 50 m.p.h. with gusts up to 70 m.p.h. Hilo, the largest city on Hawaii, had only 20 miles an hour winds. Heavy ground swells and high tides were forecast - for the south sides of the island chain where damage to boat harbors was possible, . the Weather Bureau said. High winds and dense fog hindered traffic between Honolulu and the windward side of Oahu Tuesday night. Heavy rains were forecast for all the islands today. The storm moved in Tues day night, sending huge Charities Benefit From Local Will Two thousand dollars will be given to the American Cancer society from the estate of the late Harry Holmes, co- founder of Harry and David fruit packing firm, according to his will, now on file in the Jackson County recorder's of fice. Holmes' will, which leaves the bulk of his estate in trust for his son, John H. Holmes, 19, has been filed far admis sion to probate. It also gives $2,000 to the American Red Cross, $1,000 to the Boy Scouts of America, and $1,000 to the Medford YMCA. Total amount of the estate is not revealed in the docu ments, on file.. ' The will provides that the trust estate will be terminated when John Holmes reaches the age of 27, and that the estate and accumulated in come will go to him at that time. A codicil added to the will requests that sums be given to five local people! Of these $1,000 is asked to be given to Mrs. Lila Thomas, former hostess and housekeeper; $5,000 to Nat B. Bender; $2,000 to G. A. Cottirigham; $2,000 to Lyle Kinney; and $3,000 to Glenn Harrison, all officials of Bear Creek or chards. . The executors of the es tate named in the will are Harrison. Cottingham. Bend er, and Holmes' nephew, Da vid H. Holmes. The bulk of the estate is left in trust to Cottingham, Bender and Da vid Holmes. The Holmes residence, fur niture, and many personal items are left to John Holmes, with some specific items of personal use left to David Holmes and to Gloria Nanette Oseood niece of the late Harry Holmes. Some smaller bequests go to Margaret Morrison and Burt B. Lowry Sr., employees of Holmes during his lifetime. Salem Bus Drivers Get Compensation Salem (DPI The Unem ployment Compensation com mission said today that nine Salem bus drivers left jobless when City Transit Lines in Eugene went out . of business are now receiving unemploy ment compensation from the state. The drivers operated their own 'cars as a "courtesy' service 'for about 10 weeks after the line folded and col lected only tips. A commission referee in Eugene said this was illegal but the commission reversed this decision today by holding that "tips and gratuities" were not wages. The commission said, therefore, the nine driv ers are entitled to jobless pay. Seven Crewmembers Rescued from Atlantic Hampton, va.-OJPD-A pass ing ship rescued seven crew members of an Air Force tanker plane which crashed into the Atlantic 400 miles south of Bermuda yesterday. An eighth crew member is still missing and an intensive air and sea search is under way. The six-engine plane was on a routine flight from the Azores to Langley Air Force base in Virginia. breakers over Waikiki Beach and halting boat traffic among the islands. VALVE-RATE th ROCKET AT YOUt LOCAL AUTHORIZED QUALITY OEAtEC'S Gt a good deal more ...that lasts a great deal longer! If yon pick a car with an eye to value . . . yooll go OLDS! Com pare Oldsmobile'l paee-cettiiig feature. . . examine the proven quality W Olds . . . check the sarprisingly low price tag ... look at Oldsmobile'l added Talne at trade-in time. - t When yon consider total value, you'll see that Olds is the ont v standing boy in the medium price class. Yoar Oldsmobile Quality Dealer has the facts and figures to help you VALUE RATE THE ROCKET. IT EVERY MEASURE . . . THE VALUE CAR OF THE MEDIUM PRICE CLASS I DARRELL MILLER CO., 415 SOUTH RIVERSIDE pap jH.jJlP CONFERRING OVER BERLIN'S concern about reported cuts in Western Powers' garrisons are Willy Brandt, left, U. S. Secretary of State Christian A. Herter and West German Foreign Minister Heinrich von Brentano in Ge neva. Reports hint Western Powers may consider cut in West .German garrisons in exchange for Soviet Russia guarantees West Berlin won't be blockaded, harassed. Fair Talent Confesl Deadline Aug. 10 Entrants "for the Kiwanis Centennial Fair Talent con test must be mailed to the Fair Headquarters by mid night, Aug. 10,' it 'was an nounced today. The' Talent contest, open to any individual or group in the area, will be1 held at the Jack son county, armory,-Aug: 20 through 23. The winner of the Jackson county event will be sponsored for appearance at the state fair at Salem.- Last year's winners were "The Shadows." They also won top honors in competition at the state fair. , Entrants must give a three minute routine of singing, dancing, playing a musical in strument, dramatics, art dis play or similar acL Entrants may be either amateur or professional. . Entry blanks may be found in the Sunday editions of the Medford Mail Tribune or at Fair . Headquarters 1221 Court st. Dick Lamont is Tal ent contest chairman. - WAKE UP RARIN'TO GO Without Naggingr Backache Now ! 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