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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1959)
Medford Tribune MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1959 Lonely Mountain r 'yyyyyyyymmyw ysB&yy" y. , ' - . j 'J 'I :5 t 3 - i By Robert Vroman Devil's peak is a 7,582-foot "rock" jutting out of the Cascade range about midway between Crater lake and Lake of the Woods. Al though not as formidable a mountain as others in the west, it is aptly named, for its north face consists for the most part of sheer cliffs that give way to masses of jumbled rock at the bottom. Here in the sky a Forest Service lookout lives, in a world of in cessant wind. The only access to the mountain is by steep trail and the lookout gets his supplies by pack train every two weeks. It is one of the most remote lookout stations in this area ... a nine mile pack from the road on the upper south fork of the Rogue river. The structure at right, built in 1930, serves as living quarters and observation tower. I vmmrmm:, 1 f(vm fm-&y;y Lookout Fred Jossy, Eagle Point, surveys the broad expanse of forest land that includes some of the most beautiful scenery in the Cascades. Union peak, to the north, is visible just behind his shoulder. The building is equipped with butane cook stove and : heater, for wood in any quantity is scarce. Lee peak, directly to the east, is connected to Devil's peak by a razor back saddle, over which the Skyline trail makes its arduous way. Part of the trail is visible in the bare rock slide in the left part of the picture at right. Jossy, before the spring went dry, had to hike two miles down this trail for water each morning. Now his water is brought in by pack train. The Seven Lakes basin, almost in the shadow of Devil's peak on the north, forms an emerald hollow among the rugged mountains, and the lakes, reflect ing light from the sky, contrast brightly with the green forests. The basin drain age forms the headwaters of the middle fork of the Rogue river, which flows north out of the canyon at the top of the picture. Cliff lake is in the foreground, Middle lake is directly above it and Grass lake to the right. North lake, above Middle lake, is barely visible. Jossy said he often sees fishermen's boats on the lakes. iifl iiiiiiiifi TT 'in i 0 J g gr , -n ' ' - - ---Il 1-: t t At the unction of the Skyline trail and the trail to Devil's peak, a sign indicates that it is only a quarter of a mile to' the top . . . but it's a steep climb. The trail works its way up the south side of the mountain through craggy rocks and shale slides. Alpine-type flowers bloom along the way.
