Features Sports ' tS& Si ' j
MEBFORDWrmBUI.E ' . j
MEDFOHD. OREGON, SUNDAY, MAY 26, 1963 PAGES 1 to 10 MSR Sf SRfc- &HJg
A New Rogue River Trail
What may prove to be
one of the most beautiful
foot trails in the Pacific
northwest is under con
struction along Rogue river
just downstream from the
confluence of Grave creek
and Rogue river.
The trail is being blasted,
hoed and dug out of the face
of cliffs and terraced in the
steep slopes of dense forest
along four miles where
there has been no trail.
Construction of the trail,
on the north side of the
river, is expected to be com
pleted by June 30, and open
for public use after July 1.
I" ,v .'rv
The new Rogue river trail. In some places, has been blasted mil of solid rock, as
at the location pictured above. When completed, the trail will provide access into an
area where access has been limited.
This is Upiral of the country through which the new Rntzne rivrr trail, whtrh is viiblo at the riahi rif the
picture, is being constructed. The tcope of the projret, and the rusgednrsi of the area can be visualized by the com
parative sire of the group of people on the trail at the right.
It Is being constructed
under the accelerated pub
lic works program in which
funds are made available to
governmental agencies t o
help relieve problems in
areas where there is high
incidence of unemployment.
Josephine county in south
ern Oregon qualifies for
this program.
Work from Both Ends
The trail is being con
structed by the bureau of
land management with
workers recruited through
the Grants Pass state em
ployment service office.
Thirty-two men, two crews
of 16 each, are working
from both ends of the four
mile section, and are how
almost within shouting dis
tance of each other.
One crew goes to the site
daily from Grants Pass, 32
miles away; the other crew
lives at an old BLM blister
rust control camp where
Whiskey creek enters the
Rogue.
The BLM has stressed re
creation and forestry proj
ects in the accelerated pub
lic works program, and
workers in the program
have come to realize they
are accomplishing good re-
-.-.-..v..H.ik- . fi
suits, worthwhile for the
future of the area.
This is seen in the trail
itself. It is wide-two people
can walk side by side with
no difficulty - and sturdy,
since it has been construct
ed by hand. Hand-laid rock
rip-rap, in many places, sup
ports the trail along rocky
ledges.
Completion of the trail
will provide an easy hike
almost a walk -along the
north side of the river. A
trail on the south side, vis
ible in places from the new
trail, will be improved un
der the accelerated public
works program. The trail
downstream from Whiskey
creek also will be improved
with the addition of toilet
facilities and picnic tables
along the route to Marial,
about 23 miles from Whis
key creek.
Important lo the con
struction of the trail has
been the experienced min
ers who are handling ex
plosives used in blasting
through solid ruck, and the
gasoline-powered jackham
mers used In drilling.
With the exception of the
jaekhammers and explo
sives, the trail is being built
by men with shovels, picks,
hoes, wheelbarrows, and a
considerable amount of
stamina to cope with the
glaring hot sun on the face
of the cliffs.
Progress Slow, Dangerous
In places, progress is slow
and dangerous, especially in
the clilf areas. But here
again the experience of min
ers has paid off. Heavy
The black line on the edge of the clifl along Rogue river between Grave and Whiskey creeks shows the location of the new Rogue river trail,
being constructed by the bureau of land management under the accelerated public works program in Josephine county. The new trail starts at the
right of the top picture at a boat ramp near Almeda bridge, which is behind the trees to the extreme right of the picture. The new trail connect!
with an old trail at the extreme left of the lower composite picture by the bureau of land management. The pier of an old bridge across the river is lo
rated where the new trail connects with the old one at the left of the bottom picture. Pictures on this page, other than BLM composite picture above,
were taken along the new trail last week.
lines .are used when the
work requires men to liter
ally hang-over the edge
with a long drop into the
swift current of the river.
Quenton Stone is general
trail construction foreman,
and Bob Pruitt, former
Grants Pass city council
man, is camp boss. Pruitt
also Is a well-known river
guide.
Construction of the Rogue
river trail is not the only
APW project in Josephine
county.
Used In Reforestation
The BLM used APW per
sonnel working in refor
estation in a burned over
area north of Grants Pass,
and APW men were used in
a snag falling operation. A
limber stand Improvement
project is under way near
Kerby in which the trees
are thinned for better tim
ber growth and value.
Josephine county and bu
reau of land management
officials took a pre-opening
hike along the new Rogue
river trail last week.
On the inspection trip
were Don McGregor and
Louis Ringucttc, Josephine
county commissioners; Jack
Sims, Josephine county re
creation supervisor; Don
Slifflcr, manager of the
Grants Pass office of the
state employment service;
Don Schoficld, district man
ager of the BLM; Dick
Schachter, Bob Ilostcltcr,
Wilson Edingcr, Ray John
sen, and Jim Stoop, of the
bureau of land management
and representatives of area
newspapers.
Men working under the accelerated public works program are shown above preparing a ledge for blading. Ex
pttwivea and the gasoline-powered jackhammem, visible a hove, are Ihe only "power tools" in the construction of
the Rogue river trail. Hand-laid rock rip-rap work ii visible at tht trail In the foreground.
Phil Squires crouches on top of a cliff overlooking Rogue river breaking oft rock
loosened by a dynamite blast a few minutes earlier. The trail at this location will be
about half way down the face of the cliff.
Explosives clear the, way for much of the new four-mile
trail on the north aide of the river.
J
section of Ihe Rogue river
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