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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 1963)
. .... jiU VJ . I 3 ' M l' .'J If " ill ii ? 1 I 8 LOFTY PEAKS. LUSH LANDSCAPES GREET MOUNTAIN TRAVELERS . basin !s accessible by a mountain trail which starts in the vicinity of Grass Lake, largest of the network of lakes in the Seven Lakes Basin, Seven Mile Marsh (closest community is Fort Klamath, about 10 milet offers travelers of the Skyline Trail a panoramic view of several Cascade east) and winds seven miles along a moderate slope to Grass Lake, summits, particularly Devil's Peak (el: 7,582) in the background. The I largest in the seven-lake system. ' Seven Lakes Basin Still Wilderness Land Mile-High Area Offers Stream, Lake Fishing Photos and Story Ry DICK BRIGGS ". . . lei us probe the secret places, let us seek what luck betide us; let us journey to a lonely land I know. There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star aglcam to guide us and the Wild is calling, calling ... let us go." "The Call of the Wild" by Robert Service v W Civ-HMti 2T DOWNED LOG A CONVENIENT BRIDGE the annual runoff accompanied by infre quent rains turn parts of the basin into a quagmire during late June and early July, but some areas, such as along the eastern shoreline of Middle Lake, continue in their muddy state during most of the summer. Numerous springs following a meandering course to the lake cause the swamp like nature of the terrain. A frazzle haired youngster keeps his feet dry by crossing a swampy area along a fallen log. ROGUE RIVER CATCH This catch of rainbow and brook trout attests to the super lative angling and fly fishing available to anqlers willing to follow the tributary of the Rogue River which begins its westward journey at Grass Lake. The best angling is in prospect beginning about one-quarter mile downstream from the lake, at the base of a waterfall and cascades. Hjvas no secret place that we strode to glimpse the beauty of the high country and to test the mettle of Eastern brook trout; there are few such places But if there is a land which still attracts the outdoorsman seeking the hintermnst part of the wilderness, then surely the Seven Lakes Basin, source of the famed Middle Fork of the Rogue River that flows some 150 miles west to the sea, is such a haven Accompanying me into the mile-high plateau early this sum mer was my 10-year-old son, Dale, who carried a 20-pound pack effortlessly along the gentle slopes leading into the high lakes. The trail inlo the basin begins about six miles w e s t of the Sevenmile Guard Station, near Fort Klamath. It leads through a grove of tall timber at an eleva tion of 5.400 feet and ascends about 700 feet before skirting the eastern shore of Grass Iake some seven miles farther on. Al though uphill most of the way. the ascent is so gradual that one barely realizes tie is climbing. Outdoorsmen seeking to explore the basin this year should do so within the next few weeks, while the days remain balmy and the evenings are not too nippy. As special equipment, rain gear and shoe pacs are suggested, and lor those expecting to tempt trout from the streams flowing inlo the Middle Fork of the Rogue hip boots are a necessity. For those whose forte is stream or dry fly fishing, the outlet from Grass Lake provides an excel lent source of trout, providing the angler is willing to vary his bait from worms to dry flics but that comes later in the story. Anglers intending tn test their skills at any of the seven lakes, including Grass, North, middle. Cliff, South, Alta or Ivern should bring a rubber boat with them or be prepared to construct a raft. Those fishing from far out in the lake have considerably more success than others angling closer to shore. To arrive at the start of Die trail drive north from Klamath Falls to the Fort Klamath Hotel, Fort Klamath. Then turn left and proceed about five miles to the Sevenmile Guard Station. Continue about one-eighth miles past the guard station and' turn right at the junction. This road leads to the start of the trail, which takes off where Sevenmile Creek intersects the end of the road. ' . The trail begins to climb al most immediately but a short dis tance from the road it descends into what earlier this summer had been a sump. U.S. Forest Service crews have since im proved that part of the trail en abling sojourners to proceed along its course with dry feel. For the first several miles the trail meanders along gently roll ing slopes before dropping into (Continued on Page 2) na -gv . . . ERIE FOG ENCLOSES MIDDli' LAKE An unusual early morning fog obscures the s!ef slopes and cliffs that rise from near the shoreline of Middle Lake, ont of the mora f productive fishing waters in the Seven Lakes Basin. H outlet drains into Grass Lake, one mile to the northeast. Feature $ral& anb!tftr Feature KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON'. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER , 1961 W'- ' ' 'Mm , WW " 'r'Mlfi MISTY VEIL DRAPES LAKE IN GRAY A thick mist as cends slowly as morning breaks sullenly in this view of Middle Lake, one of the largest mountain lakes in the mm ' ; -;- y-y EASY TRAIL FOR BURDENED CAMPER A wide clear ing through an entanglement of brush and timber make! hikinq easier for a burdened camper on his seven-mil trok into the Seven Lakes Basin, Later this summer, trail maintenance crews of the Winema National Forest re duced the grade on certain parts of the trail, making it still easier for campers to negotiate the trip starting from near the Seven Mil Guard Station, Rogue River National Forest. Well maintained trails and nearly level terrain are inducements to outdoorsmen pre ferring to travel on foot. XV-CX f- - iU i - ,-rrii 1.1 PRIMEVAL SETTING A youthful camper looks out upon Cliff Lake, on of the mor principal lakes in the Seven Lakes Basin, from the shoreline north of Devils Peak 11: 7,6001. Other prominent lakes include AHaGrats and Middle.
