Upper Fanton Camp - June 3 - ? 2011

[hambone]

Hey I just found out I'm free next weekend and must get out before Eva's birthday (the big 7.0) and Maupin.
Snow level is rising, we should be able to get out there into some back country!
No kid this time. It will be nice to have a break, though Eva is a great camper. She's still a little kid and gets needy sometimes.

Let's go to Upper Fanton, I think it will be clear of snow. Near Squaw Mountain. Lots to do up there, Native American history etc. And a couple of abandoned trails I didn't want to explore alone. It's pretty close to town too.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=est ... 6&t=h&z=17

Went there last year and froze my ass off in Feb:
viewtopic.php?f=55&t=7842

Oh, and:
Clackamas County will rename Squaw Mountain and other landmarks
The Oregonian
June 12, 2007

Clackamas County plans to remove the word "squaw" from a fifth location, wiping a name often considered derogatory off the county map.

The latest proposal calls for Squaw Mountain Road east of Estacada to have a new name by the end of the year. The county commissioners earlier this year supported a proposal to replace the word "squaw" with "tumala" (tuh-MALL-lah) for Squaw Creek, Lakes, Meadow and Mountain in the Mount Hood National Forest. "Tumala," of Chinook Wawa origin, means tomorrow or after life.

The Oregon Geographic Names Board originally spelled the word "tamala" but now spells it "tumala" in an endeavor to more precisely match the way it is pronounced.

Six years ago, Oregon legislators called for removing the word from state geographical features. Since 2001, the Oregon Geographic Names Board has eliminated "squaw" from about 40 place names in Oregon, said board president Champ C. Vaughan, and has 140 more to go, including about 60 Squaw Creeks.

[Sluggo]

I'm in!!!

Would our camp spot be the little clearing next to the bend in the road?

[hambone]

Yep! "Little Clearing" is a very nice way of saying "industrial clearcut" but it's still a nice spot due to the recovering forest (and surrounding old growth) and great view. Been down in th' hole all winter, nice to climb out again.
Just across the ridge from Plaza Lake and Abbot country, by trail anyway.

Friday at 10:00 AM at the Estacada Ranger Station? Or just meet out there at the camp.

[Sluggo]

At the Ranger Station sounds good. The one along 224 (Ripplebrook Ranger Station) right?

I got a frisbee!

[Sluggo]

Couldn't be Ripplebrook. Too far off track. Which Ranger Station?

[Sluggo]

Screw it. I'll be adventurous and meet you at camp.

[hambone]

It's the Estacada Ranger Station, on the right (on 224) as you come into town. Big building with signs, ya can't miss it. Ripplebrook is no longer being used by the F.S.
Either way, but it would be fun to travel with ya. I'll post some directions once I figgur' it out.

[Sluggo]

How long we staying? Monday? Tuesday?

[hambone]

Good question! I should be able to stay until Monday, not sure about Monday night into Tuesday...howzabout you? I think you'll like it out there. Different from where we've camped before.

[hambone]

Directions here on this old Forest Service document:
http://www.trailadvocate.org/wp-content ... 09/505.pdf

Stay on 4614 all the way to the camp.

http://www.trailadvocate.org/?page_id=98

[Sluggo]

I may stay until Tuesday. Depends on how I feel. Monday at least.

[hambone]

The camp and alternate directions:
http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org ... _Trailhead
and
pix
http://www.omartentmaker.com/A70705/A7070500.html

[hambone]

Description of event: A friend and I were walking up the Fanton Trail and about 100 yards into it I saw what appeared to me as a Bigfoot impression right in the middle of the trail. There was no doubt as to what it was and as my friend caught up with me I asked him if he saw what I saw. There was no doubt in his mind of what he saw seeing either. The print was about 14-16 inches long but what impressed me was the width which was about 6-8 inches just below the toes.
We walked about a mile up and continued to see these prints, I was armed with a .45 automatic and my friend with a 9mm so we felt safe but continued slowly with no smells or incidents. After about a mile I noticed another set of prints only smaller come right into the trail this kind of made my friend and I a little more nervous, about 20 feet later a third set appreared. This set was a little smaller than the second but we were sure that it was a third. At this time we decided to turn back. We smelled nothing, heard nothing but felt as if there was a pressance that knew we were there.

Source: oregonbigfoot.com
record updated: 2004-08-01 00:00:00

[Sluggo]

Description of event: A friend and I were walking up the Fanton Trail and about 100 yards into it I saw what appeared to me as a Bigfoot impression right in the middle of the trail. There was no doubt as to what it was and as my friend caught up with me I asked him if he saw what I saw. There was no doubt in his mind of what he saw seeing either. The print was about 14-16 inches long but what impressed me was the width which was about 6-8 inches just below the toes.
We walked about a mile up and continued to see these prints, I was armed with a .45 automatic and my friend with a 9mm so we felt safe but continued slowly with no smells or incidents. After about a mile I noticed another set of prints only smaller come right into the trail this kind of made my friend and I a little more nervous, about 20 feet later a third set appreared. This set was a little smaller than the second but we were sure that it was a third. At this time we decided to turn back. We smelled nothing, heard nothing but felt as if there was a pressance that knew we were there.

Source: oregonbigfoot.com
record updated: 2004-08-01 00:00:00

I love Bigfoot lore. Watched 3 hours of Bigfoot programming last night pumping up a new National Geographic show called Finding Bigfoot.

[hambone]

My favorite:
"There was no doubt as to what it was" oh yeah.

You still gonna meet me at the camp?
It's pretty obvious; once you're on Squaw Mt. Road (or Tumala Road if they already renamed it) you just stay on it. It twists around thru houses and farms and plantation forest then starts climbing steeply. There are street signs.

Once in the MHNF - at the only confusing Y - stay right onto 4614. (4615 goes left and will take you elsewhere)

If, for whatever reason the camp is inaccessible then I will wait for you at an obvious place along the road. Gotta get ya a district map, that '67 map won't help much!

If anyone gets spontaneous then this is where we will be. Very close to Portland for one of our camps but a pretty wild area, especially once off the road.