Oregon Back Country Discovery Route 5 finished

[CowboyUp]

Howdy

Another route from OBCDR I finished, the this time route 5 .

 

[CowboyUp]

PRAYER OF THE WOODS
author unknown


I am the heat of your hearth on the cold

winter nights, the friendly shade screening you

from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing,

quenching your thirst as you journey on.


I am the beam that holds your house,

the board of your table, the bed on which you lie,

and the timber that builds your boat.


I am the handle of your hoe,

the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle,

and the shell of your coffin.


I am the bread of kindness

and the flower of beauty.


Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer:


HARM ME NOT.

 

[CowboyUp]

and more

 

[CowboyUp]

OK,this 3 pics and one more

 

[CowboyUp]

The last ones
Thanks

 

[landroamer]

tell us more of this trail

 

[CowboyUp]

Howdy


Few years ago this OBCDRoutes ( are 4 ) where official routes, but now are not anymore and only ( from what I know) "Oregon Off-Highway Vehicle Association" are still sealing maps for this routes, Oregon Off-Highway Vehicle Association.
However, I strong recommend this maps to be use in colaboration with local forest service& blm maps and other maps that can be found. Navigation on this trails are very hard sometime and many are closed temporary or definitely.

OBCDR 5 start, or I start from Wala Wala Washinghton to Lake Gosse in Northwest California.
This route are crossing on of the most isolate parts of Oregon and only or most of the time the hunting season is the reason for some of this parts of Oregon to be visited by outsiders.
What is nice about this route that is not a day of driving like other and the nature and clime is always changing and not monotone at all, if I can use this word monotone in a trip like this.
A trip like this is something that cant be done 100% the same next year.Every time is a special trip and everything is in a continues change.

 

[landroamer]

Thanks for the info, we get over that way a couple times a year, I will have to check this out, might be a nice run sometime.

 

[CowboyUp]

You are welcome and definitely take a look at this option.
You will have a great run.
You guys have something like that in Montana?

 

[LCDiesel60]

Cowboy--thanks for posting--enjoyed your photos from your trip last year--wish I had some time for this type of get-a-way during the nicer time of year.....

When you mentioned closed roads: how can you know ahead of time if closed or not?
I'm in Oregon and not aware of any 'current' forest service or BLM notice system....

Then, when you find a closed road--what are your options..are they closed due to trash dumping, wash-out, or ?

Are most of the routes forest service/BLM roads, private or ?

Thanks again!!
LCDiesel60

 

[CowboyUp]

Cowboy--thanks for posting--enjoyed your photos from your trip last year--wish I had some time for this type of get-a-way during the nicer time of year.....

When you mentioned closed roads: how can you know ahead of time if closed or not?
I'm in Oregon and not aware of any 'current' forest service or BLM notice system....

Then, when you find a closed road--what are your options..are they closed due to trash dumping, wash-out, or ?

Are most of the routes forest service/BLM roads, private or ?

Thanks again!!
LCDiesel60

You are welcome!
I was lucky with my new boss and I got 5 days off...., maybe one day you will be too.
Some of the roads you can know ahead if are open by checking the forest service website for each distrinct where you want to go ( usually, they have notice for the main rd access, trail head access or other touristic access ). Other place where you can check the rd ahead is with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, when is a hunting season they are working close with NFS and BLM in creating a Cooperative Travel Management Area. Also, before to drive in a CTMArea you will see a bulletin billboard at the main rd with all the info necessary and maps.
However, in despite to all this info some of the OBCDR routes are on primitive rd, unmaintained rd, fire line and the only way to find if are open is to call the ranger, talk with locals or just drive until the rd is ending
Most of the reason for having a close rd in special on CTRMA is to protect soil and wildlife habitat, maintain adequate buck & bull escapment, promote guality hunting... Other reason, I believe are the money. Many rd where opened just for some work project in the past or fire line and it's to expensive to maintain them with out bringing in any profit from keeping them maintain or funds to coming in for them. More reason are like you said, trash, washout, vandalism unsafe for use on the snow season, unsafe to use any time, wilderness area, improve water quality.....
Mt. Hood National Forest- Alerts & Notices

And when you find a closed rd and the only option is finding a rd that will bypass that area and get you on the rd that is at jct with the rd that is closed. And here are coming handy that extra map/s that you have beside OBCR official maps.

Most of the OBCDR (5) are on national forest and some are crossing some private land too.

You are welcome

 

[derelict]

This is on my list of things to do now. Looks fantastic. Any must have items/ gear for the trip?

 

[CowboyUp]

Howdy

Check OBCDR3 too if you like water.Are few very nice waterfalls, lakes and rivers on this journey
Jerry Can and Air filter is a must, my cruiser filter got replaced after 700 miles of drive because of the dust and other plants particles.
Another tool that is a must too if you like to cook or have a hot tee is a propane stove, camp fire is impossible to do outside the forest service camp site ( if it's allow to have a camp fire there too) when is very dry. Actually when is the fire sezon up to extreme any open fire is illegal to have.
Anything else, be prepare for self support, get in the truck, drive and don't worry about nothing else

 

[NorCalBorn]

The last ones
Thanks

1st Shot in that post, Summer Lake, almost all dried up as seen from Woodward Reservoir?? Always wanted to figure out what the hell those green circles were all about since they stretch all the way up through Christmas Valley, just never made it back that way as an adult and there's nothing about them online.

 

[CowboyUp]

1st Shot in that post, Summer Lake, almost all dried up as seen from Woodward Reservoir?? Always wanted to figure out what the **** those green circles were all about since they stretch all the way up through Christmas Valley, just never made it back that way as an adult and there's nothing about them online.

I saw them too and are funny in one way because are take you to the movies with aliens or that pictures with crops marked by the aliens .
I believe the crops are done like that by the farmers maybe for irrigation reasons. I drove down to the valley and from the rd it's not possible to see this crops easy or at all.
Time to check with the locals about this

Note : Just came in my mind a picture/s that I saw in the past with crops like that somewhere in Oregon, maybe is the Christmas Valley .
Now I am getting curios too

 

[fj404life]

Great pics...I live near just to the NW of Christmas Valley. The reason for the circles is irrigation. They all use center pivot sprinklers. Like this...

The rotate around a fixed point in the middle of the circle.

 

[LCDiesel60]

Cowboy--great updates and thanks for the feedback and answers!
Time off..? The 'boss' is me--but, clients need to be taken care of and in this economy I've decided to work while I have it...then hopefully a break will come when the weather is the right time of year for a trip like this.

?--did you say you did the whole trip in 5 days?..I thought it would have been longer..
Thanks for the forester service link--didn't realize they had that much information online now.

If you have more photos--we would enjoy your posting them...those parts of Oregon don't get much publicity and are great to see.
Take care,
LCDiesel60
Oregon

 

[CowboyUp]

Great pics...I live near just to the NW of Christmas Valley. The reason for the circles is irrigation. They all use center pivot sprinklers. Like this...

The rotate around a fixed point in the middle of the circle.

Thanks for the info.
I saw that type the irrigation used not just here in state and is very reliable and efficient. .
Now the mystery is unfolded

 

[CowboyUp]

Cowboy--great updates and thanks for the feedback and answers!
Time off..? The 'boss' is me--but, clients need to be taken care of and in this economy I've decided to work while I have it...then hopefully a break will come when the weather is the right time of year for a trip like this.

?--did you say you did the whole trip in 5 days?..I thought it would have been longer..
Thanks for the forester service link--didn't realize they had that much information online now.

If you have more photos--we would enjoy your posting them...those parts of Oregon don't get much publicity and are great to see.
Take care,
LCDiesel60
Oregon

You are welcome!
The trip was 9 days and over 1280 miles.
Work and free time is a delicate balance, in special when the nature mother not waiting after us and every year she is taking back her land from us, and the weather is getting harsher and harsher.
Mt Hood NFS are little beet back with the info about their rd/s.But, I am still happy with what they are posting.
Two, weeks ago, I had been on Oregon Trail and the west side bridge, 1 mile from HWY 35 was closed because of collapsing and nothing was posted on their website about this when I looked on next day.
I have lots of pictures and I still need to work on getting them in order and publish some.

Glad to help

 

[CowboyUp]

Crack in The Ground pics and Fremont view point