Trip to Pendelton 4-18-09

So this is one from the "archives" until I can get out and actually do something.

The weekend of Aril 18th, I decided to make a trip to my Mom's house in Pendleton. Most times I go out there we try to do some sort of trip...
After getting off at 4pm, I departed directly from work and headed for I-205 and eventually I-84 east. I had my scanner going, as usual, and could hear there were several trains active in the gorge. I decided to aim for an eastbound UP trash train headed for Arlington. After pacing the train between Troutdale and the Corbet exit, I decided to get a real shot of it. I chose to stop at Benson Lake. I was able to get a quick grab of the train passing Mist Falls, the second tallest waterfall in Oregon behind nearby Multnomah Falls.



The rest of my trip was uneventful, though I saw a loaded BNSF coal train heading downriver lead by some beautifully clean units into the setting sun near Wishram that I wish I'd chased after...

The next morning, our goal was to explore the valley northwest of Battle Mountain. First off, we headed for Yellow Jacket road, which went pretty much due south out of Pilot Rock. While browsing maps the night before, I determined we'd probably be able to take Yellow Jacket south and pop out near the Battle Mountain summit.



Unfortunately, the roads I thought would go through were privately owned. Once we were up there however, we could tell from the maps that we could follow Yellow Jacket further south to come out near Albee. Too bad for us, once we hit 4700 feet, the road was covered with snow.



While the snow was passable, I was concerned it might get worse, and also nobody knew we'd be going down south. AFter nearly spending the night in the woods once before after getting stuck in the snow, I made the decision to turn around. We also spotted an old cabin near our turn-around point.



We headed all the way back down to 395 and headed south to Gurdane road. Right at the turn off we saw a promising sign.



The road climbed up and down, dropping into valleys before climbing back out of them and following different ridges. Eventually we came to an old homestead down in one of the valleys.



There was also this old grave near the homestead



We continued along the road, passing one crew of ranch hands mending some fence. Other than that, we were out there by ourselves. As we dropped into yet another valley, we spotted and old house just west of the road.



We found another old house a short distance later and decided to stop and stretch our legs. This picture for me exemplifies what backroading is about.



While stopped there, we noticed a ring around the sun. I've been told this is caused by ice crystals high in the atmosphere.



While passing a few old trees, something in the tree caught my eye. Sure enough, there was an owl there. With a little inspection we thought we could make out a few more as well.



We continued north of highway 74 and stayed on one persons land the whole time. A good twenty-five miles of driving. There were several old houses along this section including this one with some old cars in the background.



The next morning, my brother and I did some mending on my roof rack. He hasn't done much of any welding but he did alright on this particular day.



On the way back home, I stopped near Arlington to try an angle I had been considering involving a wind turbine. I like the result.



And finally, a map of our route on Saturday. This doesn't include the Yellow Jacket road portion.



I enjoyed the trip (of course) and it has me itching to go back to Yellow Jacket road and explore it and some of the roads that split off of it.
-Ryan

Salmonberry Canyon 5-25-09

Greetings all!
Looking at the forecast for Memorial Day, I decided I NEEDED to do something. While browsing online, I found a geocache located deep in the Salmonberry Canyon along the Port of Tillamook Bay railway line. I called up dad and plans were made.
Monday morning, we met at Somerset West park in Aloha just off hwy 26. The decision was made to take my Jeep with the thought that if we came upon any problems, I was more prepared for pretty much anything.
The first leg of our trip took us out the Sunset highway into the coast range. We headed south near the Washington County/Tillamook County line. Almost immediatly we were running along ridgelines over massive valleys and canyons you have NO CLUE are just a few miles from the highway as you zip by.


(panorama created using AutoStitch)

We eventually came to Beaver Slide road, which I'd been advised was a fairly rough road. Turns out there's a good reason it's called Beaver Slide. The road was so steep that I put my Jeep into 4low (low range gearing) to use the engine to crawl down the hill instead of riding the brakes the whole way down. We did the math coming up and in two and a half miles (though the hilly part is probably only a mile and a half) the road drops down 1400 feet to the river.




(panorama created using AutoStitch)

When we reached the bottom, the road had dropped down over a ridge and suddenly we were between the tracks and the river. After gathering our gear (mostly water) we headed briefly downstream to check out a washout.



I've seen broken rails before, but never sheared like this...



After checking out the washout, we started upriver (kinda east northeast (though the RR calls it south, because its toward Sacramento, where all Southern Pacific lines went to)) Immediately we came to the first tunnel, Tunnel 806.2 (based on the milepost, also means 806.2 miles to Sacramento via rail)



And a shot from Dad of me walking in


Photo by Jack Mishler, published with permission

And one of dad approaching the other end, he walks so fast!



Once we came out of the tunnel, we were instantly in the middle of a large slide that covered the tracks. There was dirt, rocks and LOTS of trees covering the track up to 10 feet deep for at least 200 yards. When we got to the other end, we saw that instead of going over the tracks, the slide simply had pushed them out of the way, as can be seen by this sharp turn in the tracks that would've sent any train straight into the river.



The tracks continue through the canyon, crossing three trestles in rather quick succesion as the river zigs and zags back and forth. Here I was trying not to look between the ties to the river down below.



A ways further, we came to Kinney Creek. There was smaller trestle that went over Kinney Creek until December '07, when a number of large trees had come down the stream and piled against the bridge. With nowhere to go, the stream carved out the bank on the left side of the trestle, creating a large gap of dangling tracks.


(panorama created using AutoStitch)

To make things worse, the Salmonberry collides almost directly head on with the stream here so it contributed to the erosion further downstream, making this one of the larger washouts along the Salmonberry, as seen in this picture by Dad.


Photo by Jack Mishler, published with permission

Fortunately, some hikers, eager to explore the damaged line, had created a path down into the streambed and up the other side, though if there'd been much more water in the stream it wouldn't have been nearly as easy to cross it.



Just after that trestle is another tunnel, 805.7, the east/south end of the tunnel had been slightly blown out up top by water and what appeared to be a fallen tree above.



Up to Kinney Creek, the trail had been kept clear by dirt bikers who'd been eager to explore the damaged RR line. They weren't able to get past the washout though so once we got past there, there were lots of trees down over the tracks, which slowed our pace considerably as we had to weave our way through, over and under the down tree. Here is Dad hopping over one such blockage.



We passed another small washout in a location where we could see clearly up to the rim of the canyon, WAY up there



Yet another slide, this one had a small gully above it that flushed lots of water and mud down onto a small hillside which collapsed onto the tracks just past where a long line of large boulders had been placed, presumably to block slides from coming onto the tracks.



Two more smaller slides crossed the tracks between there and our destination, both of which had small streams now crossing the tracks instead of going under like they had. Both these streams created small waterfalls as the dropped over one rail or the other.





Finally we reached our destination and sat and just enjoyed the perfect day. The temp couldn't have been any better and there was just a light breeze.



After I found the geocache down by the river (hidden by one of the original Geocachers, one of those who started the sport and a real legend among nerds like myself) I climbed back up to the grade and noticed a small waterfall on the hillside above the tracks.



Appearantly the tracks had been open to motorcycle riders for some time before the closure and there were several spots along the tracks where small ramps had been built to allow riders to ride in and out from between the tracks. here dad passes one of them.



Just another picture illustrating how even the minor damage along the tracks was major when you add it all up.



Dad approaching Tunnel 805.7 from the east as we head back towards the car.


(panorama created using AutoStitch)

Dad climbing up out of the washout at Kinney Creek.



A shot from dad as I walk under a downed tree along the slide near the 806.2 tunnel


Photo by Jack Mishler, published with permission

As we pop out of the tunnel, my Jeep is back in sight, safe and sound at the end of a very lonely road next to even lonlier train tracks.



We went down next to the river for a few mintues before heading back and dad was able to get this nice shot of the river.


Photo by Jack Mishler, published with permission

As we headed back toward the highway, we came around the corner and got a fairly good look at Saddle Mountain, maybe that will be one of our next places to visit.



And the long stretch of traffic as we head back to the valley



We had of course seen a few pictures of the railroad line of some of the damage, like the famous washed out bridge at the mouth of the Salmonberry



But really seeing the extensive damage for yourself, seeing that it's not just a washout here and there but nearly constant. I read there are 159 major slides covering the tracks and something like forty washouts. But smaller slides, cutbanks, trees and other small issues surely must number in the thousands and as much as I hate to say it, because the POTB truely is one of the greatest rail lines around, it does actually make sense for them to embargo the line for the foreseable future.
On the brighter side, I had a fantastic time, we couldn't not have asked for a better day and I can't wait to get out and explore this area some more.

This will be the first of hopefully many posts. I don't have many trips coming up for at least a month so I'll probably dig up some trips I took over the winter and share them. Also watch for occasional posts about other random items.
-Ryan