| Bohemia Saddle Date - 1/13/2008 Length - 10 miles Location - South East of Cottage Grove, OR |
After weeks of rain and clouds the weather forecast finally
called for a sunny day so Michelle and I decided to head into
the mountains to do a little snowshoeing. Not wanting to put in
a long drive, I decided to head into the foothills of the
Cascades to the south east of Cottage Grove to explore the
area around Fairview Peak and Bohemia Mountain. This
region was involved in a miniature gold rush in the late
eighteen hundreds and enough of the precious metal was
taken out of the mountains to warrant the creation of a small
town high in the hills, tramlines, and miles of mines. The
Bohemia Mining District as it is called was bustling through the
depression, but it was increasingly apparent that not enough
gold was being extracted for fortunes to be made.
While local miners still toil away underground and pan their
claims on the rivers and creeks around Bohemia Mountain, the
area has largely returned to nature and is now one of the
more remote areas in Lane County. A lookout tower sits atop
Fairview Peak and a Ghost Town sits near the Musick Mine
adding to the allure of visiting Bohemia Saddle, a high pass at
the crest of an old wagon route called Hardscrabble Road. A
good deal of mystery surrounds this area today. Many of Lane
County’s alleged Sasquatch sightings come from the steep
and wild woods of the Bohemia Mining District and strange
stories abound. One of the best involves a motorcycle gang
from Eugene that had converted an abandoned mining cabin
into a “hideout” where they could hold meetings and party in
what they thought was complete solitude. A member of this
gang recalls being terrorized one night by a strange creature
that devastated the area around the cabin and left behind
huge footprints. Many campers and other outdoor enthusiasts
also report hearing strange noises, detecting foul odors, and
seeing bizarre things.
Whether or not this rugged terrain is home to mythical Big
Foot, ghosts from the mining days, or bored locals that like to
have fun with visitors, it is clear that it has a certain lure that
has continued to attract people for years. The rational part of
me can find many logical explanations for these stories and
tales, but a part of me wants to believe. I suppose it was this
sense of curiosity that led me to choose this place for our
Sunday hike.
called for a sunny day so Michelle and I decided to head into
the mountains to do a little snowshoeing. Not wanting to put in
a long drive, I decided to head into the foothills of the
Cascades to the south east of Cottage Grove to explore the
area around Fairview Peak and Bohemia Mountain. This
region was involved in a miniature gold rush in the late
eighteen hundreds and enough of the precious metal was
taken out of the mountains to warrant the creation of a small
town high in the hills, tramlines, and miles of mines. The
Bohemia Mining District as it is called was bustling through the
depression, but it was increasingly apparent that not enough
gold was being extracted for fortunes to be made.
While local miners still toil away underground and pan their
claims on the rivers and creeks around Bohemia Mountain, the
area has largely returned to nature and is now one of the
more remote areas in Lane County. A lookout tower sits atop
Fairview Peak and a Ghost Town sits near the Musick Mine
adding to the allure of visiting Bohemia Saddle, a high pass at
the crest of an old wagon route called Hardscrabble Road. A
good deal of mystery surrounds this area today. Many of Lane
County’s alleged Sasquatch sightings come from the steep
and wild woods of the Bohemia Mining District and strange
stories abound. One of the best involves a motorcycle gang
from Eugene that had converted an abandoned mining cabin
into a “hideout” where they could hold meetings and party in
what they thought was complete solitude. A member of this
gang recalls being terrorized one night by a strange creature
that devastated the area around the cabin and left behind
huge footprints. Many campers and other outdoor enthusiasts
also report hearing strange noises, detecting foul odors, and
seeing bizarre things.
Whether or not this rugged terrain is home to mythical Big
Foot, ghosts from the mining days, or bored locals that like to
have fun with visitors, it is clear that it has a certain lure that
has continued to attract people for years. The rational part of
me can find many logical explanations for these stories and
tales, but a part of me wants to believe. I suppose it was this
sense of curiosity that led me to choose this place for our
Sunday hike.
On the drive up Sharp’s Creek Road Michelle was pretty skeptical about
snowshoeing since not a single patch of the white stuff was visible and we were
within a few miles of our starting point. By the time we reached our turn at 1,500
feet a few piles of snow were seen on the edges of the edges of the road that
had now turned to dirt. After another mile of gently climbing we reached the
Mineral Spring Campsite in the Umpqua National Forest and the Hardscrabble
Road grew narrow and extremely steep. The rough road climbed rapidly and I
was barely able to pass by a few fallen trees. By 2,000 feet there was consistent
snow and shortly after it was impossible to continue up the incredibly steep dirt
track without risking getting hopelessly stuck or coming to a point where it would
be impossible to turn around. I found one of the few pullouts along the way and
we started our hike with snowshoes strapped to our packs.
We had parked 5 miles below Bohemia Saddle, the top of Hardscrabble Road,
and set that point as our day’s destination. The snow quickly grew deeper as we
hiked, but there were still tracks from an offroad vehicle that let us walk without
snowshoes. A few closed mine shafts were passed and while it was fun to walk
near them and listen to the spooky echoes of dropping water I had no interest in
exploring their damp depths. Within a mile or so of brisk walking we reached a
point where the last of the vehicle tracks stopped and we were forced to use our
snowshoes.
The road continued to climb steeply while slabbing away from the creek that was
now far below. The sun was out in full force now and it was warm enough to hike
in a thin top and a vest without gloves. Our dog Middie was really excited to be
out and even though the snow depth now exceeded two feet she plowed ahead
even when it didn’t support her weight and she sunk with each step. The frosted
summit of Bohemia Mountain loomed into view several times and the lookout
perched on Fairview Peak could be seen from time to time. Eventually the road
climbed high enough to traverse through some open spots that provided
impressive views of the wildly broken landscape that is the Cascade foothills. It
was surprisingly warm out and the snow was generally consolidated which made
for pretty easy walking. This was probably Middie's first time in snow and she was
taking everything in stride. Just when we thought she was tired out another burst
of energy would come from nowhere and she would be bounding around and
jumping up and over drifts like they weren't even there. Hiking with the dog was a
lot of fun, and while she doesn't bark, having her along probably reduced our
chances of seeing any wildlife. In fact, we only came across a few Elk and Deer
tracks on this walk, which surprised me al little.
snowshoeing since not a single patch of the white stuff was visible and we were
within a few miles of our starting point. By the time we reached our turn at 1,500
feet a few piles of snow were seen on the edges of the edges of the road that
had now turned to dirt. After another mile of gently climbing we reached the
Mineral Spring Campsite in the Umpqua National Forest and the Hardscrabble
Road grew narrow and extremely steep. The rough road climbed rapidly and I
was barely able to pass by a few fallen trees. By 2,000 feet there was consistent
snow and shortly after it was impossible to continue up the incredibly steep dirt
track without risking getting hopelessly stuck or coming to a point where it would
be impossible to turn around. I found one of the few pullouts along the way and
we started our hike with snowshoes strapped to our packs.
We had parked 5 miles below Bohemia Saddle, the top of Hardscrabble Road,
and set that point as our day’s destination. The snow quickly grew deeper as we
hiked, but there were still tracks from an offroad vehicle that let us walk without
snowshoes. A few closed mine shafts were passed and while it was fun to walk
near them and listen to the spooky echoes of dropping water I had no interest in
exploring their damp depths. Within a mile or so of brisk walking we reached a
point where the last of the vehicle tracks stopped and we were forced to use our
snowshoes.
The road continued to climb steeply while slabbing away from the creek that was
now far below. The sun was out in full force now and it was warm enough to hike
in a thin top and a vest without gloves. Our dog Middie was really excited to be
out and even though the snow depth now exceeded two feet she plowed ahead
even when it didn’t support her weight and she sunk with each step. The frosted
summit of Bohemia Mountain loomed into view several times and the lookout
perched on Fairview Peak could be seen from time to time. Eventually the road
climbed high enough to traverse through some open spots that provided
impressive views of the wildly broken landscape that is the Cascade foothills. It
was surprisingly warm out and the snow was generally consolidated which made
for pretty easy walking. This was probably Middie's first time in snow and she was
taking everything in stride. Just when we thought she was tired out another burst
of energy would come from nowhere and she would be bounding around and
jumping up and over drifts like they weren't even there. Hiking with the dog was a
lot of fun, and while she doesn't bark, having her along probably reduced our
chances of seeing any wildlife. In fact, we only came across a few Elk and Deer
tracks on this walk, which surprised me al little.