Guess the mileage contest - Madras/Hampton Butte June 2017
Jun 27, 2017 13:36:27 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, spiritstone, and 2 more like this
Post by Tommy on Jun 27, 2017 13:36:27 GMT -5
Trip report to Madras, OR - with guess the mileage game.
Winner will receive a modest prize of a small box with some Richardson's Ranch thunder egg halves. We didn't go to RR this trip but we collected them last year so it's still a thematic prize. Read the clues (photo captions) carefully and use Google Maps liberally for the best chance of winning. No further intentional clues will be given after this initial post.
The person who comes closest to the actual miles traveled without going over wins the prize. Three total guesses allowed - take them all at once or spread them out. Contest will end immediately if someone guesses the exact whole miles traveled (no decimal places) - or Saturday 7/1 at 8pm PDT.
Day one - we left our east bay (Pleasant Hill, CA) home on Tuesday afternoon and spent the first evening at my brother's beautiful house in Redding CA. We weren't quite ready for the 109 temperature but were thankful he had a nice pool for humans and dogs to cool off in.
Back on the road early the next day headed up towards central OR.
Mount Shasta viewed from the northern side outside of Weed.
Stopped off at the rockshop in Redmond - I did not get the name of the shop but they had some killer rocks and logs to admire.
Arrived at our destination for the next three nights - The Cove at Palisades State Park. Gorgeous scenery abounds - more photos coming below of the park from our hike on Saturday.
Thursday we took our first trip into Madras to visit the rock and gem show at the fairgrounds. We had a lot of fun and came up with some VERY beautiful materials for something fun that will be unveiled here on the board at some point in July.
Friday we took Google's 2nd suggested route and travelled to Van Lake Road and Hampton Butte area to dig for petrified wood. Gorgeous region - further cementing our desire to live up here some day.
Here are some flora and digga pictures from Hampton Butte for your enjoyment. Hard work digging in the dirt. There is a hard-pan about 18 inches down that is really hard to dig in so everywhere you look you see giant shallow pits with piles of dirt in the middle. Based on the apocalyptic digging patterns everywhere you see, the prevailing tendency seems to be dig down to the hard-pan and then go sideways to find wood. We didn't find much - what little I found I haven't cleaned up or cut yet. I'll add photos of the rocks after the contest is over if I've processed them by then.
After getting our fill of digging we next headed a little farther north and strolled around the Wegner canyon area. Didn't pick up much here - plenty of tiny scraps of limb casts on the surface but we were hot and hungry and done with digging.
More flora
As late afternoon turned towards evening we retraced out steps out to the highway then decided on a new route home that took us up and across a dam, then down one of the most beautiful valleys we've seen - alongside the Crooked River and into Prineville for dinner at our favorite bbq at Toni's.
Saturday we left our campsite on feet and paws and hiked the seven mile Tam-a-láu Loop trail up and around the peninisula. The views of the two rivers Deshutes and Crooked coming together to form the Lake Billy Chinook were just spectacular. Pictures don't do it justice. It was my longest hike since breaking my ankle in October and while painful it was very well worth it.
After our third and final trip into Madras to the rock and gem show, we headed south again but decided to change it up a bit. West to the volcanoes, we said hi to Mr Thielsen and Mr Bailey and turned south west on a route that had us gazing longingly at rafters navigating the wild and scenic Rogue river, we spent our final night at Emmigrant Lake in Ashland. We arrived at the lake in a humid 93 degree temperature which was quickly cooled as thunderstorms rolled in all around us. After the light shows were over we enjoyed what had to be the most spectacular sunset either of us has ever seen. It seemed to last forever and the colors defy description and photography.
Thanks for playing along - get your guesses in and good luck.
Winner will receive a modest prize of a small box with some Richardson's Ranch thunder egg halves. We didn't go to RR this trip but we collected them last year so it's still a thematic prize. Read the clues (photo captions) carefully and use Google Maps liberally for the best chance of winning. No further intentional clues will be given after this initial post.
The person who comes closest to the actual miles traveled without going over wins the prize. Three total guesses allowed - take them all at once or spread them out. Contest will end immediately if someone guesses the exact whole miles traveled (no decimal places) - or Saturday 7/1 at 8pm PDT.
Day one - we left our east bay (Pleasant Hill, CA) home on Tuesday afternoon and spent the first evening at my brother's beautiful house in Redding CA. We weren't quite ready for the 109 temperature but were thankful he had a nice pool for humans and dogs to cool off in.
Back on the road early the next day headed up towards central OR.
Mount Shasta viewed from the northern side outside of Weed.
Stopped off at the rockshop in Redmond - I did not get the name of the shop but they had some killer rocks and logs to admire.
Arrived at our destination for the next three nights - The Cove at Palisades State Park. Gorgeous scenery abounds - more photos coming below of the park from our hike on Saturday.
Thursday we took our first trip into Madras to visit the rock and gem show at the fairgrounds. We had a lot of fun and came up with some VERY beautiful materials for something fun that will be unveiled here on the board at some point in July.
Friday we took Google's 2nd suggested route and travelled to Van Lake Road and Hampton Butte area to dig for petrified wood. Gorgeous region - further cementing our desire to live up here some day.
Here are some flora and digga pictures from Hampton Butte for your enjoyment. Hard work digging in the dirt. There is a hard-pan about 18 inches down that is really hard to dig in so everywhere you look you see giant shallow pits with piles of dirt in the middle. Based on the apocalyptic digging patterns everywhere you see, the prevailing tendency seems to be dig down to the hard-pan and then go sideways to find wood. We didn't find much - what little I found I haven't cleaned up or cut yet. I'll add photos of the rocks after the contest is over if I've processed them by then.
After getting our fill of digging we next headed a little farther north and strolled around the Wegner canyon area. Didn't pick up much here - plenty of tiny scraps of limb casts on the surface but we were hot and hungry and done with digging.
More flora
As late afternoon turned towards evening we retraced out steps out to the highway then decided on a new route home that took us up and across a dam, then down one of the most beautiful valleys we've seen - alongside the Crooked River and into Prineville for dinner at our favorite bbq at Toni's.
Saturday we left our campsite on feet and paws and hiked the seven mile Tam-a-láu Loop trail up and around the peninisula. The views of the two rivers Deshutes and Crooked coming together to form the Lake Billy Chinook were just spectacular. Pictures don't do it justice. It was my longest hike since breaking my ankle in October and while painful it was very well worth it.
After our third and final trip into Madras to the rock and gem show, we headed south again but decided to change it up a bit. West to the volcanoes, we said hi to Mr Thielsen and Mr Bailey and turned south west on a route that had us gazing longingly at rafters navigating the wild and scenic Rogue river, we spent our final night at Emmigrant Lake in Ashland. We arrived at the lake in a humid 93 degree temperature which was quickly cooled as thunderstorms rolled in all around us. After the light shows were over we enjoyed what had to be the most spectacular sunset either of us has ever seen. It seemed to last forever and the colors defy description and photography.
Thanks for playing along - get your guesses in and good luck.
We're will be moving in a year or few and I'm already facing a major rock moving operation 
