{"id":40123,"date":"2022-08-11T08:10:47","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T14:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=40123"},"modified":"2022-10-01T20:37:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-02T02:37:50","slug":"brandy-peak-coast-range-king-mountain-cascade-range-oregon-9-2-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=40123","title":{"rendered":"Brandy Peak, Coast Range & King Mountain, Cascade Range, Oregon (9-2-21)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 28 of Lupe’s 3rd Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast!<\/em><\/p>\n

9:05 AM, SW Oregon, near Agnes –<\/em> Lupe stood on a bank overlooking the Rogue River.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rogue River<\/strong>. Photo looks NNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The river is beautiful, SPHP, but look at how smoky the air is getting now that we’ve left the coast!<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah, was afraid of this, Loop.\u00a0 Never, ever rains anymore!<\/em><\/p>\n

A woman came jogging along the winding paved road that passed for a highway in these parts.\u00a0 SPHP spoke to her.<\/p>\n

Hey, are you local<\/em>?\u00a0 She was.<\/p>\n

Can you tell us how to get to Grants Pass from here?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0 There’s a bridge around the next bend.\u00a0 Cross it and you’ll find a road to the R.\u00a0 Get on that road and just keep going!\u00a0 Don’t turn off it.<\/em><\/p>\n

SPHP thanked her, and Lupe was on her way.<\/p>\n

10:20 AM<\/em> – USFS Road No. 23 climbed up onto the steep upper slopes of a very long ridge, sometimes winding along right up on top.\u00a0 Paved, with occasional short gravel stretches, the road was exceptionally narrow, more of a one plus lane affair than two.\u00a0 SPHP drove slowly to prevent occasional oncoming traffic from making life too interesting.<\/p>\n

16 miles later, 0.5 mile E of Bear Camp Overlook, SPHP parked the RAV4 at a saddle where a couple of side roads left No. 23.<\/p>\n

Let’s have a look, Loop!\u00a0 This might be our turn.<\/em><\/p>\n

The side road going NE was signed as No. 2300-079.\u00a0 Going S, a better road was marked CBCH17, whatever that meant.\u00a0 A broken yellow gate stood open 100 feet from where this road left No. 23.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
By the CBCH17 sign.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Broken yellow gate at the start of CBCH17 (actually USFS Road No. 2308)<\/em>. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, is this the road you were looking for, SPHP?<\/em><\/p>\n

Not entirely sure, Loopster, but I think so.\u00a0 Let’s try it.\u00a0 Back to the RAV4!\u00a0 If this is the way to Brandy Peak<\/span><\/a> (5,298<\/span><\/strong> ft.)<\/strong><\/span>, 3.5 miles should get us to a trailhead.<\/em><\/p>\n

11:16 AM, 64\u00baF<\/em> – After winding first uphill, then down, CBCH17, which was actually USFS Road No. 2308, widened out where there were views on both sides of Bear Camp Ridge.\u00a0 A hill with a bald summit was visible 0.5 mile NW.\u00a0 To the SE, the terrain dropped away toward a mostly burnt forest.\u00a0 Smoke obscured details of more distant hills and ridges.<\/p>\n

No signage, but a dirt path climbed up onto a 10 foot high bank where Lupe found a wooden post.\u00a0 Maybe there had been a sign at one time?<\/p>\n

In any case, SPHP was now virtually certain that Lupe really was at the trailhead for Brandy Peak, and that the dirt path was Trail No. 1147.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Brandy Peak trailhead<\/strong> along USFS Road No. 2308. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Looking S from the trailhead.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Start of Trail No. 1147. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Trailhead and USFS Road No. 2308 from the post. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trail No. 1147 climbed at an easy to moderate pace as Loopster set out, going WSW along a ridge.\u00a0 Easy to follow, the trail looked seldom used, covered with sticks, small branches, and occasional deadfall.\u00a0 Sometimes Loop was right up on the ridgeline, but often the trail was a bit down the S slope.\u00a0 A couple of times switchbacks returned the Carolina Dog to the ridgeline again.<\/p>\n

The whole region was thickly forested, but early on Lupe did come to a view of the same hill along Brandy Peak’s N ridge that had been visible from the trailhead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Bear Camp Ridge Trail No. 1147.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
On a switchback.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
A glimpse of Brandy Peak’s N ridge<\/strong>. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trail eventually strayed farther from the ridgeline, again staying S.\u00a0 Lupe came to a flat region that went on for a little way before No. 1147 resumed its climb, this time more steeply than before.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
In the flat region.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The American Dingo passed 2 small cairns shortly before reaching the ridge again.\u00a0 Here, the trail divided.\u00a0 One route apparently followed the ridgeline the rest of the way up the mountain.\u00a0 Lupe took the other route, which climbed more gradually along the S slope.<\/p>\n

Before long, the trail broke out of the forest.\u00a0 Brandy Peak’s summit was soon visible less than 150 feet up an open slope.\u00a0 Lupe went right for it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Out of the trees, already high on the mountain. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Almost there! Photo looks NNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11:57 AM, 70\u00baF, Brandy Peak<\/span><\/a> (5,298 ft.)<\/span><\/strong><\/em> – Not a cloud in the sky, which was a lovely blue overhead, but a dirty gray brown toward all horizons, as Lupe stood atop the highest rock formations near the SW end of a 60 foot long, 15 foot wide, summit ridge running NE\/SW.\u00a0 The smoke wasn’t horrible, but definitely bad enough to mar the views.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Atop Brandy Peak<\/strong>, the Curry County, Oregon high point. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Brandy Peak true summit<\/strong>. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Congratulations, Loopster!\u00a0 You’ve reached the Curry County, Oregon high point!<\/em><\/p>\n

Brandy Peak was easy, SPHP.\u00a0 I like it!<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah, well, less than a mile to get here, and no significant obstacles made earning your chocolate coconut bar a cinch, didn’t it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Chocolate coconut bar?\u00a0 Bring it on, SPHP!<\/em><\/p>\n

The SE end of the summit ridge was rocky, the NE end densely covered with low bushes.\u00a0 Brandy Peak wasn’t as comfortable as it might have been.\u00a0 Lupe tried several spots, while SPHP examined a plaque attached to the side of the highest rock.\u00a0 A glass jar with a red lid and a rusty wire loosely wrapped around it rested below the plaque.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Relaxing on Brandy Peak<\/strong>. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Plaque, jar, and rusty wire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Huh.\u00a0 Thought there was supposed to be one of Richard Carey’s signature red cans containing a registry up here, Loop, but I don’t see one.\u00a0 Looks like there might be one in the jar, though.<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, sign me in, SPHP!<\/em><\/p>\n

Opening the jar, it did contain a registry, a small spiral notebook with a green cover that had been sliced in half.<\/p>\n

Wow!\u00a0 Look at this, Looper.\u00a0 There is a registry!<\/em><\/p>\n

Not all that amazing, SPHP.\u00a0 You were expecting one, weren’t you?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah, but I didn’t expect that you knew who put it here!\u00a0 Your friend Jobe Wymore placed it on 5-25-15.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jobe has been to all the county high points out W, SPHP.\u00a0 Every, single, one.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Richard Carey’s red can wasn’t the only thing missing on Brandy Peak.\u00a0 SPHP had read that there was a Squirrel survey benchmark up here, and had been excited about showing it to Lupe, but couldn’t find it.\u00a0 Maybe it was hidden among the bushes?\u00a0 In any case, no sense even mentioning it to the Carolina Dog only to disappoint her.<\/p>\n

No views to the E due to the forest, but to the extent permitted by the smoke, Lupe could see in all other directions.\u00a0 Brandy Peak was clearly higher than anything else in sight, but some of the other hills and ridges weren’t all that much lower.\u00a0 Sugarloaf Mountain<\/span><\/a> (5,034 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> stood out to the SSW.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the topo map<\/span><\/strong><\/a> actually did show a Squirrel Peak a little over 2 miles SW.\u00a0 However, SPHP didn’t realize it at the time, or Lupe would have been climbing it, too.\u00a0 A crying shame to have been so close to fabled Squirrel Peak and not have gone there!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sugarloaf Mountain<\/strong> (L), Squirrel Peak<\/strong> (R). Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Zoomed in on Sugarloaf Mountain<\/strong> (Center). Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Squirrel Peak<\/strong> (L). Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since Squirrel Peak wasn’t happening, Lupe had plenty of time to enjoy her traditional full summit hour on Brandy Peak.\u00a0 Relaxing most of the time, she also sniffed back and forth along the summit ridge multiple times from one end to the other.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
On the rocky SE end of the ridge<\/strong> where the true summit is. Sugarloaf Mountain<\/strong> (R). Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
At the bushy NE end. HP5137<\/span><\/strong> (far L). Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Taking it easy near the true summit<\/strong> (R). Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Exactly an hour after arriving, Lupe stood again on the true summit.\u00a0 A couple of photos and she was on her way back to the RAV4.\u00a0 This time she followed the ridgeline route back down to the little cairns.\u00a0 The rest of the return was identical.\u00a0 (1:39 PM, 71\u00baF)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Back on the true summit<\/strong>. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Final moments on Brandy Peak<\/strong>. Photo looks WNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brandy Peak wasn’t it for the day.\u00a0 SPHP drove back to USFS Road No. 23, and the long winding drive E along the ridge continued.\u00a0 Lupe reached the Rogue River again near Galice where No. 23 ended.\u00a0 From here No. 2400 went SE through Merlin to I-5 where SPHP turned N.<\/p>\n

4:16 PM, a gravel pit<\/em> –<\/p>\n

Huh.\u00a0 I don’t know, Loop.\u00a0 Pretty certain we were on track when we passed that pond a little way back, but this doesn’t seem right.\u00a0 Maybe I missed a turn?<\/em><\/p>\n

After leaving I-5 at Exit 76 near Wolf Creek, SPHP had followed a service road NE for 1.5 miles to a R (E) turn onto Speaker Road.\u00a0 4.1 miles of pavement led to a good gravel road that wound crazily and steeply SE past a bewildering series of side roads.<\/p>\n

Everything had been fine. \u00a0King Mountain<\/span><\/a><\/strong> (5,264 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> was supposed to be a gimmie.\u00a0 Just a drive up, and the turns had all matched up with the map.\u00a0 Until now.\u00a0 Instead of an expected fork in the road, which seemed overdue, Lupe was at a gravel pit.<\/p>\n

Well, how much farther is it to King Mountain, SPHP?\u00a0 Can we get there on paw from here?<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t think it’s all that much farther, Loopster.\u00a0 No more than 1.5 miles as the crow flies.\u00a0 Of course, actually somewhat more, if we follow the ridge around to it.\u00a0 On the other paw, we ought to be able to pick up the right road again before too long, once we can confirm our position.<\/em><\/p>\n

Let’s do that then, SPHP!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
At the gravel pit. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A jeep trail entered the gravel pit from a bank at the E end, but a better road continued NE past the pit.\u00a0 Hoping the better road might wind its way up King Mountain, although the initial direction seemed dubious, SPHP led the American Dingo that way.<\/p>\n

Went well, at first.\u00a0 The tree-lined road climbed steadily at an easy pace.\u00a0 Lupe occasionally enjoyed smoke-impaired glimpses of hills and ridges off to the NW.\u00a0 SPHP began to think a road shown on the map that went almost up to the ridgeline might be the one Lupe was on, but after going 0.5 mile, she came to a fork not shown on the map.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Heading up the mystery road. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
At the unexpected fork.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No matter!\u00a0 The R branch continuing uphill had to be the right choice, didn’t it?\u00a0 Lupe went that way.\u00a0 However, the road soon began to narrow, becoming less substantial before leveling out.\u00a0 The Carolina Dog went a bit further, but the road stayed flat.\u00a0 Hmm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
On the flat stretch. Photo looks ENE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hang on, Loop.\u00a0 This can’t be right.\u00a0 No telling where this road is going.\u00a0 We’re way over on the NW side of the mountain, which is the wrong side.\u00a0 The road we ought to be on must be on the other side of this ridge.<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t we need to be climbing then, SPHP?\u00a0 We’ll never even get up onto the ridge at this pace.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yup, guess we’re just going to have to go up and over it, Looper.<\/em><\/p>\n

Easier said than done.\u00a0 The bank along the SE side of the road was so steep that it wasn’t even possible to climb up into the forest.\u00a0 Lupe had to backtrack a little way before finding a spot SPHP was able to manage.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Heading up here. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even the mountainside above the bank was quite steep.\u00a0 Fortunately, Lupe came to no significant obstacles as she climbed through the forest.\u00a0 Blue sky seen between the trees made it look like the top of the ridge might be only 100 feet higher, but that proved to be an illusion.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A big rock is only an obstacle if you can’t easily go around it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Getting easier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Near the top.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Farther than it looked, but Lupe got there.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the top of the ridge was not forested, but broad and open.\u00a0 King Mountain’s summit, where 3 towers protruded above a densely forested hill, was in sight a mile SE.\u00a0 A lone tower stood off to the ESE.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
King Mountain summit<\/strong> (R). Photo looks SE with help from the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The map<\/strong><\/span><\/a> showed that the road Lupe was looking for shouldn’t be too far down the other side of the ridge.\u00a0 The plan had been to continue on over to it.\u00a0 However, Lupe had reached the ridgeline at a rocky spot where low, scratchy bushes grew near the rocks.\u00a0 These could be dealt with, but the slope going down to the road, which wasn’t even in sight yet, turned out to be thickly covered with tightly-packed bushes waist high on SPHP.<\/p>\n

To the NE, the ridge rose toward a high point.\u00a0 Some bushes that way, too, but not as many.<\/p>\n

Let’s go that way, SPHP!<\/em><\/p>\n

Did seem like the better choice.<\/p>\n

Staying on bare ground where possible, or utilizing openings among the bushes presenting the path of least resistance, Lupe wound her way up to a rocky crest at HP5033<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
HP5033<\/span><\/strong> (Center). Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Almost there. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
At HP5033<\/span><\/strong>. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Saint Paul Mountain<\/span><\/a> (4,280 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> (R). Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

HP5033<\/span><\/strong> really wasn’t much closer to King Mountain than where Loop had reached the ridgeline, but she was now in position to continue E down to the saddle leading to it.\u00a0 Coming to HP<\/strong>5033<\/strong><\/span> quickly proved to have been beneficial.\u00a0 Upon departure, Lupe discovered a trail neatly bordered by stones that got her past all remaining bushes into another stretch of forest.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
King Mountain<\/strong> (R) from HP5033<\/span><\/strong>. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
On the nifty stone-lined path. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Didn’t take long at all to reach the saddle, where a large dusty parking lot was bordered by boulders.\u00a0 Happily, the road Lupe had been trying to get to went right by it.\u00a0 There was also a sign.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Arriving at the saddle. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So, what does the sign say, SPHP?<\/em><\/p>\n

Says King Mountain Rock Garden<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, area of critical environmental concern.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rock garden!\u00a0 Rocks don’t grow, SPHP.\u00a0 You mean to tell me that humans think they can grow rocks?<\/em><\/p>\n

We can under laboratory conditions, Loop.\u00a0 I’m more than a little skeptical out here, myself.<\/em><\/p>\n

So, where is this Rock Garden?\u00a0 The only rocks I’m seeing are the boulders around the parking lot, but they don’t look like anything too special to me.\u00a0 Hate to say it, SPHP, but they look as cold stone dead as any other rock, and we’re supposed to believe that they’re growing?<\/em><\/p>\n

Actually, Loop, I think a rock garden is more like a collection of beautiful, exotic flowers and plants merely decorated with rocks.\u00a0 Everyone just sort of understands that the rocks aren’t alive, and that it’s the plants that do all the growing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, I get it now, SPHP.\u00a0 Like this lovely arrangement of scraggly bushes and dry grass around a central dusty parking lot.\u00a0 Simply superb!\u00a0 What exquisite landscaping skills on display!\u00a0 But I do wish the King Mountain Rock Garden managers were here, because I’ve got a secret gardening tip that might improve their results.<\/em><\/p>\n

You do?\u00a0 Like what, Looper?<\/em><\/p>\n

I know this is an odd concept, SPHP, but watering a garden can often work wonders.\u00a0 Might want to try it here next season!\u00a0 See this yellow grass?\u00a0 It’s dead, because it died of thirst.\u00a0 Some of these bushes appear about to kick an apparently empty bucket, too.\u00a0 The current managers can stop worrying about any critical environmental concerns, since they’ve already let everything die.\u00a0 Is it absolutely necessary to have the dry, dead husk of a withered, brown thumb to be made a manager here?<\/em><\/p>\n

Hmm.\u00a0 Hard to say.\u00a0 As the American Dingo left the rock garden parking lot to take the road the rest of the way up King Mountain, environmental concerns beyond dead grass glinted under nearly every tree and bush.<\/p>\n

Well, maybe they’ll catch on to your watering suggestion, Loopster.\u00a0 Looks like plenty of people who come here enjoy a liberal self-administered dose of liquid themselves.\u00a0 Beer drinkers.\u00a0 Lots of Lupe treasures laying around.<\/em><\/p>\n

Aren’t you going to collect them, SPHP?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, we will, Loop, but not until we’re on the way back.<\/em><\/p>\n

Heading E, the road climbed at a moderate pace, the grade diminishing once it curved S.\u00a0 Soon Lupe was approaching the lone tower.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Approaching the first tower. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dipping slightly after Lupe passed the first tower, the road then started uphill again, going past many smaller towers that hadn’t been visible from a distance.\u00a0 Wasn’t much of a climb.\u00a0 The road flattened out as the Carolina Dog reached a collection of towers and buildings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Going by the first tower.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
A group of towers passed near the top. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Entering the summit region<\/strong>. Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6:44 PM, 62\u00baF, King Mountain<\/span><\/a> (5,264 ft.)<\/span><\/strong><\/em> – The sun was low by the time Lupe reached a pancake flat summit region a good acre or two in size.\u00a0 Any former natural relief had been leveled to accommodate a bunch of towers, including the 3 big ones that had been seen from a distance, plus several good-sized buildings.\u00a0 The road ended making a loop around all the buildings.<\/p>\n

The N and E sides of the summit region were all heavily forested.\u00a0 Lupe should have enjoyed sweeping views to the S and W, but wildfire smoke was now uniformly bad in an otherwise cloudless sky.\u00a0 Reaching the S edge of the mountain, Lupe listened to a blower noisily exhausting air from a building, while gazing out at a dirty sea of smoke.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
By the buildings where the blower was operating.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The smoky view to the S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Searching for whatever passed for the true summit now, Lupe wandered W, finding the marginally highest ground in this direction.\u00a0 SPHP also discovered an “Onion 2” directional survey mark embedded in the SW corner of a concrete pad serving as part of a tower foundation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Out toward the W end at about the highest spot. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Looking SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The “Onion 2” reference mark.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taking a seat on the Onion 2 cement pad, SPHP shook the Carolina Dog’s paw, congratulating Lupe on a needlessly long, yet successful ascent of King Mountain.\u00a0 Once the second and final chocolate coconut bar of the day had been consumed, there really wasn’t much reason to stay.\u00a0 Nevertheless, Lupe lingered a little while, bathed in evening sunlight.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Relaxing on King Mountain<\/strong>. “Onion 2” (R).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shadows were long by the time Lupe trotted past the lone tower again.\u00a0 On the way down to the King Mountain Rock Garden, SPHP collected 57 Lupe treasures, stuffing them after compression into a plastic grocery sack at the end of a pole held over the shoulder like a hobo.<\/p>\n

Plenty more where those 57 came from, but the bag was full.\u00a0 Trudging past the rock garden, Lupe and SPHP stuck with the road, confident it would somehow lead back to the RAV4.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Approaching the lone tower again on the way back. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Downhill all the way!\u00a0 The road ahead was getting steeper, stretching endlessly down into an increasingly dim forest, when SPHP suddenly snapped out of a reverie.\u00a0 Nearly dark!<\/p>\n

How long have we been going, Loop?\u00a0 Seems like we ought to be there by now.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sorry, SPHP, I haven’t been paying any attention.\u00a0 You’re the one with the map, and this is just a road hike.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah.\u00a0 Maybe I ought to take a peek at it.\u00a0 Hang on.<\/em><\/p>\n

The map provided little comfort.\u00a0 Ought to have come to a fork by now.\u00a0 If it had somehow been missed, this road led down into a maze of others that never would lead to the RAV4.<\/p>\n

Hmm.\u00a0 Let’s go a little farther, Looper.\u00a0 If there’s no change, we better go back to make certain we didn’t miss a turn.<\/em><\/p>\n

Going farther didn’t help.\u00a0 Better turn around!\u00a0 Lupe regained hundreds of feet of elevation before finding a couple of fainter side roads.\u00a0 Taking the one that shot off to what would have been the R on the way down, Loopster explored it W through an inky blackness now broken only by the faint, flickering beam of the tiny flashlight.<\/p>\n

The side road lost elevation, too, but at a slower pace.\u00a0 It went on and on.\u00a0 When Lupe passed a spot where frogs were croaking, SPHP began to worry.\u00a0 Was Loop already way back down to the pond that had been passed in the RAV4 en route to the gravel pit?\u00a0 How was that possible?<\/p>\n

It wasn’t.\u00a0 Everything was fine.\u00a0 Suddenly there was a reflection off to the L, and there was the RAV4, all alone, patiently waiting.<\/p>\n

For a drive up, King Mountain was quite the adventure, SPHP!\u00a0 Can’t remember the last time I was so glad to see a gravel pit!<\/em>\u00a0 (8:53 PM, 52\u00baF)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Atop Brandy Peak<\/strong>, the Curry County, Oregon high point, Coast Range 9-2-21<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure\u00a0<\/span><\/a> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Brandy Peak GPS Track by Ryan Frome (8-7-20)<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose from Lupe’s Summer of 2021<\/span> Dingo Vacations to New Mexico, Wyoming & the West Coast Adventure Inde<\/strong><\/span>x<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/span><\/strong><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/span><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 28 of Lupe’s 3rd Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast! 9:05 AM, SW Oregon, near Agnes – Lupe stood on a bank overlooking the Rogue River. The river is beautiful, SPHP, but look at how smoky the air is getting now that we’ve left the coast! Yeah, was afraid of this, … Continue reading Brandy Peak, Coast Range & King Mountain, Cascade Range, Oregon (9-2-21)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1416],"tags":[105,1566,106,1515,1555,1569,26,1567,104,524],"class_list":["post-40123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1416","tag-american-dingo","tag-brandy-peak","tag-carolina-dog","tag-cascade-range","tag-coast-range","tag-curry-county-high-point","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-king-mountain","tag-lupe","tag-oregon"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_2654-scaled.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40123"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41331,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40123\/revisions\/41331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}