Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
Webfoot
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by Webfoot » February 16th, 2016, 5:25 pm

BurnsideBob wrote:Say, I wonder who was first to explore Valhalla?? Miners??
What makes you believe that aboriginal peoples were not capable and adventurous enough to come across this area in the thousands of years they were here before the miners? :geek:

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BurnsideBob
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by BurnsideBob » February 16th, 2016, 9:48 pm

Webfoot wrote:
BurnsideBob wrote:Say, I wonder who was first to explore Valhalla?? Miners??
What makes you believe that aboriginal peoples were not capable and adventurous enough to come across this area in the thousands of years they were here before the miners? :geek:
Errr, they had more sense than gold crazed miners??

Webfoot, you are absolutely right.

I was hoping someone would say their grandpa talked about the narrow slot canyon when they were prospecting during the depression. But maybe someone from Warm Springs has a close connection, too.

Hmmmm. Think we should send in an archaeologist? Just so long as the group size is less than 12 and they are associated with an accredited scientific institution so they can wrangle the permit.
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adamschneider
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by adamschneider » February 16th, 2016, 10:43 pm

Webfoot wrote:What makes you believe that aboriginal peoples were not capable and adventurous enough to come across this area in the thousands of years they were here before the miners? :geek:
Who knows, though. It's entirely possible the pre-Columbian locals saw it from above or from the downstream end and thought, "hey, look, a steep canyon... but it looks like a pain in the ass to get in and out of, there's probably nothing useful in there, and we really need to spend our time collecting food and supplies for the upcoming winter."

greenjello85
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by greenjello85 » February 16th, 2016, 10:46 pm

I'm not 100% certain but I think this was the territory of the Santiam Band of the Molalla. As near as I can tell, the tribe was forced onto the Grand Rhonde reservation so the confederated tribes would be a good place to start if anyone was seriously researching it. The tribe signed a treaty around 1850 but only had around 50 members at that time largely due to diseases. The treaty was never actually approved by Congress and they were forced into a much less generous treaty around 1855 if I remember correctly. Not much info on them is available but I did a little research for a project a while back.
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Webfoot
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by Webfoot » February 17th, 2016, 6:15 am

adamschneider wrote:
Webfoot wrote:What makes you believe that aboriginal peoples were not capable and adventurous enough to come across this area in the thousands of years they were here before the miners? :geek:
Who knows, though. It's entirely possible the pre-Columbian locals saw it from above or from the downstream end and thought, "hey, look, a steep canyon... but it looks like a pain in the ass to get in and out of, there's probably nothing useful in there, and we really need to spend our time collecting food and supplies for the upcoming winter."
The vast majority of the history of man is lost to time, but what little we do know includes crazy adventures like island hopping across the south Pacific, a venture far harder and more risky than exploring a little slot canyon. I think our collective ancestors were more daring that we can readily imagine. This doesn't mean the first explorers necessarily survived the ordeal of course.

As I said before, unless it is something like the surface of the Moon or the Naica crystal cave I don't take seriously any claims of "first footsteps of man."

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BurnsideBob
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by BurnsideBob » February 17th, 2016, 8:35 am

adamschneider wrote: Who knows, though. It's entirely possible the pre-Columbian locals saw it from above or from the downstream end and thought, "hey, look, a steep canyon... but it looks like a pain in the ass to get in and out of, there's probably nothing useful in there, and we really need to spend our time collecting food and supplies for the upcoming winter."
Proximity and purpose. The energy required to reach Valhalla probably couldn't be replaced with food sourced along the way, but if there were other reasons for people to pass close by the odds would increase someone checked out Valhalla.

There are some notable huckleberry fields a couple miles south between Bear Point and Dinah-Mo Peak. And trading trails across the Cascades could bring people to the vicinity.

So I searched for 'Oregon Indian Trails' and didn't come up with much close to Valhalla. The closest major trail crossed at Santiam Pass. Another trail crossed near Hunt's Cove and The Table, mentioned here: http://www.oregonphotos.com/Phantom%20Trails.html

The 'Ridge Trail' in the Table Rock Wilderness, according to BLM's website, was an old trail used to travel between the Willamette Valley and Bagby Hotsprings on the Collawash--no mention of the trail continuing beyond the hot springs to the East side.
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miah66
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by miah66 » February 17th, 2016, 9:50 am

We know that many/most Native peoples that inhabited the United States perished of disease in the 100 years after European contact, even before Lewis & Clark came to the PacNW in 1804-06. Who knows how many trails, villages, etc were completely lost to time prior to the mass migration to Oregon in the 1840's and beyond. We know that trails disappear in only a matter of years or decades, let alone a century or so before large surveys of Forest Service tracts in the 1930's-60's.
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merelunacy
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by merelunacy » February 19th, 2016, 7:54 pm

I'm too busy planning for my next big hike to try and read this whole thread. I can't help but put my two cents in.
Image

People trampling an area in the big scheme of things isn't the end of the world; it'll heal. Use your common sense though, ie starting a forest fire is just plain stupid and all of us here can agree on that. The people who actually read this board are those people who care about nature.
forester wrote: If this gets a 30-minute special episode, so should Tim and Melinda. I would imagine they get to more difficult places than everyone on that trip combined.

Also...3 days to go 3.5 miles? Did they have to fight dragons? We must have misunderstood that part.
Thank you for thought and honestly it did cross my mind. Part of me wonders if I could talk them into going for Wallalute and the falls I named Ogin, so that I could explain the meaning of the rose. Although it would probably have to be a backpacking trip. What we decided to take OFG on was based on the concept that we didn't want people to fool themselves into believing it was easy. Needless to say I haven't seen anyone running out to see Lady Creek Falls and only one or two who went to Upper Three Corner Falls.

For the trek OFG went on with us, the crew were real troopers carrying supplies for one heavy ass camera with a very small group of three. Setting up the amazing footage we see is no easy task. Usually I only get about ten minutes at a falls and I'm lucky if I get one good shot. To say the least, their footage impressed me.

There is a lot to see out there and I'm glad OFG goes out there to remind people of that. Everyone is at a different level and the group who took on this adventure pushed their boundaries. It was special to me seeing people who were willing to do that; so the hype didn't bother me too much. Some of the things I do, I would hype up just as much... and well there are people out there who would look at me and think I was exaggerating it a bit.

At the end of the day we could focus on all the bad things that upset us, or we can choose to change that perspective. There are plenty of things to get angry about. Although the difference we make in the world is to choose not to be absorbed by it.

Maybe I've had too many psychology classes, but I tend to look inward as to what is pulling the strings and then bring them into the light of day. I have no shame in admitting when I'm wrong when the facts show a different tale. Without reason and logic we are all doomed to madness.

The poetry of these videos I think speaks true too many of us explorers and really, I think all of us are explorers in our own way. You don't have to go off the beaten path to find something beautiful inside yourself. The best medicine I ever have in life is finding serenity in nature.
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Splintercat
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by Splintercat » February 20th, 2016, 7:33 am

What a great post, Melinda! Thanks - made my day.

Tom :D

greenjello85
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Re: Valhalla: Amazing Geological Wonder Discovered in Oregon

Post by greenjello85 » February 20th, 2016, 12:04 pm

I watched this today. Very cool and I'm jealous of everyone that got to go down it. Thanks OFG

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