The (Angels & Devils) Rest of the Way - 28 March 2010

[CherokeeDriver]

Ho-ly... *falls on trekking pole* *dies*.

[Guy]

Wow! Thanks for posting those pics Tom!

[Splintercat]

Sure! But Don is the expert on the amazing history of this area -- and he can point to where these two camps were located... plus a bunch of old artifacts that he's documented in this area. This history is fading fast, so good for Don in tracking down the surviving bits!

Tom

[Splintercat]

BTW, it's easy to miss in that last photo that Robert bumped forward, but there's a log flume sweeping down from the upper left, under the trestle and into the pond. Now, wouldn't it be COOL to watch a few big logs come splashing in..?

[Don Nelsen]

BTW, it's easy to miss in that last photo that Robert bumped forward, but there's a log flume sweeping down from the upper left, under the trestle and into the pond. Now, wouldn't it be COOL to watch a few big logs come splashing in..?

Yep, good one Tom - and thanks so much for the input. The flume can still be found - I suppose I should put together a trek up there for the young ones!

For the record, I've tracked ~30 miles of old steam era logging RR grades up on Larch and I think I've got just about all of it covered. So much to do, so little time!!

Don

[Guy]

Yep, good one Tom - and thanks so much for the input. The flume can still be found - I suppose I should put together a trek up there for the young ones!

For the record, I've tracked ~30 miles of old steam era logging RR grades up on Larch and I think I've got just about all of it covered. So much to do, so little time!!

Don

Hey Don if we could persuade you to lead an historical trek up there some time that would be great!

[Don Nelsen]

Hey Don if we could persuade you to lead an historical trek up there some time that would be great!

I'd be happy to do that - it would involve a little bushwhacking but I could put together many different loop hikes along the old grades. As soon as the weather clears up again I'll post an invite.

dn

[raven]

Hooray!!

[Lurch]

A few more BV logging pictures I stumbled on, thought you guys might enjoy

[Don Nelsen]

Sure! But Don is the expert on the amazing history of this area -- and he can point to where these two camps were located... plus a bunch of old artifacts that he's documented in this area. This history is fading fast, so good for Don in tracking down the surviving bits!

Tom

The credit really goes to some other folks I know who have been a great help educating me in how to spot trestle footings, old grades, skid roads, etc. and also for showing me ancient maps of the old grades that were very helpful in finding what was left. Still more to do. One of the guys, Bus, went in there with me a few years ago and we found the firebox that was built under the New Palmer mill and even one of the original giant bandsaw blades used in the first Palmer Mill. It's still there, if you can find it! Since then, I've found a lot more interesting things.

BTW, "Jumbo" was the name the old loggers gave to the second steam engine they bought, about 1902. It well could have been named after Barnum's big elephant but it was so much bigger than their original one, the name is most descriptive. (The first, they named Peggy.)

When the weather improves, who wants to go check out a few things?

Here are a few things to see:

A primitive cabin hidden high on the mountain and built right in the middle of an old RR grade:



stacks of ancient cast iron rails likely made <1870 and bought second hand. discarded and unsalvageable when they started to disintegrate as the trains got heavier and heavier.



Here's the hearth from a substantial home probably burned in the 1902 or the 1910 fire:



Here's what a trestle looks like after a hundred years or so. Built out of untreated timbers, they simply have collapsed and disintegrated. This one is one of the better preserved!:



There is so much more!

-Don