"Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

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christabrews
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"Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by christabrews » July 30th, 2020, 7:20 pm

While looking at the Oregon gazetteer, I noticed two interesting things on the map. One is this "Oh Boy Forest Camp" on NF-6380. Earlier this year, I hiked the Elk Lake Creek trail and drove past, but did not see any signs or any evidence of a camp. Does anyone know the history?

Also, I saw there may have been a trail down to Round Lake from NF-6355. While camping and fishing at the lake last year, I did not see any trail back there, but I also wasn't looking for it. I'm assuming this was an old route down to the lake from the road up on the ridge, maybe before a road was constructed closer to the lake?
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justpeachy
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by justpeachy » July 30th, 2020, 8:04 pm

There are a lot of forest camps on old national forest maps, but interesting that you saw that on the gazetteer. Seems like the FS closes more campgrounds as time goes on instead of opening new ones!

I found this: https://www.trailadvocate.org/sf-forum/ ... -boy-camp/

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RobFromRedland
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by RobFromRedland » July 30th, 2020, 8:52 pm

I tried to find the posting, but was unable to. I believe the Oh Boy camp is still accessible. These are the notes I had from when I went down to it a few years ago:
On Forest Road 6380 (which is the approach to the Elk Lake Creek trailhead) there is a short trail which leads from the road down a steep slope to a terrace near the Collowash River. This trail is located about 1/2 mile downstream of the bridge crossing the river. The trail is not evident from the road except for the flagging that someone has hung on the trees. This 1/4 mile or so of trail appears to be a constructed trail, with a level tread dug out of the hillside and a constant grade down the hill and may be a remnant of a more significant trail, perhaps one that predated the construction of FR 6380. At the end of the trail there are the remains of a camp of some sort, including a storage box or cabinet made out of wood slats, and a table or work surface. Two walls of the storage box, fastened above ground to two trees, are still in pretty good shape, but the table is mostly rotted away.
I believe there is still flagging at the road junction. Here is a photo of what appears to be an old camp kitchen:

Image

It is starting to grow in with small trees but you can still see the camp area pretty well. It is an interesting place.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW! What a ride! - Hunter S. Thompson

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retired jerry
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by retired jerry » July 31st, 2020, 5:31 am

"Seems like the FS closes more campgrounds as time goes on instead of opening new ones!"

yeah, same with trails. And limiting use to areas requiring getting an online permit for the limited slots.

it's like they have this aversion to humans in the national forest

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christabrews
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by christabrews » July 31st, 2020, 8:06 am

Interesting, well next time I'm in that area, I will try to find the old campsite.

Also incorrect on the map is 6370 crossing ogre creek. Curious to see how impassible it is, I went down to the end from the west side once, and it wasn't just that the creek washed out the road, but someone actively dug up the road and piled up huge mounds of dirt for at least a quarter mile. Seems like too much effort, time, and resources to keep people from driving there. Were too many people try to drive across ogre creek, and getting stuck? Made no sense to me.

Aimless
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by Aimless » July 31st, 2020, 9:25 am

The FS has been trying to actively 'decommission' some old forest roads. Considering how many thousands of miles of forest roads have been built in Oregon alone, almost entirely to facilitate logging, I am rather sympathetic to the idea of giving some of them back to the forest. Just not the ones that lead to trailheads! :D

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Swede
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by Swede » July 31st, 2020, 9:30 am

Oh Boy forest camp and the short trail which leads to it from Road 6380 is a remnant of the original Elk Lake trail. That trail went from the ranger station at Elk Lake to connect with other trails farther down the Collawash valley. Much of this trail was destroyed by the construction of Roads 63 and 6380. The camp was an overnight stop for Forest Service workers as they traveled by trail before there were any roads. The current Elk Lake Creek trail #559 is the only remaining piece of the original trail. There are a couple of other very short segments remaining along Road 63 and 6380 but otherwise it's gone. I've searched for it but have found nothing more.

The trail from Road 6355 to Round Lake was part of a much longer trail which went from the Rhododendron Ridge trail down to Round Lake, then south and east, connecting again to the Rhododendron Ridge trail at Cachebox Meadow near the site of the present-day Hawk Mountain trailhead. Segments of this trail still exist in the old-growth stands but logging has destroyed or obscured other parts. What is known today as the Round Lake trail is just a trail around the lake, but the part of that trail on the east side of the lake is a segment of the original, much longer trail. There was a phone line from Rho Ridge down to the lake but it went no farther than that.

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1961 USGS quad

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drm
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by drm » August 31st, 2020, 5:33 pm

retired jerry wrote:
July 31st, 2020, 5:31 am
it's like they have this aversion to humans in the national forest
Or maybe they close camps they don't need because staff can now drive there quickly?

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retired jerry
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by retired jerry » September 1st, 2020, 6:20 am

Yeah

I have sympathy for the forest service and other agencies because people tend to trash things.

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bobcat
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Re: "Oh Boy Forest Camp" and also alternate Round Lake trail on map

Post by bobcat » November 17th, 2020, 2:34 pm

christabrews wrote:
July 30th, 2020, 7:20 pm
Also, I saw there may have been a trail down to Round Lake from NF-6355.
You can pick up this trail from the east end of Round Lake, where it's still obvious, but then it sort of disappears in clearcuts. It connected with the Rho Ridge Trail, which used to be the Skyline Trail, which used to be the Cub Creek Trail (created 1920) in this area.
christabrews wrote:
July 31st, 2020, 8:06 am
someone actively dug up the road and piled up huge mounds of dirt for at least a quarter mile.
Regular vehicles are not the problem. These elaborate measures are taken to deter ORVs, including motorcycles.

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