Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

This is a forum for trip reports that pre-date the Portland Hikers forum, trail photos from pre-digital era, or any other discussions that focus on trail history.
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chameleon
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by chameleon » October 16th, 2011, 8:11 pm

Luch, I have a question you might have found an answer to. Where is Big Head Rock. I have a postcard (dating @ 1910) of a 30 ft tall pillar (that supposedly looked like a head from some angle. There is a very John Muirish man sitting near the base.

Lurch
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by Lurch » October 17th, 2011, 7:28 am

Interesting.. I don't recall any Big Head Rock in the gorge, although I've focused primarily on the Oregon side from Portland to the PCT. All my toys are at home so I can't do a whole lot of research for you.. Can you give a pic?

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chameleon
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by chameleon » October 19th, 2011, 9:07 am

Here it is. It was obviously a well-known landmark. Not only do I have this single postcard of it, that I found at an antique store, but its also included in a postcard fold-out folder I found on ebay of the Gorge. And it's actually Giant Head Rock, not Big Head Rock as I thought earlier.
giant head rock postcard.jpg
giant head rock postcard.jpg (162.53 KiB) Viewed 3843 times

Lurch
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by Lurch » October 19th, 2011, 11:44 am

It's in Washington.

The OWR&N is the "Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation" company line. Given the sun and other sources online it's fairly certain that it's in Washington facing south across the river. Given the relatively flat slopes on the other side I would guesstimate it to be somewhere along the face above the railroad around Biddle Butte.

Definitely something to try and find, although it wouldn't surprise me if it got destroyed.. They blew out a lot of unique landmarks on both sides of the gorge while constructing the highways and railroads :(

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chameleon
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by chameleon » October 19th, 2011, 11:58 am

Interesting. You're probably right in suspecting it was destroyed. That seems to be the sad case with so many landmarks - especially ones as fragile-looking as this. We're still lucky the dam corps of engineers didn't quarry Beacon Rock (the second largest monolith on the planet!).

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Chase
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by Chase » October 28th, 2012, 2:54 pm

Looks like Angel's Rest was called Fort Rock, though before that it was called Angel's Rest just to confuse us all.
IMG_0051.JPG
Angels Rest Fort Rock Angels Rest

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Chase
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by Chase » October 28th, 2012, 3:00 pm

Tumalt Creek was Tumalo?
tumalo.jpg
Tumalo

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mayhem
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by mayhem » October 29th, 2012, 11:02 am

chameleon wrote:Interesting. You're probably right in suspecting it was destroyed. That seems to be the sad case with so many landmarks - especially ones as fragile-looking as this. We're still lucky the dam corps of engineers didn't quarry Beacon Rock (the second largest monolith on the planet!).
Serious?
http://www.touropia.com/largest-monoliths-in-the-world/
Shoe Shine Boy Has Left The Building!

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kepPNW
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by kepPNW » October 29th, 2012, 12:11 pm

mayhem wrote:
chameleon wrote:Interesting. You're probably right in suspecting it was destroyed. That seems to be the sad case with so many landmarks - especially ones as fragile-looking as this. We're still lucky the dam corps of engineers didn't quarry Beacon Rock (the second largest monolith on the planet!).
Serious?
http://www.touropia.com/largest-monoliths-in-the-world/
It's a funky definition of monolith, but that's quoted all over the place. For example:

http://listosaur.com/travel/top-12-most ... tates.html

And even on that page, there are clearly others taller. (Like, on either side of Beacon Rock in that list! :))

Another example: http://www.wta.org/signpost/238
Karl
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Sore Feet
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Re: Oldschool Mystery Landmarks

Post by Sore Feet » October 31st, 2012, 2:44 pm

Perhaps there is a specific qualifier - like Beacon Rock is the 2nd largest basaltic monolith - that isn't commonly added as an after note. But more likely this is just another inaccurate claim made to bolster tourism at some point or another, or as a result of a significant lack of understanding of the scope of global geology, much the same way as the claim that Multnomah Falls is the 2nd / 4th tallest year round waterfall (both claims have been made at various times, depending on the source) in the United States is grossly incorrect.

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