#Wasco Oregon

[dhyzenmedia]

Wasco, Oregon: A Frontier Town with Deep Roots

[unteriors]

Sandon Street, Wasco, Oregon.

[mundaily]

June 30, 2024 | 182/365

[travelella]

Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Wasco, Oregon, USA

Eric Muhr

[swittersb]

Morning sun on a Central Oregon cemetery...

Mt. Hood to the West.

[weather-pnw]

Weather: Pacific Northwest

Report generated at 2024-12-06 20:00:07.175413-08:00 using satellite imagery and alert data provided by the National Weather Service.

Winter Weather Advisory

WA:

Central Chelan County

Kittitas Valley

Lower Slopes of the Eastern Washington Cascades Crest

Moses Lake Area

Northeast Mountains

Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon

Northern Panhandle

Northwest Blue Mountains

Okanogan Highlands

Okanogan Valley

Spokane Area

Upper Columbia Basin

Upper Slopes of the Eastern Washington Cascades Crest

Waterville Plateau

Wenatchee Area

West Slopes South Central Cascades and Passes

Western Okanogan County

OR:

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon

Northwest Blue Mountains

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

ID:

Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains

Lower Hells Canyon/Salmon River Region

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

Northeast Mountains

Northern Clearwater Mountains

Northern Panhandle

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Orofino/Grangeville Region

Southern Clearwater Mountains

Winter Storm Warning

WA:

West Slopes North Cascades and Passes

West Slopes North Central Cascades and Passes

Western Chelan County

Flood Watch

WA:

Mason

Air Stagnation Advisory

WA:

Cascade Foothills of Marion and Linn Counties

Central Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Clackamas County Cascade Foothills

Cowlitz County Lowlands

East Central Willamette Valley

Inner Vancouver Metro

Lane County Cascade Foothills

Lower Columbia River

North Clark County Lowlands

North Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Outer Southeast Portland Metro

South Washington Cascade Foothills

Tualatin Valley

West Central Willamette Valley

Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands

OR:

Baker County

Benton County Lowlands

Boise Mountains

Camas Prairie

Cascade Foothills of Marion and Linn Counties

Central Douglas County

Central Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Central and Eastern Lake County

Clackamas County Cascade Foothills

Cowlitz County Lowlands

East Central Willamette Valley

Eastern Curry County and Josephine County

Harney County

Jackson County

Klamath Basin

Lane County Cascade Foothills

Lane County Lowlands

Linn County Lowlands

Lower Columbia River

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

North Clark County Lowlands

North Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Western Lake County

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Outer Southeast Portland Metro

South Washington Cascade Foothills

Tualatin Valley

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

West Central Mountains

West Central Willamette Valley

Western Magic Valley

Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands

ID:

Baker County

Boise Mountains

Camas Prairie

Harney County

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

West Central Mountains

Western Magic Valley

Freezing Fog Advisory

OR:

North Central Oregon

CA:

Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties

Northern Washoe County

NV:

Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties

Northern Washoe County

Wind Advisory

OR:

Grande Ronde Valley

CA:

Santa Susana Mountains

Dense Fog Advisory

OR:

Lower Treasure Valley

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

ID:

Bear Lake Valley

Lower Treasure Valley

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

CA:

Bakersfield

Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5

Caruthers - San Joaquin - Selma

Delano-Wasco-Shafter

Fresno-Clovis

Hanford - Corcoran - Lemoore

Los Banos - Dos Palos

Merced - Madera - Mendota

South End San Joaquin Valley

Southeast San Joaquin Valley

Visalia - Porterville - Reedley

West Side of Fresno and Kings Counties

Air Quality Alert

OR:

Lake

CA:

Calabasas and Agoura Hills

Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands

Eastern San Fernando Valley

Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Los Angeles County Beaches

Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

Malibu Coast

Palos Verdes Hills

Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Susana Mountains

Western San Fernando Valley

Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Fire Weather Watch

CA:

Calabasas and Agoura Hills

Central Ventura County Valleys

Eastern San Fernando Valley

Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Interstate 5 Corridor

Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

Malibu Coast

Northern Ventura County Mountains

Riverside County Mountains-Including The San Jacinto Ranger District Of The San Bernardino National Forest

San Bernardino County Mountains-Including The Mountain Top And Front Country Ranger Districts Of The San Bernardino National Forest

San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - The Inland Empire

San Diego County Inland Valleys

San Diego County Mountains-Including The Palomar And Descanso Ranger Districts of the Cleveland National Forest

San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

Santa Ana Mountains-Including The Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest

Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Susana Mountains

Southeastern Ventura County Valleys

Southern Ventura County Mountains

Ventura County Beaches

Ventura County Inland Coast

Western San Fernando Valley

Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor

Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

[fishrpg]

Coming This October On FishRPG...

Somewhat surprisingly, the dice have demanded that I revisit the western aesthetic after only a month. Though instead of a weird west, I'm going to be focusing on a more historical western without magic. And I'm also going to be switching things up and focusing on fleshing out pieces of a singular fictional settlement instead of doing a broader area of larger areas. After much consultation with the dice, let me introduce you to

The Town of Bowman

Bowman is a frontier town in southern Oregon, right on the border with California. It was founded in 1852 back when the area was still the Oregon Territory. It was founded as hub for emigrants who were leaving Oregon and flocking to the Applegate Trail during the California Gold Rush.

Geographically, the town is on the Klamath River, just southwest of where Altamont would be located a few years later. The town would eventually fail and its population would relocate to Altamont and Klamath Falls, though this didn't happen until the turn of the 20th century. For setting purposes, the version of Bowman I'm looking at is how it would have looked during 1872-1873. During this specific time frame, Bowman is located in Wasco county, though that specific area will be reassigned as Lake County in 1874 and eventually turn into Klamath County in 1882.

Bowman's economy is at an inflection point during this period; its primary industry has been harvesting timber from ponderosa pines, but the clear cut areas have now given way to a thriving cattle ranching community. Exceptionally harsh winters in 1879 and 1889 would eventually destroy cattle operations, hastening the town's decline.

Rail activity in the area predates the Transcontinental Railroad. Currently the town is served by a branch line that connects to the larger Oregon and California (O&C) Railroad. The branch line runs east-west, bisecting the town.

To the north of Bowman is the Klamath Indian Reservation, established in 1864. The Reservation is home to three tribes: Klamath, Modoc, and the Yahooskin Band of Northern Paiute Indians. Unfortunately, the town's location puts it the crossfire of a conflict known as the Modoc War that is currently ongoing.

------------

Header image taken from the Oregon Encyclopedia, and depicts George Nurse's home in Linkville, which would eventually become Klamath Falls.

[cheaprv]

Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Wasco, Oregon. Photo by Eric Muhr @ericmuhr

[de-temple]

OSP ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S HELP TO LOCATE WANTED MAN

Suspect wanted for sex crimes in Oregon and Alabama

WASCO COUNTY, Ore. 9 Sept. 2024 – Oregon State Police and the Mobile (Alabama) Police Department are seeking the public’s help to locate Adam Renk (39) who is wanted in both states for sex crimes against child victims.

On June 21, 2024, OSP detectives responded to a sexual abuse disclosure made by a child. The child disclosed Renk as the perpetrator. Renk has since been indicted on multiple crimes against a child victim under the age of 12. He is charged with Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree, Sodomy in the First Degree, and Sexual Abuse in the First Degree.

As part of their investigation, OSP detectives learned Renk had been charged in another case involving a minor victim in Mobile, Alabama. The Alabama charges include Child Sexual Abuse and Torture involving an 11-year-old victim. The victims in the two states are not related. Alabama law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Marshals Service are attempting to locate Renk who posted bond in Alabama and was released from pre-trial custody.

Renk was last seen leaving Alabama on August 7, 2024. He has ties to Oregon and Wasco County. He is believed to be traveling in a converted Ford Ambulance that is now painted two-toned white over gray. Renk is a white male, 6 ft. 1 in. tall, 175 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.

Anyone with information about Renk’s whereabouts or information about possible additional victims is asked to contact the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office at 541-506-2580 or OSP Detective Cassie Bantz through dispatch at 800-442-0776 or by dialing *OSP (*677) on a mobile phone.

[nativescientist]

POSTCARDS AS COMMUNIQUES When Indigenous history gets overlooked, ignored

[The Wasco and Wishram lived along what is now called Hood River in Oregon, and lost their territory to settlers in the 1800s. Edward S. Curtis captured an image of a Wishram girl in 1909. Photo from the Library of Congress, in the Public Domain.] A Postcard Tradition Picture postcards in the US have long presented an affordable way to share beach vacations with relatives, and offer a quick…

[backyardchickennews]

Is There An Oregon Wasco County Fair Poultry Show? Ready to Experience the Excitement of the Wasco County Fair Poultry Show? Ready to Experience the Excitement of the Wasco County Fair Poultry Show? Ready to Experience the Excitement of the Wasco County Fair Poultry Show Schedule? If you're wondering what to expect at the Oregon Wasco County Fair and Rodeo, you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find information about the fair's schedule and attractions, as well as directions and parking information. https://backyardchickennews.com/is-there-an-oregon-wasco-county-fair-poultry-show/?feed_id=3709&_unique_id=65c6148d9962d

[f0xd13-blog]

Here comes the gypsy pride pages

[travelella]

Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Wasco, Oregon, USA

Eric Muhr

[windwatch]

Wind turbine hub: oily dirt and missing nose cone

(image archive) Vestas 1.65-megawatt wind turbine, missing its nose cone, at Portland General Electric’s Biglow Canyon wind farm in Wasco County, Oregon, 2022 - Photographer: Dave Killen/The Oregonian https://www.wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=977

[theghostpinesmusic]

Three-Fingered Jack (2/3)

Because of (relatively) short distances and long days, this was the rare backpacking trip where I didn't need to set an alarm for morning. Instead, I woke up the same way I do on most alarm-less trail days: screaming while melting alive in my tent a half-hour or so after sunrise.

Fortunately, outside the tent the air was still cool, and, as is usually the case in the western high country, nearby shady patches dropped the temperature another twenty degrees or so. I set up to make breakfast in one such shady patch while watching the sun light up Three-Fingered Jack's craggy face.

I was on my way back down the scramble trail to the meadows shortly after waking up. My main worry before the trip had been navigating this trail going downhill with a pack on: I remembered there being a lot of loose scree on my 2021 descent, and I worried that the extra weight on my back this time would make it not just slippery, but legitimately dangerous. As it turned out, though, this was all a matter of route choice: I was able to avoid the loosest parts of the descent simply by being a bit more careful about picking my way down than I'd been last time (and with the help of a few mountain goats who were napping in the sun near the top of the route, which forced me to climb a little lower to avoid disturbing them).

Below, in the meadow, the rest of my goat fam was waking up. I was hesitant to take the established trail too close to them, especially because there were a lot of baby goats in the group, but in the end I passed by carefully and slowly, and though the adults very clearly kept themselves interposed between me and the babies, they never seemed particularly agitated by my passage.

Mountain goats are quite possibly my favorite animal on earth, and so for me this was a moment the kids these days would (incorrectly) call "a core memory."

Pedantry aside, though, it was freaking awesome.

Once back on the trail, it was a straightforward hike back out of Canyon Creek Meadows and back to the main trail. I was sad to leave such a beautiful place (and the goats!), but the trail provides some amazing parting views of the mountain...and I certainly wasn't done with Three-Fingered Jack yet.

As you leave Canyon Creek, there are actually two trails you can take: I'd taken the sparser, southern one in from Jack Lake the previous day, but I took the northerly, more forested one on the way out, both for the sake of variety and because it saved me a little distance on the way to my next goals: Wasco Lake and Minto Pass.

Maybe it was just because I knew that I was heading back into the burn, but the last, heavily forested section of the meadows trail seemed particularly gorgeous in the morning light.

It's not actually that far of a hike from this trail intersection to Wasco Lake, but being out of the shade again, even in midmorning, reminded me that it was, in fact, going to be a very hot day.

Wasco Lake itself is great. It's snugged up nicely against a cliff face and circled by a bit of forest. It has a few excellent campsites, too, though they have already been occupied both times I've passed through, mid-week, likely because of the lake's proximity to the PCT. I like it just fine, I'm just not sure that I would ever choose to camp there knowing that Canyon Creek Meadows was only a few miles' walk away...

...sorry, Wasco Lake.

Minto Pass sounds more daunting than it is if you're used to scrambling around central Oregon mountains, but the slight climb deposits you up high on a ridge that provides some great, far-off-ish views of the mountain you're circling.

From here, the rest of my route would be on the PCT, heading south over Porcupine Rock and ultimately back to my car at Santiam Pass. I don't think there's anything in this second "side" of the hike that's nearly as gorgeous or evocative as Canyon Creek Meadows, but I still had a great time, and there are still a few notable sights worth mentioning.

The first few miles of hiking after the intersection with the PCT are all elevation gain. This is mostly burn territory as well (though there are a few little forested spots here and there), but for whatever reason it didn't feel as hot as the burn on the southeast side of the mountain did on the previous day. The "lack" of heat was more than made up for by the amount of blowdown on the trail through this section, though.

I tend not to complain much about blowdown, generally, for two reasons. First, I'm taller than most people, which usually (though not always!) makes navigating blowdown easier for me than for others. Second, most trails are cleared of blowdown by volunteer trail crews, or, at best, Forest Service employees who aren't paid enough for the backbreaking work they put in. With that in mind, whining about the fact that the trail is difficult to navigate because someone else hasn't fixed it for me feels a little...myopic, I guess?

All that said, the blowdown situation on this part of the trail was really bad. So it was slow going for a while. Thanks in advance to whoever clears this leg of the trail in the future!

Ultimately, I survived a few knee bruises and shin scratches to get to where the trail opens up and switchbacks upward to Porcupine Rock, the high point of Three-Fingered Jack's north shoulder. I love the views here, not just because they're expansive, but because you can also see back down into Canyon Creek Meadows from above, allowing you to see all the terrain you crisscrossed and camped in the night before. I even told myself that a few of the small white dots I saw among the grey rocks of the hills were mountain goats, though I didn't have any way to know for sure.

At the top of Porcupine Rock, I took a long break in a tiny patch of shade to eat and rehydrate, and then I started bombing downhill.

Downhill!

To be clear, I've very rarely ever disliked a section of trail I've hiked, but this loop post-Porcupine Rock definitely becomes less interesting, in my experience. You take the PCT south for seven more miles total, and though the views of the west side of the mountain are nice, and there are some pleasantly forested areas in contrast with the east side's burn, there's just something about this section that puts me in a "Push through and finish" state of mind. Maybe it's the vastly increased hiker traffic compared to the east side because of the PCT. Maybe it's just the knowledge that I'm almost done with the hike. Regardless, I tend to rush through this part, but it's not without it's beauty, especially once you get far enough around Three-Fingered Jack to start getting views of the surrounding lakes and (again) the Sisters and Mount Washington in the distance.

Technically, I had enough daylight to push on all the way to Santiam Pass and the car at this point, but I'd packed for two nights of camping, and had hoped to be able to find the elusive Summit Lake, a lake that I'd read a bunch about online before my 2021 trip, but somehow failed to find the spur trail to during that trip, necessitating a long day (and night) of hiking beyond what I'd planned that doesn't really deserve describing in detail here.

Fortunately, on this second and more recent try, I was able to both find the spur trail to Summit Lake and better understand why I'd missed it the first time. Basically, a huge tangle of blowdown that happened to fall right at the point where the spur trail leaves the PCT makes it difficult to find it at first, but by staying up high and pushing through the bush a bit, I was able to eventually spot the trail below me and drop down onto it.

Summit Lake was much more beautiful that I expected a somewhat tiny, somewhat random lake nestled in the shoulder of Three-Fingered Jack to be.

I got there around 1:30pm, too, which is about six hours earlier than I roll into camp on a normal day of hiking. I had time to compass the whole lake in search of the "perfect" camp spot, spread out my gear, rinse out some of my hiking clothes (and socks), take a swim in the lake (which was amazing and amazingly cold) and eat lunch and read a bit...before a guided group of eleven teenagers showed up and took over the opposite side of the lake for the night.

In all honesty, they were about as well-behaved as you could imagine such a group being: they were goofy and loud pretty much all afternoon and night, but promptly got quiet around a "normal" bedtime and woke up after me in the morning. There's just something about a place like Summit Lake that makes me feel like I "should" have it all to myself, so I was a little disappointed when such a big group showed up. That's a problem with me, though, not the other hikers. It's public land, after all.

Anyway, another pretty decent sleep in the books, the next morning I would wake up to take a short hike back to the car but then spontaneously tackle another mountain before heading home...

[weather-pnw]

Weather: Pacific Northwest

Report generated at 2024-12-01 04:00:08.092112-08:00 using satellite imagery and alert data provided by the National Weather Service.

Air Stagnation Advisory

WA:

Cascade Foothills of Marion and Linn Counties

Central Chelan County

Central Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Clackamas County Cascade Foothills

Cowlitz County Lowlands

Inner Portland Metro

Inner Vancouver Metro

Kittitas Valley

Lane County Cascade Foothills

Lane County Lowlands

Lower Columbia River

North Clark County Lowlands

North Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Okanogan Valley

Outer Southeast Portland Metro

South Washington Cascade Foothills

Tualatin Valley

Waterville Plateau

Wenatchee Area

West Hills and Chehalem Mountains

Western Chelan County

Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands

Yakima Valley

OR:

Baker County

Benton County Lowlands

Boise Mountains

Camas Prairie

Cascade Foothills of Marion and Linn Counties

Central Douglas County

Central Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Central and Eastern Lake County

Clackamas County Cascade Foothills

Cowlitz County Lowlands

East Central Willamette Valley

Eastern Curry County and Josephine County

Harney County

Inner Portland Metro

Inner Vancouver Metro

Jackson County

Klamath Basin

Lane County Cascade Foothills

Lane County Lowlands

Linn County Lowlands

Lower Columbia River

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

North Clark County Lowlands

North Oregon Coast Range Lowlands

Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Western Lake County

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Outer Southeast Portland Metro

South Washington Cascade Foothills

Tualatin Valley

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

West Central Mountains

West Central Willamette Valley

West Hills and Chehalem Mountains

Western Magic Valley

Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands

ID:

Baker County

Boise Mountains

Camas Prairie

Harney County

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

West Central Mountains

Western Magic Valley

Beach Hazards Statement

OR:

Curry County Coast

South Central Oregon Coast

CA:

Coastal Del Norte

Mendocino Coast

Northern Humboldt Coast

Orange County Coastal

San Diego County Coastal Areas

Southwestern Humboldt

Frost Advisory

OR:

South Central Oregon Coast

Freeze Warning

OR:

South Central Oregon Coast

Freezing Fog Advisory

OR:

Benton County Lowlands

East Central Willamette Valley

Linn County Lowlands

West Central Willamette Valley

CA:

Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area

Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties

Northern Washoe County

Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake

NV:

Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area

Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties

Northern Washoe County

Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake

Dense Fog Advisory

CA:

Bakersfield

Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5

Carquinez Strait and Delta

Caruthers - San Joaquin - Selma

Delano-Wasco-Shafter

Fresno-Clovis

Hanford - Corcoran - Lemoore

Los Banos - Dos Palos

Merced - Madera - Mendota

Northern San Joaquin Valley

Planada - Le Grand - Snelling

Southeast San Joaquin Valley

Southern Sacramento Valley

Visalia - Porterville - Reedley

West Side of Fresno and Kings Counties

Special Weather Statement

NV:

Humboldt County