Not For Soccer!: October 2007

October 15, 2007

October 14, 2007: Sierra Buttes Trail

Whenever Jeremy and I off-road together, we're going to plan an extra hour for detours. After the Baltic Ridge Trail, I thought the worst of our navigational challenges were behind us - not to mention I'd been here before! Apparently, you have to look at the WHOLE map to know where you're going. Imagine that!

Jeremy introduced his daughter Taylor and son Josh to the trials and tribulations of 4X4 life in his Jeep Wrangler. Adam and his son Raith joined the boys and I in the LR3. Yes, you've counted correctly - three dads and five kids. We were so outnumbered...

We've typically taken I-80 to Highway 49, but this time we took Highway 20 to Marysville Road which eventually connects to Highway 49. This route ended up saving us about a half-hour off the usual 2.5 hour drive! Marysville Road crosses the Bullards Bar Dam and the massive concrete structure is incredible to see up close. As my co-pilot, Adam was in charge of snacks for the kids and soon perfected the art of unwrapping and handing (or throwing - the back seat is a stretch!) granola bars, fruit rollups, cheetos and Spiderman snacks to the unruly mob behind us. We finally arrived in Sierra City a little before noon and after making a brief stop to let the the kids burn off some energy, we were on our way!

The Sierra Buttes Trail is rated DR: 3 but I noticed that the roadbed was somewhat more rocky and uneven than when we drove it in August - within the next few years, this trail will probably be rated DR: 4. The road climbs through the forest and along some easy sections of shelf road until you reach the intersection with the Columbo Mine Road. This was where we had our only real navigational snafu - we headed straight instead of climbing up to the right and after about 20 minutes, arrived at the Columbo Mine.

I had never seen this site before,
so we snapped a few pictures and decided to head back to the junction. Judging by the incredible number of spent bullet-casings on the ground, it was probably a good idea! Soon, we were back at the intersection, and began the narrow and winding climb to Blue Point and the spur for Sierra Buttes Lookout Tower.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the turnoff for Blue Point and made our way over the small rise and down to a sheltered loop that makes a great place for taking a break. The kids hiked around, threw rocks and explored while we set out chairs and made lunch. One word of caution - keep an eye on any children if you visit this spot. There are some very loose and steep dropoffs so it's good to keep younger children close and do the exploring with them. Older children will undoubtedly be drawn to the rocky ledges and boulders surrounding Blue Point - the rocks are fractured from heavy weathering and can be a bit unstable.

After a liesurely lunch, it was time to load up and hit the spur trail to Sierra Butte Lookout Tower. The spur is rated DR: 5, but to be honest, it seemed easier to negotiate than it was in August. The sunken roadbed had widened slightly making it easier to skirt the enormous ruts left by our 2WD brethren. The road is steep, but it had rained a few days prior and the roadbed was firm without the loose surface we experienced last time. At about 7,500 feet, we began to see small patches of snow and by the time we hit 8,000 feet, much of the mountain was covered with 6" to 12" of fresh powder.

We parked in the "Parking Lot" and the kids immediately bolted for the nearest patch of snow. Jeremy, Taylor and Josh set out for the lookout tower while Adam and I attempted to herd Danny, Jayden and Raith up the steep, icy trail. We made good progress until the trail disappeared completely and we ended up trekking cross-country, crashing through snow-capped manzanita and over fallen logs until we stumbled upon a trail marker and began the slow ascent. The air was frigid and with the high altitude, it felt impossible to catch our breath - it didn't help that Jayden and Raith insisted on being carried the whole way! Danny wanted to walk through the snow - even through the small drifts that bordered the trail's edge and dropped off into oblivion! Yikes!

Soon, the tower was in sight and we could see Jeremy and his kids waving to us from the top. Adam and I set out, each carrying one child while herding Danny in front of us. We eventualy reached the rocky peak, but we were totally spent. Jeremy, Taylor and Josh were already coming back down and it was 4PM, so we decided to return to the trucks and make our way back to civilization.

We headed back down the spur trail, taking our time cruising through the slushy mess. The second half of the trail is far easier than the first and we made good time, cruising at about 20MPH and blasting through large puddles that formed from the melting snow. In no time at all, we were back at FR-93, the final leg of our journey. It was getting late and I decided to lower the LR3 to "Normal Height" and tore down the mountain at over 30MPH with Jeremy right behind me, sending gravel and dirt flying as he drifted through the corners.

As we rounded one corner, I suddenly saw the road was full of cattle! I stood on the brakes and came to an abrupt stop a few yards from the cows (and one very ticked-off cowboy!). We waited until he and the herding dogs had moved the cattle off the road then crept by slowly so as not to spook them. Once clear of the herd, it was back to business!

We sailed downhill and reached Highway 49 at about 6:00PM. After a brief pit-stop in Downieville, five tired kids and three very frazzled Dads made the long trip home.

Directions:

I-80E to Hwy. 49N
Hwy. 49N to Sierra City
Turn left on Butte St. and left again on Sierra Buttes Rd.
The trailhead is on the right by the entrance to the transfer station.
At the intersection with Columbo Mine Rd. and Sierra Buttes Rd., turn right up the hill onto Butcher Ranch Rd.
Return trip is a left turn onto FR-93 which intersects Hwy. 49.

Jeremy's Wrangler poses for a glamour shot...

Some views from Sierra Buttes...

October 9, 2007

The Howland Flat Cemetery

Many people have been curious about the cemetery at Howland Flat and I decided to post this seperate entry to describe it as best I can. The most common questions are whether it's haunted, the ages of the oldest and youngest people interred there and what are the oldest and most recent gravesites in the cemetery.

Well, we didn't see any paranormal activity but there are about forty years of reported sightings - some as recent as early 2007. Most tend to be 'faces' and orbs of light that are seen in pictures taken at the cemetery. There are also some sightings of translucent 'figures' engaged in various activities from their previous lives. The pictures on this page are all the ones I took of the Howland Flat Cemetery, so if you see something interesting and would like a larger, high-resolution copy to look at, feel free to contact me.

The youngest person buried in Howland Flat is Louisa Meikle who passed away on January 26, 1883 after living only 11 days. Mary Chittenden was barely two months old when she died on August 23, 1874 and her sister, Eunice A. Chittenden, died at ten months on December 31, 1877. Nellie Goard had just turned eight when she passed away on June 19, 1907. Barely two weeks later, on July 4, her one-year-old sister Alice also succumbed. Edna Hayes passed away on February 13, 1907, just four months prior to the Goard sisters at the age of four. The only other death recorded in that year was of Joseph Wehrle who died at the age of 73 on June 9, 1907. I would presume some illness befell the area, claiming all four lives in less than five months. Tragedy once again struck the Goard family on August 14, 1913 when Walter Goard passed away at the age of four.

The oldest person buried there is Mary Walls who passed away in 1939 at the age of 82. Patrick O'Kean was 81 when he died, having served his country in both World War I and World War II. The earliest known grave belongs to Mark Brown who died at the age of five on May 12, 1866 and is buried near Miner's Pond. The most recent grave belongs to Fr. Erland R. Twede who was buried at Howland Flat in 1980.

There are actually three cemeteries in the immediate area. The one we visited is the largest and is a Catholic cemetery. The Protestant and military cemeteries are a short walk away near Miner's Pond and are heavily overgrown. Many of the headstones near Miner's Pond have deteriorated completely or have been stolen, leaving a large number of unmarked graves. There are approximately sixty people buried in Howland Flat, about half of which are in the Catholic cemetery.

The graves here are in very good condition. Trees have fallen and damaged some of the head- stones and wooden fences, but most of them look practically brand-new. It was also interesting to see that many of the graves looked as though they were regularly tended. Some had pinecones or stones arranged decoratatively around them and the pieces from one crushed headstone had been retrieved and placed neatly on its original granite base. I don't know if these sites are tended by family, volunteers or travellers as they pass through.

Wherever possible, I have included the names, birth and death dates for each of the people buried in Howland Flat and they are arranged chronologically. There are a number of people whose graves we either could not find, were unmarked or destroyed. On our next trip to the area, I will attempt to locate and document these other sites. Another feature I have never seen before were 'footstones' which sat opposite the headstone. I photographed a number of these and will post them later as well.

When we arrived, it was after struggling through seven miles of thick mud and slippery rocks with the constant drone of engines and CB radios filling the cab of our trucks. As we pulled up and everyone unloaded, the first thing I noticed was how intensely quiet the area was. Even our normally-raucous crew was speaking in low tones, as we walked through the light rain and up a slight hill toward the gravesites. Sunlight filtered down through the trees, bathing the entire area in a soft light and I couldn't help but feel like I was intruding upon this serene place. The boys didn't understand the signficance of where we were, but the adults walked amongst the trees and headstones, until with barely a word spoken between us, we mounted up and continued on our way.

Out of respect for the individuals who risked so much to settle this frontier, I felt it was important to document this site as completely as possible, without disturbing the graves or altering the scene's natural decay. Eventually, this part of our history will be lost - reclaimed by the very forest these famillies struggled to tame.

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