Few have seen the Nation's largest* Douglas Fir (Rocky Mountain variety) in its secret place near the junction of Cabot Creek and Jefferson Creek at about 3,150 ft. elevation (for exact location and GPS, see page bottom)......The huge tree is officially 24 ft. 7 inches in circumference and 114 feet tall....According to George Sudworth's classic work, "Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope," a Douglas fir of this size is likely in excess of 300 years old. In my 1977 image, to the right of the big fir's trunk, you can see a rotting Ponderosa pine trunk, itself a very large specimen, but looking like a baby next to this giant fir. Close by is a second giant Fir tree, also a record-setter. That's Bruce and Bob at the tree, so it's truly a "B and B" affair! (scientific name: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mayr)

During the weeks that the Booth and Bear Butte Fires burned, and especially during the week when the two fires merged into one fire in the vicinity of these two ancient forest patriarchs, it seemed certain that their long lives had ended in fire. But Hurrah! The September 12th, 6:00 pm. official fire update had very good news, " The state’s largest and second largest Douglas Fir trees that were in the fire area have survived the fire. Both had also survived at least two previous fires. Many fire dependent species have thick bark that is fire resistant and protects the inner part of the tree from the fire’s heat." In fact, if you will look closely at the bark in my picture, you will begin to see blackish areas, which are ancient fire scars (I''ve enhanced the bark to better show its texture and the scars).

And then the next day's fire update added further details, "Two Record Book Douglas Fir Trees Survive Fire....Two of the nation’s largest Rocky Mountain Douglas fir trees have survived the fires of the B and B Complex. Rocky Mountain Douglas firs are the inland variety of the species that grows in drier forests and are generally smaller than the coastal variety. The National Tree Register tracks the largest trees of each species in each state and in the nation. The trees are the largest two Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir trees in the United States. Oregon Department of Forestry keeps records with in the state and nominates trees to the national register. The two record trees were seen during a helicopter reconnaissance flight and are alive and well. Many thousands of acres of trees were killed during the B and B Complex but survival of the two record trees gave a ray of hope to fire fighters and National Forest Personnel.".... Note: Late November, 2005: a reader has just sent me a new image of this tree, taken from the exact spot of my 1977 image. Take a look It's interesting to note what the passage of nearly 30 years has wrought-- see if you can see the changes (picture credit: Rodger Latham)! .

.......Click this link to see the desolate condition of the main trail nearby in 2004 (one year after the Fire)......Click this link to visit Oregon's largest Douglas Fir tree, which is located within Oregon Caves National Monument in Southwest Oregon....... Click this link to find information about "Big Red," Oregon's largest Ponderosa Pine.

Lost Historic Trails, the Summit Trail, and another giant tree

According to Operational Fire maps, the 2003 forest fire raged up Brush Creek and over Rockpile Mountain and down the slopes into the Western Cascades about September 4-5.... Just north of Rockpile Mountain and Rockpile Lake is a historic trail junction that fire news suggested had been lost forever, incinerated by the Fire.....Very few people have even been aware of the existence of the abandoned feeder trail named the Brush Creek Trail, NO. 69 (on modern maps the FS had renumbered this to 4004).... There was never any fanfare at the place where NO. 69 joined the Pacific Crest Trail's predecessor, the Summit Trail NO. 65, aka the "Little Lake Trail" on 1931 maps showing the historic "Oregon Skyline Trail."... This junction is (or was?) at a huge Hemlock tree just north of Rockpile Lake.The multi-trunked hemlock is perhaps not a true record-setter like the Douglas Fir pictured above, but was very impressive, and certainly very ancient....The trail junction had become increasingly lonely over the long years, and especially so since the construction of the Pacific Crest Trail had entirely bypassed it.... In the cold, harsh climate at 6,200 feet, this multi-trunked Ancient is/was likely over 400 years old. It is/was either a very large Western Hemlock growing in a very unusually high site, or a record-settingly large Mountain Hemlock growing in a typical site. But the Fire raged up Brush Creek, and the fear remains that it has been taken away from us.** (click for recent trail condition reports from my readers)

For those who have interest in Oregon's historic trails, my image above dates from 1973....The trail sign on the right reads "Summit Trail, NO. 65, Rockpile Lake 1 mile, Wasco Lake (looks like) 7 miles, and Carl Lake (looks like) 3 miles." The destination on the Brush Creek sign is indechipherable, but modern map measurements show it to be approximately 3 1/2 miles to the former trailhead, which was at about 4,900 ft, somewhat above Abbot Butte Spring. Note: this author has hiked the Brush Creek trail more than once, but cautions that he was unable to locate the lower trailhead until he had first hiked DOWN the trail from the point in the picture above..Note: I possess some informative scans that I've made from 1965 maps of this region. Please email if interested. Below is a sample, zoomed-in scan. The tan "spots" designate various junctions of the trail system then in place (circa 1965). The middle tan spot is where the above picture was taken!

Other Losses: A further sad consequence of the 2003 B&B Fire is that old historic trails that were no longer being maintained by the Forest Service will now likely be lost forever. Examples will be Numbers 65 and 69 mentioned above, plus NO. 70, the nearby 3 mile long feeder trail that went from 4900 ft. on Two Springs Rd. up to Rockpile Lake--- Trail NO. 65 was a major trail byway for many years-- it started at Santiam Pass, then went to Square Lake, Booth Lake, Jack Lake, Wasco Lake, Minto Pass, ending up against the southern boundary of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation at "Hole in the Wall Park." .... Reasons for Trail Loss: The chief reasons for trail loss will be the destruction of marker trees with old blazes, coupled with extensive blowdown which will fall across the trails over the next few years... Even official burn rehab efforts may inadvertently obliberate remaining old trail tread. The combination of such factors will likely make such historic trails unfindable/impassable, even to determined types with maps, compasses and GPS-- even Tracker Tom Brown might not be able to find/follow old burned-over trail tread such as Nos. 69, 70, and 65 after a few more years! Click here to see a 1931 map that shows trail NO. 65's route as the "Little Lake Trail.".... Click here for a Trails Condition update from the U.S. Forest Service which dates from August 9, 2007.

Note: All of the pictures on this page were taken more than twenty years ago. Now the B and B Complex Fire has turned much of its 142 square mile burn zone into dusty ashes and memories.**

Reader Rodger Latham sent me the following GPS coordinates for the Big Fir at page top: "it's near the junction of Cabot Creek and Candle Creek, not Jefferson Creek. At least this is what I find according to my maps. It is about 400’ from the trailhead of the Jefferson Lake trail #4001. I also got a GPS position for it if that is of any interest to you, it’s N44°35’00.6” and W121°40’40.7” using WGS 84 datum."

* This fact was alleged to me by a District forester over twenty years ago, and I do not know the sources of his belief about this tree's size; however, in a recent search for record-setting trees that I did, this big fir is apparently nationally #1. ... If any readers can supply additional facts, I would appreciate hearing from them.

** Losses assumed based on operational fire maps from the official B and B website...Note: It is normal in any large forest fire for there to be areas that the fire skips over or hits less intensely, leaving less than 100% canopy kill..The final BAER Fire Intensity maps released 09-13-2003 showed that this historic trail junction had had the misfortune to be in the middle of a moderate intensity burn area....So, if any on-the-ground hikers or firefighters can bring good news that the Brush Creek Junction site escaped, I would love to hear from them!

Final note: The May 1981 issue of Oregon Magazine used an image taken by me on a nearby hikers footbridge; shown on that image were the same two dogs and the same hiker as in my image of the big Fir at top of this page.

E-mailer: click to give me the good or bad news

Late 2007 Trails Conditions Report- note also the new trail numbering system for the old trails---- "The Forest Service has issued the following warning concerning the Mt. Jefferson area: Due to past wildfire impacts in this area, portions of the Jefferson Lake Trail 4001, Sugarpine Ridge Trail 4002, Rockpile Lk Trail 4005, Minto Lk Trail 4006, and Brush Ck Trail 4004 have heavy blow down, dense brush and/or severe erosion. Some sections of trail are difficult to locate. The use of stock animals on these trails is not recommended this season. Hikers will consider sections of trail very difficult. Trails open and cleared in this area, with access to the Pacific Crest Trail include: Canyon Ck Trail 4010, Trail 4014 between Jack Lk and Wasco Lk/tie to the PCT, Cabot Lk Trail 4003 north to Table Lake and Shirley Lk Trail 4003.1 to the PCT. For more information please contact: Sisters Ranger District (541) 549 - 7700."

READER UPDATE REPORT, SUMMER 2007, THIS RAISES SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS--- Karen J. hiked past Rockpile Lake on the Pacific Crest Trail, and about one mile north of the lake she found a sign for the Brush Creek trail. That sign pointed downhill to the east. NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE LOCATION SHOWN IN THE PICTURE ABOVE. WHAT SHE DESCRIBES LIES ABOUT ONE MILE TO THE WEST, AND ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET HIGHER IN ELEVATION-- it's the presumed junction of the modern PCT with the old, historic Brush Creek Trail....Karen reports, "...from the top of the (Cascade) crest, it looks like you could follow the trail down to the east... There were no signs titled “Summit Trail” anywhere. At the turnoff to Brush Creek it is very desolate and burned with only smaller skeletons of trees in the vicinity. The sign that read “Brush Creek” was very old and weathered and did not have any brown paint on it. It wasn’t obvious if it ever had been a painted sign.." She also added, "...Rockpile lake is like an oasis. It is surrounded by green forest, but only about a 1 mile circumference on either end of the lake."....Click here to see the 1931 official Skyline Trail map, which seems to label the Summit Trail as the "Little Lake Trail." (the Skyline Trail itself in 1931 ran almost wholly on the western side of the Cascade crest, visiting such destinations as Mowich Lake and Santiam Lake)... Interesting questions raised by Karen's report: 1. what has happened to the trail junction, giant hemlock tree, and historic signs shown in my 1973 picture? 2. Has the Forest Service officially or unofficially abandoned the old Summit Trail No. 65? 3. Have they removed old, historic signage, and, if so, what did they do with the signs? 4. Is the Brush Creek trail sign that is currently up on the ridgetop at the Pacific Crest Trail junction actually the old, historic sign shown in my image above, but now relocated to this more modern location up on the PCT? If any readers have any input about this, please contact me.

Late 2008 Trail Conditions Report on the Brush Creek Trail in particular.

In September 2008, it was five years after the rampage of the B&B Complex Fire of 2003. I closely examined post-fire satellite imagery and compared with USGS topo maps. My conclusion was that it is "likely" that the historic trail junction and signage ESCAPED the burn! The fire had decimated the western side of the nearby Cascade Crest, but right around the presumed location of the signs, there had been only a few scattered spot-fire burns. The location of the junction that my TOPO software gave me is: elevation 6147 feet, 44deg, 33.713min N, and 121 deg, 47.893 min W.

Finally, this Brush Creek trail report came to me in mid-September, 2008 from reader Steve C. First, however, I should note the interesting fact that the Brush Creek Trail's historic number of No. 69 has been changed to 4004; thus, we might infer the hope that the USFS has decided not to totally abandon the old Brush Creek Trail.... Steve C. reported to me that he found the top portion of the trail by hiking cross-country from the two tiny ponds that are "north and east of Rockpile Lake." He says the trail is hardest to find in its bottom portions near Abbot Butte. I think that he probably did not hike on the upper portion of the trail, which is the portion that should have included the old trail junction and signs shown in my photos above. .....but Karen J. did note a hopeful fact about the B&B fire damage in the area, saying that there is an island of unburned trees around Rockpile Lake that might have included the large hemlocks with the trail signs. THUS, I AM STILL SOLICITING ANY READERS WHO CAN HELP clarify the status of the historic signage! Contact me! (click). .... If you are planning to try to find the historic Brush Creek trail junction and its old signage, I will be happy to assist by sending you a jpeg map of the area -- it is a custom topographic map with waypoints, in exchange for your trail report!

The End

October 8, 2008 (reviewed 1/22/2010)