Wicopee Fields, Willamette Pass, HWY 58, Oregon and The Frazier Slide:

On the Willamette Pass (Oregon Highway 58) south of McCredie Hot Springs, (also see The Hotel Mcredie Hot Springs) there is a sign on a gravel road that says Wicopee Fields.  There is no hyphen between the two words, so I always assumed there were some fields there, but not so.  In trying to come up with some historical information about this area, there isn't a lot easily found on the search engines.  I did learn that Wicopee is the area with the marsh, and that Fields is 6 miles further up at the end of the gravel road, with a small campground.  Slide is one mile before Fields, and the names Cruzatte and Natron are also associated with the area.  The Union Pacific Railroad has trains going through here, and it is a favorite area for train enthusiasts/photographers.  I did run across this well written story about the experience of three men who camped in the campground and got "stabbed" (don't worry, in this case that just means blocked in by a train), and it tells you exactly how to get there and what is up the road further than where we went.  Here is the link, when you are done here at Oregon Gifts:  "Stabbed at Fields" .

Several years ago, we drove down to see what we could see, but there didn't seem to be much there.  Last Saturday (Christmas Eve), we gave it another try and came up with some beautiful photos.  There is a marsh on the left hand-side that was covered lightly in ice. There is a program reintroducing "chub" fish into this marsh and in other places around Oregon.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Across the road from the marsh there is a nice little parking lot with a fire pit on the beautiful Salt Creek.  Somebody told me a rumor once that there were around 50 little hot springs around here somewhere, but I haven't learned anything more of about that.  If you have, please leave a comment (under "Anonymous" if you want to).

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

On January 19, 2008, there was a major mudslide that effected the railroad tracks, known as The Frazier Slide.  The Wicopee Fields road was used as an access road to get the mess for clean up.  This link shows a bunch of construction photo links of the slide: Train Orders.com.  Here are some neat pictures of it after they had gotten the trains running again: Train Web.com.  I also found these videos of when the slide was happening:

Train Wreck:

 Source: Steam Freight Cars.com

That is how it goes on here sometimes, one thing just leads to another.  I wanted to know how Wicopee got it's name, did people live there, was there a store, all that kind of stuff.  I still have a lot to learn about Wicopee Fields, but I found that there was a huge train wreck in the area during the late 30's.  What a mess that was to clean up!  1938-39 Train Wreck at Natron/Wicopee Photos

Here is a link with some geographical information and surrounding areas:  Traveling Luck.com.  If you have anymore info that you would like to share, please leave me a comment. Or, if you enjoyed this post, please leave me a comment, because I love your feedback. Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!


Kathy M.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Taking the Long Way Home Part 2: North Fork of the Willamette, Oakridge, Greenwaters Park and Diamond Peak

North Fork of the Willamette 
and Charles Barnard Bridge:


After leaving  Lowell and getting back on HWY 58 to head toward the mountain pass, I turned left at the sign that said  Westfir.  That road is a loop that will take you back to HWY 58 as you enter Oakridge.  I parked and took some pretty pictures of the North Fork of the Willamette River  and of the  Charles Barnard Bridge. 

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

After crossing the bridge, I turned right.  If I had of turned left, I would have gone to Westfir and seen another covered bridge.  However, I was still on my way home so that adventure will need to wait for another time.  Oh, my gosh, did I score some beautiful pictures there!   Dang, I think I need to make some postcards.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

A bit of spiritual activity on this one.  I did say, come on you guys, I know you are here.  Let me take your picture.  So they did.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I returned to HWY 58 and turned to the left.  Within a minute I arrived in Oakridge.  I drove through town until I got to Ray's Food Place and turned left at the light.  You may not realize it, but there is a whole other part of Oakridge that you don't see from the highway.  Another little downtown area up in the hills, that people are fixing up. 

The Oakridge Hostel and Brewers Union Local 180:

There is even the beautiful Oakridge Hostel where you can stay for prices beginning at $35.00 per night, with breakfast.  It seems that Oakridge is now a destination point for mountain bikers from all over, and you and your bike can catch a bus from the Eugene bus system (LTD) all the way to Oakridge. 

Recently some of my old friends, Ted and Patti Sobel, renovated this old building and turned it into a brewery and pub that looks much like a McMenamins from the outside.  I got there too early in the morning and they were still closed.  I hope that Cary and I will be back that way soon and stop in for a visit to say hello and taste their wares.  Here is their link:  Brewers Union Local 180.  They have a blog too: Brewers Union Blog. 

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I left that part of town by turning right onto Hills Street, crossing over the railroad tracks and ending up back on Highway 58.  Turning left toward the pass, I stopped at Greenwaters Park.  If you just need a quick bathroom break, there is a regular rest area nearby, but I enjoy going into the park itself when there is time.  It is one of my favorite parks ever.  Greenwaters Park is the home of the Lost Wagon Train of 1853 and the Hills Family Cabin.  This park is a wonderful place for a picnic; there is fishing, wading, hiking, a playground, and lots of history.  I love it when people work so hard over generations to make things beautiful for others.  Here is a link to more photos I took a while back of  Greenwaters Park.

Greenwaters Park:

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

After leaving the park I headed home.  Cary was wondering where in the heck I was.  I made one last little photo shoot at the Diamond Peak observation point.  It is kind of funny to think of from this view, but there is a parallel highway to the one that I was on, except that it runs by Diamond Peak.  It is Highway 38, and it takes you to Roseburg from Highway 97.  FYI:  My cell phone actually got a signal here. 

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I sure had fun on my way home as I meandered along, listening to Jimmy Buffet, and thinking about my Eugene family.  I came home with a lot of neat pictures and some good nearby travel plans for next summer when I get to go camping with my best friend husband Cary.

Thank you for stopping by to visit; I hope you enjoyed the trip too.

~ Kathy

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.