A view southwest from Shangri-la towards the Shake Table Natural Research Area ..........May 24, 2003.
Leader: Frazier Nichol
A few years ago a befuddled Forest Service seasonal stumbled upon a small mesa,
ostensibly inaccessible to exotic ungulates thanks to a 20-40 foot high 360
degree rimrock perimeter. This tiny mesa MAY constitutes a "relic"
rangleand habitat site, making it an extremely rare phenomenon in these whereabouts,
and of special value as a "baseline" ecosystem to which the surrounding
range could be compared. We will take a short but vigorous climb to reach the
plateau and it is proposed to check out this hypothesis, perhaps even create
a species list (including biological soil crust flora should expertise allow).
Location: About 20 raven miles SW of John Day, 9 miles S/SE of Aldrich Mtn.,
1 mile E of the Shaketable "Natural" Research area. Driving time:
70-80 minutes on improved gravel roads. Duration: all day, take lunch &
water.
Access: Highway 26 west from John Day to Fields Creek. Forest Road 21 for 13 miles to Murderers Creek (paved 1 lane w/turnouts), then Forest Road 2490 (good gravel) for 5 miles to jct. with 2490-203, then a few hundred yards (if dry) on 203 to parking. 2 WD vehicles OK on all. Thence an easy 1/2 mile hike up slope to base of rimrock, then easy scramble up 30 ft. thru fissures to top. Driving time: 1 hr. 10 or 20 minutes. Duration: all day, take lunch. (Suggestion: adventurous types could camp in the vicinity of the 2490-203 junction before or after the Annual Meeting and explore the aforementioned Shaketable NRA and/or the legendary Murderers Creek (steelhead and chinook) a mile to the north).