Northern Flicker Letterbox LbNA #52271
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Add Location| Owner: | Calli-K  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Feb 21, 2010 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Hood River |
| County: | Hood River |
| State: | Oregon |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Fiddler |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Apr 14, 2021 |
| Status: | FFF |
| Last edited: | Jul 22, 2023 |
LOCATION: Tom McCall Preserve on the Old Columbia River Scenic Highway 11 miles east of Hood River.
NOTE: 07-22-2023 - received feedback that it's "falling apart, nice stamp" but no details were given. Please either fix/replace what's broken or pick it up and let me know so I can retire the clue. If it's falling apart I would consider it trash at this point. Thanks.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge, take either the Mosier exit (five miles east of Hood River) or the Rowena exit (eight miles west of The Dalles). From Mosier, go east on the Old Scenic Highway (US 30). Beyond milepost 6, the preserve is on both sides of the highway. Park at the Rowena Crest viewpoint or at the trailhead on Highway 30.
ABOUT THE TOM McCALL PRESERVE (from the Nature Conservancy’s web site):
Spectacular spring wildflower displays grace this magnificent plateau overlooking the Columbia River. The preserve is so diverse partly because it lies in the transition zone between the moist, heavily-forested west side of the Cascades and the drier bunch grass prairies of the east.
The geology of the plateau is also intriguing. Lava flows, catastrophic floods and volcanic ash deposits shaped a mound-and-swale topography that perplexes the experts. Earthquake sorting, freezing and thawing, erosion, soil accumulations by plants and wildlife burrowing activities have all been suggested as having caused the mounds.
There are two trails on the preserve. The one-mile plateau trail begins at the interpretive sign at the entrance to the preserve. It crosses the plateau to cliff edges and encircles a permanent pond. The two-mile McCall Point trail, open May through October, begins from the south side of the turnaround and gains 1,000 feet in elevation.
At the top of the McCall Point trail, visitors are rewarded with expansive views of the Columbia Gorge and Cascade mountain peaks. The preserve is often windy, and visitors should beware of ticks, rattlesnakes and poison oak. Spring wildflowers are most abundant in April and May.
Please also note that no dogs or horses are allowed at Tom McCall Preserve. The preserve is home to ground-nesting birds and animals that are extremely sensitive to disturbance.
CLUES:
Take the plateau trail from the interpretive sign at the entrance to the preserve. The Conservancy web site says this is a one-mile trail, but round trip it was more like two miles if you ask me. The signs at the preserve say it is 2.5 miles. At any rate, I’m pretty sure it is less than 3 miles to the letterbox and back. Follow the main trail. There are many smaller side trails along the way, but stick to the widest trail until you are standing on a rocky outcropping ledge with a spire to your left and a cliff/bluff to your right – the road for an iron horse crosses the bay far below. Now turn around and go back about 150 steps. There is a place in the trail where you go from one level to another up a small rocky gully through a break in a small cliffside – to your left under one of boulders that helps form this little cliffside are two smaller rocks hiding the Northern Flicker Letterbox. CHECK FOR CRITTERS LIKE SNAKES AND SPIDERS BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE ROCKS AND GO POKING AROUND WITH YOUR HANDS. Enjoy the view and please make sure this box is completely hidden from view when you leave.
NOTE: 07-22-2023 - received feedback that it's "falling apart, nice stamp" but no details were given. Please either fix/replace what's broken or pick it up and let me know so I can retire the clue. If it's falling apart I would consider it trash at this point. Thanks.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge, take either the Mosier exit (five miles east of Hood River) or the Rowena exit (eight miles west of The Dalles). From Mosier, go east on the Old Scenic Highway (US 30). Beyond milepost 6, the preserve is on both sides of the highway. Park at the Rowena Crest viewpoint or at the trailhead on Highway 30.
ABOUT THE TOM McCALL PRESERVE (from the Nature Conservancy’s web site):
Spectacular spring wildflower displays grace this magnificent plateau overlooking the Columbia River. The preserve is so diverse partly because it lies in the transition zone between the moist, heavily-forested west side of the Cascades and the drier bunch grass prairies of the east.
The geology of the plateau is also intriguing. Lava flows, catastrophic floods and volcanic ash deposits shaped a mound-and-swale topography that perplexes the experts. Earthquake sorting, freezing and thawing, erosion, soil accumulations by plants and wildlife burrowing activities have all been suggested as having caused the mounds.
There are two trails on the preserve. The one-mile plateau trail begins at the interpretive sign at the entrance to the preserve. It crosses the plateau to cliff edges and encircles a permanent pond. The two-mile McCall Point trail, open May through October, begins from the south side of the turnaround and gains 1,000 feet in elevation.
At the top of the McCall Point trail, visitors are rewarded with expansive views of the Columbia Gorge and Cascade mountain peaks. The preserve is often windy, and visitors should beware of ticks, rattlesnakes and poison oak. Spring wildflowers are most abundant in April and May.
Please also note that no dogs or horses are allowed at Tom McCall Preserve. The preserve is home to ground-nesting birds and animals that are extremely sensitive to disturbance.
CLUES:
Take the plateau trail from the interpretive sign at the entrance to the preserve. The Conservancy web site says this is a one-mile trail, but round trip it was more like two miles if you ask me. The signs at the preserve say it is 2.5 miles. At any rate, I’m pretty sure it is less than 3 miles to the letterbox and back. Follow the main trail. There are many smaller side trails along the way, but stick to the widest trail until you are standing on a rocky outcropping ledge with a spire to your left and a cliff/bluff to your right – the road for an iron horse crosses the bay far below. Now turn around and go back about 150 steps. There is a place in the trail where you go from one level to another up a small rocky gully through a break in a small cliffside – to your left under one of boulders that helps form this little cliffside are two smaller rocks hiding the Northern Flicker Letterbox. CHECK FOR CRITTERS LIKE SNAKES AND SPIDERS BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE ROCKS AND GO POKING AROUND WITH YOUR HANDS. Enjoy the view and please make sure this box is completely hidden from view when you leave.