A roundabout way to coast - November 28, 2002

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2002-12-13

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RAIN Temp: 46 °F Wind: ESE at 3 mph Friday, December 13, 2002  SECTIONS   Home Page  Local News   Sports  Business  Obituaries  Life  Opinion - Politics  AP News  Weather  Classified  Archives  Site Map  EXTRA   HomeLife Magazine   W3 Magazine   Jobs @ Mail Tribune   Tempo A & E   Oregon CarZone   Wellness Connection  Real Estate  Newspaper in Education  Prime Times  Outdoor Journal  Personals  Movie Times  TV Times   E The People  CLASSIFIEDS  Find a Car  Find a Home  Find a Job  Find Everything  E SOUTHERN OREGON  Automotive  Communities  Entertainment  Publications  Recreation  Calendar  ABOUT US  FAQ  What's New  Advertise  Home Delivery  Classified Ad  Contact Us  Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 28, 2002 A roundabout way to coast Slides block main road, but there’s an alternative at hand By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Continued rock and dirt slides have closed part of the forest road between Galice and Agness, but that won’t keep anglers, rafters and others from crossing the Coast Range toward Gold Beach. An alternate route around the slides on the Galice Access Road will keep the Bear Camp Road accessible to vehicles for now. The slides have blocked the roadway at milepost 4.6 along a stretch maintained by the federal Bureau of Land Management. It is the main access to Bear Camp Road, the single-lane and paved route through the Siskiyou National Forest to Agness, and is used extensively by boaters returning to the Rogue Valley after floating down the Wild and Scenic stretch of the Rogue River. But there is access around the slide via the Chrome Ridge Road, which is a gravel road suitable for most cars, says Jeanne Klein, acting public affairs officer for the BLM’s Medford District. The Chrome Ridge Road, which is listed on some maps as Forest Service Road 2402, begins at the Galice Access Road about 1.5 miles from Galice. Motorists should drive the Chrome Ridge Road to BLM Road 35-9-1.4, which travels north and hooks back into the Galice Access Road about 4 miles west of the slide. The slide area is part of the forest burned by this summer’s Biscuit fire. The hillside above the blocked roadway still contains dirt and debris that also could move, so road crews are concerned about safety in cleaning the slide area, Klein says. BLM officials are mulling whether to wait until the anticipated slides are done before cleaning up the area, and that might not happen until after the seasonal access closure from snows. Oregonians with a hankering for crustaceans can take their quest for crab farther west beginning Sunday. Sport-crabbers, who have been limited to bays and estuaries since mid-August, may venture into the ocean to capture their crabs. Crabbing just west of estuaries and jetties can be excellent in December. Large congregations of crabs often are found hovering near river mouths because the ocean water provides more salinity. No angling license or tags are required for crabbing. The limit remains 12 male crabs whose shells must be at least 5¾ inches wide, not including the shell points. Female Dungeness have a rounded flap on their underside, while males have an elongated flap. Detailed pictures are available in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet. A state outdoor-education program is sponsoring a family rabbit hunt set for Jan. 11 at a wildlife area near Corvallis. The Family Rabbit Hunt at the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area is designed to provide an opportunity for the entire family to learn the basics of rabbit hunting. The event is offered by the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program coordinated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as a way to help introduce women to outdoor pursuits such as hunting, fishing, crabbing and clamming. The rabbit hunt is billed as a "Beyond BOW" because it involves parents and children. The hunt is organized through the Mary’s Peak Hunt Club, which will teach participants the clothing and equipment needs of rabbit hunting as well as the safety and ethics involved. Much like the youth pheasant hunts at the Denman Wildlife Area near White City, the rabbit hunt will feature a shotgun skills clinic that includes shooting on a range as well as participating in an actual hunt. The cost is $50 for one adult and one child at least 12 years old. One additional adult and up to two children per adult may attend for $10 more apiece. Some scholarship money is also available. Youths 12 through 17 must attend with an adult and provide proof of their Hunter Education Certificate when registering for the clinic. Registration is required because of limited available spaces. Those who register will receive confirmation in the mail as well as information about what to bring. For a registration form, visit the ODFW’s Central Point office or telephone Liz Kraiter, registrar, at 1-503-981-4200. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version   Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S