Trip Report

Our destination, Sunny Valley, is on the famous Applegate Trail, 15 miles north of Grants Pass on I-5. Here also was a stage stop used before the railroad was completed. The salmon were a no-show at Winchester so on to Stewart Park for coffee and cookies. En route Ewart described the unique geology of the area; we learned about serpentine, granite, accretions, plate tectonics and more. This is an excellent private museum which houses diorama displays of the usual articles, historic journals and letters, a film and complete descriptions in sequence of the Western Expansion. Special activities this day included live music (Blue Grass of course), a singing group, story telling, book signing, pony rides, craft work and a buffalo stew for lunch. Then the highlight was the arrival of many wagons with participants in period costume. The mules and horses and an old border collie had traveled about 8½ miles from Pottsville over Sexton Mtn. Pass and were exhausted on this warm, sunny day. Departing at 2:30, we enjoyed an ice cream at Peggy’s in Rice Hill and John Bunker returned us to Eugene at 5:30. Dick kept us informed of the big Duck win (31-30), so a great day indeed.

Riders were Ethel Allen, Don Baldwin, Ewart Baldwin, McKenzie Baldwin, Helen Barnard, Louise Behnke, Mary Bridgeman, Marian & John Borchardt, Ingrid Carmichael, Nicole Chase, Rachele Fiszman, Bette Hack, Dora Harris, Marjorie Jackson, Jean Jensen, Ben Kirk, Dodie Leppmann, Gloria Layden, Bonnie Mannheim, Bonnie McKee, Frances Newsom, Barbara & Don Payne, Liz Reanier, June Smith, Nadine Smith, Dick & Janet Speelman and Connie & Floyd Wilson.