OUR BLOG
Southern Cascade Loop
Crystal and I kicked off the new year with some cabin fever - from having been stuck at base camp for far too long. We decided to go out for lunch in Keno, Ore. and take a trip around the Southern Cascades.
Such winter beauty in the old growth fir forest of the Fremont-Winema National Forest along Clover Creek Road in Klamath County, Oregon.
Crystal and I kicked off the new year with some cabin fever - from having been stuck at base camp for far too long. We decided to go out for lunch in Keno, Ore., and take a trip around the Southern Cascades.
There are only a couple of places to enjoy lunch in Keno. One is the Whoa Tavern and the other is the Keno Store. In our opinion, it’s an easy decision on which one to stop at. For us, it’s the Keno Store with their world-famous jojo's potatoes.
After our mid-afternoon extremely unhealthy lunch, we found ourselves with a few hours of daylight left.
We began on one of our favorite loops in Klamath County that we call the Southern Cascade Loop. It’s one of my personal all-time favorite locations on the planet. From what I know, there is not an official name for this drive, but essentially we drove a 75-mile loop around the Mountain Lakes Wilderness in the Southern Oregon Cascades.
There was a good bit of snow up there in the mountains. At the highest point (5374'), I would estimate about 4-5 feet, maybe more.
About halfway through the loop, we stopped at the Lake of the Woods Resort to check on lake conditions. Although, we did not stay long. Blustery winds were whipping over the lake and through the resort. We could tell that the lake is establishing a nice layer of ice and snow, but it did not appear ready for ice fishing yet.
After leaving the resort, we meandered along on ORE140 back to basecamp.
The trip was enjoyable and fun. It is always good to get out and explore a little on a Sunday afternoon. More snow is expected this week, likely keeping us grounded at base camp.
We are already planning the next adventure.
Where would you like to see us go next?
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Photography
Topsy Grade Road
Topsy Grade Road runs on BLM lands; with the northernmost point at Oregon Highway 66 and the Klamath River (JC Boyle Reservoir). From there the road heads south along the eastern side of the Klamath River Canyon before dipping inside the canyon about 9 miles in.
The Klamath River Canyon as seen from Topsy Grade Road (Image: Brian Gailey)
Topsy Grade Road runs on BLM lands; with the northernmost point at Oregon Highway 66 and the Klamath River (JC Boyle Reservoir). From there the road heads south along the eastern side of the Klamath River Canyon before dipping inside the canyon about 9 miles in.
On Sunday (11/29/2020) we traveled down Topsy Grade Road before connecting to Dorris Road to head into Dorris California.
Weather conditions were sunny but cold, temps in the mid to low 30’s; dropping into the 20’s after the sun set.
Road Conditions
The first few miles were pleasant, with the usual washboard sections and potholes. The road was mostly gravel and paved in a few places and had a small amount of snow along the highest points. Near the 4.5 mile mark the road became mostly dirt with a top layer of surface mud a few inches thick. But the mud froze up after mile 10.
Sunset from approximately the 6 mile mark of Topsy Grade Road
At approximately the 8.5 mile mark the road became a chunky rocky washout as the road wined down into a creek bed adjacent to a marshy area. Shortly thereafter, the road splits - one side heads southwest down into the canyon the other southeast toward Dorris, California. The roads from here were frozen mud, snow, and a bit of gravel before hitting tarmac closer to town.
My Thoughts
I believe the drive is a great one to take for an afternoon escape. The road is decent but a 4x4 or 2wd high clearance vehicle would be necessary for the potholes and chunky rocks. I would not recommend this road for cars, sedans, or coupes.
However, I do not believe 4x4 would be a requirement on a dry summer day, but with mud or snow covered conditions like we experienced, 4x4 is a great help.
There were several potential campsites along this route where a vehicle could pull off for the evening. Many even had rock fire rings and views into the canyon too.
This is a good entry level route. I would recommend this track for anyone looking to get started overlanding, anyone just looking for a leisurely excursion, or for a public lands dry campsite to get away.
Windigo Pass, Oregon
Located on the northern border of Douglas County and Klamath County in Oregon is a beautiful mountain pass that connects the Cascade Lakes of Lemolo and Crescent. Both lakes are beautiful, serene, and peaceful. The dirt road that connects the two is magnificent in its own right.
Located on the northern border of Douglas County and Klamath County in Oregon is a beautiful mountain pass that connects the Cascade Lakes of Lemolo and Crescent. Both lakes are beautiful, serene, and peaceful. The dirt road that connects the two is magnificent in its own right.
The highest point recorded by Gaia GPS on our travel over the pass was 5,786 feet. We recorded 31.6 miles of track and took us 95 minutes to traverse the moderately easy road.
The road is surrounded by beautiful pine and fir forest. With several hiking trails including the Pacific Crest Trail crisscrossing the roadway.
There was even a beautiful hidden gem of a clear pristine pond on the north side of the road at Bradley Creek. A perfect location for a boondocking campsite for a campervan or truck.
Road Conditions
We traveled across the pass in early October with no recent moisture or snow. Most of the entire roadway was in great condition. Leaving the area near Lomolo Lake to the summit was excellently maintained gravel Forest Service road. The next few miles coming down from the summit the gravel turned to dirt and some minor ruts appeared in the road. Suggesting that the road may be muddy and slippery in wet conditions.
The last few miles before connecting to Crescent Lake Road were extremely dusty. The groomed gravel roadway was long gone and turned into a dusty powdery mess. Once on Crescent Lake Road, we were back to pavement.
With experience, this route could be traversed by passenger cars in addition to pickups and SUVs alike. Please use caution on this route if you have an RV or are towing as some of the corners are sharp and on the north side of the summit the ruts are a bit deep. Also, use caution if you are traveling this route when conditions are wet or snowy as this can drastically change the road surface.
Please note that Gaia GPS shows this roadway as Cascade Lakes Highway - it is not a highway but a gravel and dirt Forest Service roadway (NF-60).
My Thoughts
In the summer, Windigo Pass is a great and easy softroading trek. If the conditions are wet, I can imagine this route being a bit challenging for a noob. Experienced overlanders will have no trouble with this mountain pass. If you love lush forests you will love this route. Although we did not see any critters on this trip, I would expect the mountains to be full of deer and elk, smaller game, and even a few predators like black bears, cougar, and a traveling wolf pack.
I would recommend this trail to all softroading and overlanding skill levels.
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