Green River to Floy, Utah, via Old Hwy. U.S. 6 & 50 in 2010

 

 

Green River to Floy, Utah, via Old Hwy. U.S. 6 & 50 

In 1965, when I first visited the City of Green River, Utah, completion of nearby Interstate I-70 was still five years away. At that time, the Utah Launch Complex of the White Sands Missile Base lay just south of town. With Cold War missile testing ongoing there, the population of Green River was rocketing towards its all-time high of 2000 in 1970.

 

To watch the Green River Video, click on the arrow button, above.

 

For much of its history, the Green River itself served as the county line between Emery County to the west and Grand County to the east. When the missile launch facility closed in the 1970s, the combined population on both sides of the river soon fell by half and had not recovered by the year 2000. In 2003, the State of Utah redrew the county line, thus placing all of “greater” Green River and its 1000 residents in Emery County. In the early days and even now, the name “Elgin” describes the portion of the city lying east of the river. The 2000 census listed over one hundred residents in Elgin. Today, several websites indicate that Elgin is a ghost town. Perhaps the residents of Elgin can comment here and let us know if they are still around.

 

Continuing my search of the Green River and Crescent Junction area, I found several anomalies in the Google Maps database. According to Google, a westbound drive on I-70 from Crescent Junction to Green River covers a distance of 20.4 miles. If you reverse your course, Google Maps directs you east to Thompson, and then back again to Crescent Junction. That journey east, with a double back to the west covers 31.1 miles. I reported the problem to Google. Perhaps it will be fixed before any readers attempt the trip.

 

To make things more confusing, Google misidentifies a stretch of unmaintained “Old Hwy. US 6 & 50” as “Business I-70 & Business US 191". The misidentification continues from Green River to I-70 (Exit 173), near a long abandoned rail stop named Floy (pop. 0), or Floy Station (pop. 0). Interestingly, MapQuest gets the “Old US 50” designation correct, but misidentifies the nearby railroad line at the old “Denver & Rio Grande Western”. Google Maps does not identify the name of the railroad at all.

 

After driving the old highway eastbound from Green River, I can assure you that it is not a business route. With only a few dirt crossroads and only a single tree standing along that route, it is one of the loneliest and least traveled paved roads in the state. During my transit, encountered not one other vehicle traveling in either direction. At Green River, signs warned that the old highway is not maintained, which is true. Although navigable in a standard passenger car, be prepared to drive slowly over the many rough spots and minor washouts.

 

Looking back on my brief adventure on Old US Highway 6 & 50, I realized what a treasure it is. If you like to get away from it all, yet be only a few miles distance from an interstate highway, this is the route for you. To the north, the Union Pacific Desert Main Line runs largely unseen from the road. Likewise, I-70 to the south is visible only as you approach Floy. Traveling the old highway in either direction takes less than an hour. There, you can recreate a cross-country adventure from the era before the advent of interstate highway travel. Please remember, if you run out of gas or get a flat tire, Floy is abandoned and it could be a long walk back to Green River.

Email James McGillis

 

By James McGillis at 10:50 AM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link

 

 

Only One Ranchette Remaining at Moab Ranch - 2010 

In 2006, I stayed at the Moab Rim Campark for most of the fall. After a series of unrelenting storms pushed me south to sunny Arizona, I made plans to come back to Moab and the Spanish Valley as soon as weather permitted.

 

In the spring of 2007, I was back at the RV Park and ready to look at property. Jim Farrell, the owner of the Moab Rim Campark is also a local developer. After touring other available parcels, Jim suggested that I look at Pueblo Verde Estates, which is one of his development projects.

 

Soon, I had money down on a one-third acre lot. At the time, only the roads and utilities were completed. Even so, I could see that this would soon become one of the premier developments in Moab and the Spanish Valley. Standing on level ground at the site, one has spectacular views in all directions. To the West is the Moab Rim, its crenulated sandstone ridge looks impossibly steep and tall. It reminds me of the Grand Canyon, but from the bottom, looking up. To the northeast is the La Sal Range, which includes several peaks greater than 12,500 feet in elevation.

 

Over the next three years, I observed the development activities at Pueblo Verde Estates several times each year. During the build-out, my friend Mary Wright was the sales agent for the modular homes planned for each parcel. To help her efforts, I developed the Moab Estates website, which included the first live webcam from the upper Spanish Valley.

 

When the economy slowed in 2008, the developers of Pueblo Verde Estates teamed up with the Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah. Over the next two years, the housing authority built high quality, affordable homes on each of the remaining lots. The unique project involved federal government grants and sweat-equity provided by the future homeowners. When completed, the project included more affordable housing units than any similar project in the history of that federal program. Now, those three-bedroom, two-bath homes are a financial and aesthetic credit to their owners and to their neighborhood.

In 2008, I realized that the remaining Ranchettes were an untapped treasure for their future owners. Each Ranchette is almost 2.5 acres in size and includes surrounding open space, dedicated to that purpose. Access is via wide paved roads, which include concrete curbs and gutters.  Underground utilities, include water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, telephone and cable TV, all of which are in and paid for.

 

In order to inform prospective buyers, I developed the Moab Ranch website. Recently, I completed an update to that website. Now you can view the remaining Ranchette on an interactive map and take a video tour of Moab Ranch. Additionally, you can view a webcam that streams live from the property.

 

Author's Note - November 10, 2013: When the word gets out that only one horse property, complete with unobstructed La Sal Range views, is available for $95,000, the final Ranchette will sell fast. No other property in Moab has all of the amenities you will find at Moab Ranch, at any price.

Email James McGillis 

 

By James McGillis at 04:04 PM | | Comments (0) | Link

 

An Oregon Cascades Sunset Video - 2010

 

In October 2010, I drove from Port Orford, Oregon to Moab, Utah. Near the end of my first day on the road, I was heading east on  Oregon Route 242 through the Willamette National Forest and the Cascade Range. As I approached the top of McKenzie Pass (5325 ft. elevation), I saw a halo of light in my rear-view mirror.

 

Realizing that the sun was setting behind the Cascades, I pulled to the side of the road. Exiting my truck, I ran downhill until I found a place with an unobstructed view of the sunset.

 

 

As soon as the sun dipped behind a high ridge, a golden glow backlit the scene. In a matter of minutes, the scene would begin to fade.  Despite the hours of driving that still lay ahead of me, I stayed long enough to take my pictures.

 

As the colors of the sunset began to fade, I headed over the pass and into the darkness the national forest. Somewhere ahead on that road was the City of Bend, Oregon.

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By James McGillis at 05:26 PM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link

Port of Port Orford, Oregon - 2010

 

No Ocean Bar, But There is a Dolly Dock at Port Orford, Oregon

In October 2010, I visited the Port of Port Orford, Oregon. Port Orford is one of only two "dolly docks" in the U.S., and one of only six in the world. Positioned near the edge of the hardscape are two high capacity hoists. Each can lift and carry fishing vessels up to 25,000 lb.

 

Timing my visit for late afternoon, I could see two boats awaiting a lift by the dockside crane. As I watched, one of two large hoists lifted the fishing vessel Providence from the water to the dock. As her crew gently adjusted their lines, the hoist operator swung and lowered the stout vessel into position on a transport trailer. Once secured to her trailer, captain, crew and Providence pulled away together, heading for home.

 

 

During the summer and fall, an occasional coastal cruising boat will anchor in the protected area provided by the Port Orford jetty. For deeper-draft fishing boats, the harbor area is too shallow for safe mooring. When not on the ocean, many of the fishing boats rest on custom-made “dollies”. These quaint carriages are fitted with axles, wheels and tires salvaged from old trucks. During my afternoon at the dock, I saw a Popeye the Sailor vessel parked on the dock. Its dolly featured ancient white sidewall tires.

 

For reasons both natural and manmade, the port is unique. For instance, Port Orford is the only deep-water port between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California. Entering or leaving any other port along that 400-mile stretch of coastline requires crossing an ocean bar. Where the ocean tide meets the flow of a river, a shoal will form. Timing an arrival or departure for high tide guarantees maximum depth beneath the keel. It also assures maximum turbulence, as the two bodies of water meet. Shifting currents and shallow spots can turn crossing a bar into a harrowing experience.

 

The Port at Port Orford is an open-water dock, with only a riprap breakwater to protect it from southerly storms. Winter waves and storm surge can be unrelenting. A fallen green navigation marker is testament to the power of the Pacific Ocean. Toppled by winter storms, the heavy steel structure looked like a child’s toy tossed upon the rocks. At the center of the breakwater, the riprap has slumped so low that storm waves now threaten the protected area along the dock.

 

In order to protect the former wooden docks from harsh breaking waves, the Port Orford authority constructed the concrete jetty and breakwater in the late 1960's. Since that time, this crescent-shaped structure has created an even bigger problem. Extreme sand build-up, or shoaling, has plagued the port since then. To combat shoaling, several times each year the Army Corp of Engineers conducts dredging at the port. With allocations of between $250,000 and $500,000 for each dredging project, could this port remain viable without government subsidized dredging?

 

Despite its deep-water designation, shoaling makes Port Orford as difficult to navigate as any West Coast port with an ocean bar. In Port Orford, the Army Corp of Engineers and the State of Oregon have a beneficial role to play. Unlike other states in the West, cooperation between Oregon and the federal government promises a better day ahead. A study now underway could result in a safer harbor for those who risk their lives each day to catch and deliver our fresh seafood. In March of 2008, Governor Kulongoski designated the Port Orford Marine Economic Development project as an “Oregon Solutions Project”. The focus of this project seeks “to find a sustainable solution for the problem of shoaling” at Port Orford.

 

As I contemplate the dangers and discomforts associated with commercial fishing off the coast of Southern Oregon, I raise a glass and offer a toast to the captain and crew of Providence, as well as her sister ships at sea.

Email James McGillis 

By James McGillis at 07:12 PM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link

 

Two New Live Streaming Webcams in Simi Valley, California - 2010

 

We recently completed the installation of two new webcams, streaming from Simi Valley, California.

 

 
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Webcam Number One streams live from an RV storage lot in Simi Valley, California. The eight-acre storage and rental facility is located near the Simi Valley Animal Shelter. Two separate freeway off ramps provide easy access to and from Highway 118.

 

At at the storage yard, 33-foot wide aisles separate 400 well-marked parking spaces.

 

Our camera view includes the landscaped grounds and the 400-space storage facility. In the background, hills provide open space around the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Behind the ridge line stands one of two original Air Force One jet airplanes. One of two nearly identical airplanes served each American president from John Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. Now on featured display at the presidential library, this venerable four-engine Boeing 707 began its career in 1972. 

 

With our live streaming webcam facing southwest, you can expect to see some spectacular Ventura County, California sunsets views. Please join us often for a unique and refreshing view of Southern California at its finest.

 

To view the Simi RV webcam, streaming live from Simi Valley, California, click on the webcam image above, or click HERE.

 

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Webcam Number Two is a street view, Live from Casa Carrie in Simi Valley, California. The Camera faces east, towards the rising Sun. In keeping with the ancient Navajo tribal tradition, each morning we face east and share with you our first rays of morning light. Framing the view is a residential street in the Texas Tract at Simi Valley. In the background is Rocky Peak, which separates Los Angeles County from Ventura County.

 

 
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With webcams streaming live from California, Oregon and Utah, the Moab Live group of websites is now the largest provider of low cost, streaming webcams in the Western United States.

To view the Casa Carrie webcam, streaming live from Simi Valley, California, click on the webcam image above, or click HERE.

By James McGillis at 11:26 AM | Technology | Comments (0) | Link

 

Two New MoabLive.com Webcams - 2010

In October 2010, we completed a 3500 mile RV trip, including major stops in Port Orford, Oregon, and Moab, Utah. With almost 800 photographs to review, we will write here soon about our recent adventures in the Great American West.

While in Oregon, we completed work on a new live webcam at the Port of Port Orford. Here is the press release:

For Immediate Release - Moab Live and Port Orford Property Management & Vacation Rentals proudly announce their newest live webcam. Shooting east, from the commercial fishing dock in Port Orford, Oregon, the live webcam features beach activity and wave action along the rugged Oregon coast. As their general manager says, “If you are looking for a great Vacation Rental, Beach House, Cabin or Lodge in Port Orford, Elk River, Garrison Lake or Sixes, we have it! Port Orford Property Management & Vacation Rentals can serve all of your rental needs!”

 

 
Image refreshes every 3 seconds 

To view our live webcam from Port Orford, Oregon, click the webcam image above, or click HERE.

After our webcam success in Port Orford, we traveled east across Oregon, Idaho and on to Moab, Utah. There, we collaborated with Redtail Aviation to install another new webcam at their Canyonlands Field fixed base operation. Here is the press release:

For Immediate Release - Moab Live and Redtail Aviation are proud to announce their newest webcam, live from Canyonlands Field (the Moab airport) - 18 miles north of town on US Highway 191. The new webcam is great for viewing Great Lakes Airlines flight arrivals and other aircraft activities at the field. As an aid to both commercial and private pilots, the new Redtail Aviation webcam shows a north-facing weather view. Accessible from the air on any smart phone, Redtail pilots are already using the new webcam to check field conditions prior to arrival.

Since their founding in 1978, Redtail Aviation has specialized in scenic flight tours and charter flights throughout Southeastern Utah. For Your Safety - Redtail Aviation is an FAA Approved Carrier. All pilots are FAA certified and specially trained for Canyonlands flights. In respect for safety and visitor enjoyment, all flights maintain a minimum altitude of 2000 feet above sensitive areas and park lands.

 

 
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To view our live webcam from Redtail Aviation, Canyonlands field, Moab, Utah click the webcam image above, or click HERE.

We are making plans for another live webcam at the airport in nearby Green River, Utah. Check back soon to hear more about our trip and yet another exciting new webcam project.

By James McGillis at 05:24 PM | | Comments (0) | Link

Redwood National Park - and Beyond - 2010

 

Redwood National Park - and Beyond

Driving north on U.S. Highway 101 in Northwestern California, enticing road signs abound. See the “Trees of Mystery” in nearby Klamath, or divert to Old Highway 101 and experience the “Avenue of the Giants”. The Trees of Mystery is an ersatz tourist trap with an energy bridge to the land of Paul Bunyan. The oversized scene became complete when they installed an overhead tramway and a giant statue of Paul and Babe, the blue ox. On the other hand, the Avenue of the Giants is a real place featuring not much more than redwood trees.

 

In this case, the trees are Coastal Redwoods, indigenous to the Northern California Coast and nowhere else in the world. Most tourists who happen upon Humboldt Redwoods State Park do not realize that it is the largest contiguous old growth redwood forest in the world. Comprising 51,000 acres of redwood enclaves, interspersed with dry brush and bisected by the South Fork of the Eel River, this is a place of contrast.

 

Entering Avenue of the Giants from the south, one exits Highway 101 near Phillipsville. In order to enjoy the unique scenery of a Coastal Redwood forest the motorist has no choice but to slow down. If you try to speed-tour the redwoods, you will find yourself tailgating others who may wish to enjoy their redwood experience at a slower pace. Many motorists who I observed were unwilling to slow down, roll down their windows, and take even one deep breath. Many, it seems are unable or unwilling to enjoy unique scenery at a leisurely pace.

 

Many redwood trees are over one thousand years old. Most humans are less than one hundred years old. In order to bring one’s energy into alignment with that of a redwood forest, one must therefore slow down by a factor of ten. In order to let harried travelers pass you by, be prepared to pull aside often. The only alternative is to keep up the competitive racing game that most motorists play each day on the highways of America.

 

If you do elect to detour from The Redwood Highway, plan to stop early and often along the thirty-two mile Avenue of the Giants. Once you commit to traveling on The Avenue, if you race ahead, you will travel too fast to see the quiet alcoves and turnouts available to the slower, more discerning motorist. If it is your choice to speed, please do slow down where people are walking along the highway. Even as you try to speed-tour the redwoods, remember to respect your slower and more deliberate brethren. They are not lesser humans. Perhaps they have learned to take a deep breath and then enjoy nature in ways you may not.

 

If you do stop along the way, be prepared to be a magnet for others who do not know where to stop or how to enjoy a forest experience. As soon as possible, turn off your engine, unplug the ear buds from your iPhone and let the rear-seat DVD spin to a stop. Listen to the stillness and peace of the forest environment. Only then will you receive your invitation to enter the realm of the forest dweller, which all humans secretly crave. As early humans sought shelter under the canopy of the forest, they absorbed instinctual memories. Embedded in our human DNA, those instincts guide us back to these sacred spots.

 

We live in a world dominated by three dimensional time-space reality (3DTSR). Most people believe that 3DTSR is the only reality. Stopping long enough to let the fast-paced energies of the highway subside is a challenge for most tourists. Don’t we have to be somewhere soon? What will happen if we cannot make it to our next stop before dark? Should we stay and enjoy this unique forest experience or just “beat it” down the road? Although it feels unique to each individual, each motorist feels the same struggle. Each wants to enjoy the forest, but to do so quickly. The pressure is to absorb what we can and then move on down the highway.

 

When compared to our human lifespan, we know that redwoods are by nature eternal. If we do not take the time to see them now, we have the reassuring belief that they will be here next time we pass by, and the time after that, as well. If you do slow down and stop among the redwoods, you will see the last of a dying breed. We can measure their death in centuries, not days, weeks or months, yet die they must. What we see is both the largest intact tract of Old Growth Coastal Redwoods and a relict forest, isolated from others of its kind by miles of grasslands and chaparral. If we wish for this forest to thrive, we must stop and appreciate it at a pace befitting the redwood pace of life.

 

Over the years, vehicles have hit almost every large redwood that stands near The Avenue. Whether it was a Model-A Ford or a Maserati, the tree always won. The soft bark of a redwood acts like a shock absorber for the tree. Given that a coastal redwood can grow to enormous size and height, no high-powered sports car is going to uproot or topple one of these forest giants. In an earnest effort to protect the redwoods and errant motorists, reflective metal road markers demarcate almost every roadside tree.

 

In this redwood forest, one must accept his or her solitude in short stints. Seemingly, another SUV is always right around the corner, speeding toward your location. Vehicle speed is an indicator of the connectedness or disconnectedness its occupants currently feel. Why stop to smell the redwoods? From the flight deck of his or her luxo-cruiser, the speedy driver can experience it all in fast motion.

 

If not to experience the forest with one's own senses, why come to this ancient forest at all? Anything less than bodily entry into the forest is a synthetic experience. With more than a century of motion picture magic behind us, we accept almost any recorded video as part of our 3-D, time-space reality. Many 3-D IMAX movie houses are located in national parks, adjacent to museums or other natural wonders. In a redwood forest, those humans who retain their ancestral forest memories can help their unconscious counterparts to reclaim their own natural heritage.

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By James McGillis at 05:23 PM | Environment | Comments (0) | Link