Where the pavement ends

It's not as clear in this picture as it was when I drove off it, but where the pavement turns a very subtly lighter gray - that's where the pavement ends and the gravel begins.

Normally gravel roads don't bother me a bit, but when I venture into the wilderness of the Umpqua National Forest east of GroveAtopia, I know I need to be aware.

The forest there is wild, pristine and untamed.  The rivers and creeks are so clear it is frightening.  Water just isn't that invisible.  How can the fish possibly hide?

There are roads there too.  Lots of them.  Thanks to logging operations that have been taking place in the forest for decades.  They are identified primarily by number.  You can see this is national forest road 2213.  It shows up as NF2213 on a map.

The other day my companion, who loves a good road trip, and I set off to seek the route between GroveAtopia and Steamboat.  Steamboat is along the Umpqua River and normally you get there by going through Roseburg.  But that way, while beautiful, takes several hours.  

My friend who works for the forest service told me you can drive from GroveAtopia to Steamboat in less time if you take the national forest roads.  He said it was only 50 miles and was paved all the way.

So when we set out to find the route the other day, we thought we had it straight: take NF 22 to NF 38 to Oregon Route 138.  End up in Steamboat.

But it wasn't that simple.  We followed the road until we found a sign that told us to take 2213 to Roseburg.  So we did.  And Oh My.

I should have known something wasn't right as soon as the pavement ended.  My friend had said it was paved all the way, yet here we were bouncing and crunching along a gravel road.  It was in pretty good shape, or so it seemed so we rattled on.   

Next came NF 5850 and another sign pointing us to Route 138 and Roseburg.  Thinking we were getting closer we were dismayed to find we were still 27 miles from Route 138.  But we persevered.   Until we came to a road hazard.

Now road hazards on national forest backroads are not your typical road hazards.  A typical road hazard might be something spilled on the road, or an unusual bump or rough spot.

Road hazards on national forest roads can mean you have to turn around and go back.  That's what happened to us.

First there was the washout that left half the already narrow road gone.  We gingerly drove our way through hugging the hillside.  Whew!  We made it.  I hoped we never had to go through that again.

Next came a rock slide.  The rocks were blocking the road but someone had made a path through the rocks.  My navigator coaxed me through.  Whew again.

Finally, we came upon another rock slide.  This one left big boulders in the middle of the road.  We summoned up our nerve, my navigator got out and directed me through the only path through the hazard.  

But wait!  There was no way we could squeeze past that one rock.  The car just could not slither around it and we could not move it.  All we could do was go back.  

And face the previous road hazards again.

First there was the tricky matter of getting out of our current predicament.  Expert guidance from my navigator helped me turn around.  We eased our way back through the wash out and the other rock slide and happily started back.

Then we came to a fork in the road.  Which way had we come?  We didn't know!   We were a bit unnerved by the road hazards, and now we might be lost.

I know this is getting long but I must take a moment to remind you that these roads are rough, and poorly marked.  They snake all over the forest, and only those with the best maps can find their way through the maze.

We started up the road we thought was the one we'd taken.  But it was overgrown and we didn't remember swerving around that tree.  So we went back and took the other road.

Yes this was it.  We rumbled and crunched our way back down the road we'd taken, defeated and shaken.  We did not find the way to Steamboat.

But we are determined.  We think we have the correct route now.  And you can bet we will try it again.  

The NF roads of GroveAtopia are not to be underestimated.  They are wild, rugged and remote.  You could get lost back there and it would be awhile before someone found you.  

So if you go, take them seriously.  Stop by the ranger station and get a good map.  Talk to them about which roads are blocked and which are clear.  Take water and food.

And then go.  Go and take a drive on GroveAtopia's national forest roads.  It will be a drive unlike any you have taken.   Maybe I will even see you there.