RED BUTTES WILDERNESS

In nature there are neither rewards or punishments; there are only consequences.
- Robert B. Ingersoll (1833 - 1899).

Red Buttes Wilderness, designated by Congress in 1984, is a land of craggy peaks, cold mountain streams and extensive stands of old-growth forests with occasional meadows and other openings.

Situated in both Oregon and California, Red Buttes Wilderness (20,230 acres) includes the jagged crest of the Siskiyou Mountains along the watershed divide between the Rogue River and Klamath River drainages. The wilderness is 13 miles long and six miles wide, with elevations ranging from about 2,800 feet above sea level in the Butte Fork Canyon to almost 6,740 feet at the east summit of the Red Buttes.

The main streams flowing through Red Buttes Wilderness are all part of the Rogue River watershed; they include the Butte Fork and the Middle Fork of the Applegate River, as well as Sucker Creek, a tributary of the Illinois River. Although it is shallow, Azalea Lake (about 20 acres in size) is the largest of several lakes and ponds that occupy the high elevation basins of the Wilderness.

The major lake basins often attract several groups of campers at one time, but the Wilderness contains thousands of acres of forest and rugged ridges where the visitor can seek and find solitude. The high points provide panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountain peaks, including Mt. Shasta to the southeast, Mt. McLoughlin to the northeast, and Preston Peak to the southwest.

Special Rules

Geology

Red Buttes Wilderness takes its name from the dominant peak along the Siskiyou Crest; because of its high iron and magnesium content, the Butte's rock weathers to reddish-orange color.

The Siskiyou Mountains are part of the larger "Klamath Mountains Province" of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California, and they include some of the oldest rocks in this region. The former ocean-bottom sediments that make up most of the Wilderness date to several hundred-million years ago; later they were slowly changed by pressure and heat into the complex variety of "metamorphic" rocks present today: schist, quartzite, gneiss, and several outcrops of white marble. The periodotite rocks that make up Red Buttes and Kangaroo Mountain probably originated as molten magma deposited on the floor of an ancient ocean.

After many centuries of uplift and erosion into a mountain range, quite recent changes to the landscape occurred during the Ice Age (between 1 million and 12,000 years ago) when small glaciers sculpted the basins that now contain lakes and meadows. The forces of nature continue to transform the face of the land: the massive Butte Fork Landslide, for example, is less than a century old.

Climate

Summers in the Red Buttes Wilderness tend to be warm and dry, while the cold, wet winters can produce a snowpack that lingers into June. Severe thunderstorms or unseasonably cool, wet weather are possible anytime between July and September. During particularly "droughty" summers, springs and creeks may dry up. Late summer through early fall is the usual fire season in Red Buttes. In 1987 lightning-caused fires spread north to create the Rattlesnake fire, which burned almost 750 acres in the Wilderness, on the south side of Butte Fork.

Wildlife

The Wilderness is home to a variety of animals. Blacktail deer are common; black bear, coyote, bobcat, and even an occasional mountain lion may be seen. A number of small mammals, particularly members of the rodent and weasel families, inhabit the area. Eagles, hawks, and falcons can be seen gliding along the air currents of the Siskiyou Crest. Goshawks and owls find the forest particularly suited to their needs; they live and hunt under the tree canopy. Probably the most common birds, however, are the Steller's jays and ravens, which can fill the air around camp with their raucous calls.

Vegetation

When it comes to describing the vegetation of Red Buttes Wilderness diversity is the key word. The Siskiyou Mountains are famous for their wide variety of trees and other plant species, some of them - like Brewer's spruce, Sadler oak, Siskiyou lewisia, and a number of "sclerophyllous" (hard-leaf) shrubs - are found only in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. Vegetative diversity has been maintained through time by periodic fires.

At the lowest elevations of the Wilderness, in Butte Fork Canyon, is found a magnificent old-growth forest of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, Douglas-fir and incense-cedar, with an understory of Pacific madrone, canyon live oak, and chinquapin. On the higher slopes are found white fir, Shasta red fir, and mountain hemlock; knobcone pine is common along some dry, rocky ridges. Perhaps the most distinctive vegetation community is that found on the peridotite/serpentinite outcrops, "desert-like" areas which support only widely scattered trees - Jeffrey pine, western white pine, and Brewer's spruce - but host a variety of smaller plant species that are adapted to these infertile soils.

History:

Beginning perhaps as early as 8,000 years ago, American Indian groups traveled and hunted along this portion of the Siskiyou Crest. By late prehistoric times (from about one thousand years ago up through the early eighteen hundreds), the Dakubetede Indians of the Applegate Valley used this area, probably sharing it on occasion with their neighbors the Shasta, the Karok, and the Takelma. They hunted not only deer but also bighorn sheep, elk, and grizzly bear that were found here before the coming of the white settlers. The short season of mild weather and the limited amount of food plants and game animals found in the rugged terrain probable discouraged Indian groups from remaining in this mountainous area except for short visits during the summer. A few arrowheads, scrapers, and other stone tools are about the only evidence that remains from several thousand years of human prehistory in the Red Buttes Wilderness.

The first non native people to visit the Red Buttes Wilderness came through during the Siskiyou Mountain gold rush in the early 1850s. Prospecting and small-scale mining along with trapping, hunting, livestock grazing and other seasonal uses, continued to bring local residents up into the Wilderness during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1920s-30s the Forest Service built trails and a few cabins in the remote area, and during World War II the Federal government constructed a narrow mining road from the Klamath River up to the chromite deposits on the south slope of the Red Buttes. Throughout history, the ruggedness of the area has severely limited the amount and kind of human activity that has occurred in the Red Buttes Wilderness.

Points of Historical Interest: The Red Buttes Wilderness contains evidence of use by previous visitors - from the stone tools of prehistoric Indians to 20th century cabins and shelters. These cultural resources are protected by law for public enjoyment and education; please do not remove, disturb, or destroy these gifts from the past.

Very few mining cabins remain in the Wilderness: "hermit" prospector John Knox McCloy's cabin (which uses living cedar trees for roof supports), built in the 1920s at Frog Pond, is one of them. The 1940's Kubli Cabin in upper Hello Canyon is now collapsed; it provided shelter to workers at the small chromite mine located on the east slope of Kangaroo Mountain.

Early-day Forest Service structures included the Butte Fork Toolhouse (built in the 1920s to store trail building equipment and supplies), Fir Glade Guard Station (built in about 1930 as a summer fire guard's cabin), and Sucker Creek shelter (an "Adirondack style" trail shelter, probably built by Civilian Conservation Corps crew in the 1930s). During the summer of 1945 a small, single-engine airplane went down in the Red Buttes Wilderness; a bronze plaque along the Butte Fork Trail marks the grave of three victims of the plane crash.

Planning Your Trip

Carry Protective Clothing and Shelter

Although the summers in Red Buttes Wilderness are usually mild, frosty mornings are common and cold, rainy weather is possible during any month of the year.

Thunderstorms are not uncommon along the Siskiyou Crest. They occur most often during late afternoon or evening hours. Avoid high points or exposed places during a lightning storm.

Warm dry clothing and a lightweight tent make any back-country trip more comfortable. They are a must for high elevation, wilderness travel.

During high winds, beware of falling limbs and trees; don't camp near snags.

Carry Water

Water may be scarce in some places, especially along the ridges. Be sure to carry enough water for your needs.

Warning

Only water from developed system at National Forest recreation sites is maintained safe to drink. Open water sources, such as those in Red Buttes Wilderness, are easily contaminated by human or animal waste (for example, Giardia can be present). Water from springs, lakes, ponds and streams should not be consumed without proper treatment. A recommended method of treatment is to bring water to a rolling boil for 5 minutes.

Be Aware

Mosquitoes and "noseeum" midges can be expected from snowmelt time in the early summer to the first cold nights of fall. Yellowjackets can be encountered anywhere in the forest, and they are particularly attracted by cooking scraps or food that is left uncovered. If you camp away from rotten logs, you shouldn't have problems with scorpions or spiders. But if you don't keep a clean camp, a black bear might make an unwelcome night time visit.

Check yourself for ticks after going through brushy areas. Rattlesnakes and poison oak both occur in the Wilderness, mainly in the lower elevations of the Butte Fork Canyon.

Be in Good Condition

A hiker in good condition will average a maximum of 10-15 miles per day. Those not used to hiking should not plan on more than 5 to 10 miles. Stock users should always be aware of the special needs of their animals when in a wilderness setting.

Hunting, Fishing, and Provisions

Don't plan to live off the land. Survival foods do not exist in abundance. Berries are seasonal. Fishing can be poor much of the season (depending on where you are going in the Wilderness, either an Oregon or a California fishing license is required). Hunting of game mammals and game birds also requires a State license. Shooting of most non-game animals (for example, hawks or songbirds) is illegal and it destroys what others value.

There are no stores, gas stations, or other commercial services in the vicinity of the Wilderness closer than Ruch/McKee Bridge on the north, the Klamath River Highway on the south, and the Cave Junction area on the west. Side trips to these places are impractical unless you have a vehicle at the trailhead. Horse feed is scarce in Red Buttes and the few meadows are easily damaged by over-grazing; carry grain or pellitized feed for livestock.

Dogs, Guns, and Noise

Dogs can cause problems with wildlife, pack-and-saddle stock and other dogs, and they may be annoying or threatening to other visitors. Because of these potential conflicts - and because the dry, rocky trails of the area can be hard on a pet - considerate visitors leave their dogs at home. If you must bring you dog with you, please keep it on a leash and under control at all times.

Gunfire is prohibited close to trails and camping areas or across lakes. Although target practice can be appropriate elsewhere on National Forest land, target shooting or the use of loud radios and other audio devices inside the Wilderness intrudes on the experience of other visitors.

Campfires and Cooking

In the traditionally popular camping areas, you should expect that the ground has been picked clean of suitable wood for campfires. For this reason visitors should carry a small "backpack" cookstove that uses alcohol, propane, or white gas. If you must build a campfire, use only dead-and-down wood for fuel. In the California portion of the Wilderness a State campfire permit is required between May 1 and October 31 (available free at the Oak Knoll and Applegate Ranger District offices).

Finding Your Way

Signs are kept to a minimum inside the Wilderness; generally they give destinations at trail junctions but provide little other information. To help keep yourself oriented, bring along a copy of the Red Buttes Wilderness map or a Ranger District topographic map which can be purchased at local Forest Service offices. If you should become lost in the Red Buttes Wilderness, travelling downhill or downstream along watercourses will eventually bring you to a trail or road.

Emergency Considerations

There are not established search and rescue organizations in the vicinity. Forest Service patrols may be encountered anywhere in the area, but they cannot be located at any fixed stations.

It makes good sense to bring a small "survival kit" on any back-country trip. Important items would include: map, compass, flashlight, waterproof matches or lighter, candle or fuel tablets, first aid kit, pocket knife, and a whistle (series of three blasts signifies "help").

Caring for Red Buttes

Like many pristine areas, the Red Buttes Wilderness is endangered by concentrated use in a few popular spots. The fragile high-country vegetation can be quickly worn away, yet it can take generations to come back.

Trees and snags are chopped on, scarred, and burned for firewood. The loss of ground cover vegetation is very noticeable at some campsites. Dust, charcoal, fire blackened stones, and litter can accumulate at the heavily used places.

The solution to the problem depends on each of us. It will take a little extra effort, but we must improve our camping habits so as to preserve the special qualities that bring us the Wilderness. Here are a few basic principles to follow:

Trail Tips

• Short cutting of switchbacks causes erosion; stay on the trail. Travel single file in the center of the trail.
• Hikers: You should yield the right-of-way to pack or saddle animals. Step off the trail a safe distance and quietly allow the animals to pass.
• If you travel cross country, stay to the rocky or timbered areas and avoid moist meadows or other places where your footprints could create a new trail.
• Red Butte's unique botanical resources are appreciated by all visitors; don't pick the flowers or collect plants.

Campsites

• The choice of campsite is the most important decision you will make in Red Buttes. Pick a spot that is out of sight of trails or other camps, that can stand the use and treat it well during your stay.
• Meadows, lakeshores, and streamsides are easily disturbed. Make camp on level ground away from these fragile areas, and restrict your impact to as small a site as possible.
• Use portable stoves for cooking. If a fire is really necessary, keep it small. (Big "all-night" campfires have been traditional with American campers for generations, but in the high elevation forest, they can consume far more firewood than is produced each year.)
• If you must build a new fire-ring, disassemble it and scatter the ashes before you break camp.
• Be easy with the trees...never chop or saw on standing trees, snags or even down logs that are larger in diameter than you arm (larger snags and logs are often home for wildlife).

Group Size and Solitude

• The Wilderness is meant to be enjoyed by small groups; large parties of visitors should seek their recreation elsewhere.
• Red Buttes has a group size limit of 8 people.
• You will encounter fewer people if you visit the Wilderness during mid-week or during the "off-season" period.

The Tannen Lakes basin is a popular destination. The small lakes are a short hike from a road. If you're seeking a wilderness campsite out of sight and sound of other groups, you may want to head for a different spot.

Pack and Saddle Stock

• Pack trips into the Wilderness require the utmost preparation and attention. Stock can have long lasting impacts on fragile soils and vegetation. By meeting the challenges of skillful horsemanship, you can minimize these impacts and ensure continued enjoyment of the area.
• In the Wilderness, the maximum number of pack or saddle animals allowed in a group is 12.
• Confine your stock at least 200 feet from lakes, ponds, trails, or other group's camping areas, and at least 50 feet from springs. Don't build pole corrals (rope corrals or portable electric fences are permitted). Avoid tying your animals directly to trees; instead tether stock to a highline strung between two trees in an area where ground cover vegetation will not be damaged.
• Forage for stock is quite limited within the Wilderness, and grazing before August can crop the plants before they go to seed, lessening the amount of forage available the next year. Pack in food for you animals, either processing grain or pellets (nosebags will lessen the waste). Do not use hay or unprocessed grain (which can introduce noxious weeds and non-native species to the area).
• If you graze your animals, don't picket them; use hobbles instead and designate someone to keep an eye on the animals for an hour or two while they graze.
• Break up and scatter manure before you leave camp; fill in any pawed holes. Try to return the site to its natural state.

Wilderness Visitor Information

• You may encounter wilderness rangers during your visit. Their duties include trail maintenance, campsite rehabilitation, as well as public information and education.
• The Forest Service gathers information from wilderness visitors to monitor use, set work priorities, and plan for future management of the Wilderness. Please help us in this effort by voluntarily completing a visitor registration card available at major trailheads.
• Be sure to check the trailhead bulletin board for current rules and other information pertaining to the Red Buttes Wilderness. The complete management regulations enforced in the area may be reviewed at the Forest Supervisor or District Ranger offices.