Box #8
Ball Point 
Tygh Valley, OR
| Planter | Green Tortuga (owner)    |
|---|
| Planted | May 26, 2001 |
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| Name | | Last Found |
F-Summary |
Findability |
|---|
| 1. | Ball Point by Green Tortuga | active | May 11, 2012 | | challenging |
This hike takes you to the Badger Creek Wilderness on the east side of Mount Hood through pine-oak grassland where gnarled oaks grow everywhere. Then it leads up a barren ridge towards Ball Point with panoramic views of Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters before ducking into a more conventional forest of fir trees, bypassing Ball Point, then climbing again to a plateau meadow. During the spring you'll be able to admire fields of wildflowers along the way. I suspect it probably gets pretty darned hot here in the summer, so this might make a good spring or fall visit to get out of the rain on the west side of the Cascades. (This area is closed from mid-December to late March.)
Directions
If you're driving here from the west, take Highway 26 past Mt. Hood to a turnoff shortly after milepost 68. Following signs for Wamic, turn left onto paved Road 43 for 6 miles and turn right onto paved Road 48 for 15.2 miles. Then, following signs for Bonney Crossing Campground, turn left onto Road 4810 for 2.1 miles, veer right onto paved Road 4811 for 1.2 miles, and turn right onto Road 2710. Follow this narrow gravel road for 6.7 miles toward Tygh Valley before turning left onto paved Road 27 for 2.1 miles to a pullout and sign on the left for the School Canyon Trail.
If you're driving here from the east, take Highway 197 between Maupin and The Dalles to milepost 33, opposite the Tygh Valley Rodeo Grounds. Turn west onto Shadybrook Road for 1 mile, turn left onto Fairgrounds Road for 0.2 miles, and then turn right onto Badger Creek Road. After 6.4 miles on this gravel road, turn right onto paved Road 27 for 2.1 miles to the School Canyon Trailhead.
Clue
Follow the trail to the helispot viewpoint. Close to the helispot, another trail forks to the left. Go straight. In another hundred or two feet you'll see a sign pointing down to the the helispot. From the helispot, walk about 35 paces due north. The letterbox is hidden in the large stump (about 15 feet tall) you just walked into. =) The box is hidden behind some bark debris. Please be sure the bark covers the letterbox from view again before you leave.
Hike Length: 7.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1400 feet
