January February 2018

22 Vol. 41, No. 1 The Oregon Surveyo r | Answer Little Crater Lake is one of my favorite spots in Oregon and is hidden away just east of the Pacific Crest Trail and approximately one half mile north of the very popular and much larger Timothy Lake. Spring fed and approxi- mately 1/4 acre in size, the lake is a beautiful blue and crystal clear. If you are thinking of swimming you might think again because the springs feed- ing the lake maintain it at a constant 34 degrees. The lake is 45 feet deep at its deepest point. Little Crater Lake is quite unique and is a beautiful stop- ping place on the trail or you can drive to it as well. This fragile ecosystem is really showing the abuse of careless visitors, so if you visit this tiny gem of Oregon be sure to stay on the trail and don’t cause further damage to the vegetation around the lake. To get there from Highway 26, follow National Forest Road 42 south towards Timothy Lake and then National Forest Road 58 west to the Little Crater Lake Campground. From the parking area and campground just follow the paved Little Crater Lake Trail #500 a short distance from the parking area. Don’t forget your Northwest Forest Pass or have money to pay the day use fee. Also nearby and just off the Pacific Crest Trail is the south one quarter corner of Section 11, T 5 S, R 8 1/2 East which was set in 1922 and recently found by Dave Wellman, PLS. Dave’s discovery led to the inspiration for this issue of the Lost Surveyor. At just two miles wide and perched on the crest of the Cascade Range, surveying in Range 8 1/2 East has a few unusual items that we don’t often encounter in the flat lands of Oregon. For instance, note that the lotting of the original plat is on the east side of the range rather than the west. Lots in Sections 1 and 2 include the two tiers of lots. Also nota- ble on the original plat, if you’ve been keeping up with the Lost Surveyor, is that the south boundary of this township was surveyed by Henry Meldrum ( Lost Surveyor, Vol 40 No. 5–September-October 2017 ) in 1892. Other popular destinations in Oregon which fall in this narrow Range include Trillium Lake, portions of Multorpor Ski Area (Ski Bowl) and Government Camp. Government Camp falls in T3S, R 8 1/2 East where Range 8 1/2 East shrinks to 1.5 miles wide. The range is still two sections wide in this area, however, the eastern section is a standard mile and the entire western sec- tion is only one half mile wide. I have surveyed in one of the half mile wide sections of Range 8 1/2 East and it makes you sit and think to make sure you are doing things right. I was very happy to have some shiny brass discs that were previously accepted to be able to start my survey with. Thanks to Dave Wellman for his contributions to this issue and for bringing the idea forward.  x The Lost Surveyor