Field trips 2.0

[BigTreeWalker]

Looks like my place over in Okanogan. A lot of new green brush growing. Looked like a jungle in my drive into the canyon. 

 

So the old phones were basically a one way at a time system just like telegraph. 

Edited June 27, 2019 by BigTreeWalker
Added pics

[norseman]

https://www.antiquetelephonehistory.com/telworks.php

 

I think they ran a bundle of wires depending on the need from town to town. And individual wires to whomever had a phone. 

 

My mom has a old phone in her house. I believe you picked up the ear piece and rang the operator with the crank. She would pick up and ask you who you were trying to get ahold of. If it was a family in your town she would patch you into their line. If it was New York she would patch you into that operator and so forth.

 

But as young as Iam I was raised on a party line. With about 7 families on one line. When my dad was expecting an important phone call and the neighbor girls were yakety yakking on the phone for too long. Dad would get abusive with that old rotary phone, beating the handset on the pedestal.

Edited June 28, 2019 by norseman

[norseman]

 

[BC witness]

In North-Central BC, I've come across sections of the old San Francisco/Moscow telegraph line, that was started in the 1890s, but never finished due to the invention of the wireless radio system. The heavy bare copper wire and  ceramic insulators still show up in places, though most of the poles are long since rotted away in the wet climate. Could your find have been part of that?

[MIB]

I doubt it.   Wouldn't think they'd run it up the spine of the Cascades.   We know they used them for the fire lookouts in the area which used to be a lot more plentiful than they are.  That's the simplest and most logical explanation.

[Incorrigible1]

Town of 450 population, mid-60s 100 miles west of Omaha. We had a four-digit telephone number (which became my pin-number as an adult, natch.)

 

We could call locally without operator assistance, but had to dial "O" for anything long-distance.

Edited June 28, 2019 by Incorrigible1

[Kiwakwe]

We spent the last two weekends up in the Book Cliffs area of UT. First, followed what was basically an atv trail  back into a tight canyon and camped just off the wash. Water still streaming down and lots of flowers blooming. Interestingly, while here for but 24hrs or so, the only wildlife seen or heard, with the exception of a lone chickadee settling in for the night was a curious diminutive owl (That I'm guessing was a Saw-whet, it didn't have the long tail of the pygmy) who flew over into a fir nearby and peered directly down at us from its 15' high perch. Not a raven nor crow, even the insects were quiet.  We did come across older deer tracks along the wash but that's it.  Odd with all the water and fresh vegetation methinks but I guess it's everywhere up there now and it's quite an expanse of space. 

 

Getting off the pavement at about 9500' into here:

 

Down through this canyon:

To camp here for a very quiet night.

We hiked up canyon for a mile or so, came back to cook up some grub then back out as darkness fell to go about a mile up towards the "rim" On our return we encountered the owl (Which of course are not what they seem!)

Next day we hiked up canyon to a fork about 2.5 miles from camp, no tracks of any discernible sort and other than a patch of greasewood with a few cicadas, it was quiet.

 

Then out:

[hiflier]

Unbelievably beautiful country isn't it. Eons of wind and rain can make for some stunning natural architecture. How's the BFmobile holding up?

[Kiwakwe]

Hey hiflier,

It sure is! Hope you're doing well.

BFmobile had its passenger side slider window knocked out by a tree and i also managed to rip off a rear wheel arch down in a mogul gulley this past weekend. It was pretty sketch weatherwise in the Book Cliffs, can get awfully slick when it rains a bit.  I'll post up a blurb soon.

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by Kiwakwe

[norseman]

17 minutes ago, Kiwakwe said:

Hey hiflier,

It sure is! Hope you're doing well.

BFmobile had its passenger side slider window knocked out by a tree and i also managed to rip off a rear wheel arch down in a mogul gulley this past weekend. It was pretty sketch weatherwise in the Book Cliffs, can get awfully slick when it rains a bit.  I'll post up a blurb soon.

 

 

It looks like a cross between Arizona and Washington. Dry washes and buttes mixed in with evergreens.

[Kiwakwe]

6 minutes ago, norseman said:

 

It looks like a cross between Arizona and Washington. Dry washes and buttes mixed in with evergreens.

I bet, I've yet to get to WA but I can imagine. I'm continually amazed by the variation in the UT landscape.

[BC witness]

I got out for Sat., Sun., and this morning, camping with a research buddy in a limited access mountain valley less than an hour from my home. Back in April, our campsite there was visited by a Cougar, but all we got in the area this time was a low growl, from the underbrush about 500yds down a trail from the tent at dusk, probably a black bear, as there are lots back in there. After dark, both Sat and Sun night there were a couple of canine type barks that didn't sound like coyote. I saw 1 grouse, young and skinny, a turkey vulture in flight from a vantage point above him, which was great to watch, a nice big raven near our camp, which I only spotted once, but heard often, as well as hearing a barred owl's distinctive call, and another owl with a plain "whoo, whoo" call. Several deadfalls in the nearby timber caught our attention on Sun evening, too.

 

Just being out there for the long weekend, in perfect weather, washed away several weeks of stress and tension.

 

 

[hiflier]

6 hours ago, BC witness said:

Just being out there for the long weekend, in perfect weather, washed away several weeks of stress and tension.

 

And that's the point. There's the chief reason right there. My spouse and I are going for ten days this month starting on the 9th. Can't wait. We'll be right on the Coast about 5 hrs. North of us. It's one of out favorite haunts.

[Kiwakwe]

Looks beautiful out there BCwitness! Thanks for the rundown.

[BC witness]

Thanks, Kiwakwe, I enjoyed your report and pictures very much, as well. There is some similar scenery in parts of BC, in the Okanogan Valley and Cariboo regions, but they are far enough from me that weekend visits aren't really practical.