Elk Lake Guard Station & Devil’s Pass Rock Art
Leader Elk Lake Guard Station: Paul Claeyssens 1.5 hour tour
Leader Devil’s Pass Rock Art: Susan Gray 1.5 hour tour
ELK LAKE GUARD STATION
The historic Elk Lake Guard Station, located along the Cascade Lakes Hwy at the northern entrance to the Elk Lake Loop Road, represents the early history of forest administration, fire protection and recreation in the area. The Guard Station was constructed in 1929, restored again in the mid-1990s and finally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. For over a decade the Elk Lake Guard Station has served as an information and interpretive center, with volunteers through the Passport in Time program during the summer months, that is until 2020 due to COVID-19; it remains closed to the public in 2021 as well. Visitors learn and experience what a typical forest guard station looked like and was equipped with, such as telephone and radio communications, kitchen and living quarters, etc. Come join us for a journey into the recent past!
Paul Claeyssens served as an archaeologist throughout the west, but primarily in Oregon, Washington, and California, for most of his 37-year career with the US Forest Service. Paul was instrumental in the formation of ASCO in the mid-1990s.
DEVIL’S PASS ROCK ART
Participants will experience a stunning rock art locale amongst rhyolite/dacite lava boulders along Century Drive just before Devil’s Lake. These pictographs have been described from the earliest days of Central Oregon exploration and Bend settlement. The volcanic history of the area will be addressed as well as the road construction history leading up to the moraine lakes that we know so well.
There are two venues, the tumble-down boulder area up top next to the highway where most of the pictographs are located, and then down the slope into Devil’s Garden where almost all of the graffiti images were carved by early visitors while the road was still directed through the meadow. Any participants who do not wish to go down into the meadow are welcome to bring folding chairs and stay in the shade up top. The view from up there is gorgeous.
Susan Gray is a former steward of the Devil’s Pass rock art site, was part of the team that recorded the site for the Forest Service in 2004, and has a long history with ASCO.
Coordinator: Bob Timmer bobtimmer@yahoo.com
Limited to 20 Total Participants in two groups of 10 alternating between sites.
Initial Meeting Location: Forest Service Welcoming Center parking lot. (center is closed.)
Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway mile post 7+.
Will caravan with leaders to initial sites.
Registration by email begins Tuesday June 8th at 8:AM and ends Wednesday June 16 at 5PM
Please, no early birds.
Sent your registration request to Bob Timmer: bobtimmer@yahoo.com
Please include your name(s), email and phone number
Itinerary
8:45 meet at Forest Service Welcome Center
Check-in and collect waivers by coordinator
Quick overview of the plan for the day
Participants divided into two groups, one for Devil's Pass and one for Elk Lake Guard Station
9:00 All depart
9:45 Arrive at each destination
1 1/2 hour presentation
11:15 groups drive to other destination
11:45 Arrive at other destination
1 1/2 hour presentation
1:15 field trip adjourned and folks released at each site
