TAGUE’S BUTTE

SOUTH ABERT RIM BOWL, FOREST SERVICE

 

Soarable:  Yes, R/T, excellent X-C potential, especially N along the 22 mi., 2,500’ AGL rim, in the usual SW winds.  Also spectacular ridge soaring and out and returns. Very powerful thermals created by/in bowl and rim can blow out in the p.m.  See Landing and Protocol.                      

 

Location: 17.5 mi. N-NE of Lakeview, 4.5 mi. S-SW of Valley Falls (  Hwys 395  31); Sec. 22, T. 36 S., R. 21 E.; 42’25’54”N, 120’13’29” W.   

 

Access: About   20 mi. of paved and 2,5 mi. of gravel F.S. road off l40.                                                

 

Route: Take U.S. 395, 5 miles N from Lakeview, turn right on U.S. l40, go E . past Warner Canyon Ski  Area and down onto the Camas Prairie flats.  At the gravel pit and red building with tin roof and outhouse at mp 8.1, turn left (N) onto  F.S. Road 3615 at the Honey Cr. L6 mi. and 3615 signs.  Continue N on 3615, paved,  past Bull Prairie, Mud Creek Campground, Aspen Cabin, N. Warner Viewpoint (mp 13, toilet), and White Pine Marsh. Past the N end of White Pine Marsh and mp 21, turn left onto 1st “032” loop road and go about 0.8mi. W out to the rim edge.  Take  the new  spur road left off the loop, through  a gate and down about 0.5mi. to the  back of the new  6,534’ “Tague’s Butte” knob.

 

 

Launches:  6,520’ MSL, l,800” AGL, a steep W- NW and 2 S-SW moderate sloped hillsides, sheltered setup on top and behind knob.  The RVHGA made a new S-SW launch clearing in early l99l below the knob top.  The original lower S-SW “bowl” can be very turbulent in S winds.

 

Landing:  Very good X-C site, sled runs NW 2mi. to just N of Simms Ranch, W side of dirt access road from Valley  Falls, 4,700’, 5.5:1 +.  WARNING;  Do not land on either side of 395 S of the W dirt road l.3 mi. S of Valley Falls or E of the Simms Ranch access road in the E-W stripped fields at the N end of the access road where it turns S to Simms Ranch.  Hostile, armed landowners own theme and do not want hang gliding there.  They will try to prosecute.  The Simms Family is very favorable to hang gliding.  Thank them.    

 

 

 

Protocol:  Unregulated, USHGA H4 with Turb. recommended, very strong turb. and wind  in afternoon. Can be great late afternoon glass-offs.  The W-NW launch is steep, clean, and good  for first Tague’s. 

 

Camping:  Mud Creek Forest Service Campground has 7 nice, free  sites with drinking water and restrooms.

 

 

Records:  23+ mi. probably. Several flights N along the l9+ mi. Abert Rim have been made. How about a  73+ mi. flight NE  to Frenchglen ?

 

Maps:  USGS 7.5- min. (l” = 2,000’) Little Honey Creek for launch and Valley Falls for Simms Ranch, both l968; Klamath Falls NK l0-6 l:250,000 (l/4” = l mi.) l970, (good for all Lakeview sites except Sugar Hill and Doherty); and Fremont National Forest, OR, (l/2”=l mi.), l976, (great for roads) U.S. Forest Service, Lakeview Ranger District, HC 64, Box 60, Lakeview, Or. 97630, 947-3334.    

 

Nearby Sites:  See Black Cap, and Doherty Slide. he N-facing  Hadley Butte and E-facing Winter Ridge/Summer Lake is NW of here.

 

 

Misc.:  This is a new l990 Lakeview site and  the result  of the Lakeview Fremont National Forest work to improve hang gliding in the area.  It was named  after Lakeview District Ranger M. Joe Tague by the RVHGA Lakeview Committee in honor of his leadership.