MTFCA Forum

I still have still not found any other old car owners in Klamath Falls area but that has not stopped me from having little tours of my own. A couple of weekends ago I set out to circumnavigate Stukel Mountain by Model T. Stukel towers some 2000' above the Klamath Basin floor and can be seen anywhere in the area. The picture was taken from my front yard. There are many antennas on the summit and a TV camera that covers the entire area.

Driving around the mountain in a T has probably not been done in many years and it seemed a worthy goal. The weather was in the 60s and the '23 Runabout was running very sweetly as I set off by country roads toward Bonanza to the east then cut south on a smooth two lane highway. The area is ranches & farms with cattle, horses, sheep, llamas & goats along with much wildlife. There is a grade to climb over the eastern ridge in back of Stukel which the T climbed in high gear.

I was looking for a road to carry me across the south end of the Mountain and branched off several times without finding the path I was looking for. I had my mobile phone attached to a charger rigged several years ago but on this day it wasn't charging and the speedo app was draining the battery pretty quickly. I stopped and disconnected it then and that ended picture taking opportunities as I thought it might be needed if something happened.

After wandering around some I found the main highway between Merrill & Malin and followed it south east into Malin just at the CA border. This is a wonderful little farming town with a small historic downtown that suited the Model T. There was a little gas station that is probably from the Model T era and it seemed a great place to stop & stretch the legs and shoot a couple of snaps.

The trip back was through Merrill on the main highway then north again on pleasant country roads. The car ran so well it seemed like it could go on forever. The sun was warm with a cool breeze. Back at the barn it was time for a couple of beers. We, the T & I, had done something fun today. With the phone battery killing the speedo app I can only guess at the mileage and from looking over the map but it was likely around 80 miles.

Paul

Enjoyed your very descriptive story. Thanks for telling it to us. There’s a frequent poster on this Forum in Medford with a considerable number of very old autos.

What you described embodies the spirit of what it means to own a Model T. To set out on an adventure in a machine that may present you with challenges is something we can all appreciate. Thanks for sharing!

There are a number of Model Ts in the Medford area and they have both a T & an A club in the area. It would be a trailer job for me to join them. I hope to do so later this year or possibly next year.

The Stukel Mountain trip was a wonderful adventure. I like to start out with a goal in mind but with enough time (and gas) on hand to try uncharted roads as I find them. Last weekend I headed off in the Runabout to a local gun store to pickup a pistol that had been special ordered. After that mission was accomplished I headed north through town with the idea of having a look at the south end of Upper Klamath Lake. This is a HUGE body of water and home to hundreds of species of birds. The southern shore is populated with a mixture of small farms, modest homes & even opulent mansions. In some ways it reminds me of the coast highway in Orange County, CA but without the surfers, bikini girls & bumper to bumper traffic.

What can be seen is spectacular. The lake itself extends into the distance to the north toward Crater Lake. To the west are the snow covered Cascade Mountains and to the east more lakeshore buildings backed by the next range of hills. The road I was on is called Lakeshore Drive and once you are out of town proper there is not a single traffic signal or stop sign. The road is twisty but very smooth with very little traffic. I just puttered along enjoying the drive.

After an hour or so I called an early halt to the fun as I didn't want to get too far out in the bush. I had forgotten to bring both my glasses & the mobile phone!

I have an even larger trip in mind. I would like to go all the way around Upper Klamath Lake and Agency Lake to Fort Klamath to see the Civil War reenactors then home by the western side completely circumnavigating both lakes. This will be a very long drive and require an early start.

Great story, looked like a great tour, and I loved that little old decaying gas station. One can just imagine the visible pumps
in the place of those ugly "old" pumps that are there now. Too bad whoever owns it is letting it go to rot and ruin. Such a shame. Good that you took pictures of it.