Author: Linda Jo Martin

Linda Jo Martin founded Happy Camp News in 2001 and was editor until 2007. She moved from Happy Camp to Northern Idaho in 2013. She continues to work on this site behind the scenes as a webmaster and social media facilitator.

Second Annual River Run a Great Success

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Motorcycles at the 2002 River Run
Motorcycles – a welcome sight in River Park
for the Fourth of July Weekend in Happy Camp

by Linda Martin

Over 220 bikers and friends were welcomed to Happy Camp for the Second Annual River Run – also known as Rolling on the River 2002. According to organizers of the event, this represents a 100% increase in participation over the year before. Some of the bikers were return-participants from a year ago.

The River Run is a project of our local Chamber of Commerce. It is expected to grow yearly, eventually attracting thousands of participants each year during the Fourth of July weekend. Local businesses reported an increase in sales during the three day event, and the local motels and campgrounds were filled.

Besides the beautiful, rustic town of Happy Camp and the serenity of the Klamath National Forest, bikers came for the ride alongside the Klamath River on Highway 96 – one of the most scenic and remote routes in California.

Events included bike games: a balloon toss, slow races and more. Huge trophies with the River Run 2002 logo were given to the winners. Music on Friday evening was provided by Happy Camp’s Genuine Draft Band; a popular return performance from last year. The audience warmed up to them right away. Saturday night’s dance music was provided by The Good Medicine Band from Yreka.

The Clarridge Fiddlers came from Redding to entertain on Friday and Saturday afternoons. This amazing musical family, two teenagers and their mother, won the hearts of the crowd with their beautiful Celtic and country-western fiddling. [See separate article.]

The Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce met the following Wednesday to discuss suggestions for making the next River Run better than ever. With lessons learned from the prior years they expect that Rolling on the River 2003, July 4, 5, and 6, will be fun for everyone who comes.

Suggestions for next year’s River Run should be sent to the Chamber of Commerce

Motorcycle Rally

Disc Golf Coming Soon

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A phenomena sweeping the nation with flying objects identified as discs, will soon be a part of the Happy Camp recreation scene. Local resident, Louis Tiraterra, put together a committee to oversee the creation of our own nine-hole quality disc golf course, which will eventually be expanded to a full 18-hole course.The object of the game is to throw a disc from a tee pad into a basket on a pole. Though well-bred players use professional, weighted discs, anyone could choose to use a simple frisbee.

The game of disc throwing has been around in various forms and cultures from the beginning of history, but modern disc golf evolved from the frisbee craze of the sixties. The first disc golf course, opened in 1975 in Pasadena, California, started a nationwide expansion of the sport.

Ground breaking for the new course is expected to start on July 13, 2002. A dedication ceremony is planned for August 31, 2002, during the Bigfoot Jamboree. Besides Louis A. Tiraterra, President and Founder of the Association, additional committee members are Erik Haskel, Doug Goodwin, Don Voyles, Dennis Day, Charles Mayton, Mike Tiraterra, and Lou Tiraterra Senior. Donations to cover the cost of the project are now being accepted.

An Abbreviated History of Disc Golf

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Too Close for Comfort! (fire)

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Fire at Town Trail summit.
Fire threatened to consume the hill
just south of the Klamath River in Happy Camp.

by Linda Martin

A fire hovered on the hill overlooking Happy Camp late today and fire-fighting efforts started at about 5 pm. The town’s people took to the streets to keep an eye on this threatening sight.

By sunset firefighters had the blaze contained and at 11 pm about fifty people were still on the scene expecting to be there all night. A few hot spots still burned within the fire line.

Earlier in the evening, two helicopters poured a steady rain of Klamath River water on the blaze and a plane dumped fire retardant chemicals several times, cutting down the fire before it had a chance to consume the treetops.

The fire appeared at the terminus of the Town Trail. Possible causes are an abandoned cigarette, campfire out of control, or arson, although there is no official determination on this yet.

The Town Trail, a popular hike up steep terrain, ends with a view overlooking all of Happy Camp. By evening firefighters could be seen descending the steep hillside in a line, apparently holding onto a rope, and the sound of chainsaws filled the valley.

Frontier Lodge, and the fire
The Frontier Lodge with the fire in the background.

Fire on Town Trail
The fire was just about out by sunset and local
fire crews were on the scene but several small
areas continued to burn as late as 11 pm.

Forest Fires

UFO Sighting

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We received a report of UFO’s over Happy Camp on Wednesday evening, June 5. Did anyone else see anything? If so please let us know what you saw and when.

One person’s report is always interesting, but having more than one report makes it so much easier to believe. Any reports of UFO’s in the area are welcome. We would like to keep reports of the paranormal archived on this website.

UFOs

Vehicle Extrication

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Vehicle Extrication
Click here to see more photos

This looks like the scene of a terrible accident, but fortunately it is only practice. Ed Andrews, a Fire Captain from the City of Redding Fire Department taught this two-day vehicle extrication class through College of the Siskiyous, May 4 and 5.Firefighters and EMTs from Seiad Valley and Happy Camp learned the newest techniques for quickly securing and tearing apart cars at accident scenes. The class, which started at the Happy Camp Fire Department, soon moved to an area near the Lyons Club where Ron Boren had provided vehicles to practice on.

Using chains, jacks, cribbing and come-alongs, they learned to stabilize vehicles effectively in a variety of ways. Extrication of victims from vehicles at accident scenes requires a working knowledge of how vehicles are constructed and how they will react when cut, pounded on and torn apart.

A highlight of the weekend was using the Jaws of Life. Instructor Andrews had good suggestions during the entire weekend. As an experienced firefighter whose job now includes extensive teaching duties throughout California, he was able to demonstrate techniques and skills developed in cities with more demand for emergency services.

Aaron Martin at the class
Aaron Martin, 12, watched the vehicle extrication class from the hood of a nearby car.

Emergency Services ,

Renewal

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by Linda Martin

This was written for the April meeting of the Klamath River Writers. We were to bring something we had written about renewal.

“I don’t have time for renewal,” I told myself a million times in the last month. Nonetheless, springtime happened all around me. Flowers appeared and the buds of new fruit showed up on Manzanita and plum trees alike. The meadow outside my window turned green and eventually I took myself outside into all that beauty and found a comfortable spot for morning journal writing.

“No time for renewal,” I continued to protest, and yet my life was changing, reworking itself, morphing into something unlike anything I’d done before. I was swept up by the tide of my friends’ and neighbors’ enthusiasm and enrolled in a business class, then an EMT class — then… online… an Artists Way group, design group, and so much more.

My email program crashed this last week, ending my access to the last year of stored email, and though this seemed at the moment to be a disaster, in reality it was a blessing — I was forced to let go of the past and at the same time felt the joy of being released from it. An added bonus — my computer now runs better.

This email release started me over with a fresh, clean, new program, just like all good renewal does. Finally I went outside to the meadow, ready to write about renewal, and at that moment, the spring rain began to fall.

Editorials, Linda Martin
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