Ok. There are three posts all together. The picture must be the Tumble Creek Trail. It goes right up through the brush behind it. Starts as a little wash.

The one I thought it was is taller and leans if I remember right. And it is just a short distance from the side trail to the guard station.

The one for the Rho meadow trail is I believe at a right angle turn in the trail and in a flat.

D 2.

Either I forgot one, or we only saw two.  The second one is the one we took the wrong turn on - maybe that was the old 571?  That was the taller one (I didn't get a photo of it)  It was near the guard stations and it went SE along the edge of Rho Meadow.  It was definitely a trail - it had red painted blazes and was really straight, although rather difficult to follow.

Here is a map snippet that shows were the two posts were found:

Rho meadow was an interesting place to explore.  That whole flat area up there was kind of interesting.  It looks like there used to be other stuff up there as well - too many open areas, etc.  It was fun to explore.  It would be good to spend more time up there exploring.

Rob Williams said
His mining claim went way over near Rho Creek?

His mining claim went way over near Rho Creek?

No - I quoted that because it demonstrates that such monuments were commonly used by surveyors. Nowadays the just nail a piece of metal to a tree, in the older days they used what was available.

His claim was entirely in Pansy Basin, the next valley east of Bagby Hot Springs.

If those monuments were on junctions they may have been placed when and if the trails were surveyed. Otherwise they are just trail markers.

Those markers are trail junctions. It is true miners use similar markings, as I have on a gold claim I had in Baker Co. back in the 70's and 80's. Rob, it looks like from your GPS track that you were off trail and didn't go by Fadeaway Spring as the trail does.

Fadeaway spring I have always figured was mis mapped. That error sent me on some wild goose chases. There may be another spring over there but I never found one.

Rob, the Jim Meadow trail post was about near the "T" where you doubled back.

I never followed along the meadow far but it is good to know it can be done. Perhaps there is better visibility in Winter. That should lead out to the road or a cat track to the road.

D 2