Thoeles 1960 Journal p.31 July 22 (car 4) High Rock Ranch & Willow Creek Valley, Lassen Co., Calif. cup ruins until about 11:30 A.M. Talked to the man who runs the ranch here, Mr. Hooks. We asked him where Ft. Sage was. He told us it was a rock entrenchment on the highest part of the Ft. Sage Mtns. where a group of troops had held off an Indian attack. We questioned him about the cattle on the ranch. He told us that cattle were run here only in late winter at calving time. Now they were up in the mtns, the Shickadelix Range NW of here, but he felt they go into Honeylake Valley then out here. After lunch we packed up and left about 1 P.M. stopped in Litchfield for gas, then at Sissonville for groceries and to get the latch on the rear door of the truck fixed. We left Sissonville about 4:30 P.M. taking Rt. 129 up into the Willow Creek Valley. We drove to the east end of the valley to the Baron Oaks Ranch to inquire about pocket gophers. We spoke to the foreman but he could not help us. However we learned from him that much of the valley floor is flooded in the spring. Therefore much of the green hay fields here may be too wet for gophers this being the reason for their apparent lack here. The foreman told us of an alfalfa field on another ranch a couple of miles south of here. We drove to it but still no gophers. We continued up the road past the alfalfa to the Merrer Ranch and were told that we might stay here and trap gophers. The two Merrer brothers told