It was a cold day at Soda Fork Rd. We had been light on rain this past week, and I took advantage of that to continue the seam search at the Lee Site. Checking the forecast, it was 28 in Sweet Home when I left home. On the drive east on US20 I formulated my search plan. I wanted to take the seam I searched on 9 November 2024 and expand its perimeter.
I started seeing black ice right at the bridge over the South Fork of the Santiam, well past Cascadia. Red lava gravel from ODOT’s upper Cascade gravel pits was spread along the road, adding traction. The “Caution: Log Trucks” sign was missing from the side of the highway as I turned onto Soda Fork Rd.
It was 33 degrees when I reached the landing, and frost encased the leaf litter. The faint crunch of frozen leaves, grass and ground cover followed my footsteps into the forest.
I started grid searching on the upper lip of the depression I searched last time. I searched up hill in adjacent lanes, probably about 75 feet or so from the starting point before starting the next lane.
Despite the relatively dry weather the week prior, the ground cover was thoroughly wet, and my fingertips were numb after about 45 minutes. I pulled debris from several small animal burrows, pulled ferns back, going to the ground under them. I rolled several old logs over, going through the earth underneath them.
I was able to work for about 2.5 hours before my hands crab-clawed from the cold and I lost dexterity in them. I had expanded the area searched within the seam, and covered the amount of ground I planned on.
This is my last search until spring. The amount of time I can safely work in these conditions is fairly short, and I can cover more ground per day in better weather. My plan for 2025 is to complete the rope assisted search of the slope to the creek, expanding the area searched from the yellow track northwards. After I have completed this landing, I’ll start on the 3rd landing, long abandoned, to the west of this one. I should also be able to start the thorough searches of the Grissom related sites.
The Search for Karen Jean Lee and Rodney L. Grissom 