# Creator of Morrison Trail Blazer passes



## drew p (Jan 20, 2012)

We love our Morrison Trail Blazer we get to borrow from a local trail builder. Anyone else out there use one? I've built with a mini-ex and a ditchwitch w/ blade, and you can't beat the power to weight and flexibility this machine has. We have been using this in tandem with a ditchwitch w/ a bucket for situations where we need to move lots of dirt around with some great results.


















Jerry Eugene Morrison | MailTribune.com

Jerry Eugene Morrison, 80, passed away Monday, March 3, 2014 of heart failure during surgery in Medford, Ore. He was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time. He was born in The Dalles, Ore. May 7, 1933 to Mildred and Frank Morrison. He served in the U.S. Navy, with his father, during the Korean War and also traveled to Japan.

Jerry was a man of high integrity and creativity. He was the inventor of the Morrison Trailblazer, the Morrison Trail Paver, and a curbing machine. He was a Charter Member of the Professional Trail Builders Association during his 60 year career building trails in the Western United States. During his years building trails he completed much of the Pacific Crest Trail, Yosemite (Vernal Falls), Timpanoges National Cave Monument in Utah, McCloud River Club, Calif., Black Canyon National Trail, Ariz., The Trail of a Thousand Giants, Calif., and many, many, more trails - too numerous to mention here. Jerry did as Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested and blazed trails for all of us, Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

Jerry LOVED to golf and was a member at Centennial Golf Club in Medford, Ore. (and a member of The Group). He also read voraciously and loved to hunt for gold. More than anything he loved working and excelled at it, receiving an Honorary Lifetime Member Award from the Western Trailbuilders Association in 2004 and a Harvey Bell Annual Memorial Award for Outstanding Excellence in Trail Design and Construction in 2012. He worked till the end because he wanted to be like the one-horse Shay and drop dead in his tracks. (Direct quote from Morrison himself)

He met his beloved wife, Pamila A. Montgomery (as the result of a blind-date), while working on Lost Creek Trail in 1978. They were married on February 15, 1980 in Reno, Nev. and it was his fourth marriage and her third. He is survived by his wife, Pam; his daughter, Debbie Morrison of Oakridge, Ore.; his son, Shawn Morrison of Lebanon, Ore.; and his daughter, Tiffani Morrison of Ashland, Ore.; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his sister, Mavis Rogers of The Dalles, Ore.; and his dog, Cheienne.

The family would like to thank Doctors Kent Dauterman and Roger V. Hall for their compassionate care. Their kindness and care will long be remembered.

Jerry Morrison will be cremated and brought home to rest on Morrison's Mountain.

His Celebration of Life will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at Centennial Golf Course, 1900 N. Phoenix Rd. Medford, OR 97504. His daughter,

Tiffani, will be officiating. Questions may be directed to: Memory Gardens Memorial Park & Mortuary Medford OR. 541-773-7338. Welcome to Memory Gardens Mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Dogs For The Deaf, 10175 Wheeler Rd. Central Point, OR 97502. Dogs for the Deaf | 541-826-9220; or The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org(make a tribute gift) in Jerry's


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Drew, that makes the Demo Flow Trail another memorial to the great man and his machine! I knew it sis most of the PCT, but not all the other trails. Wow.


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## binrydin (3 mo ago)

I have a Morrison TrailBlazer in Brookings Oregon. I think it's # 267, a 1976 model. I am thinking about putting a Honda GX 690 engine in it as the Onan is really finicky. [email protected]


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