Refresh for me exactly where the Joseph property is located. For some reason I have been thinking that it was down river from Weitchpec of State Route 169. In that case Joseph would have driven into the river canyon off 96 not 299. 299 goes from 101 to Willow Creek (and then on to Redding). But 299 does not follow the Trinity or Klamath river canyon until east of Willow Creek on 299. At the T with 299 that is the start (or end) of 96, the highway follows the Trinity River to the Hoopa Valley then goes into even deeper and steeper river canyon, "Hoopa Bluffs" to Weitchpec where the Trinity enters the Klamath. Route 169 follows the Klamath but no as dramatic of canyons as between Hoopa and Weitchpec. Most of the forest is conifer but there are mixed hardwood stands as well. However, the primary species of hardwood are tanoak and madrone, neither are deciduous and retain leaves year round (evergreen). There are black oaks, alder, white oak, and other deciduous trees but a majority of the hardwoods here are evergreen with canyon live oak and pepper wood (California bay laurel) also common and not dropping their leaves. The forest does get more open in nature in the Winter and near the rivers but the vast landscape is primarily evergreen, conifer and hardwood. The non-native Himalaya berries (black berries) are extremely aggressive but more near the rivers than on the slopes. For example the Himalaya berries are seldom seen in timber cut areas even near the rivers.
Joseph probably did meet foul play and his Toyota is either far from the area or stashed somewhere over a bank or in the brush. There is a vast network of former logging roads on private, Tribal, and National Forest lands.
Please do clarify for me where Joseph owned property as have thought down 169. Route 169 is 20 plus miles from 299 and deep into Indian country. That downriver area has a long reputation for being lawless and for the locals not being very welcoming to outsiders. That said the road is in by far the best condition of my life and there is now regular LE patrols from Yurok LE (Humboldt Sheriffs have always been shy about downriver) and there is even phone and power lines now. I am near Orleans which is my home town and graduated Hoopa High (but also have a BS and MBA from Cal and have lived elsewhere, always keeping a place here and my parent lived their entire lives near Orleans. I am a geezer. Several weeks ago made the trip with a woman friend all the way down 169 to Johnsons and Pecwan. We checked out a house she owned and hadn't been there in several years, someone had moved in and put in a new stove and lock on the door. We also went to her brother's home (RIP 2016) and his home had been lived in and then trashed and looted (appliances removed). They are both Yurok and the homes are near Ka'pel. Downriver is that type of place.
We haven’t forgotten Jeff or his sister’s heartbreak.