Sterling Mine Ditch Trail -- Deming Gulch TH

September 3, 2018

We decided to spend our Labor Day laboring on the trail.  But since it was a flat and fast trail, there wasn't much laboring, just blue sky above the beautiful woods.

Time to hike!  The trail awaits.

The Sterling Mine Ditch Trail from end-to-end is 26 miles long.  We have hiked various portions of the trail from 4 of the 7 trailheads available, and today we hiked another portion from our 5th trailhead, the Deming Gulch TH.

View along the flat Sterling Mine Ditch Trail (ditch to the right)

As mentioned earlier, the SMDT is a flat trail and our from the Deming Gulch TH to our turnaround spot, proved that point.  Only the occasional dip of the trail into the "ditch" provided any uphill or downhill grade.  There were also two basic scenery views along the trail.  Some sections were in the open sunshine which provided views of the surrounding Applegate Valley, while other sections passed through forested ravines that provided cool shade with lots of trees to enjoy.  Both were welcomed and enjoyed.

Some sections provided views of the Applegate Valley

Other sections were dominated by trees and shade.

After hiking toward Grub Gulch for just over 3 miles, we took a break and then backtracked to our starting point.  We then hiked a portion of the trail between the Deming Gulch TH and the Armstrong Gulch TH to add a few more miles to our hike.  I guess you could say we did an out-and-back hike in two different directions.  When all was said and done, it was an enjoyable 8.3 mile labor of love.

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol

Sterling Mine Ditch Trail - Armstrong Gulch TH

January 28, 2018

The Sterling Mine Ditch trail is over 20 miles long and currently has 7 different trailheads.  We have hiked sections of the SMDT from the Tunnel Ridge TH and the Bear Gulch TH,  so today we decided to hike another portion of the trail starting from the Armstrong Gulch trailhead.

Time to get hiking!

We actually parked at the horse trailer area for the Armstrong Gulch TH and hiked up a half mile series of switchbacks to the SMDT.  We then made a right turn and hiked over 3 miles out and along the trail.

View along the very flat Sterling Mine Ditch trail

Trail with the Sterling Mine Ditch to the right- hard to see in some sections.

The first mile was mostly in the shade and featured lots of trees and even a few areas with large groupings of ferns. We then entered the more sun exposed segment of the trail which featured great views of the Applegate Valley and surrounding mountains, some of which were still covered wtih a little bit of  snow from the last storm.  No wildflowers were seen yet, but it is still early in the year.  It was not however too early for those wonderful little friends of hikers known as ticks.  Yup, they were out already, but we only collected (and discarded) a few.

View from the trail with some slightly snow covered mountains in the distance

As the sun came out in the afternoon, we peeled off our sweatshirt/jacket ---  it actually felt hot! After turning around and retracing our steps, we finished our hike at 7.3 miles, which still leaves us with plenty of the Sterling Mine Ditch trail to explore in the future.

If you are interested in this trail, click here for the website which gives the history of the Sterling Mine Ditch and maps showing the various trailheads and hiking distance in miles.

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol