Grizzly Peak Loop Trail

June 23 ,2019

Over the last month we have hiked many local trails enjoying what has become an amazing year for wildflowers. The extra rains we got in Southern Oregon have brought out wildflowers in numbers that we have never seen.  But alas, Spring is over and Summer is upon us.  But there are still places to hike with lots of wildflowers.  The Grizzly Peak trail in Ashland is such a place and since we didn't hike there last year, it was time to go back to one of our favorite trails.

Loop trail at the top heading through Antelope Fire burn area

Wild Ginger --- look for the heart shaped leaves of the plant.

This trail has almost everything you could want - a short road to the trailhead, two parking lots, restroom, and portions of trail that take you through Old Growth Forest, meadows, former burned areas and high desert-like areas of rocky soil.  The first mile is a slight uphill trek on long switchbacks where most of the shade loving flowers are found and the loop at the top is 3.5 miles and can be done in either direction -- we went left today to hike clockwise.

The loop begins - decision time.

Someone heading out for breakfast

Columbine

In addition to the various landscapes along the trail, you are also treated to views of Mt Shasta, Mt Ashland, Pilot Rock, and Mt McLoughlin.  The hike usually takes 2-3 hours depending on how much time you take for the views, wildflowers, or just stopping to enjoy the sound of silence or the wind.   Hope you enjoy the flower pictures, but try to get out and enjoy them in person while they last.  

Trekking Together

Glenn and Carol

False Solomon Seal

Meadow Chickweed

Fleabane

Balsamroot with an insect photo-bomber

Horsemint

Wild Onions

White Brodiaea

Common Camas

One of our favorites to find, Striped Coralroot

Sterling Mine Ditch Trail: Little Applegate TH to Tunnel Ridge TH

April 6, 2019

With all of the rain and snow storms this season in Southern Oregon, hiking has become a matter of timing. A few weeks ago the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club from Roseburg came down and hiked at Applegate Lake.  With rain storms in the forecast, we didn't make it to that  hike.  So when their club came down again on Saturday to hike a section of the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail and it appeared that storms would hold off, we were in.  Besides, we had never hiked this section of the SMDT from the Little Applegate TH to the Tunnel Ridge TH.

Time to hike another section of the SMDT

It may have been a daytime hike, but there were plenty of Shooting Stars out!

Carol & Katie enjoy one of the many "benches with a view" along the SMDT

Fawn Lilies were in abundance on this hike!

After a quick car shuttle, we started at the Little Applegate TH and hiked uphill for about a half mile to connect with the main flat trail that typically follows the mine ditch.  This particular section would wander through forested sections and then along grassy ridges with beautiful views of the surrounding valleys and snow capped mountains.  We were also treated to many wildflowers which are in abundance this year due to all of the rain. Towards the end of our hike we did check out the tunnel at the Tunnel Ridge area where they now have a historical sign highlighting various facts about the Sterling Mine Ditch creation, cost and usage.

A typical section of the SMDT with "the ditch" off to the right

The squirrels have been very busy along the SMDT

John taking a break by an old oak while taking in the views

Richard painfully crosses the one large fallen tree on the entire trail

Looking through the tunnel at Tunnel Ridge

We are glad that the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club let us join them and want to thank Richard, John and Diane for letting us tag along on their adventure in Southern Oregon. Make sure and check out their website and if possible, join them on one of their hikes in the future.  They venture out twice a month from Roseburg to Crater Lake to Southern Oregon to the Coast.  They are a wonderful group and we have always enjoyed our hikes with them.

Thank you John, Diane, and Richard!

One last note.  We have yet to see a bear or mountain lion on one of our hikes.  But today, for the first time ever, we actually saw the ever elusive Unicorn and got a picture to prove it.  Maybe we will see Sasquatch next!

A very rare photo of the elusive Unicorn - a first for us while hiking!

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol

River View and Redwood Nature Trails @ Alfred A Loeb SP

March 28 & 30

We have looked at Alfred A Loeb SP a couple of times when camping at nearby Harris Beach SP, but for the first time we camped there for a few days to wrap up Spring Break.

Time for camping....

and time to  hike......

and hike some more!

We began our hike with the 0.75 mile long River View trail as it follows the Chetco River upstream beginning at the day use area.  Although short in length, it did provide great views of the river and worked it's way through a landscape of ferns & moss while crossing numerous runoffs.  At the end of this trail we simply crossed the North Bank Chetco River Road where the Redwood Nature trail begins.  In the summer, little or no water flows through this 1.0 loop trail, but this is March and it has been a good water year.  Thus we were treated to numerous streams with varying cascades, lots ferns and greenery, trillium's in bloom and of course, the beautiful and large Redwood trees.  What a treat!  So much so that we did this short 3.7 mile round trip hike twice in three days.  Enjoy the pictures.....

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol

Hiking along the River View trail

The Chetco River

The main cascade at the beginning of the Redwood Nature trail

Looking up at one of the larger Redwood trees

Trillium

View through the Redwoods along the Redwood Nature trail

Red fungus thingy

One more look up at the Redwoods

White Rabbit & Mike Uhtoff Trails

January 7, 2018

We began our 2018 hiking year by heading over to Ashland and hiking at the Oredson-Todd Woods and Siskiyou Mountain Park.

And we're off....let the 2018 hiking year begin!

In looking back, it has been over two years since we last hiked here.  There is a network of trails, much like the Jacksonville Forest Park, Jacksonville Woodlands, and Cathedral Hills Park, that offer you multiple choices for your hiking route.  Katie also enjoys that it is dog friendly.

Where the clouds and the hills meet.

One very large boulder along the White Rabbit trail

Many of the trails have names from the story of Alice in Wonderland.  We mainly hiked two trails -- the White Rabbit trail and the Mike Uhtoff trail.  The White Rabbit is from Alice in Wonderland, Mike Uhtoff is not.  Mike was the Portland Audubon's first managing director and later moved to Ashland where he helped the city acquire Siskiyou Mountain Park as open space parkland. Thank you Mike!

Proof that there was blue sky.....for a few minutes.

We began our 5.4 mile loop hike at the Lupine Drive trailhead and quickly made our way through some forested sections of the Oredson-Todd Woods.  We then crossed Clay Creek and began hiking up, up, up and up the White Rabbit trail.  That climb sure got our heart and lungs working in the cool air.  Even the sun came out, but only during our climb.

White Rabbit trail along the crest

Once we got to the "crest", the White Rabbit trail wandered through the woods of Siskiyou Mountain Park until we came to the Queen of Hearts trail which was our turnaround point today.  This short connector trail took us to the Mike Uhtoff trail which we then hiked back along and down the crest to return to Clay Creek and the trailhead.

Low bridge on the Queen of Hearts trail

 The Mike Uhtoff trail has many switchbacks (next time we will count them) while descending from the crest and also offers many opportunities to stop and view the surrounding Ashland Hills.

View along the Mike Uhtoff trail on the way down

From our experiences, we would recommend that you hike the Mike Uhtoff trail up to the crest, take the Queen of Hearts trail to connect to the White Rabbit trail, and hike that trail back to the trailhead.  For a shuttle hike you can also hike through the Siskiyou Mountain Park all the way to Lithia Park, but we have never tried that.

One last view of the surrounding Ashland hills.

Well, we never ran into anyone named Alice during our hike nor did we fall down a hole.  But we did enjoy getting out into the woods and hiking these trails, despite the cold and cloudy weather.

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol