It snowed again on the valley floor last night. An inch according to our snow gauges (top of the picnic table; how high the cat jumps). Road conditions at altitude were sub-optimal, so instead of trying to go snowshoeing, we went for a snowy walk in nearby Forest Park. All the trees and shrubs were flocked with fluffy snow, making our walk a truly magical experience. The sun even appeared from time to time. When it did, all that fluffy snow came raining down on us. 
Not quite as magical, but still good.
On our (many) other hikes here we’ve usually gone high on trails along or over the ridges that form the park. This time we stayed low. From Parking Area 1, we went up along Jackson Creek (which was gushing with water) on the Rail Trail, then up along Cantrall Creek (also gushing) on the Cantrall Creek Trail to Parking Area 6. From there, we returned on the Steep Canyon Rangers, Naversen Family, and Boulder Trails – churning through up to a foot of snow on some of these trails. Back at the parking area, after 4.8 miles and 780 feet of gain, we found new park maps that had been updated to show several new trails – like the Knobcone Pine and the upper Rattlesnake. Sigh. More hiking will now be necessary to explore these new paths. 😉
BOOTS on the TRAIL 
Glenn – Thanks for following up on this. Now seems like the time to see the waterfall and we’ll look forward to some new loop hikes in early summer. 🙂
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Bruce, here is the info I got on the Arrowhead Pass and Rattlesnake Gulch trails at the Jacksonville Forest Park……
Glenn,
Arrowhead Pass is all complete as per the map and is signed except for right at P7. It is a lollipop loop and is routed partly on the historic China Ditch with great views S across the Upper Applegate Valley.. Two Fridays ago there were 16” of snow on top. Upper Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, connecting Siskiyou Tr and Siskiyou View Loop is in its early stages of being built. We anticipate completion by May or June. Unlike Lower Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, it will be a two-way hiking trail, with gentle grades of about 10-12% and a few switchbacks. It will also boast a viewpoint or two.
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That day was a nice break in the “atmospheric river” we’ve been experiencing. The sun and the clouds and the snow made for a memorable day! 🙂
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What a gorgeous day! The various layers of clouds add quite a bit of texture.
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Thanks! It’s rare that snow and water converge on that old (now mostly filled-in) reservoir at the same time. Forest Park is definitely a local treasure for hikers, bikers, and equestrians. And they’ve added some new trails! 😀
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I love the picture of the reservoir, some of the color from the trees and brush peeking out from under the snow. Looks like a beautiful place to wonder. 🙂
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You might want to act fast on getting one of those new J Forest maps. They’re the bigger, more expensive kind and thus in shorter supply.
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We ended up going out to Valley of the Rogue SP and hiked the bike path through the campground, then went along the River’s Edge trail, then the bike path to Depot St Bridge and back returning to the day use area. We saw the Jacksonville area had lots of snow – makes for beautiful views and hiking. Last time we were at the Forest Park we noticed new trail names but new maps were not available. so we too have some new hiking to do at that park.
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