The Stuff We Do
A nice walk in perfect weather. To a cute, restored fire lookout (which you can rent). With wonderful views in all directions. On a peak with an unfortunate name. Efforts to change that have lurched along for several years now, with no end in sight. But the work continues.
Continue reading “Squaw Peak Lookout (Southwest Oregon) 21-Nov-2020”
Squaw Peak (4,984 feet) lies about 18 miles southwest of Ashland, Oregon. It’s a prominent point on the ridge system that includes Little Grayback Mountain to the west and Squaw Mountain to the east. A (now classic) new model L-4 groundhouse, with catwalk , was built on its summit in 1943. This lookout was staffed regularly from 1943 until the mid-1960s. Unlike many other fire lookouts in the Pacific Northwest, it was not destroyed when the Forest Service decided that aircraft could replace them. It is still used for emergencies and in early season when access to the still-staffed lookout on Dutchman Peak to the east is blocked by snow. It has recently been refurbished and placed in the Forest Service’s lookout rental program. From its catwalk, you have (if the weather cooperates) expansive views of the upper Applegate Valley, the Rogue River Valley, the Cascade Range and the western Siskiyous.
Continue reading “Squaw Peak Lookout (Oregon) 21-Dec-2018”
The trail up Kerby Peak from the White Creek Trailhead is steep and challenging but well graded and rewards your efforts with wonderful views of the Illinois Valley, the Siskiyou Crest, and beyond. We’ve hiked it before (post) and even tried (unsuccessfully) to summit it when its covered with snow (post). But, while contemplating the map for another hike of Kerby, I saw a small lake – Rabbit Lake – just below the ridge running south from the peak. Lakes are a rarity in the Siskiyous so checking-it out quickly took precedence over yet another hike of Kerby. I found a description of the use trail to Rabbit on the Highway 199 website and the short out-and-back hike discussed there seemed ideal for what was going to be (finally) a sizzling hot day in Southern Oregon.
Continue reading “A Hop to Rabbit Lake (Siskiyous) 18-Jun-2017”
Since we moved to Southern Oregon, we’ve done any number of hikes around and near Applegate Lake, a reservoir at the head of the Upper Applegate River Valley, owing to the accessibility of its trails almost all year round. But for any number of reasons, we’ve never visited the lake when its near to full; that is, when it looks like a lake and not giant mud-rimmed bathtub. The desire to see it at least once as a lake was strong, so when its pool elevation reached 1983.17 feet, with 1987.00 feet being full pool (dam hydrograph), it was time for a visit to view the waters. The LovedOne’s library volunteer duties kept her off this hike, so we’ll be doing another one here soon so she too can see the waters.
Continue reading “Applegate Lake at Full Pool 29-Apr-2017”
The Little Grayback Trail (#921), which is in the Upper Applegate Valley southwest of Jacksonville, Oregon, is one that does not show-up in many guidebooks. That’s too bad since it provides hiking access to the (now available for rent) historic lookout on Squaw Peak and is south-facing, so it’s usually clear of snow sooner and hence a good place for early season wildflowers. It may become more popular now that direct access to its companion trail in the Upper Applegate, the Mule Mountain Trail (#919), has been lost to private development.
Continue reading “Little Grayback Mountain (Southern Oregon) 12-Mar-2017”
Now that low altitude (snow-free) access to the Mule Mountain Trail (USFS #919) has been lost to private development, only two publicly accessible trails remain to take you to the upper reaches of the forest east of Applegate Lake: the Stein Butte (USFS #929, post) and the Little Grayback (USFS #921) Trails. The Forest Service has suggested a work-around for Mule Mountain involving the Charlie Buck Trail (USFS #918) but its trailhead is up a steep dirt road and is, at present, blocked by snow – not exactly a low-altitude, year-round accessible trail. The Little Grayback is not a trail that has (so far) made it into many guidebooks, but Ruediger (The Siskiyou Crest, page 110) considers it to be the most botanically interesting trail in this area. That, combined with the loss of the Mule Mountain, may increase its popularity, despite the rough dirt road to its trailhead. The Little Grayback can be hiked out-and-back in its own right (wildflowers in season, big views!) but you can also go from the end of it up forest roads to the lookout atop Squaw Peak [I realize some folks find this word offensive but the U.S. Board of Geographic Names has not yet seen fit to amend the maps in this area, so I’m stuck with it when describing this hike]. That lookout was today’s snowy destination.
Continue reading “Hiking Squaw Peak in Winter 27-Jan-2017”
Stein Butte (USFS #929) is one of the classic hikes in the Upper Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon. It was the last hike we did in 2014 (post), the first full hike we did this year, and one of our first hike & bike efforts (post), so it seemed only fitting that it be our last hike for 2016. The #929 trail is well-maintained, well-graded, and offers sweeping views once you reach the crest of Elliott Ridge.
Continue reading “Stein Butte (Southern Oregon) 31-Dec-2016”
BOOTS on the TRAIL 