Siskiyou Crest – BOOTS on the TRAIL

Horseshoe Ranch II (Cascade-Siskiyou NM) 23-Jan-2022

2022-01-232022-01-30Posted in Hiking, Southern Oregon, U.S. National Parks & MonumentsTagged Caldera Brewing Company, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Day Hiking, Hiking, Horseshoe Ranch Wildflife Area California, Northern California, Scotch Creek, Siskiyou Crest, Slide Creek, Soda Mountain Wilderness, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council4 Comments

At about 9,100 acres (3,682 ha), Horseshoe Ranch is the largest piece of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument within California. The ranch (officially the Horseshoe Ranch Wildlife Area) was added to the Monument in 2017. We paid our first visit here late last year and enjoyed a hike up Slide Ridge and down along Scotch Creek through shrubs, oaks, and conifers. We returned today – in brilliant sunshine and unseasonable warmth – to follow another old ranch road and explore the area around Brushy Creek. We even got a California Lands Pass for this visit.

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Horseshoe Ranch I (Cascade-Siskiyou NM) 21-Nov-2021

2021-11-212022-01-24Posted in Hiking, Southern Oregon, U.S. National Parks & MonumentsTagged Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Day Hiking, Hiking, Horseshoe Ranch Wildflife Area California, Northern California, Scotch Creek, Siskiyou Crest, Slide Creek, Soda Mountain Wilderness, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council4 Comments

Although most of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is inside Oregon, the Monument’s expansion in 2017 brought the Horseshoe Ranch Wildlife Area in Northern California inside its boundary. Horseshoe Ranch covers about 9,100 acres (3,682 ha) of rolling to steep hills festooned with shrubs, oaks, and conifers surrounding Scotch and Slide Creeks and several of their tributaries. Its northern boundary abuts the Soda Mountain Wilderness. As its name suggests, this wildlife area was a working cattle ranch from 1908 to about 1976.

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Observation Peak Loop (Southwest Oregon) 16-Sep-2021

2021-09-162021-09-16Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Donomore Meadows California, Dutchman Peak Lookout, Forest Road 20 Oregon, Hiking, Northern California, Observation Peak Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest, Siskiyou Crest, Southern Oregon4 Comments

Significant rain is forecast for this coming weekend. Maybe (hopefully) it will be enough to squelch some of the wildfires still burning to our south and north. Or at least enough to flush the air clean of smoke. Fingers crossed this actually happens. 🙄

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Stein Butte Loop (Southwest Oregon) 28-Dec-2020

2020-12-282020-12-30Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Applegate Lake Oregon, Day Hiking, Elliott Creek Ridge Oregon, Hiking, New London Trail Oregon, Siskiyou Crest, Southern Oregon, Stein Butte Oregon7 Comments

Since 2014, with one notable exception, a hike up Stein Butte at the south end of Applegate Lake has been our last full hike of the year. This year – despite its litany of flaws – was no exception. We were (very) remotely tempted to do this hike during one of the storms predicted to arrive before New Years Day. You know, so our last hike of 2020 would be just as pleasant as the rest of 2020 has been. 😦

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Squaw Peak Lookout (Southwest Oregon) 21-Nov-2020

2020-11-212020-11-22Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Hiking, Little Grayback Mountain Oregon, Little Grayback Trail #921, Siskiyou Crest, Southern Oregon, Squaw Peak Oregon2 Comments

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.

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