Siskiyou Peak – BOOTS on the TRAIL

Siskiyou Peak (Southwest Oregon) 06-Aug-2021

2021-08-062021-08-07Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Hiking, Mount Ashland Oregon, Mount Ashland Ski Area, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Siskiyou Peak, Southern Oregon5 Comments

As the Jack, Bootleg, and Lava Fires sputtered (almost) out, they were quickly replaced by the Dixie (an absolute monster), River Complex, Antelope, Monument, and McFarland Fires, plus a host of other wildfires in Northern California and Southern Oregon. Our valley soon filled with smoke and the air quality index soared into the triple digits (not good). Virus cases in the county have been soaring too. It’s becoming hard to tell which might get our lungs first – the Delta variant or smoke particles. 😬

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No Shoes On Siskiyou (Mount Ashland, Oregon) 31-Mar-2021

2021-03-312021-04-01Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Forest Road 20 Oregon, Hiking, McDonald Peak Oregon, Mount Ashland Oregon, Mount Ashland Ski Area, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Siskiyou Peak, Snowshoe Hiking, Southern Oregon6 Comments

Siskiyou Peak (7,149 ft / 2,179 m) sits just south of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) about 3 miles (5 km) west of the Mount Ashland Ski Area. In the summer months, reaching it is an easy and pleasant stroll along a mellow stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) through meadows gushing with wildflowers and big views of Mount Shasta to the south. When it’s snow-covered, as it is at the moment, getting to it is more work, particularly if you’re clumping along wearing snowshoes. So we decided to give it a go today on the not completely absurd assumption that consolidated Spring snow conditions would make the journey doable sans snowshoes. Well, almost…

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Siskiyou & Smoke (Southwestern Oregon) 14-Aug-2020

2020-08-142020-08-15Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Hiking, Mount Ashland Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Siskiyou Crest, Siskiyou Peak, Southern Oregon2 Comments

Siskiyou & Smoke sounds like some kind of interesting cocktail (one untainted by a parasol). But, sadly, it’s not. It’s the 10,000+ acre (5,000+ ha) Red Salmon Complex Fire in Northern California pouring smoke northward and eastward into the Shasta, Illinois, and Rogue River Valleys. It is (thankfully) not the biggest fire we’ve ever had in our area but it’s a smoker. Add to that a multi-day excessive heat warning, with air temperatures heading for 108°F (42°C), and you’ve got less than ideal hiking weather (I’m practicing my understatement skills here). But with the right destination one can get above a lot of the valley heat and smoke (choose wisely aging hiker…).

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Siskiyou Peak (Mt. Ashland, Oregon) 03-Jul-2018

2018-07-032022-01-30Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Hiking, Mount Ashland Oregon, Mount Ashland Ski Area, Mount Ashland Sno-Park, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Siskiyou Peak, Southern Oregon2 Comments

Siskiyou Peak rises just south of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) about 3 miles west of the Mount Ashland Ski Area. Reaching it involves an easy hike on a particularly gentle and scenic stretch of the PCT, with big views to the south starting almost immediately. It’s only 9 miles (and 1,400 feet of elevation) if you start from where the PCT crosses Forest Road (FR) 40S15 (but parking is limited). With all of it being over 6,500 feet, it’s a refreshing option on days when valley temperatures approach those of a blue star. Wildflower season also runs later up here and a variety of blossoms (and bumblebees) are out well into August. I did this hike solo a year ago June and thought then that The LovedOne would really like it too. So on this day of bluebird perfect hiking weather, we went up there for the views and to give her much improved knee a bit of a workout.

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Siskiyou Peak (Mt. Ashland, Oregon) 27-Jun-2017

2017-06-272022-01-30Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Ashland Oregon, Day Hiking, Hiking, Mount Ashland Oregon, Mount Ashland Ski Area, Mount Ashland Sno-Park, Mount Shasta, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Siskiyou Peak, Southern Oregon

Siskiyou Peak Mount Ashland Oregon Oregon

Siskiyou Peak rises just south of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) about 3 miles west of the Mount Ashland Ski Area. Reaching it involves an easy hike on a particularly gentle stretch of the PCT, with big views to the south starting almost immediately. It’s 9 miles if you start from the ski area parking lot; 12 miles starting from where the PCT crosses the Mount Ashland Road. With all of it being over 6,500 feet, it’s a refreshing option on days when valley temperatures approach those of a blue star. Wildflower season also runs later up here and a variety of blossoms (and bumblebees) are out well into August. Today I did the 9-mile option just for a good leg-stretch and the views – and also to marvel at the numerous chipmunks scampering along, around, and across the trail. There was no overt begging or my sack of trail food wouldn’t have lasted as far as the summit!

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