Southern Oregon – BOOTS on the TRAIL

Tunnel Ridge Loop (Southwest Oregon) 15-Apr-2022

2022-04-152022-04-16Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Applegate Valley Oregon, Bear Gulch Trailhead, BLM, Bureau of Land Management, Day Hiking, Hiking, Little Applegate Trailhead, Southern Oregon, Sterling Mine Ditch Trail, Tunnel Ridge Trail2 Comments

Well, last week gave us some of the weather we’d liked to have gotten spread out across January, February, and March – rain, snow, hail, sleet, high winds, etc. But, no, the skies waited and then slammed us with this stuff all at once. Recently brown hills are now green lower down and white higher up. The wildflowers are confused. But magic sky water is most welcome here however and whenever it arrives. More of this celestial moistness is expected in this evening and may then continue for another week. 😁

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Big Kitty on the PCT (Cascade-Siskiyou NM) 09-Apr-2022

2022-04-092022-04-11Posted in Hiking, Southern Oregon, U.S. National Parks & MonumentsTagged Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Day Hiking, Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Porcupine Mountain Oregon, Rhyolite Ridge Oregon, Soda Mountain Wilderness, Southern Oregon18 Comments

After two days of warm, almost summer-like weather, it’s beginning to look as though a late season, multi-day rain and snow extravaganza is heading toward us. This atmospheric excitement is supposed to start tomorrow and continue well into next week. It won’t be shorts weather for awhile, but we can sure use the water. 😂

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Singing the Song of Songer (Southwest Oregon) 07-Apr-2022

2022-04-072022-04-08Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Ashland Oregon, Day Hiking, Emigrant Lake Oregon, Hiking, Major Butte Oregon, Songer Butte Oregon, Southern Oregon4 Comments

It rained last Monday and it’s supposed to rain again (with a little snow higher up) next Monday. But yesterday and today it was sunny, clear, and pushing 80℉ (27℃). Ah, Spring in Oregon, how fickle art thou blandishments. 🙄 Despite the fact that the world is still a frustrating mess and the drought continues to weigh heavily on the land, we decided to celebrate Spring (or at least the briefly sunny part of it) with yet another hike. This time we sought to revisit Songer Butte near Emigrant Lake just south of Ashland.

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Looping Through the Denman (Southwest Oregon) 06-Apr-2022

2022-04-062022-04-08Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Day Hiking, Hiking, Ken Denman Wildlife Area, Little Butte Creek Oregon, Lower Table Rock Oregon, Rogue River, Southern Oregon, TouVelle State Recreation Site, Upper Table Rock Oregon

The last time we visited the Ken Denman Wildlife Area near White City, Oregon, was the day after Christmas 2021. A Great Winter Storm was upon us then and it was snowing – heavily. We had a magical walk in the snow for a couple of hours, got nicely chilled, then headed home for warming libations. Many saw this big snow dump in December as the start of a much needed snowy and wet winter. But, alas, it was not to be, as the following months were among the driest on record. So the drought persists and the coming summer is looking to be increasingly crispy. 😰

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Mount Ashland (Southwest Oregon) 01-Apr-2022

2022-04-012022-04-18Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Caldera Brewing Company, Day Hiking, Forest Road 20 Oregon, Hiking, Mount Ashland Oregon, Mount Ashland Ski Area, Mount Ashland Sno-Park, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Southern Oregon11 Comments

Mount McLoughlin dominates the eastern horizon here, but it’s Mount Ashland (7,532 ft / 2,295 m) – with its ski area and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and wildflower meadows and views – that draws the crowds. It’s summit is not as distinctly visible as McLoughlin’s but, if you can pick out a giant white ball, you’re seeing Mount Ashland.

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