Talent Oregon – BOOTS on the TRAIL

Wagner Butte (Rogue Valley, Oregon) 16-Jul-2017

2017-07-162022-01-30Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Ashland Oregon, Day Hiking, Hiking, Medford Oregon, Oregon, Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest, Southern Oregon, Talent Oregon, Wagner Butte, Wagner Glade Gap

It was time for a hike that was close (no long drive to the trailhead), straightforward (no cross-country adventures this time), and high above the valley heat (if possible). After engaging an extra brain cell, it dawned on me that an old favorite, Wagner Butte (USFS #1011) was the perfect choice. Although we’d been up there many times before (post), it had been awhile since we’d done it as a snow-free summer hike. So, with the LovedOne committed to spending the day at a cow-quilting class in Ashland, I soloed up to the Wagner Butte Trailhead to once again enjoy this old classic.

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Wagner Butte in Winter (Ashland, Oregon) 04-Nov-2015

2015-11-042022-01-28Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Ashland Oregon, Day Hiking, Hiking, Medford Oregon, Southern Oregon, Talent Oregon, Wagner Butte, Wagner Glade Gap

This is one of the classic hikes close in to Medford, Oregon and is becoming one of our favorites due to this ease of access and its big views. We first did it last January but in an odd way because we went right past the trailhead due to a missing sign. We came back this June, found the trailhead, and did the hike the “right” way. We did it again today because a recent storm turned the butte into a winter wonderland above 5,500 feet (the trailhead is at 5,000 feet) and we wanted to play in the snow – yeah! 😀

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Wagner Butte (Talent, Oregon) 16-Jun-2015

2015-06-162022-01-28Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Ashland Oregon, Day Hiking, Hiking, Medford Oregon, Oregon, Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest, Southern Oregon, Talent Oregon, Wagner Butte, Wagner Glade Gap

Wagner Butte is one of the classic hikes in our area – providing easy access to cooler climes, forests, and big views. We first hiked it in January through what passed for this year’s “snow pack.” At that go around, we missed the trailhead ( 😳 ) and did some artful cross-country walking through the forest to the upper part of the trail. This left a stain on our hiking honor. Now the time for redemption had arrived – we would try this hike again under bluebird conditions and from the correct trailhead! 😎

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Wagner Butte in Winter (Ashland, Oregon) 13-Jan-2015

2015-01-132022-01-28Posted in Hiking, Southern OregonTagged Ashland Oregon, Day Hiking, Hiking, Medford Oregon, Southern Oregon, Talent Oregon, Wagner Butte, Wagner Glade Gap

At 7,140 feet, Wagner Butte is one of “the” hikes in the Medford area, allowing as it does extraordinary views of the Sisters to the north, of the Rogue and Bear Creek Valleys below, and of Mount Shasta to the S (it’s Hike #60 in the Third Edition of Sullivan’s 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon). This year it is also one of the few readily accessible snow hikes down here. So we took advantage of yesterday’s sunny weather to hike it.

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