The Rogue River Trail

The Rogue River Trail from Grave Creek to Illahe is in the heart of the National Wild and Scenic Rogue River Canyon. The trail stretches roughly 30 miles along the north bank and is easily accessed from either the east or west end.

Heather and I decided to begin at Grave Creek (not too far from the Galice Store and Rand Ranger Station). We hiked about 4 miles before turning around as the weather was beginning to turn on us. This took us past Rainie Falls, Whiskey Creek and to the campground near Big Slide. Exploring the old homestead area at Whiskey Creek was a highlight of the trip. The buildings are remarkably well preserved and the shelves of the kitchen are still filled with old metal food tins and tools. Another point of interest was the high water mark from the '64 flood. It's hard to image the river at this level as it's a long way down from where this photo was taken. We didn't see too much for wildlife though berry colored scat was everywhere. Some from bear, other from fox or coyote perhaps. We did see a sturgeon surface in the river below which was pretty neat...the first time either of us had seen one. We're thinking of a 5 day trip next spring to hike the trail from end to end...so Holly and Dave, if you're interested?

Crater Lake

Ahh... Crater Lake. What can I possibly say about the saphire blue water and stunning vistas that hasn't already been said countless times?

Well, it was one of those perfect days up at the lake. For late September, it felt more like July... as warm and sunny a trip as any I've ever had. (My last adventure up there was a ranger-led snowshoeing trip last winter in the driving wind and snow...needless to say we didn't see the lake that day!)
With family in tow, we explored the main lodge area, enjoyed a drive around the lake with frequent stops and photo opportunities, and checked out the Pinacles... a perfect day with great company and a delicious lakeside lunch.

On the return drive home to Ashland we also checked out a few other "must see" sights. The Rogue River Gorge and Natural Bridge waysides. For as many times as I've stopped to snap a few photos, I can't seem to get enough of these two places. The sun was setting and the light was amazing as it filtered through the trees...a truly perfect end to an already great day. Of course we were all looking froward to the buffalo roast which was waiting for us at home...delicious!

Marble Mountains Wilderness

In September I was lucky enough to be invited to help lead a backpacking trip to the Marble Mountains. Along with two other guides and a group of Students from Ashland High's SAEJ Program, we struck off for the Shackleford Creek Trail Head... just a short drive from Ft. Jones, CA.

Because of the nature of our trip, we weren't putting in huge miles but were able to see some pretty amazing sights. We camped for two nights at Campbell lake and from there did an amazing day hike up to the ridge above Cliff lake (or was it Summit Lake?), along the Pacific Crest Trail. The views were spectacular and the weather stayed favorable for most of our four day trip. The kids were nothing short of inspiring and I'm looking forward to future opportunities to work with them again in the spring. This was my first trip to the Marbles and I'm hoping to get back out there soon... it's a pretty amazing place and I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what this area has to offer.

I'm Back...

Greetings all...

It's been almost a year since my last blog...my apologies to those who've been keeping tabs. Of course, this isn't to say I haven't been busy adventuring. I had a very busy summer of shuttle driving and camping... an adventure unto itself. I did manage to get some rafting in on the Upper Klamath... a welcome break from the monotony of driving to and from the river. My co-worker and good friend, Erik Sol, delivered a great day of class IV whitewater as expected. I can't say enough about how lucky we are here in Southern Oregon/No. California to have such a great river so close by.

Heather and I had a great camping trip to the Oregon/No. California Coast. Agate beach provided a great opportunity to look for beach agates and petrified wood and Heather proved herself as a top notch rock hound, finding some great specimens.

Aside from all that, I've been keeping busy with trips to the workshop at the Crater Rock Museum, a trip to Central Oregon to look for green petrified wood near Hampton Butte, and regular short hikes through the Ashland Watershed and Lithia Park.

I'm sure I'm leaving out some other memorable trips but I'm excited to share some of my latest adventures soon and in more detail.

Grouse Gap Revisited

Happy New Year Everyone! With 2010 now upon us and the holiday season over with, it's time to get out there and enjoy. Yesterday seemed the perfect opportunity to head back to Mt. Ashland and do some X-C skiing.

As you know, my first trip to the mountain this season was cut short due to a couple of broken toes which seem reluctant to heal. A second trip on New Years Day was also cut short (we arrived only to turn around and come home) due to some gear issues... seems not all 3-pin X-C set ups are compatible as Heather found out after purchasing a pair of used boots to go with her free skis that wouldn't quite fit in the bindings.

Well, third time's a charm... yesterday was perfect! After leaving a foggy and rather cold Ashland in the morning, we arrived to find the weather at the mountain frighteningly warm and sunny for the first week of January and the 16 inches of snow which fell late on New Years Day has been groomed (up until the turn off to the shelter) and was in great shape. Despite being the last day of Christmas break the crowds (at least on the backside of the mountain) were manageable and everyone seemed to be in great spirits. The view from the shelter, as it always is on sunny days, was spectacular. Mt. Shasta was plainly visible and seemingly floating in a sea of fog which hung in the valleys. Best of all, my toes are feeling much better. After returning to the car, Heather and I walked to the Mt. Ashland lodge where I enjoyed a cold beer, and Heather a hot chai, as we watched the action on the slopes from the deck. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Until the next adventure...