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...

Happy Holidays everyone! As many of you know, Mt. Ashland opened last week which is great news for snow lovers. I escaped the holiday happenings here in town last wednesday (the day before the mountain opened) and headed to the backside of Mt. A for some snowshoeing and a little cross country skiing. Conditions were great and I was the first one up there so I had the (mis)fortune of cutting trail...quite a workout. My intention was to make it out to Grouse Gap Shelter but unfortunately my broken toe(s) are slowing me down a bit right now so it was a pretty short outing. The good news is that they seem to be healing and it shouldn't be long before my boots are comfy enough to get out for a longer trek.

More good news for winter sports enthusiasts, the forcast is calling for more of the white stuff so get out there and enjoy.

Until the next adventure...

Valley of the Rogue State Park... more Steelie Fishing

I was pretty sure last night before I turned in that I was going to wake up and try my hand at some fishing today... supposedly the steelhead fishing on the Rogue is still pretty good, though my last trip out yielded no fish. I hadn't really decided where to go but I had a dream last night...no joke. In that dream I was landing fish after fish at Valley of the Rogue State Park, just north of Gold Hill, so I awoke with the urge to get there as soon as I could this morning.

From Ashland it's about a 25 minute drive and right off I-5. There's a really nice rest area as well as an RV park, yurts you can rent, boat ramp, and camping. I spent a fair amount of time there this fall while doing the Salmon Watch Program and had scouted out (and have since fished) a few nice riffles there at the park. One is behind the restrooms and the other is downstream from there a few hundred yards. There's not a lot of great water back there to hold fish but I figured in what little there is, I could bring my dream to fruition and be landing fish all morning... unfortunately, that wasn't the case. However, it was a beautifully eerie morning with the heavy fog and very relaxing. After 3 hours without a bite, I decided I'd call it a morning and find some coffee somewhere... wading the Rogue this time of year is a pretty chilly endeavor!

It's getting to be that time of year where I think more and more about switching gears and going to play in the snow... one nice thing about living here is that you never really have to decide between one or the other... with winter steelhead continuing to run and rumors of Mt. Ashland opening soon (snow permitting...we only need another foot or so) it's all a matter of what you want to do.

Until the next adventure...

Steelhead fishing the Rogue

With temperatures on friday in the 30's and occational rain, sleet, and snow showers, some might argue the merits of spending a day floating the Rogue River in search of steelhead right now. The fish numbers haven't been that remarkable this year (5417 fish as of 10/31) and local fishing reports are not overly enthusiastic either. Still, my good friend Neil Selbicky and I thought it the opportune time to get on the river.

We put on a few miles upstream from TouVelle State Park and fished that section pretty extensively, both from the boat and wading at times. We tried some plugs, but mainly drifted flies. Things were pretty slow until later in the afternoon when I changed my fly over to a large black Muddy Buddy... honestly I thought it was going to be a bit over the top. With water temperatures already a few degrees below 50, as a general rule, single egg patters and more traditional flies (golden stones, hares ears, copper johns, etc) are a better bet than a giant leech pattern. However, over the next hour I hooked three fish, one of which we managed to land... a nice hatchery male measuring about 22''. I guess it goes to show it never hurts to tie on something different once in a while.

If you're interested in getting out on the Rogue to chase some steelhead and need a capable and friendly guide Neil Selbicky's services are for hire and I'd highly recommend him. He's a hell of a fisherman and can usually provide a picture for every fish story he tells. We're planning another trip for this week, and I'm greatly looking forward to it.

Until the next adventure...