March 2018 – Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Group

Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

Only 5 of us showed up for this hike while all you fair weather namby-pambies stayed home warm and dry. But hey, at least there weren’t any gale force winds like last time! This hike was wet as a steady rain fell on our hat brims the entire day. But there is something about the hiss of a forest when it rains and the hike had that vibe. After picking our way up and over Heceta Head on a trail that was slippery and muddy, we grabbed the Hobbit Trail to the beach. Probably because of the rain (ya think?), we had the entire beach to ourselves except for one lone bald eagle on a dead tree. The return from Carl Washburn State Park was through woods dark, wet, and lovely. Because we were having so much fun, we grabbed the China Creek Trail for extra mileage and time spent in the rain. After the hike was over, we all decided we had a lot of fun and to man (and woman), we decided to feel sorry for all those stay-at-homers who missed out on this epic.

Pictures by Richard O’Neill

Slideshow

Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

The East Applegate Ridge Trail is a small piece of a very ambitious trail project that will make it possible to hike from Grants Pass to Ashland on continuous trail. If the rest of the trail is as spectacular as this 5.8 mile section, then the club will be doing a lot more hikes down in the Siskiyous.

We had hoped that the spring flowers would be putting on a show for us but we were still too early in the season for that stuff. But that’s OK, because really, this hike was all about the views. From the get-go, the trail served up a view down Bishop Creek’s canyon.

Spending most of the time out on open grassy slopes, the views evolved as we looked down upon the community of Ruch, surrounded by tall mountains which in turn, were surrounded by the taller Siskiyou Mountains.

Periodically, the trail would duck into forests comprised of leafless oak and orange-barked madrone. There is plenty of poison oak in abundance but the trail is well maintained and the itchy devil-plant has been brushed well away from the trail.

This hike was set up as a one-way downhill cruise, uncharacteristically easy for a Richard Hike, however about half the hikers opted for a long version which served up 4 uphill miles at the end. But that’s OK, because the long distance hikers had twice the pleasure, or so they keep telling everybody.

All in all, another great hike that surely will become a semi-regular destination for the club.

Pictures by Richard O’Neill