Jacksonville Forest Park – Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Group

Hike coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

In the 1850’s Jacksonville was a thriving gold rush town, and the nearby hillsides were pockmarked with mines. Today, some of those mines are still accessible, but only to those who lay their hiking boots onto the steep trails in Forest Park just outside of town. Although the mines are now blocked with metal gates, one can still peer into the darkness and imagine what it must have felt like to explore these dusky caves that held precious metals.

The trails here can baffle the most educated trail master, and without a trail map you will be dazed and confused by the decisions you must make as to what trails to take. I was struggling to come up a hike to lead at the previous club meeting. I’m now certain that when Richard suggested this one for me, that he was pulling a cruel joke on me. Or, at the very least, testing my navigation skills. So, it was with due diligence that we scheduled a pre-hike with Medford hiking pal Glenn, who knew the trails well. I was feeling a tad under the weather the day of the pre-hike, so Richard and Glenn went by themselves. They were kind enough to take meticulous notes, and I used those notes extensively when I eventually pre hiked the trails myself a week before the scheduled club hike.

You can read Richard’s blog of the pre-hike here: Richard Hikes: Jacksonville Forest Park

On a chilly but clear blue-sky morning, we had no less than 16 hikers gather up at the starting point. I then proceeded to form three hiking teams. The faster hikers, Team Eagle, would follow Glenn. I would lead the monkeys in the middle, aptly named Team Monkey. And Richard would be in the rear leading Team Turtle. After ceremoniously handing out team name labels for everyone to adorn their chests with, we set out on our adventure.

Our route began along Jackson Creek. As we headed up along the creek, it soon became apparent to those who had not been here before as to why they were playing follow-the-leader: Within the first mile there are no less than eight trail intersections that would befuddle the uninitiated. Although detailed trail maps are available and the trail is well signed, its way too easy for new hikers to hesitate at each and every intersection and wonder which route to take. And this is why we pre-hike, boys and girls.

As Glenn, whose radio callsign was Eagle Eye, led his eagles swiftly up the path, trail sweeper Missy, aka Eagle Claw, ensured no little eaglets strayed off course. Except for the time Shannon left her hiking poles back at a bridge, no other oopsies would take place the remainder of the hike.

With my callsign of Monkey See, I entrusted Monkey Do, otherwise known as Rheo, to see that none of the monkeys monkeyed around and got lost. Sadly, I had only brought one banana for myself, leaving the rest of my troop to forage for their own food.

The much smaller group of Team Turtle, led by Turtle Head, consisted of only Richard, Chuck and Michael. It was determined before the hike that the trail sweeper role, which would’ve been Turtle Back, was not required for the small team. Going at a slower pace, Richard does what Richard does, which is photography. Looking back now, his callsign should’ve been Snapping Turtle.

And to no one’s surprise, this hike would be filled with a multitude of animal puns, jokes, and jabs. Yep, we were really behaving like animals by the time we were done.

We transitioned from following Jackson Creek to hiking alongside Norling Creek. Heading up, we took the Shade Creek Trail and eventually connected with the Atsahu Trail. All teams met at our first rendezvous point, the Norling Mine. From here, it was easy walking down what was really an old road. A few more trail junctions and we were at Twin Peaks Saddle. From here, the trail up to Upper Twin Peak is only 1/3 of a mile, but deceptively steep. Team Eagle, in usual fashion, was at the top in no time at all, while Teams Monkey and Turtle slowly trudged their way up the sheer path, stopping to catch a breath every few hundred feet or so.

A well-deserved lunch break was in order at the top, with hikers from each team catching glimpses of Mount McLaughlin off to the east, rising above the valley floor. With all the eagles, monkeys and turtles gathered in one spot, it was like attending a triple-header rock concert. (See what I did there?)

After the animals were fed, it was time to herd them downhill. The trail heading down took us past El Patron Madrone, an impressively huge madrone tree, and then through Mountain Mahogany Meadow. We hit the Owl Hoot, Boulder, and Ol’ Miners’ trails before arriving at the Handsome Mine. Here, everyone got to peek into the dark mine and get some photos with themselves next to, of course, the Handsome Mine sign. After posing for a group photo, the teams continued down the trail, eventually coming out at the road which we drove in on. A short walk along Jackson Creek again brought us back to our starting point.

All in all, this turned out to be a lighthearted hike, and everyone enjoyed the animal-themed event. I’m a believer that Team Monkey had fun, Team Eagle lived life in the fast lane, and Team Turtle was happy together.

Disclaimer: Although reactions to my bad puns during the hike may have hurt me, no animals were harmed in the making of this hike.