On this pleasant spring day Edwin led over a dozen hikers down the Rogue River Trail, starting from Marial Lodge. The destination was Paradise Lodge several miles downriver. Although the drive to get to the trailhead at Marial is not easy, this portion of the Rogue River Trail is quite spectacular and well worth the effort.
Since Edwin is more of a hiker and not a writer, tales and specific events of this hike may remain a mystery. But with the great turnout for this hike, the odds are good that many memorable moments were made. And if anything happened this day that is worth repeating, it’s certain we’ll hear about it, so stay tuned…
On this marvelous March day, Terry had at least a dozen hikers make their way to the trailhead near Graves Creek to hike the always-lovely Rogue River Trail from the boat ramp to Whiskey Creek and back. With a handful of man’s best friend tagging along, not a dull moment was had this day.
There was a chill in the air when the large group started, and right away we were traversing the small swollen creek that runs near the parking lot. Unbeknownst to us, this would be a small practice run for what lay further ahead on the trail…
This was one of those days where everyone had their rain jackets on, as there was that feeling in the air as if it may rain at any moment. But just like when someone puts a near-empty milk carton back in the fridge, barely a drop was to be had. We experienced some grey skies and some sun. Kinda perfect weather, really. Cool, but a little sun to keep you warm when not hiking.
As we made our way down the trail, there were several creeks which required some clever negotiating. The recent rains and snow had made all the local creeks absolutely engorged with water! Looking across the river, one could make out many waterfalls cascading off the hillsides, with snow still present on the highest part of the hills.
At one point, we all had to make a short scramble off below the trail to avoid the rushing water that had pretty much inundated our path. To attempt walking down that watery way would have been quite risky, with the slippery footing underneath surely having the last laugh. Thankfully, no hikers were smitten by the water gods this day.
Normally, all the wildflowers are just bursting with color this time of year. But due to the long, late winter we’ve had, the flowers were just starting to do their thang. Give this place another a few weeks or so and the real show should be in full swing!
After successfully crossing multiple creeks running across the trail, we eventually reached Whiskey Creek cabin. As the group did a self-guided tour of this historical site, I was doing a little looking around too, and found a geocache, totally unintentionally! It was an ammo box locked to an old cable just uphill from the cabin. With curiosity, I took a quick look inside, then placed it back where I found it. (TIP: If you ever stumble upon a geocache and are not actually participating in the sport, please be courteous and leave it where you found it so others who are looking for it can find it) I always thought geocaching would be a neat thing to do, but just haven’t made the effort. You need a GPS to participate, but I typically use mine to prevent from getting misplaced in the woods!
After having a late lunch along the edge of Whiskey Creek, the group made its way back upriver. We were all spread out along the trail, just enjoying the magnificence solitude and the grandeur that is the wild Rogue River. Although we ran into quite a few other hikers this day, it just reaffirms that this place is worthy of visiting, and visiting often, as evidenced by the amount of people who walk these banks of the Rogue River Trail.
While the hiking club did a day hike from Marial Lodge to Zane Grey’s Cabin on May 28, four members decided to make a 40-mile backpack trip on the same weekend on the same trail, starting from Graves Creek and finishing at Foster Bar.
Instead of providing the normal narration of the club hike, below is the link to Richard O’Neill’s blog which recounts how he, Missy, Michael and Terry spent a few wet days, along with a few dry days, on this spectacular scenic trail.
March 19th turned out to be a typical spring day in southern Oregon… “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait, it will change”. Sure enough, that was the case!
After meeting up in Roseburg, we traveled south on I-5 to Wolf Creek and onto Graves Creek boat launch and the beginning of the Rouge River Wilderness Trail. The hike consisted of a 7 mile out and back from the landing to the historic Whiskey Creek Cabin along the Rouge River.
Jackets on, jackets off, rain gear on, rain gear off… that seemed to be the theme of the day, but it did not dampen the beauty of the scenery or the enthusiasm of the hikers! Early spring wildflowers covered the hillsides in some areas, while the river provided a wonderful array of views, rapids and sounds of rushing water.
During the hike we encountered a sighting of a bald eagle, a spectacular rainbow spanning the river and the interesting history of the Whiskey Creek cabin.
It was another awesome day, surrounded by the wonders of nature and the camaraderie of Friends of the Umpqua!
Two carloads of hearty hikers braved the cold, the Rogue and a rookie hike leader on our Graves Creek to Whiskey Creek adventure on January 27. Would it snow? Would anyone be swept into the Rogue by the waterfalls we had to cross? Does Brad know where the heck he’s going? No, No and kinda.
The weather was threatening to rain, but actually did so very little. We even enjoyed an occasional burst of sunlight as we hiked our way along the precarious ridge of the gorge. With the recent rains many of the small waterfalls crossing the trail looked dangerous enough to sweep the unsuspecting into the Wild Rogue, but all of us managed to make it through with guidance from the veteran hikers, some of whom were even pointing out landmarks such as the high-water mark of a 1960’s flood.
Through tree cover and rock outcroppings we made our way to the old Miners Cabin for a cold but dry lunch. There stories of past expeditions on the Wild Rogue were told and a consensus view that if you tried to sleep inside the electric anti-bear food fence, that you would be demoted back to Bushwhacker.
After the brief respite we headed back to our starting point of Graves Creek with a sense of accomplishment, that, with our toughness, perseverance and determination we could overcome anything nature had to throw at us. Until the trail-runners passed us up, then we did’t feel so tough anymore
A mid-November day blessed a dozen hikers with unusually great weather and an outstanding hike on one of the most beautiful stretches along the Rogue River. Our leader for this hike, Edwin, met us in Riddle to begin the day’s expedition. The road to the trailhead was quite twisty, but it was worth the drive, for sure!
The twelve of us, plus Wish the dog, hit the trail with enthusiasm, and within a short distance after exiting the woods, we were greeted with the grandeur that …is the mighty Rogue! The river stays in view for the majority of this hike, and displays its rugged roaring waters in spectacular fashion. The rocky trail was easy to traverse, and every corner we rounded brought another exceptional perspective of the river.
About a mile into the hike we reached Inspiration Point, an awe-inspiring place where Stair Creek Falls plummets from the opposite hillside into multi-level pools of cool water and eventually into the Rogue. Further along, steep rocky cliffs and various rushing streams kept the eyes busy taking in all magnificent sights.
We continued further down the trail until we reached Paradise Lodge, a popular stop for all those boat trips everyone takes up the Rogue River out of Gold Beach. It was not open for business this day, being less than a week from Thanksgiving. But that did not stop us from taking in the views from the lodge’s huge deck as we ate lunch at the picnic tables. Although it was a bit cool out, we basked in the warmth of the sun while exchanging friendly trail stories. Absolutely wonderful!
After Wish finished eating all the left-overs, we threw the packs back on and began the journey back up river. We saw the same sights, but in reverse this time, and with more sunshine! We tallied 6.6 miles upon reaching our vehicles, and some of us wish there were a few more miles to go, as we were reveling in the entire splendor that this trail has to offer.
