Eight Monday hikers gathered at the Rite Aid parking under brisk, sunny skies for a 10 AM hike across Ashland. For this hike, Rite Aid parking became our TH, as we planned to hike/walk across town and into Lithia Park for the third time in the past 8 years.

Originally we had planned to use the Central Ashland Bike Path as we did last March, but since it was still covered with ice and hard-packed snow, we switched to Plan B and used sidewalks and any other cleared surface.

We started by walking through the Albertson shopping center that was partially cleared, and out to Tolman Creek Road. Partial clearing became the theme of the day as we made our way towards Lithia Park.

The sidewalk on Ashland Street was covered in frozen slush, so we walked single file on the bike path as morning traffic whizzed by. Up and over the train tracks, we saw our first cleared sidewalk in front of the cemetery. Sidewalks were also mostly cleared in front of the SOU campus...yeah!

But in front of the houses on Siskiyou Blvd it was hit or miss so we adapted to walking on ice.

When we entered downtown the sidewalks were mostly cleared and the sun was busy melting ice.

Lithia Park was a welcoming friend, although heavy snow since last Monday had caused large old trees to fall. City work crews were busy cutting up and removing the downed trees.

The Park still had a thick coating of snow with icicles seen dangling off branches over Ashland Creek. We made our way up on snow trails and ventured upon a hungry stag eating the tips off Oak branches from a fallen tree. Next, there was a downed tree to step over; and finally, we came to a giant Oak that had fallen into the Pickleball court, taking out the fence by the Creek, and a light standard.

The winter snowstorm had transformed nature's calm and stillness into nature's moving violence with all the downed trees and branches. That was our cue to slowly take the Park road, back down, and head for lunch at Skouts. After an enjoyable lunch, we walked over to the Plaza bus stop and took the #10 bus back, near our starting point. (Still just a dollar bus fare for senior hikers.)