Sometimes the Friday Mods hike alone, but not last Friday. We were joined by a school and a pig. Upper-level students from Trails Outdoor School were out for an outdoor Friday of hiking, nature journaling and trail restoration work. A leader from Ashland Parks & Rec joined the students and faculty to oversea the trail restoration work.
Gismo, the pig munched in the field adjoining the Oredson-Todd trailhead off Lupine Drive, Ashland. The weather was foggy with a chance of rain. Sixteen of us trekked up to the Upper Trail. Noisey robins were stripping the last of the red madrone berries overhead. Mushrooms popped out along the trail – too many to ever identify. At the “waterfalls” we admired the rare, licorice or many-footed fern.
We continued up the gentle switchbacks to the first bench overlooking Ashland. Then we headed up the Mike Utoff trail to the second bench and viewpoint – completely fogged in. Gentle rain fell as we looped down and took the Cheshire Cat trail. Maroon-colored madrone bark glistened in the moisture, which is one of the highlights of winter hiking in the Ashland watershed.
Finally, we continued to the Lower Clay Loop down to the lower trail back to the Oredson-Todd trailhead. Trails students waved to us from the Upper Trail. We reluctantly decided to finish hiking as the light rain continued. However, the Trail Outdoor School students were in Oredson-Todd for the full day. Later in the day they spread mulch on the Oredson-Todd trail and then hiked back to the Trails Outdoor School on Walker Ave.
Total distance – 3 miles, elevation gain -500’.
Kay
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2.Gismo Pig
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3a.Licorice Fern
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8.First Bench
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