Leave from the Rite Aid parking lot on Ashland Street at 9:00 AM unless otherwise indicated. Bring water, lunch, hat, sunscreen and rain gear as appropriate. TH = trailhead; EDT = estimated drive time; PCT = Pacific Crest Trail; DIM = Dead Indian Memorial Highway. 100 Hikes = 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon, Second Edition. Hike leader: Keeley Kirkendal, 541-646-8797.
Website: https://ashlandhiking.org
November 2: Pilot Rock Road to Porcupine Mountain.
TH: Take Mt Ashland exit 6 off I-5; follow old Highway 99 under the freeway for just a little over 2 miles; go left onto Pilot Rock Road and drive one mile to first crossing of PCT at the power line; EDT: 30 minutes. Description: Hike east on the PCT past Pilot Rock to the top of Porcupine Mountain; return via the trail and road. Distance: about 7.5 miles; elevation gain: about 2,000 ft. Weather Forecast. RT mileage: 30 miles.
November 9: Hike in the Ashland Watershed Hike leader: Bob Hutton
TH:
From Rite Aid head west on Ashland Street, bear right on Siskiyou Boulevard, at the light just past Triangle park turn left on Morton, then a quick right on Iowa up to the top, left on Terrace up to the reservoir on Waterline. EDT: 10 minutes. Description: Given the changing forecast we will stay in the Ashland Watershed. We will hike up White Rabbit to Caterpillar, then up to Toothpick down to Catwalk. From Catwalk we will go up to Martys, then down to the cars. Total hike is 6.2 miles with about 1,200 feet of vertical. We can add more distance by including Lewis loop (1 mile) or upper Martys (2 miles plus another ~800'). Weather forecast. RT mileage: 10 miles.
November 16: High Lakes Trail (p. 122 in Hiking Southern Oregon)
TH: From Rite Aid take DIM to Highway 140. Left on 140 for 0.9 miles to a left onto NF-3601 at the Brown Mountain Trails sign. Follow signs 0.6 miles to the Brown Mountain Trails TH and leave a shuttle car. Return to 140 and turn left (west) for 6.4 miles to Highway 37. Left on 37 for 0.5 miles to the North Fork Campground TH parking area on the left. EDT: 1 hour. Description: Follow the trail along Little Butte Creek (part of the Medford Irrigation District) up to the dam and turn left onto the High Lakes Trail. Follow the High Lakes trail past Fish Lake and across the Brown Mountain Lava flow back to the shuttle car. Distance: 9.3 miles; elevation gain 900'. Weather forecast. RT mileage: 100 miles.
November 23: Lost Creek Lake (North Shore) (p.82 in 100 Hikes) Hike leader: Nanci Cremer
TH: Drive across the high bridge on the north side of Lost Creek Lake and make an immediate left on Lewis Road and continue for 1 mile to the TH; EDT: 60 minutes. Description: "generally level", pretty trail through the woods along the north shore of Lost Creek Lake past the spur to the Blue Grotto and on to our usual lunch spot at the bench below a rock outcrop overlooking the lake; return the same way. Distance: about 10 miles RT; 900 feet of up. Weather forecast. RT mileage: 110 miles
November 30: Lewis Loop - Ashland Watershed Hike leader: Francie
TH: From Rite Aid head west on Ashland Street, bear right on Siskiyou Boulevard, at the light just past Triangle park turn left on Morton, then a quick right on Iowa up to the top, left on Terrace up to the reservoir on Waterline. EDT: 10 minutes. Description: Check out the new Red Queen, Lizard and Lewis Loop trails up to the summit of Lamb Butte in the Ashland Watershed. Nice views of Grizzly, McLoughlin, Wagner, Mt. Ashland, and McDonald Peak. Distance: 8 miles. Elevation gain: 2,000. Weather forecast. RT mileage: 10 miles.