Greetings! John and Linda here, with a friendly reminder that Southern Oregon is the most beautiful place in the World — and, in case you haven't yet noticed, it's almost SPRING again! That's right; hibernation is going out of style. It's time to get out of the cave and start planning this year's adventures!
     For those who have been following Mother Nature's ongoing saga, the snows of the previous Spring did eventually melt off, and between more lucrative yet less pleasurable endeavours we were able to sneak off a time or two into some of our region's deeper and more pristine woods.  Soon we'll have all our photos, maps and satelite imagery together and show you where we've been and how we got there.
      Okay, so the snows aren't finished with their threats and will most certainly make good on them, and the river is still a bit too cold for swimming or rafting (fishing is another story-- they've been catching salmon like crazy on Findley Bend!) so, we're going to start off the 2011 season the way we usually do, by featuring lower-elevation dayhikes, some of them so close to town that you might enjoy them on your lunch break!
     We've also got some suggestions for Rainy Day Adventures—the weather sure has been nice lately, but you know it can change any minute—so we've compiled a bit of information regarding scenic road tours, some with interesting and unusual stops along the way.
    Okay, we've got to admit it.  Sometimes when we say "It's the Climate!" we're talking about nasty and horrible weather, the kind that brings more people out of the woods than into them.  If stormy weather is getting you down, you might try hiking the Historic Downtown Grants Pass Antiques Shop circuit.  Or, if you happens to be around the first of the month, there is always the First Friday Art Walk.  Don't forget "Amazing May" and the Boatnik Celebration, including Jetboat Races, the Boatnik Parade, and the Boatnik Carnival in Riverside Park!

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Featured Destinations:
 
Easy low-elevation dayhikes in close proximity to Grants Pass

• Cathedral Hills. Although just a stone's throw south of Grants Pass, this is a surprisingly large tract of undeveloped parkland, offering a delightful network of intertwined trails in which it is not terribly difficult to get oneself lost.  Consequently, you might want to print out a copy of our map before venturing forth, and maybe even take a compass...  MORE INFO >> soon

• Limpy Creek  Interpretive Trail.  A lttle farther from town, but definitely worth the 20 minute drive, Limpy Creek hosts a small network of trails, all of which double back to the trailhead making it virtually impossible to get lost. None of the trails is more than a couple of miles in length.  Various nature notes can be read on the interpretive signs—both at the trailhead and scattered out among the trails—offering fascinating reading regarding the serpentine ecosystem and the local botanical treasures...  PHOTOS & MAPS >> soon

• Mt. Baldy. Unquestionably the most breathtaking view of Grants Pass you can find without going up in an airplane or rocket, the summit of Bald Mountain has two main approaches...  MORE MORE MORE >> soon soon soon!

• The B Street Trail. More fantastic views of Grants Pass await you at the top of the hill in Northwest Grants Pass—the one with the microwave tower.  MORE INFO + PHOTOS & MAPS >>     soon, seriously.

A step farther out...

• Whiskey Creek ~ 3 Miles. Starting at the Grave Creek bridge and boat launch, this is the upper end of the Wild and Scenic Rogue, that portion of the river for which you'll need a permit to float.  Also the upper end of the Rogue River Trail, it's available to hikers and backpackers any time, and if you follow it long enough it will take you to Agness and Gold Beach.   PHOTOS & MAPS >> soon

• Rainie Falls ~ 2 Miles.  On the opposite and southern shore as the Whisky Creek trail but about a mile shorter, this trail also begins at the Grave Creek bridge.  Some say the this hike, which ends at Rainie Falls, is a little more difficult than the trail across the river, though it too has some treacherous sections...  MORE INFO >> soon

Rainy Day Road Trip of the Month

• Spalding Pond.  Once part of an extended logging operation in the mountains overlooking Briggs Valley, Spalding Pond and its surrounding terrain has been gentrified in recent years—with everything from parklike landscaping to a handicapped accessible fishing dock (and yes, the pond is kept well-stocked with trout!)  The easiest access is to head out towards Cave Junction (or towards Grants Pass  if you're coming from Cave Junction...) then turn off on the Briggs Valley Road near the top of Hayes Hill. From this direction the signs should be enough to guide you to the pond, only a few short miles from the Redwood Highway turnoff.  My favorite approach, however, is from the other side—coming up either from Taylor Creek or Shan Creek—but be forwarned, these routes can be a little bit rough—one of the prices we have to pay for such spectacular views!   READ MORE>> maybe next week?

 
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