Leave from the Safeway parking lot in Ashland 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
April 4: Sterling Mine Trail - Little Applegate TH to Tunnel Ridge TH (p. 144 in 100 Hikes) TH: Take Hwy 238 from Jacksonville 8 miles to Ruch; turn left 7 miles onto Upper Applegate Road, then left 9.7 mi on Little Applegate Rd to Tunnel Ridge TH. Drop shuttle car and continue on 2 miles to the Little Applegate TH; EDT: 75 minutes. Description: We are going to skip the walk back on the road this time. Trail starts out uphill, finishes downhill. Good views of the Siskiyous to the south and coastal ranges to the west; Distance: 7 miles; elevation gain: 1,100 feet. Weather Forecast. RT mileage: 80 miles.
April 11: Summit Lake from Squaw Lakes New Hike TH: Head down to Applegate Lake. Cross the dam and follow the signs to Squaw Lake; the TH is located off the Squaw Lakes parking lot. EDT: 70 minutes. Description: Hike up above Applegate Lake and the Squaw Lakes to the small, scenic Summit Lake on Elliot Creek Ridge. The spring runoff may create small water crossings along the trail. Distance: 6 miles; elevation gain: 1,700 feet. Weather Forecast. RT mileage: 90 miles.
April 18: Little Grayback TH: From Ruch travel south on Upper Applegate Road to Applegate Dam; follow the road across the dam for 1.5 miles; turn left and up the hill for 2 miles to French Gulch divide TH; EDT: 60 min. Description: steady climb across the southern slopes of Little Grayback Mountain toward Squaw Peak; return the same way; watch out for graybacks (ticks). Distance: about 8 miles; 2,800 ' climbing. Weather Forecast. RT mileage: 85 miles
April 25: Frog Pond / Middle Fork of the Applegate New Hike (p. 152 in 100 Hikes) Meet at 8:30 TH: Take Hwy 238 from Jacksonville 8 miles to Ruch; turn left onto Upper Applegate Road for 19 miles past Applegate Lake; turn left onto Elliot Creek Road for 1.3 miles to the junction of FS 1040 and FS 1050. Sharp right onto FS 1040 for 5.2 miles to junction with FS 1035; Straight on FS 1035 for 1/10 mile to the Middle Fork TH; leave shuttle car in the parking area on the left at curve. Back to FS 1040 and continue on 4 1/2 miles to the Lower Frog Pond TH on the left. EDT 90 minutes.
Description: We have done both the Frog Pond and Middle Fork hikes in the past. This time we will combine them with a car shuttle. From the Frog Pond TH head up the hill through Cameron Meadows, cross above French Gulch, go over the ridge and drop down to Frog Pond. From Frog Pond continue downhill to the road, at which point we will cross over to the Middle Fork of the Applegate trail and continue downhill to the shuttle car. Distance 8 miles; 1,800' climbing. Weather Forecast. RT mileage 110 miles.