Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill
The East Applegate Ridge Trail is a small piece of a very ambitious trail project that will make it possible to hike from Grants Pass to Ashland on continuous trail. If the rest of the trail is as spectacular as this 5.8 mile section, then the club will be doing a lot more hikes down in the Siskiyous.
We had hoped that the spring flowers would be putting on a show for us but we were still too early in the season for that stuff. But that’s OK, because really, this hike was all about the views. From the get-go, the trail served up a view down Bishop Creek’s canyon.
Spending most of the time out on open grassy slopes, the views evolved as we looked down upon the community of Ruch, surrounded by tall mountains which in turn, were surrounded by the taller Siskiyou Mountains.
Periodically, the trail would duck into forests comprised of leafless oak and orange-barked madrone. There is plenty of poison oak in abundance but the trail is well maintained and the itchy devil-plant has been brushed well away from the trail.
This hike was set up as a one-way downhill cruise, uncharacteristically easy for a Richard Hike, however about half the hikers opted for a long version which served up 4 uphill miles at the end. But that’s OK, because the long distance hikers had twice the pleasure, or so they keep telling everybody.
All in all, another great hike that surely will become a semi-regular destination for the club.
Pictures by Richard O’Neill
