Closing the Circle: Hiking the Green Springs Mountain Loop

Date: April 7, 2018
Place: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Ashland, Oregon
Coordinates: 42.140025, -122.497350
Length: 2.5 miles
Level: easy

On April 7, the last day of the Oregon bit of our 2018 spring break trip the rain was finally over. After spending the last couple of days walking between the droplets or hiding underground we were finally able to go hiking with our cameras out of cover. Our original plan was to head back to California that morning and hike in the Shasta area but we decided to take the opportunity and spend one more day in Oregon before going back south. So after checking out framer hotel in Ashland we headed back to the Siskiyou-Cascade National Monument, hoping to get a more serious impression of that area.
I followed the online instructions to the Green Springs Mountain Loop Trailhead.

Our hike as captured by Pappa Quail's gps

At the described spot was a small parking area but the trailhead itself was a short walk away down the dirt road. This had caused us some confusion, but we walked in the expected direction and eventually found the place where the trail splits off from the road.

That part of the trail overlaps with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). We had met it four days before at Seiad Valley and two days before at Hobart Bluff, so for the third time this trip we got to walk a bit of that long scenic multi-state trail.
And we almost didn't - the beginning of this trail was covered by a large snow patch. After traversing it we found that the rest f the loop trail was clear of snow.

There was no more snow after that first patch we've seen but the trail was wet and muddy. The scenery was that of a very early spring - the snow has melted but only the very beginning of plant growth could be seen.

Of the plants that did green up quickly I found the now familiar snow queen. A true ephemeral.

Snow Queen, Synthyris reniformis

For the first part of the loop we were walking through a gloomy conifer forest. perhaps it wasn't raining but the clouds were reluctant to leave so we walked through interchanging spells of sunshine and overcast grayness.

Then the trail split from the PCT, curved left and broke out of the woods. We were now walking along a mild slope of open grassy area.

And finally - we had view. A vast, gorgeous view of the valley and mountains across the deep valley below.

The clouds were still hanging low around the mountain tops. Perhaps there it was raining still.

It would have been the perfect place to have a break and sit down to enjoy the spectacular view but it was actually pretty cold and windy on that exposed mountainside. Moreover - the ground all around us was soaking wet. There was no place where we could sit comfortably without wetting our behinds.
From a distance the slope looked grayish yellow of last year's grass, but in between the dry grass new, green blades were growing thick. And there I made another discovery - a wild parsley blooming!

The soil was very wet but the trail itself was downright muddy. We walked slowly, taking care not to slip and fall.

Pappa Quail and the chikas marched ahead but I lingered behind, taking my time to enjoy the wild sights that unraveled before me as the clouds retreated.

A small group of red bushes grabbed my attention. They were too far for me to identify what they were, nor to tell if the red colors is from new or old foliage. I assume new because of the season. I didn't think it was bloom. I liked the nice spot of red color in the otherwise mellow grayish-green backdrop.

The trail curved around the mountain, going through small patches of trees and back out in the open again. The clouds retreated more and clung to the mountains.

Then the chikas made and exciting discovery - they found a larkspur! They called me to hurry up to where they were (as if the flower would run away any moment ...). The plant was very small and it was the only one of its kind there. It's flowers were large and impressive.

Larkspur, Derlphinium sp.

The trail kept curving left and now we were walking east, looking at different mountains and the spread of the Siskiyou-Cascade National Monument. I could feel the appeal of this place and the reason this area became a National Monument.

The trail entered the woods again and the view disappeared behind the trees - tall and thin, lichen-covered conifers with low-hanging boughs.

Smaller trees filled what seemed to have been a forest clearing. I didn't see any evidence of fire there. I wonder if that are used to be a meadow before, or was it cleared by people in an earlier time (there were no obvious stumps either).

When we completed the hike I was satisfied with the impression I got of the Siskiyou-Cascade. I'd love to be there again, probably later in spring to catch the flowering season.

It was easy in the afternoon when we finished our hike and the chikas wanted lunch so we drove down the mountain to a picnic area where we considered our next lag of the trip. Hiking by Mount Shasta would be saved for a different trip- we decided to drive through the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and look for birds. The next day would be our last of the spring break trip and we had plans to visit the Lake Shasta Caverns. 

A Vista Point of the PCT: Hiking to Hobart Bluff at the Siskiyou-Cascade

Date: April 5, 2018
Place: Siskiyou-Cascade National Monument, Ashland, Oregon
Coordinates: 42.086423, -122.481888
Length: 2.5 miles
Level: easy to moderate

Last spring break we took the opportunity to explore the Klamath area - a region of California that we had never been to before. For three days we camped and hiked along the river and had beautiful weather. When we left the Klamath to Yreka the weather changed to overcast and rainy. The next couple of days we were planing to hike the Siskiyou-Cascade National Monument in southern Oregon. There was rain in the forecast but it was so for all of of the West Coast and it was pointless to divert our planned route.
When we left Yreka in the morning of April 5 it was cloudy, but not rainy. The drive on I-5 was quick but then we had a very slow drive through the narrow and winding mountain roads leading to the Siskiyou-Cascade. By the time we arrived at the trailhead I wanted - that of Hobart Bluff - it was raining again. Moreover - there was snow still on the ground. Large patches of it.

The Trailhead

It was cold and misty, and I felt miserable. Unlike my usual self, I was ready to turn back and spend the rest of the day in the hotel's hot tub. But Pappa Quail urged me to hike. He argued that we don't know when we'll be back there again and we might as well look around. The chikas weren't very enthusiastic about walking in the rain but the sight of snow on the ground encouraged them to get out of the car too. So we donned our raincoats and prepared for a rainy hike. Pappa Quail decided to leave his birding camera in the car - he didn't expect to see any birds in this weather and he didn't wish to risk damaging his precious camera. I left my usual camera behind too, taking with me only the little point n' shoot that we got after the disaster at the Mormon Rocks a year and a half before. I tucked the camera inside my coat and pulled it for quick snapshots every now and then. There are only a few photos here, and they aren't the greatest, but they do show the place as we've seen it that day.

The first segment of the Hobart Bluff trail overlaps with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). We hiked a bit of the PCT two days before near Seiad Valley and I was amused to hit it again in a completely different area, in a different state.
Here, in contrast of what we saw at the Grinder Creek segment, the trail was completely clear of fallen logs and very easy to tread. Mostly.

Hobart Bluff Trail/PCT 

The trail wasn't easy to walk in the places where it was covered with snow. Fortunately for us, the snow cover wasn't much, and most importantly - it wasn't in steep areas that would have made crossing it dangerous.

We simply walked slowly, careful to stick our heels deep for stability. The elder chika was gliding over the snow just like an elf. The rest of us were more careful. 

It was old snow, already dark with dirt and covered with shodden male pine cones. The rain wasn't helping it either. That's how early spring looks like in this area. 

After less than mile we reached the fork that detached from the PCT, leading us uphill toward the bluff. There wasn't any snow there anymore, and the rain intensified and weakened every few step, so I kept my little camera under my coat for most of the way.  

Whenever the rain eased a bit I risked pulling my camera out and taking photos of the view. Many of the photos came out blurry, either because of poor lighting or because of an annoying droplet that got to the lens. I had to wipe it frequently. Still, I got a good augmentation of my memories of this area.

For the most park our hike felt like walking inside a thick, wet cloud. The rain wasn't strong, but it was incessant. The ground was soaked, but luckily not muddy. The light volcanic soil absorbed the rain, wicking it away from the surface. Despite the heavy moisture there was hardly any surface runoff. Wisps of cloud rose from the ground like ghosts between the trees. The colors were intense, the vegetation greens contrasting with the dark, earthy browns of the rocks and soil, and the occasional rusty red shrubs.

Near the summit the trail fails. Not that it wasn't there, but there were plenty of other foot paths, making it nearly impossible to identify the official trail from all the rouge ones. There was also a wilderness campsite there, I assume of use for PCT backpackers. 

After some trials and errors we found the trail leading to the summit. The rain paused enough for us to get a good look around. The view seemed the same in every direction - soft cloud-donning mountains patched with dark forests separated by narrow, light green vales. A silver, winding line indicated a road. We saw no cars on that road. 

View northeast from Hobart Bluff

The nearby sights were also worth attention - the top of Hobart Bluff was covered with low cushions of juniper and manzanita, but with dark red branches and lush green foliage.

Juniper

We were surprised to find a couple of other people on the summit, mainly because until then we had the impression of being the only humans in the area. They were coming up to the summit just as we were going down, and seemed unsure if the trail. We reassured them that they were on the right track and continued downhill.
In the Siskiyou-Cascade spring was just beginning. The snow was melting and the grasses greening up. It was way too early to be expecting any sort of a bloom show, but there were a few ephemerals about, little and unassuming. they were also very difficult to photograph, especially with the lesser camera I was using on that hike. I did try my best, though.

Pennycress? 

One particular flower was blooming in small patches along the entire trail. It was very close to the ground and its purple bloom was almost camouflaged by the background of reddish-brown fallen leaves. I took many photos of this little spring flower, but only one came out ok. 

Snow Queen, Synthyris reniformis 

It is a short trail to Hobart Bluff. I am glad that Pappa Quail insisted on hiking it - it gave us a good idea of how the area looks like and what can be found there. Besides, as we walked on my spirit rose with each step and by the time we made it back to he car I was content and happy to go check in our hotel in Ashland. Pappa Quail knows me well - had we missed on that hike I probably would have been in a sour mood for the rest of the day.
The forecast for the morrow was rainy still, and stronger too. Now I had plenty of time in the hotel to figure out what to do on the next day. Already on the way to Ashland my mind kept going to the one rain-protected hike possibility - underground. Where there any worthy caves in the area? I should find out.