Trail Talk is a monthly column by Clayton Gillette about hiking the Jacksonville Woodlands trail system. For more information, please visit the Jacksonville Woodlands Association website at www.jvwoodlands.org. 
A recent article in the Mail Tribune highlighted the efforts of our National Park Service to preserve the natural habitat surrounding the Grove of Titans in Redwoods State and National Park. An elevated walkway is being constructed to protect the shallow root system of this community of spectacularly large and ancient […]
With the advent, or shall we say, return of Autumn rains this October, we can breathe a bit easier heading into the colder days of mid-winter. Shortly after the publication of this piece, as we celebrate the season, we’ll sense the days lengthening and a quickening as new growth arises […]
So, our Hunters’ Moon has come and gone for another year. With the skies finally rid of the pesky smoke of summer, we can breathe more easily. The crisp morning air is accompanied by the crisp crunch of autumn’s leaves, and on the crispiest of mornings, the delightful crackle of hoar-frosted […]
That’s the late summer/early fall mantra for so many of us as we venture out for time on the trails. The cool, moist air that heralds the onset of our damp, foggy winters is still but a dream—but a dream worth having. To consider that we once wished for those dark […]
Returning to the familiar footpaths of one’s local environment after forays far and wide creates a certain deja’ vu. To return to a familiar stomping ground while the temperatures persist in the triple digits, just like the day you left, yields a feeling far more poignant than any “been there, done […]
Summer is upon us, and it’s a time to get out and explore farther afield. Trails in our local wilderness areas have opened as the snowpack has melted, and though winter storms may have created blowdown over many of the trails, intrepid hikers should still be able to get through to […]
Our Woodlands have seen an explosion of visitors since COVID. These warming days of spring and summer are indeed a popular time to be out and gathering out-of-doors and does carry less risk of exposure than indoor activities.
Research published last summer by the European Forest Institute in Bonn found that visits […]
The blooms came late this spring, a welcome respite from years past, when all of Nature’s tapestry of color seemed over-anxious to burst forth and then fade even more quickly. The cool February weather, damp, but no wetter than normal, held in check previous year’s ‘too much, too soon’ extravaganzas. What […]
Quietly, they came to feed and potentially nest and raise their young. One day, the old city reservoir in Forest Park was bone dry. The next day, after a bit of rain fell on the parched uplands, it filled, and water flowed quietly through the boulders in the old spillway beneath […]
There is a time when the tumult and chaos of life in a 24/7 news cycle breaks the spirit of the bravest consumer. Overwhelmed by the cantankerous rantings of so many talking heads, the appeal of a timeout spent in the musty cold fog of our mid-winter world becomes undeniable. The […]
Fall finally comes to our woodland areas. Crunchy leaves give way to damp blankets of color beneath the naked stems, branches, and trunks of our deciduous brethren. Fungi again bravely venture forth, reclaiming a world denied them during the harsh summer’s drought. The forests are quieter now, beginning the long slumber […]
As we hope for the smoke to clear and the out-of-doors to become welcoming again after some fall rains, we are obligated to take stock of our climate crisis. “Mega-drought” feels overused, but how else do we account for streams that seem to never run, waterfalls that never fall, bogs where […]
“Leave only footprints; take only memories.” The hikers’ mantra played loudly in my subconscious on a recent walkabout far from our local trails. A quarter century ago, two motorcyclists ignored a wilderness boundary sign and rode onto a pumice ridge, where they turned doughnuts in the powdery soil before diving off […]
Having recently spent some time running on trails farther afield, I am happy to report that our local trails are in tip-top shape. It is disappointing to see that so much of our once robust forest trail system on BLM and Forest Service land has been neglected for so long, and […]
Summer is upon us. We can only hope for occasional rain to dampen our extreme fire season and keep the smoke from our skies. Dry, dusty conditions under a blazing sun do little to entice our walkabout mojo into action. But to be out and about during a rare summer shower, […]
Living in a dynamic world, we’ve often been surprised by just how quickly our comfortable metaphoric rugs can be swept from underfoot. We are creatures of habit, and when our circumstances are changed, it’s a frustrating chore to adjust normal practices. Our current status with COVID-19 is in daily flux, and […]
The current state of global affairs has left me pondering opposing forces. Here we spend our days in our bubbles, isolating our physical selves for the sake of everyone’s well-being, while yearning for normal intercourse with others. The human need to be social is counteracted by a need for ‘alone time’, […]
Aah, springtime in Southern Oregon with cabin fever driving us into the great outdoors! Henry Gibson told us, “Spring is sprung, The grass is ris, I wonder where the birdies is.” Well, look no further because we are surrounded with bird song of every variety. Just head out the door on […]
A recent conversation in Forest Park with a couple of mountain bike riders from the Seattle area gave good notice of the value of Jacksonville’s wooded trail system. Here, on a winter’s day, they found ample opportunity to enjoy their time off from a hectic work schedule. Though staying at a […]
After a dry fall, we are finally enjoying some winter weather. A noticeable scent fills our wet woodlands, and any walkabout permeates our clothing with an aromatic (some would say pungent) reminder that we’ve been out and about. For many, our New Year’s Resolution will see us hiking more often. Many […]
As I write this month’s Trail Talk, the dry fall continues. Trails around Jacksonville (and farther afield) are in excellent shape. Our trail volunteers have identified a few places that need some gentle correction or repairs, and additional benches are on the way for more meditative places to enjoy the […]
Trail Talk – October 2019
To live in a town with such a storied past should have one always looking and asking, “I wonder what that old wall is from?” or “Where did that old path lead?” or “Where did this old water ditch come from?” We find ourselves in Jacksonville’s extensive public woodlands asking those […]
Ah…September. Summer begins to loosen its grip on our surrounding hills and we anticipate cooler nights, crisper mornings, and the trails stretching out before us. Fall will soon be here with its colorful palette. We yearn for the return of the gurgle of water […]
Summer’s heat makes afternoon hiking a challenge: our senses blasted by bright, hot, parching air. Sweat dries too quickly on our brow, and thirst seems to be our constant companion. The flowers are fading toward autumn, madrone trees have shed their outer bark in sheets of dark crimson […]
Trail Talk this month is an examination of restful mindfulness. We’ve hiked, biked, and run the trails in Jacksonville’s expansive park system. We’ve stopped to smell the roses, the soapbrush, the madrone, the lilies, and the mock orange. We’ve dodged the daredevil butterflies and ducked the loopy acrobatics […]
Our Trail Talk in recent issues has focused on appropriate use of trails in our local forests. Jacksonville is not alone in dealing with folks damaging public property through thoughtless or illegal actions. Postings on Facebook and an article in the Mail Tribune have pointed out the […]
Spring projects in Forest Park are moving ahead nicely. By now, patrons have enjoyed the new Wildlife Viewing Shelter at the historic Jacksonville Reservoir, the new vault toilets at parking area P1A (dam quarry), a new, improved Mountain Biking Information Kiosk, and the Rattlesnake Gulch Tr that takes […]
Spring is fully upon us and the wildflowers sing out to their admirers. After a long, cool winter, where the warm days seemed hesitant to ever re-appear, we are now in full stride toward a beautiful spring. The trails beckon.
Ample moisture this past winter should produce an abundance of plant growth […]
“Take care of the resource and the resource will take care of you.” This mantra that connects us to our environment resonates loudly as we look forward to a springtime of blooms and budding life. Winter’s icy grip will soon be a distant memory and our legs will take us out […]
February marks the end days of those dark dreary dawns of winter. It’s a time of shortening shadows and greening hillsides. Warmth begins to reclaim its hold on our forested areas and brave blossoms begin peeking through the forest litter of last fall’s leaf drop. If we’ve been blessed with a […]
What is a forest park? Jacksonville boasts both a Woodlands and a Forest Park. Portland has a Forest Park also. Ashland’s forest park is along Ashland Creek and is named Lithia Park. Another park there is Oredsen-Todd Woods. Medford maintains Prescott Park on RoxyAnn Peak. Surprisingly, this type of park […]
It’s that wonderful Fall time of year when the temperatures remind us to layer our clothing as we head out the door on another adventure in the wilds of Southern Oregon. We look for the promised rains to ease last summer’s relentless drought, and we are quite happy to breathe the […]
Southern Oregon has become a destination for many mountain biking adventures. At least five areas within 25 miles of Jacksonville have trails dedicated to mountain biking while most hiking trails in the region are also open to two-wheel recreation. Jacksonville is no slouch in this regard with over 40 miles of […]
With a rebuilt bridge in the Beekman Arboretum, visitors to Jacksonville’s trails system are having more first-hand encounters with these utilitarian, but elegant structures. And soon, the wobbly Rails to Trails bridge near Pheasant Meadows will be replaced.
With that in mind, let’s take a tour of these engineering delights. The basic […]
Summer is too soon upon us with blistering afternoons and parched hillsides. June is the month to truly enjoy the last of the spring blossoms, searching creekside trails for bold Washington lilies and scampering up open hillsides for patches of brilliant yellow arnica, tarweed, and balsamroot. The creek canyons boast radiant white showers of ocean […]
Frequent visitors to Jacksonville’s Forest Park have been excited by two recent trail improvements: Rail Trail’s rehabilitation and a new Rattlesnake Gulch Trail. Spring is a great time to explore these parts of the park with their endemic wildflowers waxing and waning through their respective seasons. Hot days will soon be […]
Finding Spring on our woodland trails starts simply with a step onto the path that leads away from all things urbane. Here, in our little village nestled in a corner of the valley, we find these paths with little trouble and at every opportunity. So, what’s new on the trails?
Folks have […]
So, the rains came. And the creeks rose. Water flowed into the old reservoir and mallards returned, quacking with delight at the prospects of dining in the newly opened establishment. After so many arid days under sweltering skies, here was blessed respite. Now the turtles came forth from their […]
The rains return to wash the smoky air. A sweet fragrance rises from the heavy layer of summer’s discarded madrone leaves and bark. Dogwoods become crimson, big-leafed maples brilliant yellow. Fall’s mushrooms push upward through the brightly carpeted forest floor and bloom in their unique ways. The seasons cycle through another […]
Our friends, the trails. We can see them romantically—fantastically leading us away on adventures. Or consider them purely utilitarian—a way to get from point A to point B. Sometimes, we find them a challenge to be conquered. And yet there they are: paths leading away, to be followed if we are […]
As the heat of another record-hot summer begins to abate in this season of the equinox, our feet yearn to revisit our trails within this forested landscape we call home. From early September until winter’s harsh grip sends us scampering to the coffee shops for warmer libations, the outdoors beckons our […]
Another 100 degree day in the Bear Creek Valley, another early morning trail run kept short by daunting afternoon temperatures, and my mind’s fantasy went to snowy trails in August. Who could blame me?
Oregon, unlike our neighbor to the south, does not have a lot of trails that boast elevations in […]
In a recent article, the Mail Tribune referred to the Pacific Crest Trail as a “well-kept secret.” A surprising phrase, because for 40 years Oregon’s official highway map has delineated this popular trail with a dotted red line stretching from Donomore Meadows near Dutchman Peak, across the Siskiyou Crest and up […]
It’s time to reflect on our local trails as we head into our summer months. As residents of the Rogue Valley, we can pretty much head any direction, and in less time than it takes to shop for groceries, we find our feet pointed ahead on a path meandering over hill […]
As our hit-and-miss spring heads into an uncertain summer, more folks find themselves on our forest trails. An unusually-wet winter gives way to drier days when intrepid hikers take to the woods to enjoy a walk amidst the carpets of flowers, cascading streams, and trees alive with birdsong. Cool crisp mornings […]
Spring is finally upon us, yet those friendly white flakes of so many recent winter days flutter past my window as I write this. We’ll venture bravely forth to see what wonders a long, wet, cold season has bestowed upon our forested hills. Perhaps the blooms […]
Oh, but if we could hear what the stones have to tell us. So often we walk along the trails admiring the flora and fauna, ignoring the living rock beneath our feet. Sub-consciously we might appreciate the rock cycle and the millennia needed to morph sandstone […]
By the time folks read this, January’s snow in Jacksonville will be a memory. One could argue that Forest Park never looked better, especially after the gray days of late December. Who would have thought that “Ski Jacksonville” would be a thing? Yet, there was that nice snowpack and miles of […]
A recent October day, rainy and blustery like so many other October days this year, found me traveling along Cook and Green Trail, a Forest Service Trail that abuts the Red Buttes Wilderness just over the California border above Applegate Lake. Unlike many trails in other areas, […]
Aldo Leopold, in Sand County Almanac, tells of exploring once-developed areas that have been reclaimed by wilderness. And surprisingly, it’s not all that long after humans have left the area. Here, around Jacksonville, we find wild areas of a similar nature. Where our predecessors had mining ditches, houses and barns, roads, […]