Trail Talk – April 2022

With the coming of Spring, we find ourselves anxious to be out and about on our local trails. Recent outings to many nearby wild areas have found most trails in fairly good condition because of another “less than moist” Winter season. Some of the heavier windstorms have brought down limbs and trees, but for the most part, these have been cleared and the trails boast clear sailing. When the heavy snows of early January melted, they did so slowly, so there was little erosion from meltwater.

This article has an image of the updated Forest Park Map—the new maps will be available at the park kiosks located at Parking Areas P1, P1A, and P2. There will also be available copies at the Visitors’ Center and City Hall, as well as a few other locations. Park patrons will notice that this, the 3rd edition from Benchmark Maps and Pronto Print, is both New and Improved for your viewing pleasure. Added features include the locations of over 50 trailside benches and 40 “You Are Here” kiosks. Trail upgrades are clearly delineated and designated parking areas are more apparent with new icons.

One additional feature is the download instructions for Smart Phones through the free Avenza App. We recommend that park patrons download the App before visiting the park, as it saves our supply of paper maps, and pinpoints your location in the vast park even when a “You Are Here” kiosk is not convenient. We also strongly recommend the Avenza App as it is the official city-approved download that carries all the correct trail locations and designated uses. Other map downloads are often inaccurate, particularly open-source applications where any user can upload a track.

The process of creating an accurate map is labor intensive. All trails and park features need to be located with a hand-held GPS unit, then uploaded to Benchmark Maps in Medford (thanks, Neil Allen and company). Trail segment lengths are also double-checked manually with a meter wheel. Multiple drafts are scrutinized, corrected, and re-printed before the final proof is approved by Public Works personnel. It then goes to our local Pronto Print (thanks Arnie Klott and company) to be published, and a digital copy is uploaded to Avenza.

In trail news, hikers and bikers will see extensive work on Sarah Zigler Trail to alleviate the muddy conditions that appear each fall and winter. City crews and volunteers have spread decomposed granite to raise the trail bed and to allow better drainage. In Forest Park, a hikers’ connector now allows folks with dogs to proceed from Pipsissewa Trail to Halls of Manzanita Trail without the double-crossing of often busy Reservoir Road. Work has also been done near Arrowhead Pass in anticipation of the future connection to the Applegate Ridge Trail System. And… the Bench Challenge is up and running for another year. Instructions are posted at Forest Park kiosks.

It’s time to get out and enjoy those wildflowers and Spring days. Happy Trails.