Collings Mountain Trail offers look at Bigfoot trap

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May 04, 2007

By Bill Kettler

Mail Tribune

Spring is one of the best times to hike the trails in the mountains above Applegate Lake.

Summer's blistering heat is still too far out on the horizon to worry about in May, and spring wildflowers are showing their colors this time of year. Best of all, the lake looks more like a body of water instead of a draining bathtub with a brown ring.

You can see Applegate Lake at many places along the Collings Mountain Trail, a 6.8-mile route along a ridge named for one of the pioneer mining families that came to Southern Oregon in the 1850s. The lake was within 3 feet of maximum elevation on Wednesday, so the lake will look like it actually might belong there for the next month or two.

The Collings Mountain Trail (No. 943) is a good test of your early-season fitness. It gains about 1,700 feet over about three miles to the summit, but the crest is low enough (3,625 feet) that there's still plenty of air to breathe, compared to higher terrain in the Cascades.

The trail is open to equestrians and mountain bikers, but it's closed to motorbikes and other motorized vehicles.

You can start the trail at Hart-Tish Park near Applegate Dam or at Watkins Campground, about four miles farther up the lake. Starting near Hart-Tish, the trail follows a little creek for about a half mile through stands of Douglas fir, bigleaf maple and madrone.

Near the remains of a little cabin, look for a spur trail that will take you to perhaps the only bigfoot trap in the world.

Researchers built this contraption in 1973, hoping to capture one of the creatures that have been reportedly seen in this area since the 1890s.

If your time is limited, you could turn around here and call it a day, but you'll miss the rest of the show. The trail climbs more steeply beyond the trap, moving through stands of oak and madrone. If you stop to rest in some of the small clearings, you can look out and see the lake.

The grade diminishes as the trail nears the top of the ridge. There's no grand summit to tell you that you've arrived, just a long stretch of relatively flat, open woodland where wildflowers bloom into June. You might see lupine, penstemon, iris or even beargrass, depending on when you're on the trail.

There are some big boulders along the flat that make a good perch to sit on and take lunch.

From the summit, the trail descends steadily for 2.9 miles to the Watkins Campground. It's about 3.5 miles on the paved road back to Hart-Tish. The short distance makes this trail ideal for a shuttle. If you can't make the trip with two cars, bring a bicycle (and a good lock) to save yourself the extra walk.

To get there, take Highway 238 from Jacksonville toward Grants Pass. In Ruch, turn left (south) on Upper Applegate Road, and continue past the dam for about one mile.

Look for Hart-Tish Park and drive 200 yards past the park to a sign for the trailhead. You can park along the shoulder, or back at the park.

For directions and a trail description, see William Sullivan's "100 Hikes in Southern Oregon."

Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492 or e-mail:bkettler@mailtribune.com

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