Hike of the Week

Previous Columns

• Brokeoff Mountain brings solace in time of grief - 10/8/2009

  I've never been one to climb mountains just to say I've been there. For me, mountains are powerful metaphors, so I always approach them with forethought and intent.

  
• Tumalo Falls offers relief for the body and soul - 9/3/2009

  What is it about water that lifts the human spirit?

  
• Waterfall-hopping in the Shasta-Trinity - 8/27/2009

  Monday's hike along the upper McCloud River in far Northern California begins with a detour.

  
• Cool your feet on the Upper Rogue River Trail - 7/30/2009

  It pays to keep your eyes on the trail — even when it's a well-established path like the Upper Rogue River Trail. But sometimes that's not quite enough.

  
• Coastal redwoods are a world apart - 7/16/2009

  The hike begins in the hush of a redwood cathedral and ends in the crashing surf.

  
• High mountain waterfalls and giant trees on Red Blanket Trail - 7/2/2009

  Late last summer a cluster of lightning strikes ignited a series of blazes in and around the Sky Lakes Wilderness that burned about 21,000 acres.

• Hobart Bluff, a centered and varied world - 6/25/2009

  Standing atop Hobart Bluff, I'm reminded of the four sacred mountains of the Navajo — Mount Taylor, the San Francisco Peaks, Mount Hesperus and Blanca Peak — marking the traditional...

  
• Coast Trail is a tribute to Oregon's vision - 5/28/2009

  From the bluffs, filled with grasses, Douglas irises and seashore lupines, the horizon stretches to a panorama of headlands, sand, offshore rocks and ocean.

  
• Table Rocks aren't the only wildflower haven - 5/7/2009

  I stand in a cluster of wildflowers — shooting stars, scarlet fritillaries and larkspurs — their violets, reds and purples dappling the gray-tan ground in a forest of Oregon white oaks.

  
• On Tunnel Ridge, nature's adaptability shines - 4/2/2009

  I am out of breath from the climb, a cold breeze whipping across my face.

  
• Local hiking guides: imperfect, but valuable - 3/5/2009

  There is no perfect hiking guide. I've looked long and hard, and have yet to find one that isn't flawed in some way.

  
• Interpretive trail opens at Squaw Lakes Saturday - 2/19/2009

  Squaw Lakes has a new interpretive trail and wildlife viewing platform thanks to the efforts of two Eagle Scouts and a Forest Service recreation worker with plenty of scout-friendly Applegate Valley...