Come spring, the flowers start blooming in southwest Oregon's Illinois River Valley, and if you don't get out soon enough, you might not have the chance to see them all. That's because the flower season can stretch wide, and different flowers bloom at different times.

When looking for a new hike, it's understandable for hikers to dismiss roads. We go to the woods to get away from cars, trucks and the bustle of town. But many roads on the map have been closed, creating new, quiet, outdoor opportunities.

If you're planning to hike part or all of the Pacific Crest Trail, the good news is that you don't have carry the weight of the world on your back like your grandparents did.

Every clear morning when Cher Rydberg wakes up, she can see the large and picturesque Mount McLoughlin rising outside her rural Butte Falls home, while off to the north, little-known Union Peak peeks through the trees.

This time of year, a lot of us head up to the snow parks for backcountry adventure. But snowshoeing along groomed tracks can leave some hikers yearning for something a little more primitive. The Cook and Green Pass trail in the heart of the Siskiyous can provide the wild adventure you're looking for, minus the crowds.

SAMS VALLEY — Following her best botanist instincts, Kristi Mergenthaler pushed through a wall of buckbrush and side-stepped some coyote scat when out from the rain-dampened undergrowth sprang the object of her affection: a rare white fairypoppy, aka Meconella oregana, with its signature, bananalike fruit poking skyward. It's a true gem to find anywhere, let alone on a private, 133-acre, Sams Valley ranch like this one.

When the Rogue Valley's thick, low-hanging, mushroom-making ceiling feels like it's pressing me into the duff, I start dreaming of ways to find some blue sky.

During short, winter days when the valley floor won't warm up and the thick fog won't rise, this moderate to difficult, four-mile hike on the "Jabberwocky" trail offers relief and much-needed sun.

Yeah! The snow finally fell, and you can't wait to head into the mountains for some backcountry skiing or snowshoeing.

The Wild and Scenic Illinois River draws a variety of users. Anglers come in the winter to try their luck at catching steelhead, rafters seek its turbulent and dangerous rapids, and botanists search for rare plant communities along the river's more remote banks.

This difficult, 3.5-mile hike starts with an 800-foot climb up an all-but-barren ridge then traverses into old-growth forest. After passing a curious-looking copper mine, the trail descends to Snailback Falls, a continuum of cascades connected by small pools. The trail tops out at about 2,000 feet above sea level, so it's generally accessible even in winter.

Cobra lily, pitcher plant and tube plant are three of the common names associated with Darlingtonia californica, a carnivorous plant found growing only in Northern California and Southern Oregon. This easy hike through one of Southern Oregon's largest and most easily accessible Darlingtonia fens take you to great spot to watch salmon leaping Little Falls on the Illinois River.

It's a cold and sunny Saturday morning as 13 people and two dogs gather at 10 o'clock in the Britt Festivals parking lot in Jacksonville. Seeking exercise, accomplishment, history and camaraderie, the group begins the climb up to Jacksonville's historic cemetery, the first leg on a 10-kilometer jaunt through town.

Forget what the adage says. You may not be able to cross that bridge when you come to it. Especially if it's a log bridge over a stream in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Rough & Ready Creek is known for its spring display of rare, diverse and endemic flowering plant communities. Botanists come to the Botanical Wayside located off Highway 199 just north of O'Brien, and the more adventurous seek the watershed's higher reaches.

Located 12 miles inland from Highway 101 on the Oregon-California border, this adventure will have you wondering whether you are hiking in the Siskiyous or on the Coast Range. While the Winchuck River and its wild tributaries receive less attention than larger, more accessible rivers nearby, their exploration is well worth the effort.

This easy three-mile hike on the edge of Ashland is great for days when the crowds in Lithia Park just won't let up.

An audience of 17 hikers stands in front of the McKee Bridge store in the Applegate Valley. It's a cool August morning and their leader, Janeen Sathre, is explaining the route for their imminent 90-minute drive over a series of dusty logging roads. The destination is an unmarked trailhead on the Pacific Crest Trail seen by few but the through hikers.

The camping experience at Cape Lookout State Park south of Tillamook isn't complete without hiking to the tip of the cape for an exhilarating view of the Pacific Ocean from 400 feet above. The trail to the overlook takes hikers through a wildly overgrown forest, then emerges into daylight on the southern slope of the cape.

In 2006, when I made my first venture into the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, it wasn't exactly welcoming of me.