Southern Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast is a gem.

I'm standing on a ridge above the headwaters of Balls Branch, gazing at one of the most spectacular views of the Applegate Valley I've ever seen. The meadow dropping off precipitously at my feet is awash in blues and purples of lupine and larkspur that punctuate the green of gently swaying native grasses.

As far as outdoor recreation goes, Applegate Lake is low-hanging fruit. It is accessible year-round, and you can drive right up to the reservoir's shores.

An accomplished nature writer and a fifth-generation Applegate Valley resident have joined forces to write a hiking book centered on their home turf.

Work is being planned for May and August on two trail routes that will nearly finish renovation of the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail, a precursor to construction of a planned Jacksonville-to-Ashland trail. The projects will reroute short sections of the ditch trail off private land and onto Bureau of Land Management holdings to ensure continued public access.

A lot of hikers have a hard time taking the plunge into overnight backpacking. Backpacking is dirty. Lugging extra overnight gear is tough. Cooking options are limited, and the uncertainties of spending a night in the woods are many.

JACKSONVILLE — Botanist Kristi Mergenthaler strolls the paths of the Jacksonville Woodlands with an eye that's well-trained for picking out the rare flower from among its imposters.

Like hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail, author Cheryl Strayed's life moves in switchbacks.

The Collings Mountain trail at Applegate Lake may be best known for the infamous Bigfoot trap found at its lower reaches. But this six-mile, moderate-to-difficult hike has a lot more to offer, including huge views of the Siskiyou crest.

What would you do if you won a load of money?

Every Saturday and Sunday from Thanksgiving until April, Crater Lake National Park offers ranger-guided snowshoe hikes in the park. They even provide the snowshoes if you don't have them, and it's all free.

If you're yearning to hit a trail and maybe get some views without strapping on skis or snowshoes, you'll need to stick with low-elevation trails this time of year, and the Applegate Lake area can fill the bill.

If you're a hiking trail, too much love can be bad for your health.

Behind its historic enclave, trendy restaurants and quaint storefronts, Jacksonville is endowed with a wild side, including 18 miles of connecting interpretive and recreational trails in the 320-acre Jacksonville Woodlands, and the 1,100-acre Forest Park, with 15 miles of vistas, hiking trails, creeks, the town's old reservoir, interpretive markers and remnants of old gold mines.

Twenty-three "First Day Hikes" are planned for New Year's Day at Oregon State Parks, including three in Southern Oregon.

According to fossil records, redwood forests once were plentifully strewn across the world. But over geologic time, what once was a world empire shrank into a 450-mile-long strip along the California coast — the redwood belt.

I am not one who gives up easily on autumn. Even after the sky turns leaden for days at a time and rain turns the yellow and gold leaves of alders and maples to mush underfoot, I cling to every vestige of color I can find.

Ashland's Oredson-Todd Woods and Siskiyou Mountain Park trails cover more than 271 acres combined. No, the area is not wild, primitive and unconfined; it is a park. And yes, you are going to see people, especially on sunny weekends. But the Oredson-Todd Woods are fun, and getting lost in them is very much worth a few hours.

Most people will never get the chance to visit southwest Oregon's infamous, gargantuan, congressionally designated Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, and of those few who do, even fewer will see its remote interior.

The turkey wasn't the problem, though the gravy it floated in might have played a part. And the second piece of pumpkin pie wouldn't have caused a disturbance if it wasn't for the third dollop of whipped cream, which didn't sit well with the fourth deviled egg. Don't even think about all the butter in those mashed potatoes.