Jack-Ash Trail – Greenstone TH to Anderson Ridge

After 3 Mondays cancelled due to bad air, we crossed our fingers and headed out to Greenstone TH in the Applegate.

We seven arrived at temps in the 60s and began ascending up the rocky slope.
There was evidence at parking and up the trail of unregulated shooting; with shotgun cartridges all over and pits in the newly installed trail sign.

But this hike is well worth climbing past signs of human idiocy. After clumping over Serpentine rocks you soon enter the old growth forest and follow the trail up to the Ridge.

On this day we didn’t get the immediate spectacular views upon reaching the Ridge as a wall of smoke was hovering over the mountain peaks in the distance. But the air on the trail was good as Jerry’s BreezOmeter App recorded an AQI of 30.

We headed out the Ridge trail stopping at the photo plaque showing the mountain peaks on a clear day. John and I spent some time guessing the names of peaks peeking through the smoke.

Although the south facing hillside along the trail was pretty dry in this drought year, we still welcomed the bright yellow of late blooming sage shrubs along our path.

We heard loud reports echoing from the Little Applegate valley below, alerting us that hunting season is underway.
We reached our lunch spot at just past eleven and found friendly boulders to rest on. After lunch, we passed around Darryl’s excellent coffee buzz chocolate.

Jerry and Randy noticed a rocky rough trail heading up from our lunch spot and decided to explore if it would take them up to the Anderson Butte lookout. It did since they have pics to prove it.

The rest of us headed back the way we came and eventually took seats at Boomtown. We were greeted by Deandrea, our longtime friend and barkeep.

Note: We welcomed back John Kerr to our hiking group Monday in a return to normalcy.

Hike Leader: Rich Stickle

Photos By: Alice, Darryl, Jerry, Linda, Randy, Rich