Cathedral Hills

Hundreds of red Indian Warrior wildflowers are blooming at Cathedral Hills near Grants Pass, so a Friday hike to see them was a special treat. We started at the Skycrest trailhead, as the Espey trailhead is closed through March 30 for tree removal and fire protection activity.

Twelve of us hiked on the Timber Riders, Outback Loop, Hogback and Skycrest Loop trails for almost 5 miles. Dense stands of Indian Warriors and Henderson’s Shooting Stars stretched over the hill slopes especially on the Skycrest Loop trail. We saw the first Fritillary of the season along with fawn lilies, blue hound’s tongue and gold stars. Poison oak is also prevalent, so stay on the trail. We lunched overlooking the valley and Mabre shared poems.

Driving back, we stopped at Pennington Farms on Highway 238 near Murphy. As we grazed on berry pastries in the Pennington garden, the owner stopped by to chat with us. He told us about the blackberry varieties and his own crosses that he grows to produce their unique berry jams (i.e.,tayberry, mungaberry, marionberry). All of us agreed that it was a most colorful day on the hiking trail.

Photos By: Kay