We bet that the weather would cooperate and we won our bet. Although it was windy at Rite Aide parking, it was calm at the Trailhead. Where seven Monday hikers greeted the four from the Ashland Rite Aid with one more screaming up the road just as we started; the early morning rain had passed and we had another great day for hiking.

We were hiking the East Applegate Ridge Trail on the outskirts of Jacksonville, one of our favorites and the first part of the Jack Ash Trail opened in 2017. While moving up the trail, we learned some surprising Jacksonville history, first, it was once the largest town in Oregon during the 19th-century Gold Rush, and second, it was Oregon’s capital at that time.

There were dramatic views for photos of the valley below with low clouds covering the fields, but with the hills breaking through.

Our hiking luck came through again when one of our members suggested we take a left on a previously unknown side trail for a new lunch spot with a nice view of the valley and the mountains across.

On the day, we hiked 6.1 miles with about 350 feet of gain.

Happy Trails,
Rich

Hike Leader: Rich Stickle

Photos By: Linda, Randy, Patricia, Janet