22 Fall 2012 Applegater
Cantrall-Buckley Park
NEWS
AppLegATe VALLeY DAYS
items. A winery pavilion operated by the
Applegate Valley Vintners’ Association
offered a variety of Applegate wines.
People who attended were able to
spend time outdoors in a beautiful setting
by the river. The Applegate Lions Club
barbecued tri-tip for lunch and throughout
the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday,
and the Illinois Valley Lions Club put on
a pancake breakfast on both days. On
Saturday, additional treats were provided
by wood-fired pizza from Rise Up! Artisan
Bakery and roasted corn from the Ruch
Country Store.
A special children’s area, hosted by
the Applegate Valley Garden Club, was
located in the park’s playground. Kid Time
of Medford contributed giant Lego blocks
and other outdoor toys that were devoted
to play and learning. Pacifica—A Garden
in the Siskiyous brought their Caterpillar
Mobile Science and Education Center,
which was enjoyed by children of all ages.
The dog agility demonstrations that
went on hourly throughout the weekend
frOm pAge 1
were a big hit thanks to Cooperative
Canines (www.cooperativecanines.net).
The Oregon Department of Forestry
had equipment and representatives on
hand to show what they do and how
they do it. The Applegate Fire District
hosted an educational fire-safety exhibit
for children.
Although most of the events were
located at the park, several activities were
held elsewhere in the Applegate Valley.
The “Amazing Geocache” event was run
from Ryan’s Outpost, combining “Amazing
Race” type activities with the treasure hunt
of geocaching. The Medford Porsche Club
did a poker run to area wineries. Also, the
Friends of the Applegate Fire District held
a community yard sale on the athletic field
at Ruch Elementary School.
Unfortunately, persistent rain on
Saturday afternoon forced cancellation of
the concert planned for Saturday evening.
However, local musicians provided
entertainment throughout the afternoons.
Special thanks to the Sons of the Oregon
Trail and Christina Duane.
Applegate Valley Days could not have
been successful without the assistance of
our sponsors. A generous contribution
from South Valley Bank allowed us to
purchase t-shirts for the event staff and
the many willing volunteers who made
the event possible. The Mail Tribune and
Bicoastal Media donated advertising space
in print and on the air. We also appreciate
the wonderful coverage by KOBI Channel
5 during the week before the event.
Due to safety concerns and limited
parking available within Cantrall-Buckley
Park, we arranged for parking on Hamilton
Road and provided regular shuttle service
between the parking lot and the park.
Bigham Knoll provided the Frau Kemmling
school bus and driver on Saturday, and we
greatly appreciate their generosity. Because
we paid for the use of the Hamilton Road
parking area, we charged $4 per car for
parking. However, we apparently didn’t
provide adequate notice of the parking fee,
and a number of visitors let us know that
they were not pleased with the surprise.
We will do better next year to make sure
that there are no hidden fees.
Applegate Valley Days 2013
Because we received lots of positive
feedback about the event, we’ve already
started planning for next year and have
selected June 22-23, 2013. In response
to the request for more adult activities, a
volleyball tournament will be included.
If you have an interest in participating
in any part of the weekend or have ideas
for new activities, please let us know.
Information will be available beginning
this fall at www.applegatevalleydays.
org. In fact, if you haven’t done so
before, check out the website (created and
maintained by Shelley-Ann Hincks of SA
Web Engineering) and enjoy the beautiful
pictures courtesy of Hincks Photography
(www.hincksphoto.com).
David Laananen
541-846-0500
david.laananen@asu.edu
ATA holds monthly classes
bY TOm cARSTEnS
“In 20 minutes I’ve learned more about
our valley than I have in the last 20 years!”
One of our longtime Applegate Valley
residents made this comment while on
one of the recent hikes sponsored by the
Applegate Trails Association (ATA). This
is indicative of the eclectic education
one can gain while on one of the group’s
monthly hikes in the Applegate Watershed.
The faculty for this schooling is...us! Our
collective knowledge of history, biology,
ecology, hydrology, geology and an endless
variety of other topics amaze all of us who
have participated in these events. The
really good news is that we can do this
while enjoying the great outdoors—and
staying fit!
The photo to the right is of Hinkle
Lake, the destination of a recent ATA hike.
This was a pleasant experience, not just
for the beauty of the hike, but also for the
interesting talk given by one of the hike
leaders about the ecology of the lake and
its surrounding wetlands. The number of
species residing in the lake is amazing. We
saw critters like fairy shrimp, salamanders,
rough-skinned newts, flatworms, and
ducks. Hikers also learned about the
unique, threatened flora of the area, like
alpine liverwort, flowering bleeding heart,
Marshall’s currant, Howell’s clover, and
wild ginger. (Unfortunately, too much
of this plant life is being destroyed by
thoughtless and illegal use of off-road
vehicles in this sensitive area.) Massive
old-growth fir and cedar were seen along
O’Connell Creek.
Group hikes are only one aspect
of this wonderful organization. Since
forming more than a year ago, ATA has
been hard at work with Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), US Forest Service
staffs and other local groups trying to
promote the nonmotorized recreational
opportunities that should be protected in
our neck of the woods. As an example,
ATA is working with the forest service
to seek ways to better protect the Hinkle
Lake basin from unauthorized use of
off-highway vehicles (OHVs). Under
David Calahan’s leadership, ATA has
been forthright in seeking to better define
the boundaries between motorized and
nonmotorized use of our pristine valley.
OHV use in the John’s Peak area has been
the subject of a BLM-sponsored resolution
process in which ATA is a participant. To
learn more, visit this website: http://www.
blm.gov/or/districts/medford/recreation/
timbermountain/timb-mt-adrp.php.
As a valley resident, you can gain a
better appreciation of the issue by seeing
for yourself how we can work together
to foster better stewardship of our wild
resources—come out on a monthly hike!
Upcoming hikes
September 7—short hike: The next
monthly ATA hike will be on the Isabelle
Spring Trail, rated easy to moderate. This
section is part of the proposed Applegate
Ridge Trail being developed by ATA. The
narrow historic trail follows the contour on
the steep, rocky west side of Mount Isabelle
to pass through mixed woods of fir, black
oak, white oak and mountain mahogany.
A huge fire-scarred fir stands sentry over
the box spring that was developed in 1940
to serve the lookout on Mount Isabelle.
Prior to the spring development, lookouts
packed their water by horse or mule from
the Oregon Belle Mine. Two hikes will be
offered: (1) an easy one of two miles, and
(2) a moderate one of four miles. Hikers
will meet at Bunny Meadows parking area,
one mile up Forest Creek Road, at 9 am.
Stress-free hiking in some beautiful terrain!
October 21—driving tour: In
October, ATA will introduce the panoramic
views of the western portion of the
Applegate Ridge Trail. This event will be
for all ages and abilities. We will drive
a portion of this system that is accessed
from Savage Creek off the Rogue River
Highway. We will carpool from Applegate
Store at 9 am.
Applegate Ridge Trail
ATA is hard at work on a number
of fronts, all dedicated to promoting
nonmotorized recreational use of our
trail system. One of the chief projects is
developing a hiking, biking and equestrian
trail, along with access, along the high ridge
overlooking the Applegate Valley. This trail
will be many years in the making, but will
eventually serve our residents in gaining
a stunning panoramic perspective of our
valley, while enjoying the fresh air and
serenity provided free of charge by Mother
Nature. ATA calls this trail the “Applegate
Ridge Trail” (ART). The group is serious
about its mission, but is having a lot of
fun putting plans together. “Preserving
and connecting historic trails for future
generations” is more than a tagline for
this group—it’s a credo that keeps its
core group of volunteers motivated and
enthused.
ATA fundraiser to be held
September 22-23 at Jackson Campground
All of this takes money going forward.
ATA is very appreciative of the generosity
shown so far by valley residents. These
donations have allowed the group to make
significant progress on a variety of trail-
related projects. ATA has also applied for
a Title II grant to improve trailheads and
Kendall Cabin at Hinkle Lake, destination of a
recent ATA hike. Photo by David Calahan.
install educational signs along the ART.
In the spirit of its outdoor mission,
ATA is holding a fundraising campout at
Jackson Campground, which is just below
Applegate Lake. The campout will feature
educational hikes and two gourmet meals
(with vegetarian options) prepared by ATA
board members. Local author and radio
commentator Diana Coogle will give a
campfire lecture on living with nature
in the Siskiyous. Ms. Coogle recently
completed her PhD in English and enjoys
teaching at the University of Oregon and
Rogue Community College.
The campout will take place the
weekend of September 22 and 23. The cost
will be $40 per person, $60 per couple,
and $10 for kids under 12. Make your
reservations early—participation is limited
to 30 folks. All reservations must be in by
September 10. Don’t forget to bring plates
and utensils.
To make reservations, please email
josh@applegatetrails.org, or give Josh a call
at 541-846-0738. Visit our website, www.
applegatetrails.org, for more information.
Even if you can’t make it, we’d
appreciate your donations. You can hit the
“Donate” button on our website, or mail a
check to ATA, P.O. Box 105, Jacksonville,
Oregon 97530. All donations are tax-
deductible.
Step forward with a gift to all
generations. Thank you!
Tom Carstens • 541-846-1025