Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2021)
Applegater Spring 2021 21 Limpy Botanical Trail BY EVELYN ROETHER This is an easy, fun trail! Likely named for the Takelma Chief (Tyee) Limpy, whose Athapascan-speaking people lived along the lower Applegate River, the Limpy Botanical Trail is comprised of two relatively easy loops. Both offer a glimpse into several contrasting habitats. Illustrated interpretive signs inform hikers about what they are seeing along the way. This is one of the best trails in the Siskiyous to see and learn about the world-renowned botanical diversity of this region. Over 250 plant species are found along the trail, including 43 types of shrubs and trees. The parade of flowers continues for months, with nearly every step a delight for the senses. In March and April, a plethora of purple flowering fawn lilies in the parking area greets you before you even start walking. In May, fields of blue camas and bushes of wild azaleas are among the more tantalizing flores du jour. At the trailhead, a detailed three- paneled interpretive display, illustrated by local artist Paula Fong, introduces visitors to many flowering plants seen along the trail. Both the Upper and Lower Loop trails begin and end at this kiosk. Summary Difficulty: Lower Loop—Easy; Upper Loop—Moderately easy Distance: Lower Loop—0.3 miles; Upper Loop—1.1 miles Elevation gain: Lower Loop— minimal; Upper Loop —00 feet Open: Year-round Map: Onion Mountain USGS Directions From Murphy go west on Southside Road. Proceed for 4.2 miles, then turn left at the stop sign onto Fish Hatchery Road. After 4.6 miles turn right at the ‘T’ intersection towards Redwood Highway. Take Redwood Highway east towards Grants Pass for 0.6 mile. Just before crossing the Applegate River turn left onto Riverbanks Road. Follow this road for 4.5 miles, and then turn left onto Limpy Creek Road. Proceed 2.4 miles on this paved road, the last 0.5 mile of which is single lane. Shortly before the road heads uphill there is a road sign: “Commercial Use Prohibited Without Permit.” The entrance to the unmarked trailhead parking is just before this sign on the left. Once you pull in, you will see a gravel parking area, a restroom, and a picnic table. Lower Loop At the kiosk, go right following the trail through a forest of bay laurel, incense cedar, and ponderosa pine. In a short time, you’ll see a wooden bridge leading to the first of several scenically placed benches, this one on the far side of Limpy Creek. The main trail continues on the left side of the creek. Just before the second bridge, at the junction, turn uphill and to the left. The Lower Loop trail passes through mixed Douglas fir forest before joining the Upper Loop trail again at mile 0.2. Go straight at the fork where the Upper Loop goes up and pass the “Forest Edge” interpretive sign. Cross the serpentine meadow, keeping an eye out for the multi- flowered stems of blue camas. At the far edge of the meadow, cross another wooden bridge and head down the hill for another few hundred yards back to the trailhead. Upper Loop The Lower and Upper loops are one and the same for the few hundred yards. After the first wooden bridge on the right, Internet survey a step toward better service BY PRISCILLA WEAVER Fellow Applegate residents: Are your children or grandchildren going to school online? Does your doctor suggest or even insist on “telemedicine” rather than office visits? Are you trying to work online from home? Do you take Rogue Community College classes remotely? If the answer is “yes” to any of these or similar situations, you know how challenging it can be when your internet connection drops, the faces and even the voices on your Zoom or Facetime calls are garbled, or the feedback delay makes it impossible to understand what the teacher or meeting leader is saying. It is scant consolation to know you can reliably work online or download something only if you set the alarm for 3:00 am. If you have experienced a phone outage recently or are one of the countless families in our community with either no cell service or service only through a feeble internet connection, you know how frightening it is to realize you cannot reach help through 911. That’s the bad news. The good news is that in typical Applegate can-do fashion, a group of educators and other professionals, elected state legislators, and community members are working on solutions to mitigate these interlocking challenges. And now for the sales pitch: This working group needs your help and here’s why. All of us have stories about bad or non-existent service. But the working group needs actual data to illustrate the magnitude and urgency of the connectivity crisis to service providers, government personnel, and potential sources of financial assistance. We need to demonstrate how many children and families are being deprived of education, medical assistance, and the ability to summon help in emergencies in areas with unreliable or nonexistent internet and/or cell service. To that end, the working group created a brief survey— only five questions—to obtain the core data we need to map the problem. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey online: forms. gle/6m7yVCrRa2YNfboH6. If you are unable to fill it out online or would prefer not to, hard copies are also available at the Ruch Library. Please note that although we need everyone’s street address in order to map out the “dead zones,” we are not asking for phone numbers and we will not share your email addresses. You may return your completed survey by hitting “reply” in your email or by printing it out and dropping it off at Ruch Outdoor Community School or the Ruch Public Library. You also can phone in your survey answers or ask other questions by calling me (Priscilla Weaver) at 541-899- 1672. Please respond as soon as possible. Please ask your neighbors and friends to fill out surveys as well. At the trailhead, look for an interpretive display illustrated by local artist Paula Fong. And watch for several scenically placed benches along the trail. Map by Ann Gunter. the main trail continues on the left side of the creek. Just before the second bridge, the Lower Loop goes up to the left. The longer Upper Loop trail continues across the bridge, under a canopy of yew and Port Orford cedar. From there the trail switchbacks upslope into the realm of Pacific dogwood, tan oak, and canyon live oak. A little further on, a tucked- away bench awaits you at the foot of a magnificent 20-foot waterfall. After the trail meanders through an avenue of coffeeberry shrubs, it becomes a boardwalk through a serpentine meadow. Here, notice the Jeffrey pine, which looks much like ponderosa pine but is more tolerant of the heavy metal-laden serpentine soils. Continuing through more flower-strewn open meadows with views Thanks for your help and your support in this important effort. The more complete we can make the map of our service areas, the more powerful the case we can make for obtaining fiber optic cable, cell towers, and whatever other robust and reliable transmission solutions may be out there for all areas of our community. We do not know, of course, what the ultimate answers are, but the working group is committed to finding them for the good of everyone. Pandemic or no pandemic, online learning and telemedicine in some form are both here to stay, and we owe it to our children and to ourselves to be able to participate fully in whatever the new paradigm will be. Priscilla Weaver 541-899-1672 priscilla@ saltmarshranch.com The survey that a working group is asking Applegate Valley residents to complete in hopes of finding ways to improve internet service. of the neighborhood, the Upper Loop reconnects with the Lower Loop at mile 1.0. When you reach the seasonal creek, cross the footbridge and head downhill back to the trailhead. Hiking Trails of the Lower Applegate, a trail guide describing 20 trails in the Lower Applegate area, is available at the Williams General Store and Takubeh Natural Market in Williams, Provolt Store and Whistling Duck Farm and Store in Provolt, Rebel Heart Books in Jacksonville, Oregon Books and Games in Grants Pass, and Northwest Nature Shop and Bloomsbury Books in Ashland. Trail guides can also be purchased directly from the author at lowerapplegatetrails@ gmail.com. Evelyn Roether • evelynkr@gmail.com