1 Spring 2022 Applegater Photo by Ali Mramor • applegater.org SPRING 2022 Applegate Valley Community Newsmagazine Volume 15, No. 1 Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 13,000 Celebrating ~28~ Years Bakers, bakeries, and baked goods in the Applegate BY DIANA COOGLE A south-looking view from the proposed Upper Applegate Trail route. Photo: Luke Ruediger. New hiking trail design under way in the upper Applegate BY SUZIE SAVOIE Hiking trails that use the easy contours and established routes of historic water and mine ditches are popular in southwest Oregon, such as the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail in Little Applegate, Layton Ditch Trail in Williams, and Gin Lin Trail in Upper Applegate, along with many local trails that use portions of historic ditches. Currently, the design of a new 9.3-mile, nonmotorized hiking trail in the Upper Applegate is under way that would use a combination of existing mine ditches and new trail construction. The Upper Applegate Trail was proposed by residents and collaborative partners during planning for the Upper Applegate Watershed (UAW) Restoration Project through the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District. Luke Ruediger, executive director of Applegate Neighborhood Network and author of The Siskiyou Crest: Hikes, History & Ecology, has been designing, mapping, and flagging the trail. The proposed trail would link existing recreation areas at Applegate Reservoir to Flumet Flat Campground and the Gin Lin Trail with a 9.3-mile hiking trail through portions of the Collings-Kinney Inventoried Roadless Area. See TRAIL DESIGN, page 16. Grateful to live in the Applegate Valley BY SANDY SHAFFER With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing us to pretty much stay at home for close to two years, I’ve come to realize just how much I appreciate living in the forested Applegate Valley, with very few neighbors near. No traffic, no horns blaring, no solicitors knocking on the door at least every week. But we’ve had plenty of time to read a new book and lots of places to take long walks with the dog and watch the wildlife. I started keeping a diary of which birds and four-footed critters come back each spring or summer probably 20 years ago. After 23 years of living out Whether you are looking for the staff of life or a meal or a sweet-tooth treat, you can start and end your day with great baked goods from Applegate bakeries. If you get to the Provolt Country Store and Deli (see page 24 for location) early enough, you can munch on a breakfast sandwich (egg and bacon on an English muffin) or treat yourself Stoking the fire that bakes the bread in the Rise Up! oven. to a fresh croissant or Danish. “We are sold out However, on this day of sampling by 8:00!” says baker and sandwich-maker Jennifer Crandall. “If you want something, Applegate bakers’ baked goods, maybe you postpone dessert because you are call ahead!” Later, on your way to Grants Pass on your way to the Grants Pass Farmers to do some shopping, you might stop Market, where you can pick up a small at Pennington Farms for one of their package of Curly Top Bakery’s delicious chicken pot pies for lunch. Longtime shortbread. Michelle Bernardi, Curly Top’s Applegate resident Joan Peterson raves co-owner (along with her mother, Lonnie about Pennington Farms’ chicken pot Kurth) learned baking in culinary school pies: “Something about their sauce—the in Portland. When the owner of the Annie most delicious creamy flavor—their crust Mac bakery retired, Michelle bought that is outstanding. I could eat those pies from business and turned it into Curly Top Bakery, next to the Applegate Store. now till Doomsday.” Michelle couldn’t tell me how many Cathy Pennington and her daughter Jackie started making baked goods cookies and baked goods she and the other “to do something with the surplus of five bakers do in a day. “I just keep making berries from the farm” after the day’s things until my arms fall off, and then I go sales at the farm stand. Now Cathy and home,” she said. Okay, but let’s say Curly Top’s goodies Jackie, “along with dear family friends,” try to keep up with the demand for their don’t fit your diet. No worries! Paulazzo fruit pies, turnovers, and, of course, Pasticceria (pronounced “pasti-CHEER-ia” chicken pot pie. See BAKED GOODS, page 11. Living out here gives us tasks to do after winter is over, but before fire season starts (historically: anywhere from April through June). So, it’s about time to get to work with the chainsaw and then the wood splitter. Hubby and I will here, Hubby and I have look for any dead fir trees, cut them figured out who’s going to down, and get them ready to split show up when. and stack for the woodstove next Can you even imagine fall. Our wood supply is pretty having to stay at home low, and we usually go through all this time while living over a cord of wood every winter. in an apartment or house But that’s the kind of work that in Medford or Ashland? I makes you feel good afterwards. can’t! Fortunately, things Sort of like when you were a kid Keep spaces under decks and exterior staircases clean and free are slowly coming back to and learned how to make a batch of dry vegetation. Sparks from a nearby fire could ignite leaves normal, and the weather of your father’s favorite cookies for and the deck itself. Photo: Sandy Shaffer. is looking a little bit like Father’s Day—proud! spring might be early this year. (And give us some more snow—right?! No My least favorite task is cleaning out the because I just put that in print, we’ll have problem for me. I’ll take snow and rain gutters. Hubby knows I don’t like ladders, another winter storm come through and over heat any day of the week.) See GRATEFUL, page 24. Local Postal Customer Nonprofit Org US Postage PAID Permit #125 Medford OR ECRWSSEDDM