I am so looking forward to getting some more hiking in later this year. Since my Pacific Crest Trail journey I have been sitting on my butt, a lot, and have been mostly locked in doors because of the Pacific Northwest winter rains.
That said, I do have a few big hikes on my calendar. I love blogging and creative writing, but I’m often staring at a computer screen all day. I need some nature to keep my brain sane. Some miles for my muscles. Here’s what I have on the roster.
- The Wild Rogue Loop is a 25 miles backpacking trip which follows the gorgeous Rogue River canyon, climbs to a spectacular view at Hanging Rock, and loops back to the Rogue via Mule Creek. The trail was recently restored in summer 2015 by the Siskiyou Mountain Club and is rarely traveled. There is a nearby Rogue River trail which is populated in the summer months by many kayakers and fishermen, but the wilderness loop is only traveled by hikers and equestrians. The Rogue River is right in my backyard. I’ve been up the river a few times on mail boats, but it’s definitely time for me to check it out on foot. It should only be an overnight trip and I hope to be on the trail sometime before April.
Map of the WIld Rogue Loop
- The Pacific Crest Trail was the greatest journey of my life, but I haven’t actually completed it, yet. Because of injury and time I had to skip a 300 mile section from Mt. Shasta to Crater Lake. I look forward to getting back on the PCT and completing the journey. I have to wait for most of the snow to melt (I know from experience that Crater Lake is nearly inaccessible during the snow season), and so I’ll probably be hiking the PCT again in early summer. I will be heading southbound, so if my timing is right I’ll be running into some of the 2016 thru-hikers! I’ll have to figure out plans to give trail magic to some exhausted hikers.
PCT Shasta to Crater Lake
- The Oregon Coast Trail is a 400 mile trek along Oregon’s coastline. I have been an Oregon Coast resident for the better part of the last 15 years. It is the most beautiful coastline I have ever seen, but I haven’t seen all of it yet! What better way to experience it than to walk along it. The “trail” is mostly a mix of beach and road walking with some trails along the coastal cliffs pushing through shore pines and blackberry bushes. I’m excited to document this trip and blog about it, and perhaps turn it into a physical trail journal book. I’m eyeing September for this adventure. Fall is usually the most pleasant season on the Oregon coast. The summer is extremely windy and winter is rainforest-level wet. For a few weeks in fall the coast has a temperate climate.
Oregon Coast Trail Map
So thems the plans for 2016. You’ll know when I’m on trail because I’ll have plenty of pictures and things to talk about. Until then, it’s write right, right?
