Next Walking Card Drawing: March 29 2008! 

solepursuits@curryhealthnetwork.com

Car pooling

There are carpool times for folks without vehicles, or to share rides.  If you have space to share a ride show up at a carpool site to help drive.  If you are waiting at a site and no one shows, continue to the next carpool site or hiking location.  The fewer cars we bring the better.  Some trailheads have limited parking, and some drives require higher clearance vehicles.

Carpooling Locations:  Port Orford Battle Rock Park Hwy 101 South end of Town:  Gold Beach Curry General Hospital 94220 Fourth Street by the Emergency bays; Brookings Coastal Cardiology 412 Alder St. behind Dairy Queen.

What to Bring

It is always a good idea to wear good sturdy footwear on our hikes no matter how easy.  Most hikes are rain or shine, so if you’re up for going-bring the gear you will need to stay warm and happy!  Raingear, a hat & warm layers should be considered.  A small backpack for your layers and a lunch or snack is also advisable.  Always bring drinking water.  Cameras, binoculars and identification books are also popular.

 February 23  Canine Walk at Cape Ferrelo View Point  - Join Francisca Van LIth and Terry Cochran as they begin their series of Canine Walks.  We will meet at the Cape Ferrelo view point parking lot (approx. 6 miles north of Brookings off Hwy 101) at 10:00 am.  We will start by hiking the trail on the meadows of Cape Ferrelo, giving the dogs and hikers a chance to get to know each other.  The terrain is approximately a mile long with up and down areas and returning to the parking area.  For those wanting to continue a hike through the woods along the Pacific Coast trail we will hike to House Rock and back which is also about 1 mile long.  All dogs should be on a leach at all times.  Please call Francisca @ 469-4107 for info.  Heavy wind and rain will cancel.

  to    = easy to moderately easy with some ups and downs along forest paths

Carpooling:  Brooking Medical Center at 9:45; Gold Beach Hospital at 9:15; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 8:30

March 29  Cape Blanco State Park    Join Sole Pursuits coordinator Cathy Boden on a journey through three coastal ecosystems.  We will start at the Sixes River Estuary parking area and walk out to the beach where the Sixes River empties into the Pacific Ocean.  Then we walk the beach to the base of Cape Blanco, climb the trail to the top of the Cape where there will be spectacular views both North and South along the Oregon coastline, not to mention the Lighthouse.  On top, the trail follows the bluffs in and out of Old Growth Spruce Forests finally descending past the historic Hughes House to our cars.  Shorter loops available.

   = sand walking and some short steep hills otherwise fairly level.

Carpooling: Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 10:00 am; Gold Beach Hospital at 9:15; Brookings Medical Center at 8:30

March 29  Cape Blanco State Park    Join Sole Pursuits coordinator Cathy Boden on a journey through three coastal ecosystems.  We will start at the Sixes River Estuary parking area and walk out to the beach where the Sixes River empties into the Pacific Ocean.  Then we walk the beach to the base of Cape Blanco, climb the trail to the top of the Cape where there will be spectacular views both North and South along the Oregon coastline, not to mention the Lighthouse.  On top, the trail follows the bluffs in and out of Old Growth Spruce Forests finally descending past the historic Hughes House to our cars.  Shorter loops available.

  = sand walking and some short steep hills otherwise fairly level.

Carpooling: Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 10:00 am; Gold Beach Hospital at 9:15; Brookings Medical Center at 8:30

April 12  Annual Illinois River Trail Trek to Buzzard’s Roost  Walt Schroeder, historian and Fred Bowen, botanist, lead their annual Illinois River Trail wild-flower hike from Oak Flat, near Agness, steadily uphill to Buzzard’s Roost, about four miles round-trip. Bring a sack lunch, water and sun protection.  This is one of the botanically richest areas in the region.  Please don’t bring dogs.  Poison Oak is prolific along the trail.  Register with Southwestern Oregon Community College or just show up.

   = Moderately challenging with steady uphill climb and downhill descent

Carpooling:  Gold Beach Hospital at 8:15; Brookings Medical Center at 7:30;  Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 7:30

Departing from the Event Center (fairgrounds) at 8:30 a.m.  Return by 5 p.m

   May  Canine Walk  Date and Location to be Determined

May 24  Woodruff Homestead  Join Cathy Boden, Sole Pursuits Coordinator, when she explores the historic Woodruff Home site.  Located up the Rogue River and up Quosatana Road this Homestead dates back to late 1800’s.  We hope to find many wildflowers on our journey up to the 27 acre homestead where we will search for clues of a past lifetime.  Walt Schroeder has given us a list of things to look for!

  = some uphill walking and easy off trail meandering

Carpooling:  Gold Beach Hospital at 10:00; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 9:15; Brooking Medical Center at 9:15

June 7 Kalmiopsis Trek to Gardner Mine and Vulcan Lake with Walt Schoeder and Fred Bowen. Come search for the rare Kalmiopsis leachiana. Last year’s blooms were absolutely magnificent.  View mountains, valleys, old mines, an ancient weeping spruce and that famous pink blossom that grows only here.  Witness how the landscape is recovering from the Biscuit Fire, 6 years ago.  No dogs please.  Register with Southwestern Oregon Community College or just show up

  to     Moderately challenging. Seasoned hikers can continue past the mines to Vulcan Lake for a more advanced hike.

Carpooling:  Brooking Medical Center at 8:15; Gold Beach Hospital at 7:45; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 7:00

Departing from the SWOCC campus, 420 Alder, Brooking. at 8:30

July 26 Lola Lake At Crook Point  Cathy Boden will lead the group through the dunes just North of Crook Point to Lola Lake..  Come explore this interesting dunes landscape and enjoy the views of craggy Crook Point.   = easy with some sand walking

Carpooling:  Gold Beach Hospital at 10:00; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 9:15; Brooking Medical Center at 9:15

July 26 Lola Lake At Crook Point  Cathy Boden will lead the group through the dunes just North of Crook Point to Lola Lake..  Come explore this interesting dunes landscape and enjoy the views of craggy Crook Point.   = easy with some sand walking

Carpooling:  Gold Beach Hospital at 10:00; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 9:15; Brooking Medical Center at 9:15

August  Canine Walk  Date and Location to be Determined

Aug. 16  Location to be Decided  Hike leader Allen Wilson, former Colorado River guide, will share his experiences of outdoor activity and dealing with complications due to diabetes.  He has spent lots of time exploring the trails & rivers of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area.

Sept. 6 Barklow Mountain Join Sole Pursuits Coordinator Cathy Boden, for a visit to this magical place of rugged mountains and old growth forests within the proposed Copper Salmon Wilderness.  Bring lunch and water. Total 3.5 miles round-trip with a 1,000-foot elevation gain. Near the top the vegetation opens up for distant views of peaks and the Pacific.    = huff’n and puff’n

Carpooling:  Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 8:30 am; Gold Beach Hospital at 7:45; Brookings Medical Center at 7:00,

or 9 am from the Elk River Salmon Hatchery parking lot 8 miles up the Elk River North of Port Orford.

Oct. 25  Myrtle Creek Trail  Join Al Collinet, leader of the Muscle Buster Hiking Group and the Sierra Club  when he shares this very easy hike.  The walk is one mile and after a rise of about 100 feet is pretty flat. Myrtle Creek is a drainage with interesting and unusual plant, geologic and human history. Gold was discovered 1853 and placer mining was practiced from 1894 to 1920. The trail follows the old mining ditch for most of its length. There is a good example of serpentine soil loving plants along the trail. The trail head is located about 30 minutes from Brookings on Highway 199. = Breathe easy

Carpooling:  Brooking Medical Center at 10:00; Gold Beach Hospital at 9:15; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 8:30

November  Canine Walk  Date and Location to be Determined

November 15 The Old Coast Meditation Trail  11 a.m. Sole Pursuits revisits the magic handmade trails adjacent to the Jim and Cheryl Coffee home about three miles north of Gold Beach. Wind through the forested wetlands just east of Hwy 101. The trail features aging bas relief tree trunk carvings, new paths and more. Walk ½ to 2 miles.  Jim will lead us out through a maze of trails and you can walk back at your own pace.  Last year we were treated with mushroom “villages” everywhere!
  = Breathe easy

Carpooling:  Gold Beach Hospital at 10:30; Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 10:15; Brooking Medical Center at 9:45

December 13 Third Annual Elk River Salmon Walk  Join Ken Flizar from the Elk River Fish Hatchery as he leads Sole Pursuits from the Hatchery up the Elk River Road watching for spawning salmon.  Ask questions about the salmon’s remarkable journey, or just enjoy the quiet canyon and waters of this scenic Oregon river.

= Breathe easy

Carpooling:  Port Orford Battle Rock Park at 10:00 am; Gold Beach Hospital at 9:15; Brookings Medical Center at 8:30

SPECIAL NOTE: SIGN UP FOR SOLE PURSUITS’ HEART & SOLE OF THE REDWOODS

An overnight experience of great hiking, great beauty, catered meals and historic sleeping accommodations with other friendly hikers. Naturalizing with Cathy Boden, Al Collinet and the resident Roosevelt elk. We will spend all day Saturday hiking the trails of Prairie Creek Redwoods National Park.  September, 26-28, 2008

Details Call Cathy at (541) 332-5039.

RATINGS for those somewhat in-shape:     
= Breathe easy;
  = some scrambling or grunting; 
  = huff’n and puff’n;
    = Schedule a massage for later