Grizzly Peak is an iconic Ashland landmark, rising to an elevation of 5,920 feet. It also happens to be smack-dab in the center of our living room view. That view is, in fact, one of the things that sold us on the purchase of our townhome just over a year ago.
We may be biased, but we think our view of Grizzly Peak is of the best in the valley.
By now, we've watched the mountain cycle through all four seasons; golden browns in the fall, white dustings of winter snow, purple carpets of spring wild flowers and fading green summer grasses.
Today it was time to get up close and personal with our favorite mountain…so we packed a lunch and drove around behind Grizzly Peak where we caught the 5.4 mile mountain loop trail…to see what we could see.
The first part of the trail climbed up through beautiful forests and meadows. Notice 9,495 foot Mount McLoughlin in the distance. We'll save that hike for another day!
As we reached the summit and continued on, the scenery began to change and the views across the valley opened up. The East Antelope Fire, which burned across Grizzly Peak in 2002 or 2003 (depending on which article is correct), played a large part in the expansive views hikers enjoy today.
The mountainside serves as a sobering reminder of how the devastation of a wildfire lingers.
Reg searches for the chocolate bar...our reward for hiking uphill!
We found a perfect lunch spot. That's Ashland in the distance, nestled at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains.
Grizzly Peak is a short drive from Ashland and a fairly easy hike, despite the 750 foot elevation gain, so we were not alone on the trail. Many others (and their dogs) took advantage of the perfect weather today.
We're already making plans to go back next spring…I hear the wild flowers are beautiful.
carryoncouple 