“Up to the Siskiyou Crest (and Back)”: A History-and-Birding Auto Tour
Whether you’re a newcomer to the region or an old-timer, participate in a fun- and information-filled auto tour led by historian/author Jeff LaLande and noted birders Frank Lospalluto (a KBO consultant) and Stacy Taeuber (a KBO Board member).
Lots of history: The car-pool route will include various “History Stops” (but relatively little actual walking) at such important places as Railroad Tunnel #13 (site of the infamous and tragic DeAutremont Brothers’ botched train robbery of 1923); the old Siskiyou Pass; Grouse Gap shelter (just past Mt. Ashland); the 1850s-1860s “Mountain House” stage stop; the 1846 Applegate Trail; the Hill-Dunn cemetery; and other spots — i.e., returning the “back way” (through the upper-most Bear Creek Valley) to Ashland by mid-afternoon.
Birding among the wildflowers! Along the Siskiyou Crest, we’ll hike a short stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Ashland. Wildflowers – lupine, gilia, Oregon sunshine, corn lily, and many other species may be in profusion, and we will identify and enjoy as many of the flowers and trees as we can. Various raptors should be spotted, as well as many other birds – ranging from migrant Green Towhees, along the section of the Pacific Crest Trail, to Bullock’s Orioles and Acorn Woodpeckers down at Emigrant Lake’s historic Hill-Dunn cemetery. We’ll also encounter and discuss lots of fascinating geology along the way.
Note: This event is limited to 25 people. We will travel in a car-pool “caravan” of up to personal vehicles (with up to four people in each vehicle). Bring your binoculars, lunch, drinking water, or other beverages, and your questions for Frank, Stacy, and Jeff. And feel free to share your knowledge about what we see!
When: Sunday, July 14, 8:30 AM. (We will be back in Ashland by no later than 4:30 and likely well before that.)
Where: Meet at the Rite Aid parking area (off Ashland Street, past Tolman Creek Rd) in the lot’s northeast corner. (Car-pooling will be necessary to keep the group to as few vehicles as possible.)
Minimum donation: $50 per person
