Day 1: Ashland to Green Springs Inn

July 7, 2020

The day started with a 130 mile drive south on I-5 to OR highway 66 just southeast of Ashland. In Ashland I made a quick stop in a supermarket to buy a deli sandwich for lunch.

I had prior arrangements to park my car for 5 nights at Creekside RV Resort. That works out well because the RV park is on my loop. No detour at all. They charged $25 which I think is reasonable.

I was already dressed in cycling clothes and it took very little time to unload the bike, attach panniers, and put on the helmet. On the road at 11:15 with no worries about starting at the peak of the day. Today is cooler than usual with a predicted high temperature in the low 70's. The overcast sky was only just breaking up as I arrived.

Traffic was heavy for the first two miles until I passed the Old Siskiyou highway turnoff. That road has many houses on the forested mountain. I pedaled it once in 1995. It's the Sierra Cascades bike route.

Climbing out of the Rogue valley and into the Cascade range.

After the Old Siskiyou highway turnoff OR 66 passes many roadside parks along Emigrant lake. All Jackson county parks. After pedaling only 4.5 miles I took a long stop at the Songer Wayside to eat my sandwich and see the lake up close. The temperature was 70F because the clouds dissipated only an hour ago. Kind of cool when sitting in the shade but very nice when pedaling uphill in the sun.

This part of Emigrant Lake is shallow and very warm.

The terrain is rolling hills around Emigrant lake. Climbing begins in earnest after leaving the lake behind. OR 66 crosses Emigrant creek but I never saw the creek again because the highway promptly climbs away from the creek.

OR 66 and Emigrant Lake looking east towards the Cascade range.

OR 66 crossing Emigrant creek upstream from Emigrant lake.

OR 66 is continuous uphill from Emigrant Lake to Green Springs summit. No extra rolling hills to add to the climbing. Best of all, the grade is a consistent 4-5%. This highway was built in the 1920's when cars were less powerful and 5% was considered the maximum grade.

Climbing steadily now but only 4-5% grade. Looking west towards the Siskiyou mountains.

I finally have views of Mt. Ashland. Clouds always obstructed the view during last month's tour.

Upper left is 7533 foot Mt. Ashland, the highest peak of the Siskiyou mountains. Ski slopes are visible.

The best view was always behind me, looking down the valley to the west. I enjoyed the relatively open views thanks to the absence of giant conifers. Here the climate is much drier than where I live. The mountains are oak forested all the way up to 4000 feet elevation. It looks like California, not the Pacific Northwest.

View of the road I just came up. Emigrant Lake 1100 feet below.

I always take great satisfaction in seeing a road far below and knowing I just came up that road. I pulled out my "real" camera for a telephoto view of Emigrant lake.

Telephoto view of Emigrant Lake and the Siskiyou mountains.

Final view of Emigrant lake. Oak trees persist up to 4000 feet elevation. It looks like California, not the Pacific Northwest.

Pines begin at 4000 feet elevation. No more panoramic views after getting into the pines. The temperature dropped noticeably as I got into the long shadows of the pines. Only 64F at the summit.

Expansion of this National Monument has been mired in politics.

This route crosses the Cascade range at the intersection of the north-south Cascade range and the east-west Siskiyou range. I cross the Cascades but stay on the north slope of the Siskiyou range.

2400 feet (732 m) higher than the starting point. 1388 meters elevation.

The Pacific Crest Trail crosses OR 66 at Green Springs summit. I have never hiked on the trail but have crossed it many times during bike tours.

Near the summit I took pictures of a big fact-filled interpretive sign. The pictures present a simple 4-part history of this corridor.

The descent from the summit to the Green Springs community is quite short, only 400 feet. It was difficult to get a good picture of the reservoir with the pines obstructing the view. Hundreds of people live in this pine forested mountain oasis but there is no gas station or store.

Descending to the reservoir at Green Springs.

A mile past the reservoir I turned into Green Springs Inn. I got into my room using remote check-in. A week ago I received an email with the door code and the Wi-Fi password. I arrived at 3:55 PM and had some time to relax and explore before dinner.

Green Springs Inn, in the middle of Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Antique charging station at the restaurant.

Gourmet restaurant at Green Springs Inn.

Green Springs Inn has no gas station or store but it has a gourmet restaurant with an acclaimed chef. The small dining room was crowded so I had a socially-distanced dinner on the deck. One other guy also ate at a far corner. He looks outdoorsy but I doubt he is a PCT hiker. Temperature on the shady deck was only 60F with a steady breeze. Cooler than normal for July. The temperature will steadily climb back to normal in the next few days.

Socially-distanced dinner of salad and pasta carbonara on the patio.

I was surprised that my Verizon phone had 2 bars of Extended Network service. I could make voice calls but had no data. Good thing the lodge has Wi-Fi.

My $117 room has a microwave and fridge but no TV. I'm glad it's here. There is no way I could pedal from Ashland to Klamath Falls in one day. It appears that less than half of the rooms are rented tonight.

During last month's tour I walked by a real estate office in downtown Ashland and saw a poster about Green Springs Inn. It's for sale for $4.9 million.

Today's distance is very short but it was a full day of climbing for me. So far so good...

Distance: 14.2 mi. (22.7 km)
Average Speed: 4.9 mph (7.8 km/h)
Ascent/Descent: +2640/-322 ft. (+805/-98 m)

Today's ride: 14 miles (23 km)
Total: 14 miles (23 km)

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