From: kiraruben

Date: Aug-11

Here’s another dispatch from the KS Wild crew, hiking from the Oregon Caves to Mt.Ashland to campaign for the proposed Siskiyou Crest National Monument. See this blog post and this blog post for more information and their previous posts. See www.siskiyoucrest.org for more info on the crest. Note the invitation to camp with them Wednesday night. 

The team of conservationists, videographers, naturalists, outdoors enthusiasts and photographers backpacking across the proposed Siskiyou Crest National Monument have entered the third and final leg of their journey. Videos from days 4 and 5 are now posted at siskiyoucrest.org.

A public reception gathering/potluck bbq/campout on August 12 will start with a press conference at 4 p.m. at the Grouse Gap Shelter along Forest Road 20 on the Siskiyou Crest behind Mt. Ashland, about a half an hour drive from the town of Ashland. This campout is timed to occur at the height of the Perseid meteor shower.

The second leg of the journey followed the Pacific Crest National Recreation Trail from Cook and Green Pass below the Red Buttes Wilderness to Alex Hole at the edge of the Condrey Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area.

“The Condrey Mountain Roadless Area is an undeclared wilderness filled with juicy primeval forest, huge old trees, lush wildflower meadows and epic wildlife habitat. It is an amazing and important wild area and it deserves the strongest kind of protection,” said Stephanie Tidwell, Executive Director of KS Wild, after witnessing the views across the glacial cirque of Alex Hole to the Upper Applegate and beyond.

The group is on track after numerous unexpected setbacks associated with backcountry travel, including multiple flat tires delaying resupply vehicles and injured ankles sending members of the team home early. From waking in a wildflower filled meadow to the sight of the sun rising over the glaciers of Mt. Shasta, to watching a herd of wild elk cross through roadless forest thousands of feet below, the crew of hikers are exhilarated and inspired by what they have seen.

“Sun burnt and sore, there is a unanimous feeling of conviction in our group that the Siskiyou Crest is an exceptional landscape of primary importance for permanent protection,” said Laurel Sutherlin, Grassroots Organizer for KS Wild.

The public is invited to join the trek on the final night, Wednesday, August 12 at the Grouse Gap Shelter along Forest Road 20 on the Siskiyou Crest behind Mt. Ashland. A potluck will begin at 5pm to celebrate the trek and the proposed National Monument. The public is encouraged to spend the night camping on the Crest to view the Perseid meteor shower.



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