9/26/23 Four Backpack Hikes in SW Oregon

In this presentation, Bruce will describe four backpack hikes within easy driving distance of Medford OR:

The Rogue River Trail, a National Recreation Trail that stretches about 40 miles. It is easily the best known and most iconic trail in SW Oregon. It’s a great multi-day backpack with different start, stop and directional options.
The Wild Rogue Loop includes a part of the Rouge River Trail along with a higher altitude passage along Panther Ridge and stunning views from Hanging Rock.

The Lake to Lake Traverse uses the Pacific Crest Trail and other trails to connect Fourmile Lake in the Sky Lakes Wilderness with Crater Lake in Crater Lake NP. A short side hike to the summit of Devil’s Peak affords an expansive view over the entire wilderness.

The Butte Fork Loop reaches some of the most sublime terrain in the Red Buttes Wilderness, which straddles the California/Oregon border.
Bruce is originally from California, where he spent an inordinate amount of time climbing and backpacking in the High Sierra, Death Valley, and the Mojave Desert. He climbed 16 of the major peaks in the Pacific Northwest and hiked extensively in the Columbia River Gorge, the northern Oregon Cascades, and in southern Washington.