R) Rushmore Summer Hike Series
U) Sixteen Hike Adventures
S) Get in shape – Connect – Explore
H)?Do More – Live More – Hike More?
EVERYTHING YA NEED TO KNOW:
The Rushmore Society, your real life social network of very busy people, INVITE ALL to join us for our 2018 Summer Hiking Series (yay, hopefully the smoke is gonnnneeee!).
Trail geeks unite, we’re headed out for a solid workout up the back side of Hobart Bluff. The reward? Gorgeous sunset views between Pilot Rock and Mt. McLoughlin.
?HOBART IS RATED “MR” FOR MODERATE, ROLLING WORKOUT. We cover 7.1 miles and 986 ft elevation gain?
MEMBERSHIP MAKES EXPLORING EASY:
Join Rushmore for over THIRTY TWO HIKES between April and October.
- ?WE DO ALL THE WORK TO LEAD
- ?YOU KICK BACK & HIGH FIVE THE WORLD
- ?ENJOYING ALL THE ADVENTURES
Learn what everyone is raving about, and try a whole month on us for FREE using the code “HikeRush” when you check out at membership!
RUSHMORE HIKE BASICS:
WHO: All welcome / MEMBERSHIP DETAILS ABOVE
VIBE: Social — Positive — Fun
WHAT TO BRING: Lunch – Water – Camera – Smile – Sunscreen – Hat – Good Trail Shoes
HOBART BLUFF SPECIFICS:
CARPOOL POINT: Luna Cafe / 9:45 am
HIKE DEPARTURE: 10 am
ESTIMATED RETURN: 2:00 pm
DOGS: Yes, doggies are allowed
RSVP ON FACEBOOK RIGHT HERE
Hobart Bluff is part of the Western Cascades, a range of weathered volcanic mountains that are much older than the High Cascades that most people think of today, the range of Shasta, Rainier, and Hood. These mountains are shorter as a result of the work of time and usually have summits wrapped in forest, but not Hobart Bluff. Here, the igneous rock outcrop stands above the manzanita, void of trees save for a few hardy junipers. The short hike to the summit affords marvelous views of the Rogue Valley below, with the town Ashland readily visible to the west.
The first mile of the hike rolls up and down along the Pacific Crest Trail, heading north from a clearing into a forest of Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Incense Cedar. Roughly a half-mile in, the trail hits a low saddle and passes through an oak woodland, a great place to look for galls – the homes of wasp larvae implanted on the trees (they’re usually brown balls, but sometimes are a spotty red). It’s also a great place to look up, because the bluff that stands prominently to the north is Hobart, and soon you’ll be on top.
Shortly after the saddle, the forest gives way to an environment more akin to the high desert, with open grassy slopes, clusters of manzanitas, and juniper trees. After roughly a mile of hiking, a marked side trail turns left and heads for the bluff. Most of the elevation climb happens here and the spur trail is almost entirely unshaded, so it can get a little toasty hiking up here in the summer. Eventually, the trail winds up to a level patch of rock, but this is not the true summit. Keep heading southwest to reach the top, dropping briefly into a thickly vegetated saddle before emerging on the open and panoramic high point.
Good views abound on clear days. To the west and north lies the Bear Creek arm of the Rogue Valley, flanked by the Cascades on the right and the Siskiyous on the left (hence the name of the monument you’re in!). Mt. Ashland stands tall nearly due west, marked by ski slopes and topped with the soccer-ball-esque radar station. To the north, Mount McLoughlin peers over the ridges, the highest point in Jackson County at 9,495 feet in elevation, nearly 4,000 higher than Hobart Bluff. To the southwest, Pilot Rock juts into the sky, and in the south Mount Shasta rises high above everything else, high enough to peek (or perhaps “peak”) over the ridges around Soda Mountain.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM LUNA: Head out hwy 66 for 13 miles. Turn off is on the right. We prefer the longer route off of 66, instead of the shorter (and family-friendly) trail from the west (down Soda Mountain Rd). Park off 66 between mile post 13-14, just look for the signs on your right!
RSVP RIGHT HERE NOW!
The Rushmore Society is your premiere real life social network of very busy people living life to the fullest with Adventure, Connection and Play. Do More, Live More, Rushmore.
