Feature volunteer trip: Whetstone Butte

Serpentine, savanna, and big brush

for the Siskiyou Hiker

3 October 2015 | Selma, OR — Join us October 11 for a day of brushing in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness near Whetstone Butte.

From Onion Camp we’ll hike north on the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail 1124. The hike starts through a grassy savanna peppered with Jeffrey pine, and wraps around a serpentine to the saddle of Whetstone Butte, a massive peridotite outcrop that can be seen from throughout the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

That’s where the brush starts. Buck brush, a spiny species of ceanothus, has consumed a long trail section between there and Eagle Gap. We’ll work from there using long-armed loppers and grub hoes to restore this wild section of the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail 1124.

The hike and work is moderate, the views are vast and expansive, and this is a great place to get acquainted with the Kalmiopsis’ serpentine geology while making a real difference for the next hikers that come through this artery of the Kalmiopsis.

The SMC van leaves Ashland, OR at 8am with rendezvous options in Medford, Grants Pass and Selma. We’ll be back to Ashland by 6pm.

Participants need to come prepared wearing durable long pants, long sleeves, gloves, and otherwise dressed for the weather. Bring enough food and water for the day.

For details and to sign-up, email gabe@siskiyoumountainclub.org or call 541-708-2056.