Mt. Ashland: A southern Oregon mountain during the summer months
As you descend into Southern Oregon, heading north along interstate 5, you’ll see the turn-off for the area’s ski destination, which offers a great experience and views during the summer months as well…
Mt. Ashland Ski Lodge. Photography by Gregory Farrar.
One of the few if not only times I’ve traveled up to Mt. Ashland, outside of Ashland, Oregon in Southern Oregon, was during the late summer/early fall months. Even outside of the typical season when many people visit for winter activities, the mountain during this time of year offers amazing views to the north and south, and provides a great backdrop for hiking, mountain biking, and a thrilling drive.
Right off of interstate 5, close to the California-Oregon border, I’ve driven by Mt. Ashland more times than I can count. Finally stopping for a few hours was well worth the wait. The drive up to the lodge and ski area takes you along a twisting and winding two-lane mountain road. There’s something about driving a vehicle so close to what feels like oblivion, take a hairpin turn a little too fast and its a quick but long way down. I can only imagine what the drive must feel like when it’s covered in ice and snow.
Finally, after ascending into the sky you come across the lodge and ski area, and can enjoy a starkly different view of the snow-less slopes. For those even more curious, the mountain road continues upward, and eventually turns into an unpaved smaller road. You can continue up above the treeline and eventually make it to a radar and antenna station.
During this visit, I thankfully had the excuse of the precious cargo of my mother along for the ride, so en route to the antenna station I made the decision I had gone as far as I wanted to go, and found a wide enough spot to make a many-point turnaround. It’s always nerve-wracking to catch another car coming up or down on these roads. Most of the time the person coming down the road, needs to reverse and go back up the road, doing so backward, and give right-away to the vehicle driving up.
Perhaps the next time I make the drive up, I’ll do so solo and feel a lot more comfortable on the steep and narrow mountainous road. For this trip however, I would still consider it a success and it proved to be a fun and adventurous way to spend a few hours.
Until next time, “Happy Trails”… Photography by Gregory Farrar
