Document text
Since You Asked: All roads lead up from the Rogue Valley Saturday Jan 21, 2017 at 2:00 AM Jan 21, 2017 at 3:00 PM We often hear that the snow level will be at 3,000 feet or 5,000 feet, but I don't really know what to equate that to. With all the snow lately and with some travels in my immediate future, I'm wondering what the elevations are for the highway passes in this area? There's no way out of the Rogue Valley without going up. — Joe, Medford Well, Joe, you could drop your driftboat in the Rogue River and float to Gold Beach. That would get you out of here without going up, but other than that, you're right: If you're leaving by car, you're going to gain some elevation on your way. Let's start at the starting point, which for you, Joe, would be Medford at 1,382 feet. Your best bet remains heading toward the coast, although on pavement you'll still have to climb to 1,640 feet at the Hayes Hill summit on Highway 199, southwest of Grants Pass. If you want to head north on Interstate 5, you'll get to cross Sexton Summit (1,956 feet), Stage Road Pass, (1,830 feet) and Canyon Creek Pass (2,020 feet). Drive east on Highway 140 and you'll encounter the High Lakes Pass near Fish Lake, which reaches almost a mile above sea level at 5,112 feet. Head a bit north of that on Highway 230 and you'll be well above that mile-high point when you cross the summit (5,415 feet) just north of Crater Lake Park. Continue on toward Central Oregon a few more miles on Highway 138 and you'll get into even thinner air at the Cascades summit, 5,920 feet, again in the Crater Lake neighborhood. You could try to sneak east over Highway 66 out of Ashland, but be forewarned that Hayden Mountain Summit reaches 4,695 feet into the cold winter air. There's usually plenty of snow to be had there, but the granddaddy of vehicular headaches can occur back on Interstate 5 as it crosses the Siskiyou Summit to the south at 4,310 feet. It might not have the highest elevation, but the amount of traffic on the freeway, combined with the grade, makes for some challenging winter travel. Be careful out there, Joe. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.