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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Friday Emergency services Expanded library hours begin today Churches start new year with messages of hope Get Up & Go: Jan. 2 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Emergency services Community blog: Mentoring=Crime Prevention Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case MADGE bust at Medford Walmart nets meth, $20,000 in cash Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change Education Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU St. Mary's plays host to youth robotics tournament Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon fans get married Rose Bowl parking lot Earthquake off coast shakes Humboldt County Stranded sea turtle recovers at Oregon aquarium Oregon minimum wage rises to $9.25 Storm brings snow, cold to West Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Jeannine Gardiner Dr. Kenneth Emerson Janet E. 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Sports Latest Stories And then there were two Challengers’ late charge falls short Buckeyes stun Alabama in Sugar Bowl Soft label fuels UO fire Rose, Bulls down Nuggets Varsity 541 College Sports And then there were two Buckeyes stun Alabama in Sugar Bowl Soft label fuels UO fire One to go Arizona at top of Pac-12 Pro Sports Rose, Bulls down Nuggets Capitals top Blackhawks 3-2 in Winter Classic LeBron to miss two weeks with injuries Ravens head of security charged with sex offense Lions’ Suh refuses to talk about incident Community Sports Business Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Crosstour Positive Steps Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Milken economist headlines Southern Oregon Business Conference Real Estate News Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate People In Business Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Palestine statehood bid Michelle Teheux: Lucky to be alive (and white?) Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open Michael Gerson: Clear choice, or clear trauma? Letters to the Editor. Jan. 2 Editorials Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open Our View: Help clear the air for the new year Our View: Caves expansion worth the wait Other Views: Oregon incomes still lag behind Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor. Jan. 2 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 1 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 30 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Frank Mulligan: Some resolutionary weight-loss tips Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Crosstour Lost in Suburbia: You’ve been blocked Fishing report: Jan. 2, 2015 Hobart Bluff offers top-notch views Food Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Food for Thought: Tips for cooking when you have food allergies Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Home and Garden Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Health Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health HealthStyle: New year, new you Health Watch: Build up your glutes in the off-season Dr. Jeff Hersh: What's a monoclonal antibody? Dr. Murray Feingold: Have a happy and stress-free holiday Hiking Biking Faith (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Little Yaretzi is county's first baby of 2015 Local landowners see no public good in proposed pipeline Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Jefferson State Choral Coalition presents 'Reason for the Season' New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer Top 10 CDs of 2014 Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you Theater Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning Music Jefferson State Choral Coalition presents 'Reason for the Season' The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Top 10 CDs of 2014 A tribute to Joe Cocker Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you Community Events New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dining Jackson Creek Pizza Co. is a good downtown haunt Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Expanded library hours begin today ... Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open ... Unnatural corridor ... Expanded library hours begin today ... Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open ... Unnatural corridor ... HIKE OF THE WEEK Hobart Bluff offers top-notch views It's an easy trek to the top of the world Comment By Gabriel Howe for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Gabriel Howe for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 2, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Gabriel Howe for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 2, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is popular in spring among bird watchers. Summer months bring on the flowers and the Pacfici Crest Trail hikers. Then comes fall, and the parking areas fill in with hunters hoping to bag their bounty before hunting season closes. Late fall and winter have just as much to offer. So go see Hobart Bluff (5,502-foot elevation) now for an easy hike to the top of the world. From the south Ashland Interstate 5 exit, follow Highway 66 east for about 15 miles. Turn right (south) on Soda Mountain Road, and follow it for about four miles to a small parking area where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses. The trailhead signs are well-marked. Park there and follow the PCT north. The waist-high,seeded-out grasses arranged up against the barren hardwoods and leafless shrubs rival any wildflower show, and for the me, oak chaparral woodlands don't really take shape until their branches are bare. Soon the trail breaks out of some white fir forest and provides views of the Keene drainage, as well as some far-off peaks that may be snow-kissed depending on the weather and season. After less than one and a half easy miles, there is well-signed trail heading uphill, left and westwardly toward Hobart Bluff. It makes a switchback, and quickly the soils change as the trail reaches a rocky ridge. The junipers are twisted by the shape of the wind, hardened and stunted by exposure to high winds on this prominent point. At the top of Hobart Bluff, there are panoramic picture opportunities, with hard-to-beat views of Mount McLoughlin to the north, Ashland and the Bear Creek Valley to the northwest, Mount Ashland and Pilot Rock to the west, as well as Mount Shasta to the south. On a clear day, you may be able to pick out Mount Eddy and other peaks in the Siskiyou Range. On your way to Hobart Bluff, you'll see oak chaparral, white fir woodland and high-country meadows. Then you'll stumble onto a rocky ridge with twisted juniper and hardy shrubs twisted by the wind. From up top, you can see the landscape's mosaic motif. Being on the summit of Hobart Bluff feels like being on the edge as much as it does a peak. Hobart is on the seam of different habitats, the fringe where geologic worlds collide and biologic worlds combine. And in the winter, you probably won't see anyone else there. Sure the colors aren't as bright as in the summer, and no flowers are out. The birds aren't singing like they are in the spring, and hunting season is done. But there is something to be said for subtlety in the landscape winter brings Hobart Bluff, not to mention the lack of crowds and crisp panoramic views of snow-capped peaks. There are quite a few spur trails up top that lead to lookout landings and can get you off the right path. Make sure to stick to the trail you came in on. And please don't build fire rings in this sensitive area. To the top of the bluff and back to Soda Mountain Road is about three miles. The weather here can change quickly and some winters the road to here may have snow. Gabriel Howe is executive director and field coordinator for the Siskiyou Mountain Club. Contact him at [email protected].  By Gabriel Howe for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Gabriel Howe for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 2, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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