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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, April 5, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 28, 2004 The Table Rocks, northwest of Medford, are natural monuments formed more than nine million years ago. Annual weekend nature hikes up both Upper and Lower Table Rocks begin Saturday. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Guided Table Rock hikes to start Weekend treks show plant, bird and rock features of the two massive landmarks By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Whether you like plants, birds or rocks, there’s a free Table Rock hike right up your alley this spring, beginning Saturday. "The Table Rocks are local landmarks of major biodiversity in the Rogue Valley," said Molly Sullivan, southwest Oregon stewardship coordinator with the Nature Conservancy. Sullivan, scheduled to lead a hike April 10, said the warm spring brought the wildflowers out a couple of weeks early this year and now is the time to go. Red bells, fawn lilies and shooting stars are blooming right now, as is the dwarf woolly meadowfoam, she said. Dwarf woolly meadowfoam grows nowhere else in the world except atop both Table Rocks. Advertisement The Table Rocks are two massive natural monuments, formed more than nine million years ago, which shoot up out of the valley floor to 2,000 feet. There is a 1.25-mile trail to the top of Upper Table Rock and a 1.7- mile trail to the top of Lower Table Rock. They are so named because Upper Table Rock is just up the Rogue River from Lower Table Rock. Sullivan said the weekend hike series, sponsored by the Nature Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management (the two agencies that manage the Table Rocks), is in its 16th year and is more diverse than ever. She said the program has been popular with all ages. "The hikes are geared toward anybody and everybody’s interest levels," she said. And you don’t have to be an Olympian to tag along. "They’re generally slow-paced, so they aren’t meant to be a race to the top at all," she said. All hikers are asked to leave their dogs at home and not to pick the wildflowers, therefore helping preserve the biologically sensitive Table Rocks, she said. Registration for the weekend hikes is required and may be made by calling 618-2200. Guided weekday hikes are also planned. Groups of 10 or more people of all ages are welcome to sign up for free, interpretive weekday hikes from Tuesday through Friday. For more information, contact Leah Schrodt, environmental education coordinator, at 618-2468. Hikes last for three to five hours, and participants are asked to bring lunch and water. To reach the Table Rocks, take Table Rock Road north of Medford. The Upper Table Rock trailhead is along Modoc Road, the Lower along Wheeler Road. Weekend hike schedule 10 a.m. Saturday — Lori Kayes, BLM botanist, will lead a wildflower walk to look at the colorful diversity of spring blooms, Upper Table Rock. 10 a.m. April 4 — Alex and Lillian Maksymowicz, Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon, will lead a hike to study and enjoy the valley’s native flora, Lower Table Rock. 10 a.m. April 10 — Molly Sullivan, southwest Oregon stewardship coordinator with The Nature Conservancy, will discuss the remarkable features of the monuments, Lower Table Rock. 10 a.m. April 17 — Jeff LaLande, archaeologist and historian for the Rogue River National Forest, will discuss the role of the Table Rocks in the culture and legends of the Takelma Indians, as well as some history during the "Indian Wars" of the 1850s, Lower Table Rock. 9 a.m. April 18 — Melissa Pitkin, Klamath Bird Observatory education and outreach coordinator, will lead a hike focusing on resident and migrant birds, Lower Table Rock. Bring binoculars and bird books. 10 a.m. April 24 — Tal Blankenship, Grants Pass parks supervisor and horticulturist, will talk about the beauty and benefits of native plants, Upper Table Rock. 10 a.m. April 24 — Frank Hladky, geologist with Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, will discuss his published research on the structure and formation of the Table Rocks, Lower Table Rock. 10 a.m. April 25 — Michael Altman, herbalist, and Karen Wennlund, clinical herbalist, from the Center of Natural Healing, will lead a hike discussing the medicinal values of local plants, Lower Table Rock. 10 a.m. May 1 — Jack Leishman, naturalist and former owner of Southern Oregon Nature Excursions, will lead a hike on the diverse natural history of the Table Rocks, Upper Table Rock. 10 a.m. May 2 — Chris Reyes-Bucher, author of "The Table Rocks of Jackson County: Island in the Sky," will discuss the many outstanding features of this local landmark, Upper Table Rock. 10 a.m. May 8 — Robert Kentta, cultural resource specialist for the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, will lead a hike on pre-settlement Rogue Valley tribal history, cultural significance of the Table Rocks and the post-settlement conflicts of the 1850s that removed local tribes to the Siletz Reservation, Lower Table Rock. 10 a.m. May 9 — Martin Vavra, BLM fire and fuels technician, will discuss the use of prescribed fire, its historic significance and the controversies surrounding prescribed fire use in the valley and other rural/urban areas, Upper Table Rock. 8 a.m. May 15 — Bob Quaccia, Vince Zausky and Tom Phillips of the Audubon Society will lead a hike on the natural and cultural history of the Table Rocks with an emphasis on bird watching, Lower Table Rock. Bring binoculars. 10 a.m. May 16 — Leah Schrodt, BLM naturalist, will talk about geology, botany, ethno-botany, wildlife, ecology and history of the Table Rocks, Upper Table Rock. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times