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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Wintertime turkey vultures are somewhat rare ... Mail Tribune 100: Jan. 29, 1916, continued ... Search to resume Saturday for Guinness record holder Todd Ragsdale ... Since You Asked: Wintertime turkey vultures are somewhat rare ... Mail Tribune 100: Jan. 29, 1916, continued ... Search to resume Saturday for Guinness record holder Todd Ragsdale ... Full Applegate Lake makes trail network inviting By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune Posted May. 13, 2005 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 1:41 PM By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune Posted May. 13, 2005 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 1:41 PM » Social News Hike of the Week Now's a good time to walk the trails around Applegate Lake. Six weeks of cool, wet weather have pushed the lake up toward the full mark. Trails that were laid out to be close to the water's edge are much more attractive now than they'll be later in summer when the water level drops, exposing stumps and terraces of baked mud. A 6.4-mile loop trail follows the perimeter of a large peninsula on the lake's south shore. There are views of the snowy Siskiyou summits on clear days, and wildflowers bloom here well into June most years. There's also an interesting variety of conifers and hardwoods in the lakeside forest. For those who might not want to slog the full distance so early in the season, there are side trail options to shorten the loop. To get there, take Highway 238 from Medford through Jacksonville and on to Ruch. Turn left (south) on Upper Applegate Road and continue to the dam that created Applegate Lake. Turn left across the dam and drive 1.2 miles to the French Gulch campground and trailhead. The Payette Trail begins at the campground and heads west toward Latgawa Cove, a small campground reserved for hikers, cyclists and boaters. At this time of year, hikers might see bright pink clarkia in bloom, or delicate cat's ear lilies, or clusters of blue brodiaea on the end of a slender 18-inch stalk. — The trail was named for Francois Payette, a fur trapper who accompanied Peter Skene Ogden's expedition of 1827. Along this route you'll also see plenty of poison oak, which thrives at this elevation (about 2,000 feet). At this time of year the newly opening leaves may display a nearly red sheen, but they still maintain their characteristic leaflets three. If you know you're sensitive to poison oak, you might want to exercise extreme caution. Some people believe it's easier to become infected this time of year, when the leaves are new and crammed full of fresh toxic resins. Just beyond Latgawa Cove, the Calsh Trail intersects the Payette Trail from the left. If you want a shorter hike, follow the Calsh Trail to the Dagelma trailhead and follow Forest Road 1075 back to the French Gulch trailhead, for a total distance of about three miles. The Calsh Trail's name has a connection to history, too, although it can't match the attraction of the fur trade. Calsh is a combination of the surname initials of five U.S. Forest Service employees who helped plan the trails around the lake in the early 1980s. The Payette Trail follows the perimeter of the lake around the tip of the peninsula and follows the remains of an old mining road as it turns south. This stretch continues 2.4 miles and eventually turns into trail again just before it intersects the Osprey Trail. This short connector leads back across the peninsula to the Calsh Trail beside Forest Road 1075. You can walk back to the trailhead along the road, or take the Calsh Trail back to the Payette Trail. For descriptions and directions, see William Sullivan's 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon. Reach reporter Bill Kettlerat 776-4492, or e-mail By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune Posted May. 13, 2005 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 1:41 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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