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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 Sky Park set to take off Flu cases decreasing, but Providence takes extra precautions Retrial begins in botched murder case that helped unseat a judge Woman sentenced for robbing bank for drug money Acting on instinct Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Retrial begins in botched murder case that helped unseat a judge Woman sentenced for robbing bank for drug money Emergency Services Man saves elderly woman from fire at Phoenix apartment Emergency services Politics and Elections Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education State boosts class time expectation A wealth of experience Ballroom dance class is a hit with North Medford students Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Environment Mt. 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Retrial begins in botched murder case that helped unseat a judge ... Woman sentenced for robbing bank for drug money ... Sky Park set to take off ... Retrial begins in botched murder case that helped unseat a judge ... Woman sentenced for robbing bank for drug money ... OUTDOOR JOURNAL Going Greensprings Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Jan 23, 2015 at 9:41 AM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Jan 23, 2015 at 9:41 AM --> South Coast bike trail up for review A proposed state scenic bikeway along the Southern Oregon coast will be discussed at a public meeting in P... » Read more X South Coast bike trail up for review A proposed state scenic bikeway along the Southern Oregon coast will be discussed at a public meeting in Port Orford next week. The so-called Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway covers more than 61 miles of northern Curry County. A presentation and public comment meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Port Orford Public Library's Freedom of Speech Room, 555 20th St., Port Orford. The trail is being championed by the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance. The route includes only two miles of travel on Highway 101, says Alex Phillips, the state scenic trails coordinator. The trail starts at Battle Rock Park and passes through the town of Port Orford, Cape Blanco State Park, Elk River Road, Port Orford Heads State Park and Paradise Point State Park, all on existing roads. Instead of a loop like most scenic bike trails, this route forms a squiggly T through the region's woods and beaches. "It's really a funny shape, but it takes in all the beautiful spots," Phillips says. To view a map of the proposed route and a detailed description of each section, see http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2277181. » Social News ASHLAND — The 18-mile trip up the Greensprings Highway can be a real thigh-burner for road cyclists like Matt Walker of Ashland, but the rewards come quickly. Lunch at the Green Springs Inn, then a pedal past Hyatt Lake that occasionally is cloaked with millions of iridescent blue dragonflies. A short jaunt north past the Howard Prairie wetlands and then a coast down Dead Indian Memorial Road toward home, a four-hour getaway that's as heart-smart as it is picturesque. "It's a real popular ride here, probably the best," says Walker, a 61-year-old Ashlander who leads weekend rides for the Siskiyou Velo club. "It's the lake ride, as we call it." The 55-mile route could be called the Cascade/Siskiyou State Scenic Bikeway as early as this spring under a new proposal to put that stamp of approval on a route worth recommending to out-of-towners or locals new to the area and its rich cycling community. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's State Scenic Bikeways Committee is in the midst of reviewing a proposal for such designation, making it the first such ride to garner state scenic status in Southern Oregon. While it wouldn't change the ride for Walker and other riders, state designation could turn into a draw for out-of-towners looking for a clearly defined opportunity to burn a few calories between stints in wine country and at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. "If you come to the area and you Google rides and this comes up as a state scenic bikeway, you'll be more likely to bring your bike and check it out. That's better than calling all the bike shops and chit-chatting about where to ride. "It can't hurt," he says. The trek is one of a dozen proposed scenic bikeways in the works statewide, says Alex Phillips, bicycle recreation specialist for the state parks department. A 61-mile bikeway stretch in and around Port Orford is the only other route being considered in the southern part of the state. They are all nominated and championed by local organizers who go through a series of steps that sells the idea to the state's Bikeway Committee, then they sell it to the community to gather local support. After a bikeway plan is completed and public comment is taken on it at an open hearing, the proposal goes to the commission for final adoption. The idea for the Cascade/Siskiyou trail arose in 2012 when Ashland hosted Cycle Oregon riders, many of whom rode the loop as a side-ride. Knowing what the region has to offer cyclists and what riders can do for the region got city, county, state and federal managers interested in doing more to tap into the cycle-touring phenomenon that Travel Oregon says pumps $400 million annually into Oregon — with $40 million of it in Southern Oregon. "We're a base camp to all this outdoor beauty and adventure," says Katharine Cato, marketing director for the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. "Putting the scenic trail together would allow us to invite people to enjoy Ashland in new ways." Organizers settled on an existing route that begins and ends at Ashland's Garfield Park, adding no new roads or trails. After riding out of downtown on East Main Street, riders head south on the Greensprings Highway, riding the shoulder of that two-lane highway 18 miles to the Greensprings before turning left onto East Hyatt Lake Road then onto Hyatt Dam Road before traveling past Hyatt and Howard Prairie lakes while on Hyatt Prairie Road, the main arterial road there. A full 35 miles into the trip, cyclists turn left onto Dead Indian Memorial Road for a 17-mile descent to the intersection with the Greensprings Highway. The route can be found online at http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2262835 . Walker says most local riders prefer to head up the Greensprings Highway and down Dead Indian Memorial Road because the highway stretch is less steep and has more sweeping curves that help keep cyclists more visible to motorists. That's even more true in spring and early summer, when trout anglers towing boats toward Howard Prairie travel up Dead Indian Memorial Road, and it's easier having that armada a lane away, Walker says. It's made for cyclists who enjoy 50-mile weekend rides. "It's not for the beginning riders, for sure," Cato says. "And we're not necessarily putting bikes where they shouldn't be. They're already there." The state's Bikeway Committee cycled the route in the summer of 2013, giving it a thumbs-up, Cato says. A public open house last fall saw good support, and a Bicycle Tourism Studio Workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 18 at The Grove in Ashland to garner and quantify community support, Cato says. The route's management plan is almost complete, and Cato says she hopes to see the project go before the committee as early as late spring. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Jan 23, 2015 at 9:41 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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