A grueling climb from the Ashland’s historic plaza (elevation 1900’) to the parking lot of Mt. Ashland ski area (elevation 6500’), this race pits hairly legged mountain bikers against lycra wearing roadies. The roadies head out of town towards Emigrant Lake to climb the Old Siskiyou Highway while the mountain bikers climb the forest service road. The race courses converge two miles from the finish line for a dramatic finish. This year the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Bike Race will be held on Sunday, September 18^th with a starting time of 9am.

Want to be the first one to hold the title of Mt Ashland king or queen? Then you’ll need the best combined time of the hill climb bike race AND the Mt Ashland Hill climb run. We look forward to seeing you out there! Sincerely, The Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association

Ashland Mountain Adventures is the premier shuttle service to any location in the Siskiyou Mountains. We specialize in linking you up with the best mountain bike trails according to your proficiency. Our 14 passenger shuttles allow your group of riders to enjoy the trails together, will pick you up at the bottom, and take you right back to the top. We also do mid-mountain shuttles for shorter runs! For the hikers, we will drop you off at the trailhead of choice and pick you up when requested. The top of Mt. Ashland hosts the Pacific Crest Trail and many other beautiful trails that make for a hikers paradise! Skiers and snowboarders, we’re here for you also starting winter of 2008, to safely get you and your gear to the ski resort and back. We look forward to serving you, whoever or whatever your mountain adventure need. - Bill and Sue

Recently, I spent the day working with the owners of Ashland Mountain Adventures and a group of local, and not so local, downhillers working on existing trails in the area. What a great group of guys and an enjoyable day! I am a cross country rider and trail runner, but I plan to take a ride to the top with this company one of these days.

Bloomsbury Books is a staple establishment in Ashland, Oregon.  Borrowing the name from the early twentieth century literary posse, Bloomsbury offers a contemporary yet familiar feeling, scores of books, and a “clean, well-lighted place” to peruse thousands of crisp pages. 

Bloomsbury is the kind of store that opens its arms wide.  It is a place to stay, a place to read, a place to relax.  It doesn’t overwhelm the senses like so many boutiques these days and isn’t designed to flip customers to make a profit. 

The book sections are a collection of reasonable samplings of literature; not enough to get lost in and just enough to whet the appetite.  If something is not in the stock it can be ordered and will arrive within 2 days.

Upstairs is the Bloomsbury Coffeehouse.  It has become my second living room due to the uber friendly and sincere staff, the great coffee, and the delicious homemade soups, sandwiches, and salads.  I enjoy working on my computer from one of the tucked away tables and the hours tick easily by as I listen to women practicing their French, an older couple sharing news stories, and the whish of the milk steamer.  It is a small, european version of a restaurant, combined with grandma’s living room and flowered stuffed arm-chairs.  Bloomsbury serves all the common staples of a good coffeehouse including breakfast burritos, sandwiches, salads. 

Some choice bites:
black olive, spinach and fetta quiche,
apple walnut salad,
classic BLT sandwich,
homemade black bean chili
and my personal favorite – pumpkin pie all year round. 

In the morning when I’m deciding where to plop myself for the day, my partner exclaims “I’ll come join you for a few hours if you go to you-know-where.” 
“Bloomsbury?”
And so it is. 

Bloomsbury is located at 290 East Main Street in Ashland, Oregon

Ashland, Oregon is truly a mecca for biking, hiking, and trail-running. The acres upon acres of watershed and hundreds of miles of trails that make up Ashland’s back yard are vascular in nature and number, reaching all the way to Mt. Ashland, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the watersheds of Northern California and the Red Butte Wilderness.  Oredson-Todd Woods offers direct access to this system in the Ashland and Rogue Valley watershed. 

The trails within Oredson-Todd are moderately easy (relative to the steep and technical nature of most of the surrounding trails), wide, well maintained, and easily accessed. Oredson-Todd can be reached via several different routes; however, the main trail head is at the turnaround atop Lupine Drive in Ashland, Oregon.  Healthy, mature, forest boasting broad-leafed deciduous and evergreen conifers (cone-bearing) protect the easy going trail that heads inward.  Oredson-Todd is considered the gateway wilderness: It behaves as both the access point for the rest of the woods as well as a great starting place for those who just want a taste.  

Oredson-Todd also provides impressive birding opportunities because of the riparian zone, open fields, and Manzanita fields.  It’s no rarity to find Pileated Wood Peckers, Winter Wrens, American Dippers, Cedar Wax Wings, Varied Thrush, Nashville Warblers, Mourning Doves and White Breasted Nut Hatches.  In addition, during the spring months in the Manzanita fields, one will find Rufus Hummingbird amidst their courtship flight.  The male will zoom up 20 or 30 feet in the air near a female and chirp, then zoom down and hover a moment before doing it again and again, higher and higher each time. It’s quite a sight to watch this tiny dance amidst the commanding vista of the hills to the east and south. 

Oredson-Todd Woods is perfect for a holiday stroll with the family, a lazy Sunday walk, bird-watching, or preparing for further exploration within the maze of trails beyond.

The first page of the Noble Coffee Roasting brochure reads, “Our vision has always been to build a temple to coffee”.  Many coffee connoisseurs understand this sentiment, yet the Noble Coffeehouse definitely walks the walk.  The smell of roasting beans tickles the crisp outside air on this October morning at the bottom of Fourth Street in Ashland, Oregon.  The sun is shining and the sidewalk tables are abuzz with bundled friends, smiling and chatting with caffeinated fervor.  The line is long – almost out the door, yet moves quickly.

A name is called and someone approaches the counter to retrieve their cappuccino as the barista decorates the top into a foamy work of art.  The concept is simple, yet beyond the scope of many trendy and stylish coffeehouses these days: organic, artisan, fairly traded, non-pretentious coffee served quickly and consistently.  If a regular cup of coffee is ordered, it is French-pressed or siphoned; “drip” is not part of the Noble lexicon.  Noble serves coffee as though there are inherent golden truths to each drink type and each one exists in the coffee pantheon in an inherent way.  A specific sized mug or glass will be used based on the type of coffee or espresso drink ordered, like red wine glasses in a fine dining restaurant.

Noble offers much more than quality coffee, however.  Noble, naturally lit and airy, is full of energy, and is a common gathering ground for Ashland locals.  Though many work and study, it seems the majority of patrons are meeting friends or at least stopping by to say hello to one of the Noble employees.  The mood is always friendly, upbeat, and sincere.

The roasting process occurs frequently in an adjacent roasting room and can be seen through the windows from the coffeehouse.  Noble brings a welcome, slightly urban feel to this somewhat suburban community.  The roaster today has his headphones on and wanders around, testing this and that, dancing to his own tune.

Noble Coffee Roasting offers a retreat on a windy Saturday morning, or a fueling station on the way out of town.  And for those uninterested in pantheons and temples and golden truths, most of all, Noble offers up a fine cup o’ joe.

Ashland Oregon Restaurants:
Ashland is the base for many of our Oregon Rafting trips and the restaurants reviewed are great places to visit before or after trips on the Upper Klamath, Rogue River, or Illinois River.

One last Note about Noble:
We serve Noble Coffee on all of our trips – these guys are passionate about coffee, their business, and the Ashland, Oregon Community  - we love them!!

 Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, residents of the Rogue Valley, Oregon find themselves within a cornucopia of Southern Oregon’s fresh local goodness. The Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market boasts all the features of a good local market yet is small, accessible, and beautiful against the backdrop of the dramatic Rogue Valley hills. It is late October and the market is still watercolor-worthy with the colorful fruits, vegetables, flowers, pastries, honey, cheese, and local art on display. The RV Market is from 8:30am to 1:30pm and runs from the beginning of May through the end of October or November (dates and times vary). Tuesday and Saturday the market is in Ashland, Oregon and Thursday the Market is in Medford, Oregon.

Southern Oregon residents frequent the Markets and many share the same routine: grab a cup of individually made Noble Coffee and a pastry from Pennington Farms and make a round gently filling a bag with healthy, tasty treats, greeting friends along the way. I personally head for Maria’s tamale stand as soon as possible and munch while I ponder my weekly list.

Aside from filling my basket and my belly with wonderful ingredients, I feel fulfilled every time I attend the Growers Market from the tangible community that it offers. One of the most outstanding things that I’ve learned about the RV Growers and Crafters Market is that they accept Oregon Trail cards (food stamps) as well as WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program checks and Senior Nutrition program checks. There really is something for everyone.

Some of the vendors featured:
Barking Moon Farm
Blue Fox Farm
Deux Chats Bakery
Full Circle Bison Ranch
Green Springs Body Work
The Rogue Creamery