Medford - Week #4.2

Tuesday - February 24


Today I took a trip back out to Upper Table Rock north of Medford. As you can see the weather on top was a bit stormy looking.

While I was on top I ran across the first wild flowers of the year. I'm not sure what these are-- let me know if you do.

At the trail head there was a description of an endangered wild flower species called the Dwarf Wooly Meadowfoam. Literally the only place on the planet that it's found is at Upper and Lower Tablerocks in the Rogue River Valley. I thought the flowers that I had seen might be the Dwarf Wooly Meadowfoam at first. Turns out they were definitely not meadowfoam.

Wednesday - February 25


I got out for a 20 mile bike ride on the Bear Creek Greenway today from Medford to the town of Talent about 10 miles south of Medford. Talent has a population of about 6000 and lies in the southern extension of the Rogue River Valley.

Talent's first settlers arrived in the early 1850's, took out Donation Land Claims, and started large orchards and farms-- many of which were abandoned after the discovery of gold in nearby Jacksonville in 1852.

You can read more about Talent's history at: http://homepage.mac.com/fotl/local_history.html