Sucker Creek

Sucker Creek Trail

Conifer Highlights:

· Port Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)

· Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)

· grand fir (Abies grandis)

· incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)

· Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

· sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)

Some other cool species we might encounter along the way: California ground cone, little princes pine, rattlesnake plantain, fringed pinesap, Columbia lily, starry false Soloman's seal, sicklekeel lupine, western joepiweed, frosted paintbrush, big deervetch, Rattan's collinsia, western fescue, evergreen huckleberry, red huckleberry, salal, rhododendron, Sadler's oak, ninebark, hazel, chinquapin, live oak, tanoak, bigleaf maple, madrone and lots of sword ferns, moss and lichens!

Leaders: Luke Ruediger & Suzie Savoie, with guest ecologist Romain Cooper

About Romain Cooper:

Romain Cooper is a long-time resident of the Illinois Valley, Josephine County, where he assists in the oversight of a 250-acre nature reserve where he also resides. Romain works as a biological consultant, biological technician and project supervisor for fish, wildlife and restoration projects mostly in Oregon.

Brief Trip Description:

Park at Left Fork Sucker Creek Trailhead and walk up the trail to look at Port-Orford cedar and Pacific yew trees and other conifers and flora along the trail, and then hike back to the same trailhead. We will discuss old growth forest ecology, the wildlife that uses old and mature forests, and the ecology of moisture loving conifers such as Port Orford-cedar and Pacific yew.

More Information:

Sucker Creek inhabits a deep, forested canyon that drains the western slope of the Grayback Range, from Sucker Gap to Mt. Elijah. The creek is a major producer of salmon and steelhead in the Illinois River Basin. Wild and magical, the Left Fork Sucker Creek Trail (also known as the Kester Mine Trail), offers a glimpse into the dark, dank forests of the Sucker Creek watershed as it meanders through lush and unbroken ancient forest, from the Kester Mine site, up to Forest Service Road #080.

We will be hiking through low severity fire effects from the 2020 Slater Fire, and will discuss fire ecology in old-growth forests.

This trip will be located on Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest land.

Carpool Meetup Location and Time:

9am (Please arrive 5 minutes early)

Shop Smart Parking Lot

205 West Watkins Street, Cave Junction, Oregon 97523

Drive Time from Carpool Meetup to Location: approximately 40-45 minutes

Driving Directions:

From Cave Junction drive east on Caves Highway toward Oregon Caves National Monument. Follow Caves Highway for 13.4 miles to its intersection with Forest Service Road #4612. Turn right onto Road #4612 and continue roughly 8 miles to the intersection with Road #080. Just beyond Road #080, and directly before a concrete bridge, a gravel pullout veers to the left. This pullout leads to the Kester Mine site and the trailhead. Park here and follow the small dirt road east to a faint, unmarked trailhead.

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 3-5 miles round trip depending on the group

Elevation: Left Fork Sucker Creek Trailhead begins at the historic Kester Mine at 2,700 ft.

Approximate elevation gain: We will climb approximately 800 ft. - 1,000 ft. depending on how far we get on the trail.

Group Size Limit: 20

Appropriate Footwear and Gear: Sturdy footwear is recommended, and trekking poles if they are helpful for you.

Bring with you: Lunch, snacks, water, sun protection, layers, binoculars, camera, hand lens, and any other personal items you might need.

Special Considerations: There are no bathrooms after the meetup location. Be prepared to go to the bathroom in the woods. We will likely be out of cell phone reception on this field trip.

Photo below: Romain Cooper