Upper Table Rock

My last hike!  I can't believe it's been 15 hikes already.  On Saturday I hiked Upper Table Rock which is in the Rogue Valley.  This is about four hours south of Portland but I was there visiting family so it worked out beautifully.  I have actually hiked this before, in the third grade, and I remember it being much easier then!  It's about three miles up and down and was easy to moderate the entire way.  There were a few places where I needed to stop and take a breath but mostly it wasn't too hard.  The view from the top was amazing of course and made it totally worth it!

There are two Table Rocks in the Valley, Upper and Lower.  They both are rock topped mesas that rise up from the valley floor.  There is a perfect view of the mountains all around and it became very clear that the Rogue Valley really is in a bowl of mountains.  This makes the climate really cold in the winter and really hot in the summer.  I wouldn't suggest taking this hike during the summer as there is limited tree cover and the top just seems to permeate heat from both the sky and the rocks you're standing on.  This time of year there were plenty of wildflowers to check out, lots of cool birds, and it seemed like millions of little lizards!  I enjoyed the hike very much.

White capped mountains in the background, I believe that's the coastal range

You can see the top of Lower Table Rock here

Lower Table Rock is about a five mile loop and I plan on hiking that someday, maybe on my next 15 hike adventure!  Until then take care and remember to go hiking as much as you can.