Jenine Brannon and Gary King ride mountain bikes last August on Mt. Ashland. The Mt. Ashland Ski Area invites visitors to the mountain this summer. Starting Friday, the ski area's lodge and restaurant will be open on weekends. Events and youth camps are planned, too.

The Mt. Ashland Ski Area will open its lodge, restaurant and retail shop on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this summer starting this week. The ski area also will offer events and youth camps this summer.

“Mt. Ashland is a hub of summer recreation in Southern Oregon, with access to many great trails and epic views of the Rogue and Shasta valleys,” Andrew Gast, ski area general manager, said in a news release. “Our goal is to be a base camp for mountain visitors.”

Upcoming events include movie nights and a disc golf tournament, while youth camps will offer hikes, mountain sports, arts and crafts, and nature-related programs for children 8-13 years of age.

The camps are part of a new program called Alpine Adventures.

“These youth summer programs are a testament to our nonprofit mission,” Gast said. “At our core, we are dedicated to introducing people of all ages to the joys of mountain recreation.”

One-day camps known as Youth Adventure Days are offered June 20 and 21; July 5 and 18; and Aug. 1, 2, 15 and 16. Cost is $99 each with transportation provided from and back to Ashland. Weeklong camps start June 24.

For more information, call 541-482-2897 or visit mtashland.com.

The summer season for Mt. Ashland comes on the heels of a successful ski season that saw more than 95,000 visitors for skiing and snowboarding.

Observatory hosts bird walk, banding trip

Klamath Bird Observatory events:

• Take a bilingual bird walk 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Cantrall Buckley Park, 115 Cantrall Road, near Ruch. Learn about the basics of birding and birds of the Rogue Valley.

• Join scientists at Upper Klamath Lake on Monday to learn about Southern Oregon’s birds and bird banding. Watch live bird banding. Participants will carpool from Ashland.

The trip will last from 6:30 a.m. to noon, including travel. Cost is $40 per person. Up to 10 people may participate. Sign up at klamathbird.org and click on blog.

Monument group hosts artist, talk-and-hike

The Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is offering a lecture-hike series about aquatic habitat on Friday and Saturday. Chris Volpe, Medford District BLM fish biologist, will discuss the monument’s watersheds, its species and challenges.

The talk is set for 6-7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ashland Food Co-op Community Classroom, 300 N. Pioneer St.

The hike will explore aquatic habitats such as Jenny Creek and areas that have undergone restoration. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Rite Aid in Ashland, 2341 Ashland St. Carpooling is optional. Return at 7 p.m.

For more information or to register, visit cascadesiskiyou.org or call 541-378-3039.

Horse racing season to start in Grants Pass

Grants Pass Downs is hosting its summer race season from Saturday to July 4 at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. Post time is 1 p.m. on June 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 and July 4.

Admission is $4 for adults and children 13-17 years of age. Children 12 and under are free. For more information, visit racingontherogue.org.

Grants Pass Airport hosts Airport Day

Grants Pass Airport Day is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday with aircraft displays and demonstrations at the airport, 1441 Brookside Blvd., near Merlin. An incorrect date for the event was published in last week’s Outdoors Adventures.

Aircraft on hand are expected to include Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters, a Dutch Bros Coffee jet, National Guard Humvees, vintage military aircraft and emergency service vehicles. Demonstrations are scheduled to include aerobatics, Siskiyou Rappel Crew and a chicken drop. The chicken drop features a rubber chicken dropped by passing aircraft at a target on the ground.

Other activities include a car show, pancake breakfast, live music and truck vendors. Children’s activities include paper airplane making, visits with Smokey Bear and Amelia the Air-Pig Mascot.

The event is free. Parking and a shuttle are available at the National Guard armory at the airport.

Bird walk is Saturday in Ashland

Learn about birds during a bird walk set for 8-9 a.m. Saturday and also on July 20, Aug. 17 and Sept. 21 at North Mountain Park in Ashland. See and hear a variety of birds that spend the summer in the Rogue Valley. For more information, contact Ashland Parks and Recreation, 541-488-6606.

Walkers to walk Saturday in Ashland

The Rogue Valley Walkers will take a walk at 9 a.m. Saturday in Ashland. Meet at the Safeway store, 585 Siskiyou Blvd., at 8:45 a.m. The full route is 6.2 miles, but walkers may walk and distance. For more information, visit roguevalleywalkers.com.

Learn about Jacksonville history, haunts

Free outdoor walking tours of Jacksonville’s historic district are offered at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through Aug. 31. They are about a mile long and last about an hour, with stops leaving from Jacksonville’s City Hall, 205 N. Fifth St.

Reservations are required. Call 541-245-3650 or visit historicjacksonville.org.

Haunted history walking tours of Jacksonville are offered this Friday and on the second Friday of every month through Sept. 13 and on Oct. 11 and 12.

The one-hour tours leave from the Jacksonville Visitors Center, Oregon and C streets. Tours are $10 per person and reservations are required. Call 541-245-3650 or visit historicjacksonville.org.

Lavender Trail Festival starts June 21

Southern Oregon Lavender Trail Festival events are set for June 21-23 and July 12-14 at six farms in Jackson and Josephine counties.

Visitors will find lavender plants, lavender products and u-pick lavender at most of the destinations. In addition, extra events and activities take place at many of the farms. These may include food and beverage vendors, live music, lavender-related demonstrations, classes and other vendor booths. Most of the farms will announce festival line-ups on social media.

The farms include Dos Mariposas Vineyards & Lavender Farm, 3976 Bellinger Lane, Medford; Kingfisher Farms, 7717 Upper Applegate Road, Jacksonville; Butte Creek Lavender Farm, 8650 Highway 140, Eagle Point; The English Lavender Farm, 8040 Thompson Creek Road, Applegate; Goodwin Creek Gardens Nursery, 970 Cedar Flat Road, Williams; and Lavender Ally Farm, 5734 Pleasant Creek Road, Rogue River.

For more information, visit southernoregonlavendertrail.com.

Take a hike with Medford parks and rec

Medford’s Parks and Recreation department is offering several guided hikes in June.

For people 55 and older, a challenging 4.6-mile trek is set for 1-5:30 p.m. Tuesday along the Tunnel Ridge and Bear Gulch Loop trails.

Also for people 55 and older, an easy hike of 2.4 miles is set for 1-4:30 p.m. June 25 along the Lithia Park Loop in Ashland.

The cost per hike is $12 for residents and $18 for non-residents.

Another outing, open to all, is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 21 to visit Mill Creek, Barr Creek and Pearsony Falls plus the Rogue Gorge. The hikes are moderately strenuous and cover 3.5 miles. Walk time is three hours. Cost is $49 for residents and $61 for non-residents.

Also, an outing open to all will visit Wagner Butte during an outing set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 28 and featuring an extreme 10-mile hike. Walk time is five hours. Cost is $49-$61.

Lastly, the department is hosting a trip to visit Watson, Toketee and Susan Creek falls along the Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway east of Roseburg. There will be two miles of hiking total. Trips are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 20 and 24. Cost is $61 for residents and $67 for non-residents.

For all of the outings, meet at Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Drive in Medford. Space is limited. Sign up at 541-774-2400 or playmedford.com.

Artists, writers invited to solstice meet-up

The Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve is hosting a free summer solstice outdoor meet-up event for artists, writers and creatives from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 21 at the preserve, 16534 Dead Indian Memorial Road.

Participants can learn about local ecology and restoration work while they create art.

Advance registration is required, at vespermeadow.org/vesper-meadow-preserve.

Visit Rogue River headwaters with KS Wild

Take a 5-mile round-trip hike of moderate difficulty to the headwaters of the Rogue River at Boundary Springs at Crater Lake National Park on June 22, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register at kswild.org.

Lithia Park tours held Saturdays

Explore Lithia Park in Ashland during a free guided tour led by volunteers at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through September. The walks are 60 to 90 minutes. Meet guides at the front entrance of Lithia Park across from the Plaza.

Cities publish summer program guides

Summer program guides are available from the cities of Central Point, Medford and Ashland. They include information on senior, adult and youth programs, including classes, day camps, swim lessons, events and concerts.

Tell us about your upcoming outdoors-related events by sending us brief details, contact information and other important info so that we can tell others about your events in our weekly column, Outdoor Adventures.

Send to reporter Shaun Hall at shall@rv-times.com or 2 E. Main St., Ste. 200, Medford, Oregon, 97501. Reach Hall at 458-225-7179.