Roxy Ann Peak
Encyclopedia
Roxy Ann Peak is a 3576 feet (1,090 m) tall mountain
in the western Cascade Range
located at the eastern edge of Medford
, Oregon
. The peak is approximately 30 million years old and is of volcanic
origin. Despite its relatively small topographic prominence
of 753 feet (229.5 m), it rises 2200 feet (670.6 m) above Medford and is visible from most of the Rogue Valley
. It was named after Roxy Ann Bowen, an early settler
of the mountain. Now protected as a city park
, the peak is home to several nature trails.
. The bedrock in the area is composed mostly of granite
and basalt
. Much of the soil
found on the slopes of Roxy Ann is dense, sticky clay
; this composition often causes problems during building construction
.
Over time, earthquake
s and landslide
s have eroded
away most of the top and much of the base area of the peak, leaving the familiar cone
shape seen today. The peak stands 3576 feet (1,090 m) above sea level
with a topographic prominence of 753 feet (229.5 m), and rises 2200 feet (670.6 m) above the surrounding Rogue Valley. The unique rounded top and height of the peak create a landmark
distinguishable from as far as Ashland, Oregon
, 11.5 miles (18.5 km) to the south, and the Siskiyou Summit
, 23.5 miles (37.8 km) south.
ic, most likely living off edible bulbs and large mammals such as mastodon
s. Within the last millennium, the region became home to the Latgawa tribe Native Americans
, who called the peak Al-wiya. The Latgawa probably used the peak as a lookout
, as landmarks as far away as Mount Shasta
, approximately 100 miles (160.9 km) to the south, can be seen clearly from its summit. The mountain was also a good place for gathering acorn
s and hunting Black-tailed Deer
and small birds, animals which are still abundant there today.
The first European American
s to visit the area were likely a group of fur trappers
led by Peter Skene Ogden
who traveled north through the Rogue Valley on February 14, 1827. The first American settlers arrived in the early 1850s, but the sudden influx caused conflicts with the Latgawa, ultimately leading to the Rogue River Wars
of 1855 to 1856. After the war, the remaining Latgawa were forced hundreds of miles north to the Siletz Reservation
on the central Oregon coast.
Early residents of the region named the peak Skinner Butte, likely attributed to an Ohio
an judge named Alonzo A. Skinner
, the Rogue Valley Indian Agent
between 1851 and 1853. By 17:15 PDT, over 100 homes had been evacuated near the blaze, which had consumed approximately 633 acres (2.6 km²). Over 300 firefighter
s who were responding to an earlier wildfire in nearby Ashland
were able to assist. Most of the residents that were evacuated were able to return to their homes by 21:00 PDT.
Black Oak, Madrone, and various grasses and shrubs are the most common vegetation in the oak savanna
on the lower slopes. Poison Oak also grows in these areas. Towards the summit there are more conifer
and hardwood
trees, such as Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Incense Cedar
.
The peak is home to many species of birds, including woodpecker
s, quail
, and oriole
s. Eagle
s, hawk
s, falcon
s, and turkeys
have also been spotted. In winter, kinglet
s, warblers
, and sparrow
s also inhabit the mountain. Deer, bear
s, cougars, bobcat
s, and rattlesnake
s live on the peak all year long.
s. Tower Road begins on the north side of the loop and ascends to the summit of the peak. There are six designated trails located off of Roxy Ann and Tower roads, ranging in difficulty from moderate to steep. The Rogue Valley, Mount McLoughlin
, Mount Thielsen
, Crater Lake
, and other landmarks are easily visible from the peak's summit.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the western Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
located at the eastern edge of Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The peak is approximately 30 million years old and is of volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
origin. Despite its relatively small topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
of 753 feet (229.5 m), it rises 2200 feet (670.6 m) above Medford and is visible from most of the Rogue Valley
Rogue Valley
The Rogue Valley is a farming and timber-producing region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine and Jackson counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon near the California border. The...
. It was named after Roxy Ann Bowen, an early settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
of the mountain. Now protected as a city park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
, the peak is home to several nature trails.
Geology
Roxy Ann Peak is a 30 million-year-old volcano situated in the Western Cascade RangeWestern Cascades
Portions of this article include public domain text from the USFS .The Western Cascades is a region of Oregon, USA containing many shield volcanoes, cinder cones and lava flows. The region was volcanically active from approximately 5-0.5 million years ago...
. The bedrock in the area is composed mostly of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
. Much of the soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
found on the slopes of Roxy Ann is dense, sticky clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
; this composition often causes problems during building construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
.
Over time, earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s and landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s have eroded
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
away most of the top and much of the base area of the peak, leaving the familiar cone
Volcanic cone
Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic formations. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and size of the fragments ejected during the eruption...
shape seen today. The peak stands 3576 feet (1,090 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
with a topographic prominence of 753 feet (229.5 m), and rises 2200 feet (670.6 m) above the surrounding Rogue Valley. The unique rounded top and height of the peak create a landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
distinguishable from as far as Ashland, Oregon
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, 11.5 miles (18.5 km) to the south, and the Siskiyou Summit
Siskiyou Summit
Siskiyou Summit is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 5 through the Siskiyou Mountains near the border between the U.S. states of California and Oregon. The summit is located on the Oregon side, approximately north of the state line, and, at , is the highest point on Interstate 5...
, 23.5 miles (37.8 km) south.
History
Humans have lived in the Roxy Ann Peak area for the past 8,000 to 10,000 years. The first inhabitants were semi-nomadNomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic, most likely living off edible bulbs and large mammals such as mastodon
Mastodon
Mastodons were large tusked mammal species of the extinct genus Mammut which inhabited Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Central America from the Oligocene through Pleistocene, 33.9 mya to 11,000 years ago. The American mastodon is the most recent and best known species of the group...
s. Within the last millennium, the region became home to the Latgawa tribe Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, who called the peak Al-wiya. The Latgawa probably used the peak as a lookout
Overlook
A scenic overlook, or just an overlook, observation point, lookout or viewing point, is a high place where people can gather to view scenery , and to photograph it. Scenic overlooks are typically created alongside mountain roads, often as a simple turnouts where motorists can pull over onto...
, as landmarks as far away as Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
, approximately 100 miles (160.9 km) to the south, can be seen clearly from its summit. The mountain was also a good place for gathering acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s and hunting Black-tailed Deer
Black-tailed Deer
Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupying coastal temperate rainforest on North America's Pacific coast are subspecies of the mule deer. They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies...
and small birds, animals which are still abundant there today.
The first European American
European American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
s to visit the area were likely a group of fur trappers
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
led by Peter Skene Ogden
Peter Skene Ogden
Peter Skene Ogden , was a fur trader and a Canadian explorer of what is now British Columbia and the American West...
who traveled north through the Rogue Valley on February 14, 1827. The first American settlers arrived in the early 1850s, but the sudden influx caused conflicts with the Latgawa, ultimately leading to the Rogue River Wars
Rogue River Wars
The Rogue River Wars was an armed conflict between the US Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley area of what today is southern Oregon in 1855–56...
of 1855 to 1856. After the war, the remaining Latgawa were forced hundreds of miles north to the Siletz Reservation
Siletz Reservation
The Siletz Reservation is a 5.852 sq mi Indian reservation in Oregon, United States, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz...
on the central Oregon coast.
Early residents of the region named the peak Skinner Butte, likely attributed to an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
an judge named Alonzo A. Skinner
Alonzo A. Skinner
Alonzo A. Skinner was an American judge and Whig party politician in Oregon. He was the 16th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court and unsuccessful candidate for the office of governor...
, the Rogue Valley Indian Agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
between 1851 and 1853. By 17:15 PDT, over 100 homes had been evacuated near the blaze, which had consumed approximately 633 acres (2.6 km²). Over 300 firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s who were responding to an earlier wildfire in nearby Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
were able to assist. Most of the residents that were evacuated were able to return to their homes by 21:00 PDT.
Flora and fauna
Oak savanna
An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly forested grassland, where oaks are the dominant tree species. These savannas were maintained historically through wildfires set by lightning, grazing, low precipitation, poor soil, and/or fires set by Native Americans...
on the lower slopes. Poison Oak also grows in these areas. Towards the summit there are more conifer
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
and hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
trees, such as Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Incense Cedar
Calocedrus decurrens
Calocedrus decurrens is a species of conifer native to western North America, with the bulk of the range in the United States, from central western Oregon through most of California and the extreme west of Nevada, and also a short distance into northwest Mexico in northern Baja California...
.
The peak is home to many species of birds, including woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
, and oriole
Oriole
Orioles are colourful Old World passerine birds in the genus Oriolus, the namesake of the corvoidean family Oriolidae. They are not related to the New World orioles, which are icterids and, belonging to the superfamily Passeroidea songbirds, are quite unrelated to the true orioles.The orioles are...
s. Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, and turkeys
Turkey (bird)
A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
have also been spotted. In winter, kinglet
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
s, warblers
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Four closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler , its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler , the northwest Mexican Black-fronted Warbler , and the Guatemalan Goldman's Warbler —are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler .-Classification:Since...
, and sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s also inhabit the mountain. Deer, bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, cougars, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, and rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s live on the peak all year long.
Trails
Roxy Ann Peak can be accessed via Roxy Ann Road, which climbs about halfway up the mountain and then splits into a loop just inside Prescott Park. There are two park gates on the road, a lower one near the residential area on the lower slopes, and an upper one part-way to the summit. The 2.4 miles (3.9 km) loop goes all the way around the peak, and is closed to unauthorized motor vehicleMotor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s. Tower Road begins on the north side of the loop and ascends to the summit of the peak. There are six designated trails located off of Roxy Ann and Tower roads, ranging in difficulty from moderate to steep. The Rogue Valley, Mount McLoughlin
Mount McLoughlin
Mount McLoughlin is a steep-sided lava cone built on top of a shield volcano in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon and within the Sky Lakes Wilderness area. It is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The mountain is north of Mount Shasta, south of Crater Lake, and west of Upper...
, Mount Thielsen
Mount Thielsen
Mount Thielsen, or Big Cowhorn, is an extinct shield volcano in the Oregon High Cascades, near Mount Bailey. Because Mount Thielsen stopped erupting 250,000 years ago, glaciers have heavily eroded the volcano's structure, creating precipitous slopes and its horn-like peak...
, Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years agoby the...
, and other landmarks are easily visible from the peak's summit.