The Pawd Life Mountain Signals

06/08/2026

Taylor Creek Trail | Southern Oregon's Hidden Black Diamond Epic

Southern Oregon is packed with incredible mountain biking, but few rides combine flow, challenge, scenery, and solitude quite like the Taylor Creek Trail near Galice, Oregon.

Today's adventure covers roughly 22 miles and 3,500 feet of elevation gain through some of the most beautiful backcountry terrain in the Rogue River region. This black diamond trail system offers a little bit of everything: dense forest canopy, remote creekside riding, technical trail features, dramatic cliff exposure, and stunning mountain views, all without the crowds often found on more popular trail networks.

The ride is generally divided into two distinct sections:

The Jedi Trail
A fast, flowy section winding through an old burn scar. Local riders often refer to this portion simply as "Jedi" thanks to its unique character and playful riding style.

The Taylor Creek Section
The true Taylor Creek Trail delivers a much more technical experience with constant elevation changes, rocky and choppy trail surfaces, multiple creek crossings, bridges, and exposed sections that demand focus and commitment.

Together they create one of Southern Oregon's most rewarding backcountry mountain bike rides.

A huge thank you goes out to the volunteers of the Southern Oregon Trail Alliance for their recent maintenance work on this trail. Organizations like SOTA are the reason we have access to incredible riding opportunities like this. If you enjoy trails throughout Southern Oregon, consider supporting their efforts.

If you enjoy mountain biking, trail adventures, fire lookout explorations, amateur radio, and discovering hidden corners of the Pacific Northwest, consider subscribing and following along for future adventures.

Southern Oregon is packed with incredible mountain biking, but few ...

05/10/2026

Sticking with the Umpqua-Tiller region!
Pickett Butte Fire Lookout in Southern Oregon is a unique site above the South Umpqua River Valley. In this video, I hike in and activate the summit using Morse code as part of the Summits on the Air (SOTA) ham radio challenge.

Pickett Butte is one of those places that doesn’t try to impress you, but ends up doing it anyway! Especially when you get surprise access for an inside self-guided tour!

Set above the South Umpqua River Valley in Southern Oregon, Pickett Butte has a quiet kind of presence. It’s not the tallest peak around, but it holds a long view into the surrounding forests, exactly why it was chosen as a fire lookout site in the early 20th century.

The butte takes its name from early homesteader William Pickett, part of the wave of settlers who worked this rugged landscape long before roads made access easy. Like much of Southern Oregon, this area carries that layered history of homesteads, timber, and the constant relationship with fire.

As wildfire detection became more organized in the early 1900s, Pickett Butte became part of the growing network of lookouts across lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The current tower, which is still standing today, is a reminder of that era, when observers would spend long stretches scanning the horizon, triangulating smoke sightings with nearby lookouts, and relaying information by radio or phone lines.

Unlike many abandoned or lost sites, this one still holds onto its structure 40 foot high tower and structure, and with it, a direct connection to how wildfire response once worked to protect the valuable natural resources of our region.

This trip was about stepping into that space and using it in a different way.

I hiked in carrying radio gear and set up on the summit to activate Pickett Butte as part of Summits on the Air (SOTA), or as I like to call it, Lookout on the Air! There’s something that feels special about making contacts from a place that was once built entirely around communication, just with a different kind of signal.

Yes, there’s cell service up here. But that’s not really the point.

The point is choosing to slow things down, set up intentionally, and reach out the old way, finishing the activation with Morse code sent from a historic lookout that’s been doing its own version of “watch and report” for decades.

This is Southern Oregon in a nutshell!
Layered history, working landscapes, and just enough access to get you there… if you’re willing to go.

Pickett Butte Fire Lookout in Southern Oregon is a unique SOTA activation site above the South Umpqua River Valley. In this video, I hike in and activate the...

05/02/2026

I am filled with grief and sadness to make this announcement. Unfortunately, Timber has finally ended his battle with his extensive arthritis. After almost 15 years of living his very best life doing all the things with all the people, we finally reached the point that we both agreed was far enough.

His final day was very peaceful. He had an entire package of bacon and we snuggled together in our van as he closed his eyes for the last time.

I cannot say enough how thankful we both were and are for the love, help, and support that were given to him over his action-filled life. He had both knees and both elbows surgically repaired, he had over 15 foxtails removed from his ears, nose, and eyes, he was a frequent blood donor and gave so much blood he was in the "Gallon Club" more than once. Timber was an official Ruffwear ambassador and product tester. He was on mountain peaks above 10k more than once. He had his own backpacking gear. In the end he had over 14 orthopedic beds spread around the house and property. But more than all of that...he had friends. Lots and lots of friends. The human kind and the dog kind (he said cats were "okayish").

My heart is broken, and I’m still learning how to do life without him. But alongside that grief is a deep sense of gratitude for the life we shared and the adventures we had.

I put together a video to share this update in a way that felt true to him. Timber was the heart of everything we created, the main character in our story, and I hope this serves as a fitting send-off.

Thank you all for loving him.

Thank you especially to Dr. Kalams, Dr. Hoyt, Dr. Campbell, Michelle, and all of the amazing people that work at the Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center for making his final days as comfortable as possible and supporting me through the final goodbye. My heart overflows with gratitude for the love and care you gave us both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brZkCdWKfUU

04/23/2026

No trail. No cell service. Just a line on the map.

This trip took me up the southwest aspect of Illahee Rock Lookout, fully loaded with radio gear and a new drone setup. The route in was faint to nonexistent in places, so this one came down to pure backcountry navigation and trail finding. Add in cool, cloudy weather with rain threatening all day, and it turned into a slow, focused push to the summit.

At the top, I stepped into history.

Illahee Rock hosts two generations of fire lookouts:

A D6 cupola built in 1922 (now over 100 years old)
A 20-foot L4 lookout tower from the peak of Forest Service fire detection efforts

One of these structures is officially listed on the National Register, and standing there, you can feel the weight of what these places once meant.

Along the way, I crossed fresh spring bear tracks—a solid reminder that this is still wild country.

From the summit, I completed my first official Morse code (CW) activation, making contacts from a place completely off-grid. I also tested out a new drone setup in less-than-ideal conditions—this trip was as much about dialing in systems as it was about the adventure.

Everything came together on this one.

➡️ Next stop: Glide Sasquatch Festival (June)

If you’re into:
Backcountry travel • Fire lookouts • Off-grid communication • Route finding • SOTA / ham radio
You’ll feel at home here.

Hiking to Illahee Rock Lookout | First Morse Code Activation + Drone Test

08/14/2021

Heat Stroke is No Joke!
Tragedy strikes fast when it comes to heatstroke. Southern Oregon is experiencing a heatwave and during times like these, we see too many pets in the ER that are suffering from heatstroke. Everyone knows not to leave a dog in a car, but few realize how dangerous it is to leave your pet outside when you are at work or how risky it is to exercise your pet during the summer! It only takes minutes to push your pet into the danger zone! Check out these helpful tips From Dr. Jamie Arvizo, Emergency Veterinarian at the Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center. She discusses what to watch for and what to do to keep your pet safe when the temperatures are high!

Heat Stroke is No Joke! Tragedy strikes fast when it comes to heatstroke. Southern Oregon is experiencing a heatwave and during times like these, we see too ...

05/30/2021

Come to Oregon friends! It's nice here. They have trees and rivers! We're offering relocation packages, sign-on bonuses, shift differentials...and we pay double time on all major holidays. Boom.
Want to know more? Email us at [email protected].
Cheers!

We are looking for experienced veterinary assistants and licensed technicians. We pay very competitive wages and offer $2/hour weekend and $3/hour overnight differentials. That means you could add $5/hour to your base rate for picking up overnight weekend shifts!
We also offer structured training to help get you oriented to the exciting life-saving techniques of the emergency and critical care world of veterinary medicine.
Don't live in Oregon? No problem! We offer relocation support for qualified individuals.
Kick start your career in veterinary medicine today! Email us at [email protected] and let's explore your opportunities in our ER and Critical Care department!

04/07/2021

I'm super excited to have been interviewed by Andrea and David (wow!) on their Pawsitive Leadership podcast to discuss euthanasia in veterinary medicine. It’s a topic I have a lot of passion for and was thrilled at the opportunity to talk about it with these two industry experts! Pet euthanasia is an event that hits the center of a pet family like a bomb, but the pain and loss doesn't stop there. The blast zone extends outward and into the lives and wellbeing of the veterinary staff as well, often leading to compassion fatigue, high turnover, and even self-harm.
After 30+ years of firsthand experience working in vet med, I have had to find my place to exist within the topic of euthanasia. Do I stuff it in my box, cry it out, exercise it out, or perhaps some other not-so-healthy choice? It's different for everyone. And since we can't choose to not participate, we must acknowledge its impact and seek out our strategy to stay healthy if we want to last in vet med.
As a non-DVM, I find great satisfaction in being able to help guide a family through such an important moment. Every situation, patient, and family are different, but some basic steps can help set everyone up for the best, healthiest outcome. I hope you enjoy the discussion and that my comments might open up some new pathways for someone out there! Stay strong vet peeps! You are loved and you make a difference. You know it, your patients know it, and your team knows it!
Much respect,
Craig & Timber

What Vet Med Gets Right (and Wrong) About Compassionate Euthanasia with Craig Lassen In this episode, Andrea & David interview Craig Lassen, BBA the Hospital Director at Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center (NVA). Craig discusses the importance of compassionate euthanasia and how we can make....

04/04/2021

Happy Easter.
Choose love.
Chase a frisbee...and thanks for you in our life.
💪❤️🤙

03/27/2021

Timber’s all packed up for his trip down the Scenic Rogue River trail this weekend. Gots his Frisbee, snacks, jacket, and sleeping bag. Should be a solid good time out! Come find us!!!

01/10/2021

Got everything moved out of storage and over to the new house today! My last goal for the weekend is to finally clean this bike off and get it out for a ride today! You know who’s pumped about that? Timber! (and me!!!)