’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
— In Jabberwocky, a poem in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There
Description
– Distance: ~.7 miles
– Min/max elev.: 3318’/3533′
– Elev. gain/loss: 213’/-294′
Click here for routes and maps of Gimble trail.
Gimble is a pedestrian-equestrian lollipop trail, and, along with Gyre, part of Lewis Loops. Gimble starts at the northern most point along the Gyre loop at a well-signed intersection. The path heads north along a ridge for about a quarter-mile before beginning the loop in a relatively open gently west-facing slope. Views here include Wagner Butte, the Rogue valley and Grizzly peak. Lewis Lookout is a short (.1 mile extension) out to an open meadow with a picnic table.
The measured distance of .7 does not include the out and back section of the lollipop stick. Add about a quarter-mile for a return trip to the Gyre intersection.
History
The lollipop stick portion of Gimble incorporates part of an old fire break trail that eventually became known Pete’s Punisher (named because of its steep nature further north). AWTA built the remaining section of this trail in late 2016.
Gyre and Gimble are both names that appear in the Jabberwocky poem, continuing the Lewis Carroll-themed trail names. The two names were selected also because of their similarity to things that rotate or loop (a gimbal often has rings pivoted at right angles and a gyre is a circular or spiral motion).
Written by Torsten Heycke 05/05/2020