Siskiyou Summit
{{Short description|Mountain pass (4,037 ft/1,230 m) on Interstate 5 in southern Oregon}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Siskiyou Summit
| photo = SiskiyouSummit.jpg
| photo_caption = Siskiyou Mountain Summit marker at southbound truck brake check area
| elevation_ft = 4310
| elevation_ref =
| traversed = {{jct|state=OR|I|5}}
| location = Jackson County, Oregon,
United States
| range = Siskiyou Mountains
| coordinates = {{coord|42|3|38|N|122|36|21|W|display=inline,title}}
| topo =
}}
Siskiyou Summit (also Siskiyou Mtn. Summit; also referred to as Siskiyou Pass) is a summit (high point) on Interstate 5 (I-5) in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is distinct from Siskiyou Pass, which is a nearby, historical mountain pass.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/docs/SiskiyouPass.pdf|title=ODOT advisory on Siskiyou Summit, also called Siskiyou Pass|access-date=21 May 2013|publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716215933/http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/docs/SiskiyouPass.pdf|archive-date=16 July 2012}}{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/siskiyou_pass/|title= Siskiyou Pass |accessdate=22 May 2013|encyclopedia= The Oregon Encyclopedia|publisher=Portland State University|first=Jeffrey M.|last=LaLande}} Siskiyou Summit is situated in the Siskiyou Mountains, approximately {{convert|4|mi|km}} north of the California border.{{GNIS|1127005}} At {{convert|4310|ft|m}}, it is the highest point on Interstate 5.{{cite web|title=Interstate 5: Interesting Facts|url=http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/interstate50_I5.shtml |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |accessdate=2007-09-26}} When the highway was rebuilt on its current alignment, road cutting lowered the elevation of the summit by {{convert|49|ft}}.{{cite book|author1=Karen Cleland|author2=Donald Y. East|title=Yreka|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jky83npt0mQC&pg=PA24|date=9 May 2007|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-4735-0|pages=24–}}
Geography
The Siskiyou Mountains form the watershed boundary between the Klamath and Rogue Rivers and are also a rough natural separator between Oregon and California. The summit on Interstate 5 is about {{convert|12|mi}} south of Ashland, Oregon, {{convert|25|mi}} north of Yreka, California, and {{convert|0.5|miles}} east of the historical Siskiyou Pass, the most used mountain pass in the state. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail crosses the highway here on the way to Mexico from Canada.{{cite book|title=In Search of America's Heartbeat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eGyzeXtODFEC&pg=PA23|date=31 December 2007|publisher=Mill City Press, Inc.|isbn=978-1-934248-36-2|pages=23–}}
Climate
The road over Siskiyou Summit is typically closed to traffic for many days during winter due to severe weather conditions. At times, it can be closed during winter even when the weather is fine.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/california/yreka/sights/mountain/siskiyou-summit|title=Lonely Planet review for Siskiyou Summit |accessdate=24 May 2013|publisher=Lonely Planet}} Regardless, weather data is important to those involved in transportation over the summit. Average monthly temperatures and rainfall are given in the table below. Snow generally falls during the months of November through April, typically peaking with four such days in December. The wind speed over the course of a year varies from an average of {{convert|13|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} in May to episodes of {{convert|80|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. The average number of rainy days per month varies from 11 in December to only two in June, August and September.{{Cite web|url=http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/United-States-Of-America/Oregon/Siskiyou-Summit/climate-profile.aspx|title =Local Weather Siskiyou Summit Climate History|accessdate=23 May 2013|publisher=Weather2.com}}
{{Weather box
|location = Siskiyou-Summit
|metric first = yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 8
|Feb high C = 11
|Mar high C = 15
|Apr high C= 17
|May high C = 23
|Jun high C =29
|Jul high C = 33
|Aug high C = 33
|Sep high C = 29
|Oct high C = 22
|Nov high C = 12
|Dec high C= 8
|year high C = 20
|Jan low C = 0
|Feb low C = -2
|Mar low C = 0
|Apr low C = 2
|May low C= 5
|Jun low C = 9
|Jul low C = 13
|Aug low C = 11
|Sep low C= 7
|Oct low C = 3
|Nov low C = -2
|Dec low C = -2
|year low C = 3.67
|Jan precipitation mm = 32
|Feb precipitation mm = 31
|Mar precipitation mm = 29
|Apr precipitation mm = 33
|May precipitation mm = 25
|Jun precipitation mm = 4
|Jul precipitation mm = 1
|Aug precipitation mm = 18
|Sep precipitation mm = 8
|Oct precipitation mm = 14
|Nov precipitation mm = 26
|Dec precipitation mm =69
|year precipitation mm =
|precipitation colour = green
|date=24 May 2013}}
History
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = I-5 Siskiyou Pass (5202124186).jpg
| width1 = 200
| alt1 =
| caption1 =
| image2 = Oregon DOT Siskiyou Summit (2928843767).jpg
| width2 = 225
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer = Left: I-5 at Siskiyou Summit (2010); right: Snowplow clearing snow on Siskiyou Summit.
}}
The Hudson's Bay Company carved a route from Oregon to California during their hunt for furs and pelts following Native American trails. HBC developed the Siskiyou Trail in 1827, which included crossing Siskiyou Summit. In the 1830s, Ewing Young, using horses and mules, led hundreds of cattle over the Siskiyou Trail, necessitating its widening; this process, which took three months to complete, linked the Shasta Valley in California with the Rogue Valley in Oregon. Scientists and cartographers of the United States Exploring Expedition carried out studies along this trail in 1841, while miners of the California Gold Rush traversed the trail to reach the gold fields. In the 1860s, the trail was widened so that stagecoaches could easily traverse it. The first telegraph line was added in 1864. Only in the 1960s did it become the modern highway now designated Interstate 5.{{cite book|author1=Howard R. Plank|author2=calibre (0.7.22) [http://calibre-ebook.com]|title=The Central Sacramento Valley Story: Reclamation, Irrigation, Farms, Rice, and Machinery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iDUASHyVwXIC&pg=PA30|date=13 December 2010|publisher=Xlibris Corporation|isbn=978-1-4568-2711-3|pages=30–}}{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}}
Road
The summit "towering 4310 ft straight up and straight down with curves thrown in for variety", has enough space for parking two lanes of rigs on both flanks of the road. Since the gradient is about 6%, it is a preferred place for truckers to park, refuel, check the condition of their vehicles, and rest. The road down from the summit on the north side is steep and winding. During winter, reaching the summit can be a challenge due to snow and ice on the pavement.{{cite book|author=Sharon St. James|title=Another Chance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WCS7iBT4TWYC&pg=PA201|date=15 October 2009|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=978-1-4490-2175-7|pages=201–}} In 2008, after the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad rail link between Medford, Oregon and Weed, California was closed, the highway saw greater use by truckers to carry timber and finished products. In order to reduce reliance on this hazardous mountain road and to reduce the expense of highway transport, proposals were made to reopen the rail link.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oregon.gov/gov/ERT/docs/Siskiyou%20Summit%20Railroad%20Revitalization%20-%20RST%20WEB%20abstract.pdf|title=Siskiyou Summit Railroad Revitalization|access-date=18 Jan 2019|publisher=State of Oregon|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205140108/http://www.oregon.gov/gov/ERT/docs/Siskiyou%20Summit%20Railroad%20Revitalization%20-%20RST%20WEB%20abstract.pdf|archive-date=2013-02-05}} The rail line over the pass was reopened in 2015.{{cite news |url=http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33702629-75/railroad-line-between-ashland-and-northern-california-re-opens-after-7-year-closure.html.csp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617001704/http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33702629-75/railroad-line-between-ashland-and-northern-california-re-opens-after-7-year-closure.html.csp |url-status=live |title=S. Oregon railroad line operating again after 7 year closure |first=Ilene |last=Aleshire |newspaper=The Register-Guard |location=Eugene, OR |date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=June 17, 2018|access-date=June 16, 2018 |df=dmy-all}}