Way Points

Oak Protection Project Update

2012-01-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

I happened to put in some trail miles at LosTrancos recently and spotted some of the results of the oak protection project that I reported on in my post of November 16^th. The grant funded project, the latest of it’s type undertaken by MidPen and the CCC, was initiated to protect heritage oaks by removing California bay trees in an attempt to arrest the spread of SOD (Sudden Oak Death). There’s a lot more detail in my November 16^th post, but the bay trees act as unwitting hosts of SOD spreading the spores in wind and rain. The bay trees can pose a significant risk to vulnerable oak species if they are located within 15 feet. The photos below show some areas near the Fault Trail where bay trees have been cut and the stumps treated to prevent re-growth. Even the bay leaves have removed from the ground, as the leaves are where the spores reside in effected trees. The down wood has been bucked up and mostly removed as well. The photos also show some of the mossy old oak trees that the project is intended to protect.

Table Mountain

2012-01-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

View from the upper trail

Most of my hikes so far this winter have been rather unremarkable. There’s been so little rain this season that most of the parks and open space lands seem barren, dry, and tired. Normally this time of year there are already subtle signs of emerging regrowth, green grasses just beginning to shoot out in meadows, a few fledgling wildflowers popping out for reconnaissance, and the creeks should be beginning to pick up. Instead, everything just seems kind of dead. I don’t really want to think about what this could mean if the trend continues, so I decided to back post one of my hikes from last fall that I never got around to. Hopefully it will be a really wet spring.

Stevens Creek

One of the hikes we took to explore the fall season was this nice little loop route around Table Mountain in Upper Stevens Creek County Park (Santa Clara County). We began at the Grizzly Flat trail head along highway 35 about 3 miles north from the junction with highway 9. Regional maps are available at trail heads for free. The Grizzly Flat Trail is a winding 2.0 mile downhill from the trail head along the highway at 2274 feet descending to the creek bed at about 1293 feet at the bottom of the canyon. Along the way you will be treated to thick stands of oaks, maples, madrones, alders, and Douglas fir providing shade on sunny days, and subtle rich colors in autumn. The trail has the quality of an old dirt road until you reach the first little creek bed, and is open to bicycle traffic in both directions. This trail also makes a nice connector between Upper Stevens Creek and Long Ridge; so many different route variations are possible. You will make two creek crossings before reaching Canyon Trail at the bottom and turning back to the south. Along this trail you can spot strange little “benches” and what look like pressure ridges created by the historic seismic activity along the San Andreas fault which passes right under your feet.

BART section in Long Ridge

After crossing the creek again, we took the junction to Table Mountain Trail to begin climbing back up. There are no footbridges, so these creek crossings would probably be more difficult in rainy weather, but not bad in fall. This trail and Charcoal Road are uphill only for bicycles, so at least you don’t have to expect bikes screaming downhill. Above Table Mountain, there is a section of single track trail which is designated “hiking only”. It doesn’t have a name on the map, so assumedly it’s just an extension of the Table Mountain Trail. This single track section had lots of poison oak which is much more difficult to identify when the leaves are gone, so I recommend being careful not to inadvertently brush against any type of suspect stalks. When you reach Table Mountain there is an optional short loop trail, but don’t expect to see much. The elevation is only about 1800 feet and the ridge to the east blocks any long range view opportunities, plus there’s lots of over growth and tall trees. As you hike up higher on the single track and begin to get close to the highway again, there are some nice view opportunities from the trail. The photo at the top is from that section of trail. When you get back to Skyline, you can cross the highway and into Long Ridge to head back to the north. We followed the BART route back to the junction with Grizzly Flat Trail and back to the trail head. After enjoying the views to the west along a rolling open section, the Peter’s creek trail runs along a beautiful riparian section and a serene pond alongside a private Zen center. A nice little 10.6 mile loop, the route has about 2260 feet to total elevation gain. I have a track log and some photos uploaded to Every Trail.

Mt Umunhum Project Update

2012-01-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Mount Umunhum viewed from Mt El Sombroso

Sometimes when the concept of something seems like an exceedingly great idea to you in theory and you really want that something to happen, it can seem like an eternity when the reality of the situation presents seemingly insurmountable circumstances. Thus has been the case with this project. Although long and arduous, the project to restore Mt Umunhum and Mt Thayer to open space is still underway and taking shape nicely. After years of delays and wrangling over who should take responsibility for the cost of the toxic material cleanup, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District published the Project Schedule and Implementation Phasing Plan in May of 2010. The latest of a series of public hearings will be the next bullet point in that plan. Set to take place on the evening of January 18th 2012, the hearing will be to provide comment on the environmental impact analysis. "The (DEIR) Draft Environmental Impact Report is to evaluate potential environmental impacts that could result from the demolition of the former Almaden Air Force Station at Mount Umunhum, and creation of open space access facilities including trails, bathrooms, and parking lots". The hearing is open to the public. For more information visit the Mt Umunhum Project page on MidPen’s website. The cleanup and demolition is expected to cost in the neighborhood of 13 million dollars and is still not expected to be completed until sometime beyond 2015. The project page also contains lost of interesting content including pictures, videos, maps, PDF documents, and historical information. Also check out the video below which aired on KQED last July called "Mount Umunhum: Return to the Summit". This mountain was a holy place to the Ohlone people. Restoring it to a natural state would be a really great way to pay tribute to it's history.

Hope Emerges for Portola and Castle Rock

2011-12-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Old growth redwood at Portola State Park

It was only a few short weeks ago that I was having a really fine time hiking trails in the area of Castle Rock State Park, and I couldn’t help thinking about all the fine natural beauty we in this area are free to enjoy virtually right at our doorstep in the Santa Cruz Mountains. As I kept walking and brainstorming to myself, I began to consider all the great connectivity of trails that facilitate our recreation and enjoyment of all this blessing and natural heritage, and I couldn’t help thinking about what an egregious waste it would be to actually lock it all up because all the state’s money had been squandered. Nor could I help thinking about what a huge loss it would be to the hiking community for the looming park closures to destroy all that after so many had worked so hard to establish it. It just doesn’t seem right considering that the state only provided matching funds to purchase most of these tracts of land in the first place. The plan was for them to be deeded over to the state primarily because the state has the authority to protect them. Most of the work it takes to maintain them is ably performed by hardy groups of volunteers. In my view they belong to the taxpaying public for their respectful, lawful, enjoyment, as well as for the value they bring to the public in terms of quality of life issues. That’s why I was very encouraged today by the announcement of a new foundation being formed to campaign for keeping Portola and Castle Rock state parks open well into the future.

In September we learned about the successful passage of AB42, which is the bill that allows non-profit groups to help operate state parks that might otherwise be closed due to severe budget cutbacks. Henry Coe State Park which was on the closure list for years, got a big boost with the announcement of The Coe Park Preservation Fund, which actually already existed, which quickly entered into an agreement with the California Department of Parks that will keep that park open through at least 2015. I remember thinking what a great thing that would be if a similar foundation could be similarly brought to bear to protect both Castle Rock and Portola state parks. This press release dated yesterday 12/6/11 announced exactly that. The Portola and Castle Rock Foundation, which has been the official cooperating association since 1991, with cooperation from Sempervirens Fund, and Adventure Out have taken that goal as their mission. Welcome news, but these parks are not safe yet. (I had originally said not “out of the woods” yet, but that would be ludicrous). The foundation will need to raise about $500,000 in order to ensure that the gates can stay open to the public beyond July of 2012. Tax deductable contributions can be made on line at their website. The Portola and Castle Rock Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit. Hopefully this trend can inspire similar foundations to protect other parks on the closure list as well.

Billy Goat Country

2011-12-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Shafts of sunlight illuminate the Fir Trail

Now that Thanksgiving is again just a memory, I’m just now getting around to posting about some of my late November hikes. Back posting is getting fairly common for me especially, ironically, when I have some time off. Any time away from the anthill is valuable, and my tendency is to dispense with routine as much as possible. It’s not rebellion. It’s just my way of looking after numero uno. I don’t let tedium of modern society mess with my melon. Actually, sitting around in front of a computer screen doesn’t always seem very stimulating, even if I’m not particularly busy at the moment. I’m a lot more likely to feel like reading a book or going for a run (low-tech stuff). But first priority is always to get outdoors, even if the weather is not so good. Eventually I get around to playing around on the computer, but it will usually be while I’m sequestered home evenings during the week.

El Corte de Madera Creek

Many hikers avoid El Corte de Madera because its popularity with mountain bikers is well known. Also well known is its history of logging, and steep terrain. But this preserve has had a strange attraction for me that keeps me coming back. There’s something about the hilly up and down topography that doesn’t let the trails get too boring. It’s always just a bit challenging, and if you look hard enough, there are a few old growth survivors to be found that are worth admiring. It’s kind of a shame that hikers stay away.

Aged redwood

As it turns out, the day before Thanksgiving was a perfect time to hike the long route at El Corte de Madera. Not because the weather was especially pleasant. It was a very chilly day with lots of drifting gray clouds and threatening rain. And not because of the fine displays of Iris, spotted coral root, and forget-me-nots that can tempt ramblers to come out there in spring. Late fall is definitely the wrong time for that. But if you get out there on a week day, you can hike without the usual bicycle traffic that this preserve has a reputation for, and this is especially true on a bleak day like the one I got. I only saw one cyclist the whole day, and didn’t see any others on foot either. How can you beat that? Alone to discover the seasonal beauty of this place for a whole day is awesome.

Just to do something different I decided to hike all of the trails that lead outward toward the outer perimeter of the preserve boundaries looping around the entire tract. The interior trails have some interesting features, but I couldn’t remember any time when I hiked entire perimeter all at once. A route like this has a lot of diverse character. Most of the area is densely wooded with a tall shady canopy comprised of the usual Santa Cruz Mountains arboreal diversity. I really love the all aged Douglas firs, and even though most if it is second growth, there’s lots of redwood. The topography is shaped primarily by the chaotic character of the sandstone and serpentine rock forming the base of these mountains. To use a firefighter’s vernacular; this is “billy goat country”. It’s very not-flat, with many transitions, and because the most accessible trail heads are on Skyline (Hwy 35), it’s an inverse hike with an uphill return. When hiking these trails, you can expect a good workout to be part of your day. Call me crazy, but I love it. You just need to choose the opportunities that allow for enjoying it the most. This long route hike really gave me some good “cleansing” time and set the tone for the rest of my holiday. I combined the photos I took on this hike with an existing photoset on flickr from a hike earlier in the year, and the track log from this route is on Every Trail if you want to see the profile.

Saratoga Gap and Travertine Spring

2011-11-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

And sudden oak death

Fog bank out at the coast

This area of California is not noted for having a really striking fall. Many of the more suburban areas have lots of carefully planted and manicured trees that display fairly nice color, but that never really impresses me. What I really love is displays of natural growth. I always look forward to perusing photos from my flickr contacts, and checking out blogger content from other parts of the country. To some extent I can live vicariously through them when I can’t get away. That’s the beauty of online photo sharing and blogging. I enjoy great photos from places like the eastern Sierra, Pacific Northwest, and various locations back east, that are all very impressive without even leaving home. But what I really look forward to the most is to get outside, and there are areas around the south bay that do have their own unique quality when fall come into full swing. So that was my goal on a foggy and chilly Saturday morning. The areas around Saratoga Gap and along the southern skyline region have lots of big leaf maple, alders, and deciduous oaks that help to give the fall season a special character, even if you couldn’t really make a post card out of it. The cooler air and increased moisture content play a role too as the shades of green in the mosses and lichens really begin to display vividly, popping out in contrast with the orangey brown of the mulching leaves. The coastal fog rolling in overnight inducing the natural drip system pattering a rhythm on the forest floor provides a nice backdrop to the grayish mist as it floats like an apparition amongst the darkened shapes, and attenuated light.

Deciduous Oaks near Saratoga Gap

As I arrived at Saratoga Gap, I had noticed a temporary sign posted at the trailhead going north from the junction of highways 9 and 35. It had a MidPen logo on it, and provided a brief announcement of a new grant funded oak protection project. There has been an ongoing war being waged between scientists and Sudden Oak Death (SOD) since the mid 1990s in this region, as well as many other areas of California, and part of Oregon. MidPen and the CCC are teaming up to implement the latest front in the war to save California’s heritage oaks. This project involves the removal many California Bay trees from peninsula open space preserves, which did not make much sense to me at first. After all, the California Bay is a native tree species that has co-habited within the coastal range amongst many oak species for millennium. The Native Americans used the leaves for various remedies including headache relief. I have heard a lot about SOD in recent years, and we follow the guidelines for cleaning footgear and staying on trails, but I did not understand about removal of bay trees. The sign at the trailhead does not provide a lot of information, so that compelled me to do a little research of my own in order to better understand the situation.

According to the most reliable scientific studies, SOD is caused by a pathogen which can be classified as water borne mold called Phytophthora ramorum. The pathogen spreads in the form of spores which are born in the wind or by rain. SOD needs an unwitting host which harbors the disease, but does not die from it. The California Bay (Umbellularia Californica), also called California Bay Laurel, Pepperwood, Spicebush, Oregon Myrtle, and other names, have been discovered to be the primary vehicle to spread the disease if they are located within 15 feet of an oak species. This is why this new project has been initiated to remove bay trees that are within close enough proximity to be a threat to vulnerable heritage oaks. This is not the first project of this kind. This article in SFGate describes a similar project that was carried out last July. The following quote from that article identifies the California Bay as a major culprit in spreading SOD.

"The research showed that bay trees are responsible for the spreading of the disease," said biologist Cindy Roessler, the open space district's senior resource management specialist. "If you have a bay tree within 15 feet of an oak tree, that oak tree has a much higher chance of getting the disease."

The seriousness of the situation can be underscored by the following quote from the same SFGate article.

“Scientists have discovered that California bay laurels are the prime harborers of the microscopic spores, which are dispersed in the wind and rain. Arborists and ecologists are afraid that if the tiny marauders aren't stopped, California's golden hills could be denuded of its signature live oak trees. As it is, experts predict that as many as 90 percent of California's live oaks and black oaks could die within 25 years.”

This MidPen document from their website describes an earlier bay tree removal project from 2008. Here is a quote from that document.

“The California bay tree has been identified as a main transmitter of sudden oak death

because it hosts the pathogen on its leaves, but is not killed by it. Spores of P. ramorum

spread from the California bay tree leaves to nearby oak trees, which develop trunk

cankers and die.”

And I will offer one more quote from an article posted to the UC Davis Integrated Pest Management Program website.

“Research in California forests has shown that the greatest predictor of P. ramorum canker on oak is the presence of California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica). Pathologists believe P. ramorum drips or is blown down onto oak trunks from neighboring bay leaves when it rains. Once on the oak trunk, P. ramorum uses natural openings in the bark to colonize the bark tissues, killing cells and clogging water and nutrient transport vessels.”

I could go on, but the science gets really heavy from here, and that's a little beyond my scope. However, it is clear that there is no equivocation from the scientific community on the bay tree removals as being a logical step in order to help arrest the spread of SOD. For more detailed information you can visit the California Oak Mortality Task Force website. Given all the research data and public announcements that I found, I am actually amazed that I had not been more aware of this connection between the bay trees and SOD. I had to get this off my chest because I love bay trees, and I hate the idea that some of them must be destroyed, but this is indeed war, and I am in full support. If I only had more time I would volunteer my help.

San Lorenzo Headwaters

Now back to the hike. Oh, that’s right! I was on a hike. I hiked north on the Skyline Trail making my way through the greyish mire drifting lazily along the ridge tops to the crossover of highway 35 and into Long Ridge OSP. I turned south again using the Achistaca Trail to take me back to the crossover of highway 9, and down to the Saratoga Toll Road Trail. After that I was basically doing the same hike I had done a couple of weeks ago using the Toll Road to get to Travertine Spring Trail. With the progression of the fall weather, I was keen to visit areas with thick populations of the deciduous trees in order to explore the signs of seasonal change.

As the trail descended down toward the headwaters of the San Lorenzo River the fog thinned out into intermittent sunshine. This was on of those odd days when the fog was primarily up high. I was having a really great time checking out, and enjoying the sights, sounds, and even the smells of fall until reaching Castle Rock where I encountered a really large group of hikers that were taking a break around the trail camp. I immediately was thinking that I should really try to get out ahead of them just in case this huge mob of humanity was going to take the Trail I wanted. I was planing to use Loghry Woods Trail to get back to Skyline, and I did not want them to wind up becoming a walking, talking, trail blockage for my assent back to the ridge. I’ve had that happen before with large hiking groups, and it’s really annoying when they don’t have any sense of trail etiquette. Plus their noisy clamor scares away all the wildlife. I decided to make use of the pit toilet there as it was the only one around for miles, and then take off. But when I got finished, lo and behold, there they went en masse down the trail, making a huge racket, in the direction of the junction I was planning to use. And sure enough they began making the turn onto Loghry Woods Trail. Incredulous of my luck, I decided to just hang out around the trail camp for about 30 minutes to let them get well ahead, hoping that would be enough that I would not see them again. Quiet time is good I kept telling myself. The ploy worked, and the rest of my hike was just as pleasant as in the morning. Surely there must be a way to keep Castle Rock open. If this park actually closes, that will severely degrade the trail connectivity of this area. You can visit my photoset on flickr to see some pictures, and see a track log on EveryTrail.

Click here to visit the California Oak Mortality Task Force website
Click here to see MidPen's Sudden Oak Death fact sheet
Click here to download a Guide for Recreational Users from the California Oak Mortality Task Force

Nelson Lake

2011-11-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

Echo Creek

Whenever I make a return visit to a location as high on my list of favorite-places-on-earth as Yosemite, the sensory experience of being there has the effect of stimulating a host of old memories of really great camping and hiking trips from years past. When planning a day’s hiking, it can be hard to decide whether to use a route that you know already from a past hike that was especially rewarding somehow, or to seek out new experiences by looking for the best of what you may have missed on previous visits. We have a whole collection of maps and books that we’ve collected over the years. Perusing them all can actually be a little daunting. But on this trip Sue stumbled across a trail description from a little old dog-eared book from who knows when. The book is from a series called High Sierra Hiking Guides by Wilderness Press, copyrighted 1970. These little books do not include any maps. They’re really only collections of trail descriptions, with basic directions on how to get to trail heads, and some marginally useful photos. I do have some nice National Geographic topo maps but they can only show you so much. Reading from the guide book for the Tuolumne Meadows area, there is a fairly detailed description of a route called the “Vogelsang Loop”. The route is a 28+ mile high country loop that is better undertaken as a backpacking trip. Surely this is not the kind of terrain to march over like you were trying to set some kind of record. We’re really just looking to have a nice time in the mountains while recharging the proverbial batteries. But we noticed something interesting. Another of the hike descriptions focuses on a portion of the same loop as an out-n-back to a place called Nelson Lake. The hike begins from the Elizabeth Lake trailhead, which begins at the same campground we were at. However, checking all of our maps, they all show the trail ending in the vicinity of Elizabeth Lake. Searching beyond to the south, Nelson Lake is shown as a feature, but with no trail leading there. Even still, the area seemed very inviting, secluded, and surrounded by unique terrain features, capturing our interest. Obviously there was a trail there at one time, so after considering all the options and making absolutely sure to put fresh batteries in the GPS just in case, we decided to use that tattered old trail description to lead us to this place called Nelson Lake. We were well prepared, but I was expecting this hike to be a lot of fun no matter what happened.

Elizabeth Lake and Unicorn Peak

The hike up to Elizabeth Lake in the morning air was refreshing. Trailhead elevation is about 8600 feet. There are still some wild flowers sprinkled around as you hike up through the woods. In many areas there is brilliant green ground cover which at casual glance looks like grasses. But a closer look and you discover that this is actually a leafy succulent of some kind. Unicorn Creek is not far off, and you can hear the gentle sounds of its course. These woods are beautiful, and if you are early enough, there are no people around. When you reach Elizabeth Lake at 9500 feet you are greeted by commanding views of barren and alien looking Unicorn Peak to the west, and Johnson Peak to the east looking more like a huge knarly rock dome in the middle of a forest. The lake is surrounded by woods and shrubbery, and has rocks strewn about as though fallen from the sky. Signs of ancient glacial activity are everywhere up here. A trail leads around the shores, buy we didn’t take time for that. Elizabeth Lake is pretty, but we knew more people would be along soon as this place is a popular short day hike by itself. We were much more interested to head on up the rocky pass toward Nelson Lake.

Cloudy view from the pass

We quickly found the trail heading south across the lovely open green meadows shadowing the sandy banks of a meandering stream enjoying the breezes. The trail is not marked, but is easily discernable. After about a mile the trail starts climbing again and the habitat changes back into dense woods with many tall, fragrant, incense cedar. The grade keeps getting steeper and soon you are confronted with a steep slope that resembles more of a rock talus, except that the rocks are more embedded in the soil rather than being loose. It’s almost like a natural staircase. What had been a very discernable trail had now become much more obscure. There were no cairns or trail markings at all, making dead reckoning a more reliable way to find you’re way up to the pass at the top of the ridge. I might have built some cairns if I had been sure we were on the best route. We kept hiking up using rocks as steps, and along a passable slot between two steep slopes, and eventually found the trail again on the other side. But pausing at the top of the pass at 10,206 feet the views open up to a breathtaking panorama to the north over the treetops, across Tuolumne Meadows dotted with rocky outcrops, to an expanse of high mountains across the horizon. We took a break at the summit to enjoy the sights before heading on. Views like that are not to be wasted by being in too much of a hurry. Proper trail etiquette compels you to stop, relax, and drink it all in. After all, this is why you hike the Sierra.

Zoomed view to Vogelsang Peak

Back into the trees again the trail begins leading downhill, switching back and forth down through a rocky canyon. You can hear water flowing in a stream down below that is concealed by thick vegetation. As you look through the sparse trees to the west, you can spot the jagged crest of the Cockscomb looming above, and soon the entire Mathis Crest dominates your view to the west as you descend into a valley bordered by the Mathis Crest to the west and Rafferty Peak to the east. As the trail levels out near the bottom, the valley opens up into green meadows, strewn with rock, and a stream system meandering along its course, and lots of wild flowers. In the distance to the south commanding attention in your forward view is Vogelsang Peak directly in your path, which gives you a great landmark for keeping your bearing. As we continued heading south a few more miles, we could notice the trail becoming more obscure, so we began relying more on the GPS than the map or trail. I have California Topo loaded in my GPS, and the mapping is detailed enough to show all the terrain features and Nelson Lake, so we knew we were close. As we approached a solid rock slope, the trail had completely vanished into obscurity, and we were not sure if we should head straight for the lake over the rocks, or continue to follow the stream which would maybe lead around them. We decided to hike up the rock slope to gain higher ground for sight reckoning, which was the more direct route anyway. We hiked over a long rock formation and down into a wooded valley again, and then up another rock slope. Reaching a little pass at the top of the rock ledge, I looked over into the sheltered valley where Nelson Lake lies, ringed by trees and grasses, and surrounded by high jagged peaks and flowing layers rock. Not a sole was down there, and there were really no signs of any human influence at all. It seemed almost perfect. A veritable Shangri-la. This would be a fantastic place to camp out for the night, and permits for the area are available.

Nelson Lake

As we were leaving, we followed our track log back to the trail without doing much exploring. I’m still not sure if the old trail follows the stream around the rocks, or if you need to climb the rocks to get down to the lake. I suspect I’ll be coming back here sometime, so maybe I will have more time to investigate then. We wanted to head back because the skies were beginning to look stormy as the afternoon wore on. The sky in fact continued to darken, and we got rained on a little bit off and on, but not enough to really get soaked. I took some more pictures when we reached the summit pass near the Cockscomb to show the difference in the sky from in the morning. I had been a little concerned about having to hike back down the steep rock slope, slick and wet, down to the lower trail again, but it was no problem. It didn’t get that wet. We did not see any other people until we were back at Elizabeth Lake. We had been on a fabulous hike, and true to the words of John Muir, our cares had melted away.

Click here to see the track log at EveryTrail
Click here to see the photos on flickr

Prescribed burns completed at Big Basin

2011-10-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Looking over Big Basin from China Grade

This time of year is a perfect time to initiate prescribed burning plans. The weather has been just dry enough, and yet the soil conditions have been just moist enough to allow for controlled burn projects. With the temperatures cooling at night, right about now is not only the best opportunity, but is really the only opportunity all year for getting it done. A couple of weeks ago we found a team of CDF firemen preparing to conduct controlled burns at Henry Coe. They had waited for the right conditions, and by now should have completed those plans. Last week prescribed burns were carried out in Big Basin. About 460 acres in the area of Johansen Road was burned to clear out excessive debris and overgrowth. Johansen Road is a fire road along the northern boundary of the park. The remains of the blaze were still soldering on Saturday which was producing noticeable smoke and odor in some areas, but the project was carried out without a hitch, and completed.

There is also some construction work being carried out at Big Basin headquarters. Most of the areas around the headquarters complex including the main office, store, museum, and restrooms have been blocked off because the walkways have been torn up (see photos below). It seems that even though the state is planning to close 70 parks because of lack of funding to keep them maintained, the remaining parks like Big Basin, which are to remain open, still need to comply with the latest ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) demands for improvements. And of course these improvements have to come from the state park budget which has been slashed to the bone already. Parks like Garrapata, Castle Rock, and Portola, have to close completely in order to make compliance improvements at other parks that benefit less than 1% of the population. I am now beginning to wonder whether some of the parks that close may never be able to reopen unless additional funding is found for similar legal requirements.

Store complex

Main office

Trail Closure at Garrapata

2011-10-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

(Will not be repaired)

View from Rocky Ridge summit

It seems the California state park closures are already having an effect on some of the really great little parks on the coast. We drove down to Garrapata State Park last week hoping to get in a quick little half day autumn hike in the ocean air. The reports were showing good likelihood of clear weather, and with Garrapata being on the infamous closure list, it seemed well worth the rather long drive. When we arrived the conditions seemed almost perfect with mostly clear skies and gentle warm sunshine. That was until we crossed the highway and saw the sign at the gate indicating a trail closure. The back side of the Rocky Ridge Trail from the junction with the Peak Trail down to the top of Soberanes Canyon Trail has been closed (see photo below). The sign says its because “potentially hazardous” trail conditions. This means that you cannot hike the loop up through Soberanes Canyon, continuing up to Down Peak, then return by way of descending down Rocky Ridge Trail, which incidentally is our favorite way to hike Garrapata. I suppose you could still hike the canyon trail to the closure point, and then double back before hiking the Rocky Ridge Trail up to the summit. That would still allow the experience of the diversity of the canyon verses the rest of the park.

Trail closure notice

We decided to just hike Rocky Ridge to the summit of Dowd Peak as an out-n-back, but later I wished that we had just ignored the signs and done the hike we wanted to do anyway. The conditions are very likely not nearly as bad as the signs might lead one to believe. This is usually the case because the State has a really annoying, dysfunctional, over-inflated sense of liability. They think they have to treat the public like children. The parks actually belong to the people who have lived here, worked here, and paid taxes in this state all their lives. The trail conditions at Garrapata have actually been less than ideal for years. To make matters worse, I was talking to another hiker who is local to the area and hikes Garrapata regularly, and he told me that he contacted the parks department to ask about repairs. They told him that no repairs are being planned because the park is on the closure list.

At this point this post turns into a little bit of a rant. The state is supposedly closing parks because they say there is no money to maintain them. In fact the state is all but bankrupt mostly thanks to the incompetence of the state legislature. So why then, with the economy in shambles, and all these people out of work, with more going on unemployment every day, and many in peril with their mortgages; why then has the governor signed new legislation that requires taxpayers to fund college education for the children of illegal aliens? Why are we paying for their health care when people who are natural citizens, and have jobs, often have little or no coverage at all? I have to say that I am infuriated by this idiotic state legislature and their pathetic pandering to special interests and unions in order to keep getting elected. I say kick them out on their overstuffed butts! Our parks are not theirs to close, and this is really beginning to hit home with this trail closure.

Don’t worry; I’ll be alright after I’ve had the chance to chill with a good meal and some chamomile tea.I have all but given up on making sense of all this.

Mono Pass and Spillway Lake

2011-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

Lower Sardine Lake and Mono Basin

I’m doing some back posting again from our Labor Day trip to Tuolumne Meadows. I had an interesting talk with one of the rangers as we were walking around on our first day there. We happened to be taking a leisurely late afternoon walk along the river as a young ranger was leading a group on a nature walk. I heard him talking about the various wildlife species in the area, and I paused for a moment to listen in. Noticing us taking an interest, the ranger invited us to tag along. I resisted my initial notion that this would be too “touristy” and we took him up on it. After all, Yosemite’s rangers are generally very knowledgeable folks as well as personable.

Yearling black bear

His presentation was very good, and when his subject turned to bears, I had shared with him about the little yearling cub that was trying his darnedest to sneak into the campground earlier that day. The ranger calling himself B-rad (x-gen for Brad) was very interested to hear the story. He immediately recognized the bear from my description. It was a yearling male cub, a black bear (Ursus americanus), dark brown in color, with blonde streaks in his coat, and a blue ear tag #51. We had tried really hard to do the right thing, discouraging the cub from hanging around the campground, loudly chasing him out of several sites, but B-rad had a story to tell about that little bear. He told us about how that bear’s mother had trained her cubs to look for food around people, recognizing and breaking into any unprotected areas likely to contain food. A tragic story really, because as cute as he is now, he will eventually become a serious nuisance when he grows larger, stronger, and probably more aggressive. That will eventually spell trouble. With the cubs on their own now, the mother, sadly, has already been euthanized as a “dangerous” bear. But B-rad, recognizing my interest in wildlife, had invited me to come to the campfire meeting that evening to hear his discussion about bighorn sheep. After working through the same misgivings about being too “touristy”, I took him up on that as well.


Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (photo courtesy of Lewis & Clark Wiki)

It was actually a very engaging little talk, interesting as well as entertaining, during which B-rad, who is an avid backpacker, shared about his personal multiple year quest to spot the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) that were reintroduced to the Yosemite backcountry years ago. This subspecies of bighorn was once thought to have vanashed from the Sierra range that gives it its name. It is thought that they had fallen victim to diseases from domesticated sheep which once grazed the high meadows. That was until a healthy herd was discovered in a very remote section high in King’s Canyon years ago. Some of the King’s Canyon herd was later reintroduced to the Yosemite area. B-rad was also willing to share some tips about where someone might go to find likely places to spot them. One of the places he mentioned was surprisingly close by, which really peaked my interest. The prospect of spotting bighorns had me excited, even though the odds of success were low. The area of interest was the various rocky slopes visible from Mono Pass. I figured the worst case would be to have a beautiful high country hike, spend some time sitting around studying the knarly slopes, and not see any sheep. This is a hike I had done before years ago, and I remembered looking east from just beyond the pass and having some really nice views down to Mono Lake, and gazing at the stark beauty of the surrounding peaks, and inviting meadows, but I had no idea there might be wild sheep roaming the area. According to B-rad, they don’t spend much time in the high peaks as he originally thought. They tend to move along on the rocky slopes, some of which are visible from the Mono Pass area. And so it was due time to head back there.

Parker Pass Trail

There is a trailhead along Tioga Road about 3 miles west of the Tioga Pass entrance station. The trail begins within a dense forest of lodgepole and white bark pines which is still sprinkled with some late season wild flowers. Along the way there are some really picturesque open meadows and a couple of creek crossings, all of which are tributaries to Dana fork Tuolumne. Soon the trail leads alongside Parker Pass Creek, which flows directly down from Spillway Lake. Several access points make great places to filter water, and admire wild flowers. Even this late in the year, all the creeks are still flowing well, and all of the water we were using on our hikes was pure snow melt we had filtered out of streams. It really makes the treated water at the campground taste like crap. After a few miles we passed the junction for Spillway Lake which was a tempting diversion, but I would save that for later. After the sun came out, Mariposa lilies were blooming which are one of my favorites, along with a host of other species (see my photos). We also saw ruins of some old mine shacks, called the “ghost mines”, and lots of small critters.

Summit Lake with Mammoth Peak in the background

After the junction for Parker Pass the terrain becomes very open, exposing vast meadows and lots of high peaks, and the views are tremendous. Along the trail to Mono Pass you hike along the shores of several crystal clear high lakes. The smaller lakes have no names, but I took photos of Summit Lake, and Upper and Lower Sardine Lake. They're not huge, but make a great foreground for the looming peaks. Further down the canyon is Walker Lake. The sign at the pass reads elevation 10,599 feet. From here you begin to have commanding views of the high sierra crest dominated by Mt Gibbs and Mt Dana to the north, with Mt Lewis to the south. We hiked beyond the pass a couple of miles into Bloody Canyon, named after a huge Indian battle between the Mono and Ahwahnechee peoples. We found some negotiable rock outcrops that made fine viewing locations to sit and have lunch and keep a lookout on the surrounding slopes for wild sheep. We could see all the way down across Mono Basin part of Mono Lake, and a section of the While Mountains. This trail can take you all the way down into the Mono Basin eventually bringing you into Devil’s Postpile national monument thousands of feet below. These jagged layered rocks off trail were a great place to just spend some quiet time gazing into clear lakes, scanning the peaks, breathing the air, and catching some gentle rays. We never actually spotted any sheep, (curses....), but we paid some dues in trying, and eventually we will succeed, perhaps in a different location. With scenery like this, this hike is far from a wild goose chase, or actually a wild sheep chase. It’s actually very rare to spot them. B-rad had tried for years before finally spotting any, but they are there. But even without any sightings, the hiking is really a fine time.

Spillway Lake

When we started heading back to the trailhead I really wanted to get down to check out Spillway Lake. It seemed like a long way back to the junction, but one of our old maps shows a trail heading down there from the Parker Pass trail. Sue decided to head back on her own while I would hike down to the lake, and then find the trail back to the junction, and back to the car, arriving no more than about 1 hour after she got there, or so I promised. I headed up toward Parker Pass, and could see down to the lake, but the trail shown on the old map was not to be found. At least it was not marked. Looking over the terrain, I could see that I could easily reach the lake by just hiking cross country following down along the little creeks, so that’s what I did. I made my way to the shores of the lake at the foot of Kuna Crest south which obviously gave the lake its name. The snow packs into the cracks and crevasses of the high rocky crest and flows down forming the lake, which in turn feeds into Parker Pass creek, and ultimately into Dana Fork Tuolumne. It was such a beautiful and tranquil setting, and with no one around, I wanted so much to just hang out for awhile and enjoy it. It was very hard to leave, but I needed to stay on pace as promised. So I snapped a few photos, then quickly found the trail alongside the creek leading back to the junction with Mono Pass trail, and headed back. I had an amazing time, and would recommend this hike to anyone, whether or not you have the patience to sit around trying to spot the highly elusive Yosemite big horns. Maybe you’ll have better luck.

Click here to see my track log at EveryTrail
Click here to see my photos on flickr
Click here for more information on the Sierra bighorn @ SNBSF

Travertine Springs Loop

2011-10-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

View south from Travertine Springs Trail

Today I was out for a quick solo hike using an old favorite route that I had not been back to for some years. This little 9.7 mile route is great for a quiet, shady, mountain walk under the trees. The hike really lifted my spirits today, so I thought it was worth sharing. I began at Saratoga Gap and hiked down Skyline to the Sea to the junction with the Saratoga Toll Road. The toll road trail is one of those trails that is largely underutilized, but is really a beautiful trail. It stays further away from the highway so you are never consciously aware of the road traffic higher up. This trail also provides many more great view opportunities along the way than does Skyline to the Sea, and it’s much quieter. I made my way down to the Travertine Springs Trail which provides a route back up to Castle Rock State Park. This trail is also a seldom used trail which is really quite beautiful and peaceful. As you hike toward Castle Rock, before long you begin to notice the horsetails and other leafy green vegetation indicative of a water source, and resulting in very moist soils. The area around the actual spring looks almost tropical except for the tall conifers that tower above. It’s an interesting area to check out. Along the way you also cross over the San Lorenzo River at a point very near its origin. This is the same river that runs past Henry Cowell and ends out at ocean passing right through downtown Santa Cruz. The river still has a very nice current even this late in the year. You will also pass over other tributaries over foot bridges along the way before heading back uphill to the trail camp at Castle Rock. From there you can use the Loughry Woods Trail to get up to Skyline. This trail is also very pretty, but you cannot help being a little bothered by the noise from the private rod and gun club adjacent to Castle Rock where locals go to play with their guns. After crossing the highway you can pick up the Skyline Trail back to Saratoga Gap to complete the easy 9.7 mile route which requires only moderate elevation change. It would be worth checking out soon with the status of Castle Rock still in grave peril as it is on the infamous closure list.

Controlled Burning at Coe

2011-10-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

We hiked at Henry Coe on Monday, and it turned out to be hot and dry, even though there was a lot of low fog in Morgan Hill. There was a CDF crew up there preparing for some prescribed burns. Thanks to the excellent wet season of last winter/spring, wild fires in California have been pleasantly absent from the news. This year’s usual allocation of funding and resources for fighting fires has not needed to be depleted for emergencies. This means that the State parks and CDF are free to team up, using those resources for proactively preventing future damaging wild fires. On Monday, the team was at Coe headquarters contemplating starting a controlled burn on Middle Ridge. As it turned out the day was too hot and dry to proceed at that time. Instead, they utilized the time preparing by cutting breaks around some of the beautiful old growth manzanita groves on Middle Ridge to further protect them during the controlled burn process. There was a similar manzanita section near the Jackass Trail that burned extremely hot during the 2007 Lick Fire, and it was reduced to an ashen moonscape. They told us that the team will begin later in the week when the weather is expected to get cooler, or perhaps light it at night. They plan to light controlled fires on Middle Ridge and parts of Hobb’s Road pending approval from the Bay Area Air Quality District. If you are planning hiking in that region in the near future you may want to reconsider. Check on conditions before departing.

Gaylor Lakes Basin

2011-10-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

Gaylor Lakes Basin

I’m doing some more back posing here. I had let my blog go into hibernation for a couple of months, but we did some really nice hikes during the week after Labor Day while we were camped out at Tuolumne Meadows, so I thought they were worth writing up. A funny thing happens in Yosemite right after Labor Day. People start leaving in droves. The weather might actually be great, and the conditions may be superb, but most of the public packs it in and heads home right on schedule as the off-season officially begins. We were passing entire trains of cars and RVs going the other way as we were driving up highway 120 to Tioga Road. There are still services open at Tuolumne Meadows like the grill, store, mountaineering shop, and gas station, but overall, it’s much more peaceful.

Middle Gaylor Lake

The winter of 2010 - 2011 had bumper crop snowfall, and even this late in the season, the upper Tuolumne is still flowing strong. The snow melt filtering down from the high Sierra crest is still actively feeding the myriad of lakes and creeks with fast moving crystal clear water. If we only could get several years in a row like this one, we would begin to see the re-establishment of the Yosemite glaciers that have receded into extinction in recent years. All things considered, it was a great time to be in the high country. This trip was amazing because most of the hiking we did was on trails that neither one of us had ever been on before, which proved to be like a new awakening to the Tuolumne area. Some of the trails that I had bypassed on previous trips turned out to be really fantastic inspiring hikes. Gaylor Lakes Basin was one of them.

Dana Meadows

Being Santa Clara Valley (anthill) dwellers who live at virtual sea level, we had planned this hike as an acclimation day because it seemed like the trail would not present a major challenge. We were interested in the trail that begins at the Tioga Pass entrance station to the park. There is a route to the lower Gaylor Lake that follows the Dana fork Tuolumne, crosses the river, crosses Tioga Road, and heads out across the moraine flat. That route is tempting, and would get you to the shores of the lower lake in about 5 or 6 miles. We decided on the other trail after one of the trail guides we read characterized that trail as “viewless”. So we used our car to get to the small parking area at the Tioga Pass trailhead, elevation about 9943 feet.

Leichtlin's Mariposa Lilly (Calochortus leichtlini)

The trail begins by climbing about 600 feet up a small ridge system. The lower section is mostly populated with stunted lodgepole pines, but there is plenty under-growth and some wild flowers are still lingering. Among the most interesting were Leichtlin's Marisposa Lily (Calochortus leichtlini), Pine Forest Larkspur (Delphimium gracilentum), and some kind of yellow cinquefoil I still have not verified, and a few others. Climbing up the switchbacks you get a few glimpses of Mt Dana through the trees. The trail never gets very steep, even though I was feeling the altitude a little. This was only our first full day above 9000 feet. As you get close to the top the trees thin out to almost barren rock. Hiking along the side of the ridge, the openness provides the first view opportunity as you get unobstructed vistas down to the lush green Dana meadows, and a cluster of little ponds around the Tioga Pass area. You can see Mt Dana and Glacier Canyon, and lots of the Sierra Crest. After you crest the top, you can then see over into the Gaylor basin. The trees up here are mostly stunted white bark pine. The growing season is short up here.

Lemmon's Painbrush (Castilleja lemmonii)

As you begin to descend into the basin, the middle Gaylor Lake, largest of the 3 Gaylor lakes, spreads out along a flat plateau with the wind buffeting the surface like an inland sea. In the background the still partially snow packed Sierra Crest stretches across the horizon in the distance. After walking along the middle lake, the trail then continues up a little eroded creek through lush grasslands dotted with wild flowers. We saw some brook trout in the creek, and assumedly they are in the lakes too. The trout are introduced. No fish can naturally spawn up this high because of all the waterfalls. There’s miniature lupine still popping up all around, and lots of Lemmon’s Paintbrush (Castilleja lemmonii), with it’s distinctive pinkish-purplish coloration. A few Sierra Wallflowers (Erysimum capitatum ssp. Perenne) are still around too. Sue really loves the fragrance of those. See my pictures for more species, some of which I still have not identified. Continuing up the trail following the creek, and gaining about 400 more feet, the upper lake comes into view. There was still some hard snow pack along the trail and we walked over that rather than sink into the marshy soil along its edge, which almost had the consistency of quicksand. The lake is surrounded by barren rock slopes with Gaylor Peak right across reflecting in the clear waters. The trail begins to climb again, headed up into the rocks to a plateau at 10,780 feet where the remnants of a long abandoned silver mine lies, called the Great Sierra Mine. The views from this place are simply superb. An intricate variety of peaks, some green, some barren, some still with packed in snow, and stunning clear lakes with melt water flowing down the course of the creeks. You can walk around and see the various ruins of the old mining camp including an old filled in mine shaft. You can also walk over to a little rock ledge for a fantastic view down Lee Vining Canyon and enjoy a great view of Mt Conness, the highest peak in Yosemite. It’s a short hike of only about 8 miles round trip, but is worth spending some time here enjoying the quietness and stark beauty. More energetic hikers can walk cross-country to over to Granite Lakes, or explore off trail further back in to the rocky terrain beyond the mine site. I didn’t record a track log, but I do have a photoset on flickr.

Henry Coe gets a Reprieve

2011-10-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

The specter of the 70 California park closures announced last year, scheduled for July 2012, have been looming on the horizon like a flock of vultures circling a mortally wounded carcass ever since. On June 30^th, newly elected governor Jerry Brown approved a budget deal that cuts an additional 22 million dollars from the already gutted state Department of Parks and Recreation. Most notable on the closure list for me was one of my favorite wild land preserves; the former ranch lands of Henry Coe State Park. But lately, there was a welcome glimmer of good news. Assembly bill 42 has passed! AB 42 is the bill that allows non-profit groups to help operate state parks that might otherwise be closed, and was signed and passed on September 6^th. Not wasting any time, on September 9^th, the Coe Park Preservation Fund, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation have signed an agreement that will allow for the park to stay open through at least 2015. The CPPF will provide funds to continue the staff salaries (3 full time employees), and the DPR will ensure that revenue generated by the park will be returned to the park to cover the costs of its operation and maintenance. This could only be possible because of the dedicated cadre of volunteers that are already doing most of the work it takes to keep the trails in shape, and staff the visitor’s center. So for now, the closure list is officially down 69.

What happens in the future will depend on the viability of funds that can be provided by the CPPF, and that the ranks of volunteers can stay strong. Perhaps at some point in time in the future, provided that better times are ahead for California, the parks and recreation budget can recover, but for now there are ways for individuals help. 1) Go on a hike or some other activity at Henry Coe. You will be charged a day use fee of $8.00 per vehicle if you park at headquarters. If you want to camp in a headquarters campsite, the fee is $20 per night. Senior rates are $7 day use parking and $18 for camping. 2) While you are there, patronize the gift shop at the headquarters complex. 3) Donate directly to CPPF. 4) Contact the Pine Ridge Association and ask about becoming a volunteer. 5) Have a great time at Coe and tell other people how awesome it is.

Point Lost

2011-09-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Panorama of "Point Lost"

I was perusing Every Trail last Friday evening trying to decide where I might satisfy my wander lust the following morning, when I happened across a guide posted by username alpharomero on a hike he did to Butano Ridge in Pescadero Creek. It caught my attention because the track log showed usage of a trail head that I didn’t even know existed, along a road that I had not even heard of before called Wurr Road. It was interesting to discover that there was some nook or cranny that I hadn’t been to before in this place. But what really peaked my interest was the mention of a side trip to a viewpoint to the ocean from Butano Ridge. Every time I’ve hiked Butano Ridge, I have always lamented that the property lines do not allow access to long range views to the south and west, which I always speculated would include Pacific Ocean views. The last time I hiked there, I even did a post here called “The Windowless Ridge”, in which I characterized the hike as one that must be a journey rather than a goal. Meaning, in the context of that post, that there wasn’t any really special point that seemed like the highlight feature of the hike. However, after reading alpharomero’s guide, it seemed apparent that my characterization was not completely correct. And having vaguely remembered that I did see a trail sign up there that said there was a possible ocean view by hiking further north on the ridge loop trail, I decided I had to go back and seek out this obscure place that I have since renamed "Point Lost", to find out what I had missed.

Natural tar deposits in Tarwater Creek

The guide posted by alpharomero uses a route along Old Haul Road. Old Haul is an old logging road which I usually try to avoid. Old roads often seem boring, and in Pescadero Creek, the single tracks pass right through the most beautiful areas, while routes like Old Haul, being more utilitarian in their original purpose, tend to bypass them. I will always pick a single track trail over a fire road or logging road whenever practical. My usual route for hiking Butano Ridge begins in Portola State Park, but I wasn’t really keen on burning a state park pass, or 10 bucks, for access to Portola when the hike takes place mostly in Pescadero Creek. So I used this occasion to devise a semi loop route using the Camp Pomponio Road trail head. This route uses some of the really nice thickly wooded trails in Pescadero Creek to get me to the northern leg of the Butano Ridge loop trail. I would then hike up to seek out this mysterious overlook as an out-and-back, and return by hiking up the other side of the Tarwater loop to get back to my parked car. There wasn’t really much point to this exercise, except for the fact that I love to hike, and needed to get outside for the day.

I hadn’t thought about it until I had already turned onto Alpine road and could see lots of low fog was blanketing the ocean. Sometimes the fog will clear out by midday, and other times it hangs like a cheap suit the whole day. As I began, I knew that I might not actually see anything from Point Lost at all except for a sprawling carpet of murky oceanic fog, but I was already committed, and really wanted to hike. Did I mention that I really just like to hike? So I headed across the road to the northern part of the Tarwater loop at about 1000 feet, descending down into the canyon, and all the way to Tarwater creek at 374 feet. By the time you reach the creek bottom, you have passed through the grassy meadows and oak woodlands, and are now in thick conifer habitat. This creek was named for the natural tar deposits that seep up from underground making the waters look like the victim of an oil spill. All the rocks and soil along the banks are coated with the stuff.

After crossing the creek on the half-missing footbridge, I made my way to the Canyon Trail. This section of the Canyon Trail is very thickly wooded with a tall canopy overhead. Along here are some of the most interesting tree specimens in the park. Remnants of legacy logging abound, but there are some old growth trees left, and the always amaze me. There is something almost spiritual about old growth trees, especially redwoods like these. One of the trees along here has the most massive widow-maker burl I have ever seen. The ground is covered with sorrel, and the air is moist and crisp, and scented with the aroma of redwood bark.

Tall redwoods

Turning on Bear Ridge Trail I began climbing back up to about 957 feet before descending again to the junction with Pomponio Trail. Turning there, descending further to Shaw trail camp. With no one at the camp, I hiked on, dropping down all the way to Pescadero Creek at 251 feet, where you have to make a crossing. Not anticipating much water this time of year, I had not brought my trekking poles. I can usually make good use of them when I have to make crossings by using the rocks and logs. I hadn't anticipated it, but this year had been a very wet year and the creek was still flowing a good six inches deep, so the poles would have been welcome . I was able to use some fallen wood and made it across getting my boots only marginally wet, but not wet enough to seep through the GoreTex. Hiking on I made my way up to the Butano Ridge Trail after crossing Old Haul Road.

From the creek up to the top of Butano Ridge, the trail climbs up to 1672 feet over 2.5 miles. Not really a butt kicker, but definitely enough to work off what ever you had for breakfast. The recovering redwood forest is thick enough to keep you in the shade the whole time whatever the weather, and you won’t see any more water for awhile. When you reach the junction at the top, the trail tees with a fire road, and there is a trail sign indicating a view point in 1 mile to the north with the park boundary another mile after that. The mysterious Point Lost was at hand. If you were to turn left the fire road would take you along the ridge to the other side of the loop trail where you can’t see anything but no trespassing signs to the west. Almost immediately the fire road begins turning into a washboard type trail. Descending steeply down, then back up, then down again and back up. You finally arrive at the view point reaching 1720 feet.Check out my track log for the profile.

The Old Tree

After seeing the view from this the overlook, that’s when I decided that I would officially name the place “Point Lost”. I named it that for the fact that I had missed it all these years, and for the stunning view to the formless milky white void stretching to infinity, and the mist that was drifting inward, indicating that the fog was actually heading in, not breaking up. It was only about 11:30, so fog moving in at that hour is quite unusual, but hey, it’s the Pacific. True ramblers are having a good time almost whatever the circumstances, even when you can’t see a freakin’ thing at the viewpoint. I completed the hike by descending back down the Butano Ridge Trail back to Shaw trail camp. Hiking the other direction on Pomponio Trail, I found my way to the other part of the Tarwater loop trail and back up to the trail head. This section of the Tarwater trail is worth checking out because about half way up, it has one of the more amazing redwood trees in the whole Santa Cruz Mountain region. It’s simply called “The Old Tree” and it is massive and ancient. If you have been to Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove and seen the tree called Grizzly Giant, this tree will remind you of it, albeit a smaller, slightly less awsome version. The Grizzly Giant has massive upper limbs that jut outward at almost 90 degrees. Then bending upward, each limb supports a growth structure that dwarfs the size of a normal tree by itself. This tree is a coast redwood, and is not as huge as that, and doesn’t have as many limbs, but it’s awesome enough to bring out the images of the last time you visited “The Griz” while hiking Mariposa Grove. When I got back to my car, my trip odometer read 17.4 miles with total ascent of 3625 feet.

Click here to see my track log at Every Trail
Click here to see my photos on flickr

Gastineau Peak

2011-09-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

View to Juneau from the Mt Roberts Trail

There are some absolutely fabulous trails near Alaska’s panhandle boroughs. From late spring to early fall there are actually more tourists in this region than residents. Not that I ever like to think of myself as a tourist, but in this case, it’s appropriate. I’ve never been anywhere else before where you can find such dramatic and pristine landscapes within walking distance from a town. In our local area where we live, we have a great many trails to choose from, and I never get tired of getting outside to spend the day at some wild space preserve or another. But if you really want to experience awesome inspiring scenery, and have a world class hiking experience, you really need to get away for awhile. At the very least, you would need to drive for hours just to get clear of the sprawling anthill that is the bay area metropolis. However, in Juneau, for example, you can be walking down a city street past shops, restaurants, hotels, homes, etc; hang a right, and climb a flight of stairs; and there is a trail head heading up into the temperate rainforest at the base of the steep alpine terrain of the mountains that loom above the city. In this neighborhood, the wilderness areas begin right at the doorstep of the largest center of human habitation for hundreds of miles. It’s enough to make you want to miss your ship, and stay lost until your money runs out.

Snowy peaks

There are quite a few choices, but the hike we decided on was the same hike we had done back on 2008. We were hoping for clearer weather than we had last time because we had never made it to the summit of Mt Roberts, but the conditions were about the same. There was still packed in snow along the narrow ridge heading up into the low clouds. I would not have wanted to try it without crampons and an ice axe, so we still have never made the summit. But even without setting out for Mt Roberts, we had the most amazing day. The other fork to Gastineau Peak is a really gorgeous hike.

We began by walking out of town on Basin Road to the lower trail head of the Mt Roberts Trail. Many people skip this section by taking the tram from the harbor area up to the Visitor’s center located about 1750 feet up the mountain. There are some nice view points up there, and some short nature trails. You can even have a meal at the restaurant and enjoy the nature center up there before heading back down. The tram tickets have gone up in price to $27. Hikers have another option though. You can pay $10 for a down only pass on the tram. Or if you make a purchase at the gift shop, you can use your receipt as a down only pass. The lower trail has some steep and muddy sections, but hikers are more likely to enjoy the rain forest hike more than wimping out on the tram.

Rainbow in Silverbow Basin

When you reach the visitor’s center there will be lots of people around, but the tram can only bring a limited number people. As you continue to hike up the trail, the crowds thin out, and before long, a trail signs indicates that you are entering the wilderness area. Above the tree line, the terrain opens up, and the trail gets steeper and a little rougher. The open terrain supports lots of plants, grasses, wild flowers, and wildlife. At this time, many of the hillsides were covered in white bunchberry (ground dogwood) blossoms. There was also lots of purple lupine and yellow cinquefoil. The higher you hike, the better the views. On a clear enough day you will enjoy the most amazing views. The visual panorama takes your breath away. Gorgeous textured green mountain sides flowing into deep basin valleys with lingering white snow fields adding lots of contrast, and lots of gentle peaks, some of which are literally reaching into the clouds. Far below to the west is Gastineau channel, and across its depth are distant peaks and islands along the inside passage. The Chilkoot range to the north and layers of peaks in all directions highlight the glacial carved landscape. Lots of small animals are scurrying around, and we got buzzed by several bald eagles. The trail junction to Mt Roberts was too snowbound, so we headed for Gastineau Peak at about 3460 feet. When you get there you can sit and gaze into Silverbow Basin which has a mining history, many cascade waterfalls, several avalanches, and on this trip we got treated to a really nice rainbow. We spent some time on the peak before the skies started drizzling rain. We donned our GoLite umbrellas and headed down, taking advantage of the down only free ride on the tram for our patronage of the gift shop to purchase some nice waterproof over-gloves. I would highly recommend this trail if you happen to be in Juneau.

Click here to see my photos on flickr
Click here to see my trip report and GPS track on Every Trail

Devil's Punchbowl

2011-09-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Peaks and clouds

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve gotten any blog entries done. I suppose the most common excuse for not posting regular blog entries is being too busy, and that really is part of it. It’s been hard to devote time to blogging lately, so I hope no one minds that I will be doing some back posting of some of the more interesting hikes I’ve done the past few months. A couple of the more memorable hikes I’ve done this year were during our Alaska cruise during the first week of July. We really don’t do a lot of cruising. For us it’s mostly a family thing, but we really had a great time doing the 10 day cruise even though it may not be the most environmentally sensitive way to take a vacation. But, I’m sure we can atone by the way we live our lives the rest the year.

We had a day to spend in the borough of Skagway, AK which is situated within a secluded inlet called Lynn Channel along the inside passage of Alaska’s panhandle. This area was home to the Tlingit people for untold generations. When gold was discovered in the Klondike region of the Yukon, this place became an important passageway from the sea up through White Pass into the Yukon, and the Chilkoot Trail. During the height of the Klondike gold rush the population of the area grew to 30,000 people, mostly prospectors, and a colorful and sometimes infamous history ensued. Today the full time population of the borough is 862 by the last census. During the tourist season those numbers double, and they are host to over 900,000 visitors, mostly from cruise ships.

View across the channel

After perusing all the available trail descriptions and maps, we decided to hike to a place called Devil’s Punchbowl, by way of Upper Dewey Lake. The trail head is only walking distance from the harbor, right alongside the tracks used by the White Pass rail line that runs between Whitehorse, Alberta and Skagway, AK, along the historic Klondike gold rush route. The trail begins by immediately climbing up some switchbacks through the thick tree cover of the coastal alpine forest in order to gain the top of the first little ridge line. After a moderate climb, just on the other side of the first ridge is Lower Dewey Lake. The climb is only about 600 feet, and about 1.7 miles. The lower lake has a network of trails that follow the banks and go to other places, including a glacial fed waterfall which I wish we could have had time for. The lower lake also serves as a reservoir for the residents. It’s a really nice area for some casual time. At the north end of the lake is the trail to Upper Dewey Lake, and it is here that the hike becomes a bit strenuous, as hikers embark on a fairly relentless uphill.

Cascading melt water

The upper lake trail follows close by a beautiful cascading creek with some good viewing areas to see the rapidly flowing, churning, waters coursing steeply downhill. The creek is flowing from the upper lake into the lower lake, and you can hear the rushing waters echoing through the forest in the background even when you cannot see it from the trail. The terrain is thickly wooded with mostly tall Sitka spruce, with a mixture of hemlock and alder, and a thick green understory. The trail climbs higher using many switchbacks, with some sections being steep enough to cause you to be careful of your footing. The surface has lots of loose and embedded rock and shallow tree roots, and many sections have erosion damage. You don’t get very much in the way of long range views until you get to the top, but the trail is very picturesque and fragrant, with interesting plants, flowers, and lichens.

Upper Dewey Lake

As you get close to the upper lake, the views begin to open up somewhat out across the sea channel to the surrounding mountains covered in lingering snow. Some of the peaks look green and inviting, while other areas are rugged and foreboding. The trail brought us around some beautiful marshy muskeg meadows lined with wild flowers and singing streams of water feeding the cascading creek we had just followed up. At about 3100 feet, after climbing up a natural rocky embankment, there is the upper lake with a large ragged conical peak looming behind like a sentinel. To the north are more jagged rough peaks with rock taluses streaming down their slopes. The upper lake collects the snow melt water from these peaks, which then flows down to lower Dewey Lake. There are two cabins at the upper lake. One is quite nice as backcountry cabins go, although sparse, and is available by reservation. The other is further away along the shore and is available on a first come first served basis. The latter cabin is really just a log shack with a wood stove and some bunk platforms, and is permeated with the odor of wood smoke from poor ventilation. I could hardly stand to be inside it. We had passed one couple who had been staying in the reserved cabin the past 2 nights, and were on their way out. Other than that there was no one up there, and we had the whole high country lake to ourselves. The setting is pristine and beautiful, and very reminiscent of one of the Yosemite high country lakes. The weather was a bit murky which made it lousy for photos, but I did my best.

Devil's Punchbowl

To the south is a rocky moraine that leads up higher. The trail to Devil’s Punchbowl is a bit obscure at this point. It’s almost a scramble, as you climb up the rocky moraine amongst really strange plant species and little wild flowers peeking out from the deposited soils. Following the cairns, and being careful of footing, as I climbed higher and finally lifted my head I was struck by the views. Expansive view opportunities open up along here, and the vista is dramatic and gorgeous. Well above the trees you get a perfectly clear open view down to Lynn channel, and across to the majestic snow covered high peaks on the other side. At one point you have a perfect view down to Skagway and the ships docked at the harbor. Behind you are looming jagged peaks that have an almost sinister barren look. The trail soon breaks out to a more level and smooth grassy surface, and hiking up and over the top of the route you can finally see the little high lake called Devil’s Punchbowl. Studying the profile of the rough mountainsides behind it, it’s easy to see that the snow collects on the sides of the peaks and melts down into this little lake, and down further into upper Dewey Lake where is collects with an even greater melt water runoff, flowing down the cascading creeks to lower Dewey Lake. The punchbowl itself isn’t much to see, but the hike to get there is quite simply breathtaking. Our total elevation gain was about 3700 feet, with a distance of about 8.5 miles round trip. We saw a lot more hikers going down, but for a good long time, we had the whole place to ourselves, and it was truly marvelous. My photos will not do it justice. Sorry, I do not have a track log because I accidently deleted it, but you can click here to see my pictures on flickr.

Mariposa Lilies

2011-06-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

With the California sun beginning to show its true form, I was thinking that the time was right to expect to see the Mariposa Lilies begin to start showing themselves. They are more of a late season flower, and they seem to love the open grassy meadows and hillsides. Some can be found in the shade, but most prefer the golden sun. If you get some morning fog or clouds, they will very stubborn to open up at all. If the sky is patchy, you might get a glimpse of their true color as a teaser, but their full display is not seen unless you get at least decent sunshine. You won’t find them just anywhere, but there are plenty of places where they can be enjoyed. Some of my favorites include Sierra Azul, Sunol, Almaden Quicksilver, and Rancho San Antonio. The Mariposas will appear in many other locations as well, but my favorite place to see them is in the southern region of Henry W. Coe State Park.

The Phegley Region of the park is an especially good place to look for them because not only is the terrain and climate ideal, but if you cover enough ground there, you can see at least 3 distinctly different color variations of Mariposas on the same hike. Various trails in the region have excellent displays, but the different color variations seem to group together. There are lots of other species that are still around too, and the area is home to lots of different birds and other wildlife. The trick is to get off of the flat areas at the bottom of Hunting Hollow. You will need to put in some uphill to reach the best displays. Very few of the Mariposas will be found at lower elevations, although they will populate the slopes as well as the meadows. The steepest trail in the area is Steer Ridge. Watching my GPS I noticed that the first mile up Steer Ridge was a bit over 1000 feet exactly. That matches the infamous Hobb’s Road “short cut” section for sheer leg burn. Some of the other trails are more gradual, but all of them have potential for nice displays. The slopes will usually have the yellows which will be streaked with dark purple and traces of orange, with a few white ones mixed in, having nice purple and yellow accents that look like air brush work. Along the interior trails you can enjoy more of the white variety, plus many of the rose colored, or pinkish variation, also with nice air brush accents. Another color variation I often see looks like a pale purple with smaller accents and broader pedals.

The route used on this hike begins at Hunting Hollow. We hiked up Steer Ridge to Wilson Peak. We took a little rest there, before heading down Wilson Peak Trail to Grizzly Gulch Trail. From there we hiked on to Wagon Road and along the road to Wilson Camp, and back down to the flats by way of Lyman Wilson Ridge Trail. This is just one example on which we saw quite a few Mariposas. There are lots of route variations to be used though. Just make sure you pick a mostly sunny day. We had almost picked a bad day, but the sun finally came through. There was a 10K run at Hunting Hollow that day, but the racers were sticking to the flat section. The trail in the flats is also popular with cyclists and horse riders. Up on the higher trails though, it’s a different world.

Click here to see my 2011 photos on flickr

Click here to see my 2010 photos on flickr

Click here to see my 2011 track log on EveryTrail

Woods Trail

2011-06-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

View to Mt Umunhum from trail

Some of the highest peaks in the South Bay are located within Sierra Azul open space preserve. Unfortunately, the highest of them, Mount Umunhum, being the site of the former Almaden Air Force Station, and its toxic material residue, remains closed to the public. The huge, cube shaped, concrete dish pedestal that remains there can be seen from more than 50 miles away. The site was part of the old cold war era NORAD radar network designed to keep watch on the air space of the west coast. With a commanding vantage point at 3486 feet, one can only imagine what the vistas would be like from the summit. MidPen has a project underway to get the site cleaned up, but for the foreseeable future, it remains off limits. Mt Thayer at 3483 feet, about a half a mile to the west, is similarly closed and off limits to the public.

Iris blooming along the Woods Trail

If Mt Thayer is the sister, then Mt El Sombroso at 2999 feet, less than a mile away as the crow files, is the uncelebrated ‘ugly cousin’ of Umunhum. El Sombroso is the highest of the legally hike-able peaks within the Sierra Azul. Its summit being a tangle of overgrowth does not provide even the slightest glimpse of the views to the bay that you know is possible having hiked up the trail. The only clear ground being the trail itself and the cut swath that provides maintenance access to the power trusses that string high voltage across the preserve and up the peninsula. The higher peaks to the south, which do have clear sightlines to the ocean, block that view from El Sombroso. Whether you hiked up from the Lexington side, the Quicksilver side, or Kennedy Road in Los Gatos, you have some great view opportunities from sections of all three routes that have clear sightlines, but the peak itself looms like more of an obstacle than a destination. Hikers may find this a little anticlimactic, but even still, I love hiking these trails. The views that do present themselves are amazing if you get a clear day, and I enjoy a challenging hike. But there is an even better reason to hike up from the Quicksilver side during spring. The wild flowers displays are enough to keep an admirer interested all day.

This hike begins at the trail head just off of Hicks Road. The Woods Trail provides a gradual, winding, 6 mile assent to the summit that is dotted with an impressive variety of wild flower species. If you go to the trouble of setting up a car shuttle, you can also hike through from Los Gatos by way of Lexington Reservoir, or Kennedy Road. The best diversity of wild flowers are here though, making the Woods Trail a sweet little out-n-back within close proximity of the city. The upper section of trail is mostly exposed, and can be hot and dry, but most of the lower trail is shaded. A great way to get some exercise in while enjoying the mix. Someday the higher summits will be open making Sierra Azul even better, but for now the Woods trail is about the best you can do in spring.

Click here to see my 2011 photos on flickr

Click here to see the track log on EveryTrail

Click here to see my 2010 photos in flickr

Spring Strangeness

2011-06-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

View to town and the ocean

Well, now that it is just about summer, it looks like we nature cravers in the bay area can now look forward to a few real California spring days before the season evaporates, and sales of sunscreen and electrolyte solution begin to pick up. The weather was so awful last weekend that I decided to take my chances on a Sunday urban bike ride instead of going on a hike. I’m getting a little tired of wet hikes. Especially considering that this should be prime time for wild flowers. But I’ve been on a couple of decent hikes lately in spite of all the strangeness in the climate. I’ll post a few as time permits. I’m just glad I didn’t have plans for the high country any time soon. I have a feeling the mosquitoes are going to be just about unbearable this summer with so much standing water after the melt. Not that any time is really bad in Yosemite. But don't get me dreaming this close to our vacation.

View to the clubhouse from the Spring Trail

Casual hiking at Pogonip is pleasurable any time, but during the spring it was positively a joy. It would be amazing to have the Santa Cruz greenbelt close at hand, but a drive over the hill is more than worth it when you want to get outside and enjoy yourself without any major challenges. Then, when you are through with the hike, you’re still fresh enough (…not too stinky), to spend some time shopping for great prices on local fresh produce; or go enjoy some suds and a meal at one of the quaint little restaurants in town. The park is located just on the edge of the southern urban area and is adjacent to UCSC. The versatile trail system provides many different smaller loops, which can be combined for a longer meandering route that will bring you through thickly shaded groves of trees, pretty riparian routes, and open grassy meadows, all within a relatively small area. Pogonip’s trails also link up with the Cowell-Wilder Regional Trail for an even longer ramble that will keep your feet moving all day. Head into the redwoods of Henry Cowell State Park, or out to the coast. The place has a rich history which includes native artifacts, some of Henry Cowell’s old lime works, and a defunct 30s era polo club among the curious relics.

Chinquipin Road

The trailhead on Golf Course Drive, right off of highway 9 has very limited parking, so getting there early is recommended. There are other ways into the park though. The Harvey West Park entrance just a couple of blocks south would be a good alternative. The trailhead is at virtual sea level, while the highest point in the park is along the Spring Trail which tops out at about 1131 feet. The center section is open and sunny, but the ocean breezes tend to mitigate somewhat. The surrounding higher areas are mostly wooded with plenty of shade, and you will get some views. The trail system is mostly well marked, and many wild flowers can be seen if you keep your eyes open. We combined our interior route with an out-n-back up the U-Con Trail, and Fuel Break Road, into UCSC, and along Chinquipin Road to Empire Grade. I have enjoyed this section of trail many years past for its wild flowers. Lot’s of Blow tube Iris and violets, plus many other common species abound as cyclists blow past them hardly noticing. This regional trail route is a popular multi-use route, so expect to have plenty of 2 wheeled company outside of Pogonip or Henry Cowell. Chinquipin Road and the nearby UCSC trail system is mostly flat, so it makes a nice casual bicycling route, in a pastoral setting, with natural terrain. The U-con Trail passes through a nice redwood grove with white Two Eyed Violets peeking out at you with their little purplish eyes the whole way, joined by yellow Wood Violets, and lots of Hedge Nettle.

Up behind the old lime kilns, you can enjoy some strangeness that people with too much time on their hands have created with rocks. It looks like some kind of rock garden maze with weird cultic overtones. I keep expecting to see the Blair Witch pop out from behind the bushes up there on the Kiln Trail. I want to be the first to get a photo. Down in the flats, the old clubhouse is worth some checking out. There was supposed to be a restoration carried out, but I don’t see any progress being made. There are some nice bee hives up in the rafters though. If the creeks are running, don’t miss the Pogonip Creek Nature Loop. Keep your eyes open for wildlife too.

Click here to see a track log and photos from this hike on Everytrail

Coyote Creek

2011-05-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Grassy gully near Grizzly Gulch

Never one to waste a good spring day off, I set out for another of my long time favorite seasonal hikes. The Coyote Creek trail head at Henry Coe State Park provides a really good starting point for hiking the central zones of the park. With Coe’s status again in peril from the incompetence and political malaise infesting Sacramento, now is an excellent time to get a hike in somewhere at Coe. It’s going to be a disgrace of monumental proportions if the State government actually goes ahead with the most recent proposed closure list. Henry Coe has been on the closure list for years, and while closing any of those parks would be a short sighted and ineffective move, closing this one would amount to betrayal of public trust. Many of California’s state parks only exist because of the land being donated or otherwise deeded over to the state primarily for protection. These tracks of land do not belong to the politicians, or any sitting regime, but to the tax paying public of the state. But, let’s not give up hope just yet. Go on a hike and enjoy it while the park is still officially open. If you do enough hiking there no one will have to ask you to write a letter to the governor’s office to express your grave concerns about closing it.

Chinese Houses populate the base of a tree

The trails in and around the Grizzly Gulch zone of the park typically have nice displays of wild flowers. The rugged hills infused with serpentine, and dotted with oaks and shrubbery are alive with activity this time of year. Bumble bees and butterflies are buzzing around, and everything is still mostly green. Many of the trails are a mixture of open areas which support many common species, along with scattered, lightly shaded, grassy hillsides, intermittently blooming with Chinese Houses, Ground Iris, and Coast Larkspur. The houses can range in colors from all white, to a pinkish shade, to the classic purple and white whorls, some of which can have 4 or 5 layers. You never know exactly where you will find them, and sometimes they will be mostly off trail in areas where you really cannot get close enough to for taking decent pictures. Along the way you can enjoy some gentle sunshine, cool breezes, and nice views from the high points along the Jackson, Wasno, and Steer Ridges.

Lupine along Wasno Road

My route for this hike began at the gate to Coit Road, hiking .9 miles to the Anza Trail. I hiked up the switchbacks of the Anza Trail to the junction with Jackson Trail, topping out at about 2621 feet. From there turned onto the Elderberry Trail, to Spring Trail, and back to Jackson Road. Heading east on Jackson through to Wasno Road, I thought about heading down to Kelly Lake, but decided instead to hike up to Wilson Peak. I hiked through to the Tule Pond Tail, and down to and Grizzly Gulch Trail giving back some altitude to about 1800 feet. I headed up Wilson Peak Trail back up to about 2612 feet, and along Steer Ridge. I finally headed back toward the trail head descending down the Spike Jones Trail. The numbers for this route were 12.5 miles with 3261 feet of total elevation gain.

Click here to see my pictures on flickr

Click here to view my track log and elevation profile on Every Trail

Back to Santa Teresa

2011-05-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Coyote Peak

I didn’t want to let too much of the spring season roll by with making a return visit to Santa Teresa County Park. Our last trip here was a wet hike, that we went on just to cure a case of cabin fever. We hiked around most of the day in the rain and mud, and actually had a pretty good time. I had noticed that even though this park is at a low elevation, the view opportunities actually looked pretty good. The weather was too murky to really see anything very far away, but knowing the area, I could easily imagine what the vistas would look like. I was also remembering how many of the wild flowers had responded despite the wet conditions, so I was anxious to get back there on a clear and sunny day to see what we’ve been missing.

Most Beautiful Jewel Flower

In the southwest corner of the park is the Style trailhead, which is much quieter than the main entrance over at Bernal Road. We often drive right past here on our way to Rancho Cañada del Oro. I enjoy Rancho Cañada for its more remote and quieter setting, but this would make a nice change. The Style Ranch Trail immediately begins climbing up some rocky switchbacks up to about 700 feet. The shrubbery on this section works as a natural attractant for humming birds, and we ran across a man with a gigantic lens on a tripod that looked like it belonged in an observatory, who was trying to get pictures of them. Evidently some of the humming bird species that frequent this park are quite rare. I don’t know if I would have the patience to sit there all morning shooting birds. After we had reached the ridge top, I began to notice the Jewel flower that was in bloom along this route. I had not seen this variety before in a pinkish color, called Most Beautiful Jewel Flower (Streptanthus albidus ssp. Peramoenus). The Jewel Flower I see most often is dark purple. Finding what was for me a new flower was good payoff after only the first mile or so.

We hiked about a 10 mile loop utilizing the Mine Trail, Ohlone, Ridge, and Hidden Spring Trails, then up to Coyote Peak at 1155 feet. This little peak offers some fantastic long range viewing for so little climbing. We could see all 3 major bay area cities (SF, San Jose, and Oakland), several bridges, and Mt Tamalpias looming in the distant haze. Normally you would need much more altitude for that. Turning to the south you can also see Morgan Hill, El Toro Peak, and can spot Pine Ridge in Henry Coe. Just west is Mt Loma Prieta, and to the east, Mt Hamilton. We didn’t stay all that long because the wind was blowing so hard it was like a freakin' gale or something. Being exposed to the channel of the bay, the wind has a straight shot straight up there which can make it like a wind tunnel. We also had made a couple of diversions that you can see on the track log. The first one was a walk up an old road which we had mistaken for the Ohlone Trail. The other was a trail shown on the map called the Laurel Canyon Nature Trail. Who knew Santa Teresa had a waterfall? I didn’t, but there is was. It’s Small and vey seasonal, but worth seeing. I couldn’t get a very good picture because of the lighting conditions.We should have come here during our wet visit.

Serpentine rock along Rocky Ridge Trail

We headed back toward Style using the Rocky Ridge Trail (aptly named). The serpentine rock along here is perfect habitat for rattlesnakes, and we crossed paths with a couple of them. The first one was moving across the trail, and looked to be avoiding us. Later, I had found some nice Cream Cups on the trail, and was kneeling down trying to get some photos in the wind while Sue hiked on a bit. A few moments later, I barely heard a strange little shriek as Sue had stumbled across another rattlesnake coiled up hidden in the grass not 1 foot off the trail. Unlike the first one, this bad boy wasn’t going anywhere. We finally hiked off trail to make a wide enough birth around it, and were on our way. But It did get a photo. We used the Fortini Trail to make our way back to the trail head. It was a beautiful day, and I’m sure we will make future visits.

Click here to see the photos on flickr
Click here to see my track log on Everytrail

Wild Flowers: Lower Bay Top 5 Most Interesting Sites

2011-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite times of year is during the spring wild flower season. Hiking takes on a whole new meaning for me when I can look forward to all the surprises in store for wanderers during this season. I actually get a little excited when I begin a spring hike, and spot the first blooms of the day. I don’t know why this happens, but somehow nature’s handy work just seems to stimulate glad tidings. Cultivation doesn’t impress me, but a good display of wild flowers is like getting personal greeting card from nature. You just have to learn to understand the language. It would be hard for me to pick “the 5 best” wild flower sites because that seems too subjective. I don’t think of wild flower displays in terms of better or worse, because the land has nothing to prove to anyone. I think more in terms of how interesting they are. Interesting meaning the places I keep coming back to because the experience is rewarding enough to warrant a “can’t miss” status during the time I expect them to be the peak season, which of course can change from year to year. Meaning sites that can have surprises, and keep the experience fresh. Meaning sites that often show you more than just the usual common species, and may even change quite a bit during the season, inviting repeat visits. So here are Randy’s picks for the most interesting, can’t miss, wild flower sites in the lower SF Bay Area.

1) San Bruno Mountain: This park has really excellent diversity of species, and many species also bloom in very nice quantity. My first visit there had me digging all over cyberspace trying to identify much of what I saw. Without my flickr contacts, and Cal Photos website, I would have been all but lost. This park supports various rare and endangered species, and many other species that just aren’t seen very often, even though they don’t have any official status as rare. I love to savor the history of the place as well. It’s especially great too to know that you are walking a ridge system that was literally saved from destruction to become bay fill. There was an actual plan in place years ago to excavate the entire mountain and toss it into the bay in the interest of wanton expansionism and profiteering. If you ever get the chance to see the public television series called Saving the Bay, then you will understand all about the history of mass destruction that had been planned for the bay. It really made me want to come and hike this park, if for nothing else, just to pay homage to that wild space victory, and to cherish the bay itself. Nice views on a clear day.

2) Henry Willard Coe State Park: Fantastic diversity, and a constantly changing array of species. Coe has the quality of seeming like a different park depending on which of the various regions you happen to be in. The list of wild flowers seems to change for each section of the park. You could hike every day for a week and probably not see everything. Even a section that seems familiar may not show you exactly the same display in subsequent years. You can occasionally spot some rare varieties here too. Coe just always keeps you on your toes, and rarely disappoints. Coe can also have impressive quantities of many species in good years. I always know I’m in for an interesting day when I start seeing a lot of wild flowers while driving along the road before I even arrive. Maybe when I finally kick off, I will want my ashes spread over Coe.

3) Ohlone Wilderness Trail beginning at Del Valle: This challenging section of trail has a wonderful display each year. The best variety of blooms are along the uphill section known as "Big Burn". You can get an excellent training hike in while being entertained by the colorful diversity of wild flowers alongside the trail. Even the sections that are grazed can still produce some really nice specimens. When you get to the ridge top you can also enjoy some spectacular views.

4) Sunol Regional Wilderness: Another of my favorite east bay locations for enjoying wild flowers, which also provides access to the other end of the Ohlone Wilderness Trail. It’s really a bummer that they do so much grazing in Sunol. I often wonder what it would look like if it was left alone more. Yes, manure is a fertilizer, but too much hurts the soil composition. But even despite all the cows trampling around and pooping all over the place, the wild flower displays are stunning. The best places seem to be up at the highest points on ridges and peaks.

5) Sierra Azul: For the most part, Sierra Azul is underutilized by hikers. Kennedy Road gets a lot of bikers, but mostly this preserve is underappreciated. I never hear of anyone talking up Sierra Azul for wild flowers, but I have seen some seriously beautiful displays here. The Lexington side is a completely different display than the Quicksilver side too. You need to hike the whole park to see everything. Even the challenging Priest Rock Trail can be full of surprises. Hiking at Sierra Azul can keep a wild flower admirer busy all day while providing some challenging hiking and great clear weather views.

Photo Sunday

2011-04-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

I haven’t had time for any blogging the last couple of weeks. Sometimes there’s a lot going on, and I’m lucky to get out for a hike at all. But I have been out doing some scouting around for wild flowers here and there, so I decided to just share a random selection of recent photos. I’ve had limited success so far in seeking out the most interesting local displays. Special kudos if you can recognize any of these locations. I won’t be back to my computer until Thursday as I am heading out to the DFW area for a few days on business.


Douglas's Iris Iris douglasiana

Fringe Cup

Tellima grandiflora

Mission Bells

Fritillaria affinis

Checker Bloom

Sidalcea malviflora

Anderson's Larkspur

Delphinium andersonii

California Saxifrage

Saxifraga californica

Santa Teresa

2011-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

That’s two weekends in a row now that we’ve had beautiful Monday weather after a wet and overcast weekend. The reports for this week are now for an offshore flow bringing 80 degree temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday, with clouds returning on Friday, followed by another chance of rain on Saturday. I always think its funny when people I know at work talk about how they get depressed when they look out the window and see a lot of gloomy weather. I’m the opposite. I get depressed when I look outside and see fantastic weather, but I realize I’ll be stuck inside the whole day, flooded by anesthetizing fluorescent lighting, confined by over-institutionalized labs and dehumanizing cubicles, and choked by an institutional air system that virtually ensures everyone will get exposed to every possible microbe known to man. Sure, I can take some consolation by reminding myself that I am probably lucky to even have a job at all in this economy. Sometimes it seems like those of us who still have jobs are working four times harder than we ever did back in the roaring 90s when 401Ks were actually earning. But this is way too much digression for a hiking blog. What I really meant to say was that when I do get the chance, heading outside always seems like the best option.

Sue and I decided to stay close to home last Saturday, so we went to Santa Teresa County Park for another wet hike. The forecast was for rain all day, but this was our window so we prepared for a wet hike and hit the trail. Santa Teresa is pretty, even though trappings of the surrounding city life are all around. Many of the views are nice, but are obstructed by housing, an IBM research facility, power lines, radio towers, Bernal Road running right through the center of the park, and paved parking areas potentially full with people. But we had a nice time, and despite the rain, there were some wild flowers coming out. I was especially taken by the displays of Tidy Tips along the Fortini Trail. I did not bother with GPS, but I went back later to get a few photos, and decided to share a few of them. The displays are not spectacular yet, but this is a nice precursor. If the sun had been out we probably would have seen a lot more.

Tidy-tips, Layia chrysanthemoides

California Buttercups; Ranunculus californicus

Goldfields; Lasthenia burkei

Fiddlenecks; Amsinckia eastwoodiae

Purisima Pummeling

2011-03-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Gentle mountain rain

All week long I had been looking forward to making a trip to Purisima OSP during the first week of spring. I remember seeing some very interesting displays of trilliums at this preserve at about this time of year back in 08. I remember that hike was just after a really wet weather system the day before. Many trilliums of different variations had bloomed, but the effects of the heavy rains were obvious. I was able to get some nice photos, but many of the more delicate varieties were looking very water logged from all the rain. Everything was soaked and drooping, which spoiled much of the display, at least for that day. I would have liked to make a return visit after things dried out a little bit, but unfortunately I never did. My hike for this week was like a case of déjà vu, only worse. During the week I began seeing the weather reports predicting lots of rain on the way with maybe a fairly clear window on Saturday. Turns out the window didn’t happen. Not only was there even more rain than last time, but it rained through out the weekend, and as I was to find out, the storm that rolled through on Friday pelted the Santa Cruz Mountains with biblical hail featuring pea-sized stones.

Purisima Creek

Conventional wisdom would surely be to stay inside, but after a particularly hard week, I had already committed to the hike. I was lucky to even get the weekend off, so I needed to get outside no matter what the weather. So I made my best preparations for wet conditions, and headed for the mountains. As I was driving up Saturday morning, it was lightly raining all the way there. Woodside Road had been closed due to a downed tree taking out a power line. I diverted over to King’s Mountain Road and arrived at Skyline to what looked like snow covering the ground, and the highway. I slowed way down because I could tell my car was not getting very good traction. But as I discovered, it was not snow at all, but hailstones piled up. I was sliding around on little balls of ice. When I finally made it to the upper trailhead for Purisima I donned my waterproof gear, old worn out boots lined with plastic grocery bags, grabbed my GoLite umbrella, and hit the trail.

In a light rain, I made my way down the Harkins Ridge Trail to the junction with what used to be called Soda Gulch Trail, renamed the Craig Britton Trail in 2009. A plaque immortalizes one of his quotes; “They aren’t making any more land, so preserve it while you can”. Good on ya’ Craig. The Britton Trail passes through a nice thick redwood dominated area which has lots of trilliums blooming. Mostly white colored Western Trilliums, but also many of a small pinkish flowered variation that I have not seen anywhere else except here. But with all that hail falling the night before, many of the trilliums had taken a severe beating. The onslaught pummeled and shredded the delicate blooms, and the rest were mostly soggy and drenched. Only the hardiest and best protected were unscathed enough to be photogenic. It was hard to get pictures under the umbrella anyway. At least the creeks are running thick which made some really nice background music to enjoy.

Hail ravaged trilliums

I headed down Purisima Creek Trail and found many more trilliums along here too, along with Wood Violets, and some non-native Forget Me Nots and Periwinkle. But most everything had been beaten to death by hailstones. The trail was covered with them, and about 20% of the hailstones were approximately pea-sized. Purisima Creek is especially beautiful when full with rain water though. I passed a young couple on mountain bikes coming uphill, and they were having a hard time getting traction, slipping around on all the hailstones in the trail. As they passed the young fellow kind of grinned and asked “did’ya bring yer crampons?”. I laughed and replied, “nope, just my old worn out vibriams”. I had plenty of traction on foot. As I neared the lower trailhead, I passed a few people who were walking up the trail with little or no rain protection, but they didn’t seem to care. A few young girls were strolling up the trail just talking amongst themselves with their hair, clothing, and shoes soaking wet, and were just laughing and seemed to be having a good time. Seeing them helped me to dispel any thoughts I might be having about being a little nuts for being out here at all, well prepared or not. When I reached the lower trailhead it was raining harder and I had to figure out how to get some inner layers off. I had been hiking downhill the whole time, but Whittemore Gulch Trail begins a long climb back up to Skyline. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d be getting more wet from the inside than the outside if I did not de-layer a little. I was thinking about lashing my umbrella to a tree branch. I’m sure that would have been cozy, but luckily, there’s a pit toilet there which provided a roof. Along Whittmore Gulch I spotted more interesting trilliums, mostly variations of the Giant Trillium variety. Some of them were flowering white, and others were kind of pale pink. Usually they are more of a burgundy color. I also found some Mission Bells, and Crimson Columbine. Soon the ground had absorbed so much water that earthworms were slithering around all over the trail. I was hard not to step on them. By the time I was back at my car the rain had melted most of the hail. On the way home I stopped off at the Trading Post at highway 84 for some snacks and chit-chat. Woodside road had been reopened, but more hail was in the forecast. Let’s hope the wild flowers can survive. This will be a really nice display if only it could dry out for awhile.

Click here to check out my photos and track log at Every Trail

Mississippi Lake

2011-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Manzanita Point Road (view east)

The historical roller coaster ranchlands of Henry W. Coe State Park are a great place to spend some trail time, especially during the late winter and spring when you get the cooler temperatures. Beside all the natural runoff in the streams and creeks, the entire sprawling tract is dotted with man-made bodies of water, usually created by a strategically placed earthen dam. They range in size from small, forgotten, murky ponds, some of which are putridly stagnant, to larger “lakes” which are actually inviting enough to support water foul and possibly even fish. Mississippi Lake is the largest of these lakes. It’s nearly a half mile long, and with an altitude of 2100 feet it’s the highest lake in the park. Whatever was its original purpose, Mississippi Lake today is mostly a popular destination for backpackers, horse riders, and hardy mountain bikers. A few day hikers also make it out there, albeit not for long. It’s so far from any trailhead, the out and back trek will take from 10 to 12 hours depending on route. If you linger too long, you’ll need either a headlamp, or some camping gear, ‘cause it’s a long way back. Whatever the route, the constant elevation changes make it a very strenuous ramble. In the vernacular; it’s a real “butt kicker”.

The last time I completed a day hike out there was in April of 2006. Last year about this time I was thinking about it, but I only made it to the Summit of Willow Ridge before realizing that I didn’t have enough daylight left to complete the hike. But it was cool, because I really like the views from up there, and actually wasn’t relishing the thought of having to make time over the washboard terrain along Willow Ridge Trail. I had a time anyway, but without pushing my luck with the daylight. But a few times a year I need to do an epic day hike just for sheer challenge of it. Sometimes, nothing provides hiking satisfaction like sore quads. So I decided it was due time to head back to Mississippi Lake.

Distant peaks to the east

I began hiking from the park headquarters complex about 7am. I was going to use the most direct route to Mississippi Lake without looping around to Bear Mountain or anything crazy like that. There are other possible routes, but this is the route I have used before, and I already knew it was about 22.6 miles round trip with somewhere over 6000 feet of total elevation gain. With terrain like this, those 22 odd miles are tough miles, because there really isn’t any section along the route that is flat for very far. On this hike, you are always on a grade, either up or down. It’s just a question of how steep. The Corral Trail leads out to Manzanita Point Road, which is the quickest way to the junction with Poverty Flat Road. From there the trail drops down from 2500 feet all the way to Middle Fork Coyote Creek at 1170 feet where you need to cross the creek. I was changing my footgear to make crossings. This time of year the creeks are running strong. Almost immediately you begin climbing again, up past Jackass Peak with the trail reaching 1750 feet. Turning on Mahoney Meadows Trail you hike steeply back down to East Fork Coyote Creek near Los Cruzeros at 1203 feet. After another creek crossing, you pick up the Willow Ridge Trail and immediately begin climbing again up to Willow Ridge Road. Willow Ridge tops out at about 2590 feet. The views from here are really nice. If it’s clear enough you can see to the east all the way to the Sierras. The next section of Willow Ridge Road is like a snaking roller coaster. You really have to see the elevation profile to appreciate it. Graphically it looks like a bowed saw blade. There’s a whole lot of elevation change along those 3.7 miles from the top of Willow Ridge to Mississippi Lake, even though there is only 275 feet of elevation difference between the two points as the crow flies. The constant up and down will test your lower extremities like nothing else.

Mississippi Lake

As I reached the Lake I had mild sunshine, and fairly clear skies. I had time enough to hike along the trail at the side of the lake watching the water foul, and sat for a spell along the banks enjoying the cool breeze before turning around and heading back. A few wildflowers are beginning to bloom, and I couldn't help spending some time admiring them also. This area is actually a lot nicer than I remembered it was. It would be great to camp out here for a few days and hike around more. I had passed one group of backpackers on my way there, and saw one lone biker on the other side of the lake the whole time. I did pass some other backpackers as I was headed back out, but mostly it was a very solitary day. My GPS shows the final trip odometer at 23.2 miles with 6484 feet of total elevation gain for the round trip. This time of year with the creeks running as clear and strong as they are, the crossings make a convenient place to filter water, even though I wouldn’t normally want to trust any natural water at Coe, filter or not. I was using a lot of water even though it wasn’t very hot. It was another memorable hike at one of my most favorite parks. Let’s all hope that it won’t fall to the budget axe due to Sacramento’s incompetence.

Click here to view my trip report and track log at Every Trail
Click here to view my photos on flickr

Murietta Fall

2011-02-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

View from the top of Big Burn

It was a little disappointing when the south bay didn’t get the widely speculated snow all the way down to the valley floor during the evening Friday 2/25/11. We wound up cancelling a trip to Yosemite recently because of my work commitments, so this was going to be our paltry alternative, at least for this timeframe. Absolutely no comparison really, but even still, we had already been planning just how we would enjoy the rare phenomenon should it actually happen. But when it didn’t, that narrowed our choices for a Saturday hike to either views or a waterfall. Or even better, a hike that potentially features both. The hike to Murietta Fall is a bay area classic. The round trip distance is only about 12.5 miles, but don’t be fooled. With total elevation gain in the neighborhood of 4700 feet, this is not casual hike. That’s almost enough elevation gain to match a Half Dome assent. The Ohlone Wilderness Trail can be a punishing trail if you are not in at least reasonable condition for strenuous hiking.

The northeastern trailhead for the Ohlone trail is in Del Valle Regional Park right near the Lichen Bark picnic area at about 748 feet. From there the trail begins climbing immediately. It’s fairly steep up to about 1251 feet, where it descends gently down to the sign-in panel at 1191 feet. The next section is a mostly steep uphill to the top of the first little ridge topping out at about 2386 feet. On the way up you pass through a trail camp called Boyd Camps. Feeling spry after making the ridge top and gaining almost 1700 feet in the process, you shortly come to a junction, turn to the right, and immediately start heading downhill again giving back a nice chunk of that altitude. A few switchbacks bring you down into William’s Gulch where you must cross the creek and transition over to the next ridge system. I registered the lowest point at 1829 feet.

Creek at William's Gulch

The creek was running strong on this trip. This was the first time I have hiked this trail when the water levels were actually at near peak conditions. It was actually a bit tricky to cross without wading in the frigid water. I have done hikes to Rose Peak on this trail, usually during the spring wildflower season when the rains are more sporadic. But on this hike, all of the creeks along the whole hike were running strong, and the cascading water makes really great background sound. I really love it when I get naturally occurring sonic waves like rushing water, gentle wind in high trees, or bird sounds playing in the back of my head. On this hike I was even enjoying sounds from little creeks that I didn’t even know were there before. That’s a great benefit of doing this hike just after thick winter rains. Of course the disadvantage is going to be the mud. Early in the morning there’s ice everywhere, and the ground itself is partially frozen. But if the sun comes out, the surface turns into soupy mud. I used one of my old pair of boots.

The next section is called “Big Burn”. It’s aptly named as this is a relentless uphill section from the creek bed in William’s Gulch all the way up to the next ridge top at nearly 3400 feet, bringing your total elevation gain to about 3200 feet, and you’ve only hiked about 5.0 miles. In springtime, this is a great section for spotting wildflowers. At 3080 feet is a little outcrop called Schlieper Rock that can easily be scrambled for some fine easterly views, but you can also see pretty well from the trail. The weather conditions on this hike were changing. In the morning it looked kind of if’y, but later some fog came through up high and we had hiked right into it. I was expecting, or should I say hoping, to maybe enjoy clear views which have been good enough in the past to see the mighty Sierra Nevada in all its winter glory, however the high fog was thoroughly preventing that. Instead we got very chilly winds and sub 40 temperatures. No matter; we were having fun just the same. Turning the corner at the partially frozen Johnny’s Pond (no clue who Johnny was), we headed down to Murietta Fall.

Murietta Fall

Murietta Fall occurs when a couple of very seasonal creeks join together and flow down a large crevasse cutting down the center of a large jagged rock formation jutting form the hills. The rock formation can be seen while hiking down the trail, but the water eroded crevasse is so deep that you cannot see the actual fall until you hike all the way down to the bottom. The trail to get there is not marked, and is almost un-noticeable. It would be easy to walk right past it if you did not know what to look for. You walk out along the rocks and climb down a steep trail almost scrambling in places down to about 2857 feet at the base of the fall. That makes Murietta the highest waterfall in the bay area. On this day, it was flowing strong; much stronger than I have ever seen it. The fall comes cascading down the jagged course of rock and splashes into a little pool at the bottom, the sonic embellishment making it a perfect place to relax for awhile. On the hike out we spotted a golden eagle, but not close enough for pictures. The eagle is unmistakable with such a commanding swift soar, its flight feathers extended like flaps, nary flapping its wings at all, cutting over the terrain. The sun came out for awhile on the way back making the trails even soupier, but we expected that. We found that walking through patches of snow works great for cleaning boot soles. So that’s my hot tech tip for today. We had a fine time even though the better weather would have been on Sunday. You can view my trip report with GPS track and photos at EveryTrail.
(fixed the track log)

Brook Trail Variation

2011-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Tall redwoods along the Brook Trail

This hike was a variation on the Brook loop at Pescadero Creek County Park. Most of the hikes I do around the bay area are planned out as different variations of some predefined route. My usual practice is to peruse my maps and study the trail systems to see how they interconnect. I try to never hike the same route twice in the same year, even though I might use the same trails for other routes. By doing this, I can go on hikes in familiar places that can seem like a completely different hike than my last visit. Not that there is anything wrong with the Brook loop. Actually, if you’ve never hiked at Pescadero Creek before, I would recommend hiking the Brook Loop as shown on the map as a perfect introduction to the park. If you follow the trail markers, they will lead you on a great little loop of about 6.5 miles depending on which trailhead you use. The route as marked is comprised of single track trail sections, using fire roads only minimally to make connections. The Brook loop will take you through many of the prettiest areas, which would get bypassed if you were to divert to a fire road for simplicity. Pescadero Creek overall is very peaceful and underutilized. Having a good map is essential here, as the trail system can be confusing if you don’t pay attention. There is an excellent map available on line. I highly recommend purchasing a hard copy.

Towne Creek

I decided to park at the Heritage Grove trailhead on Alpine Road, even though this is a longer drive than using the trailhead along Camp Pomponio Road, which always necessitates an uphill return. Heritage Grove is a little wooded park right along Alpine Road where there are a few fairly nice old growth redwoods. There is only a small turnout parking area. Most of this area does show signs of legacy logging, but some impressive trees remain amongst the recovering forests. After enjoying the grove on this chilly but clear morning, I diverted over into Sam McDonald County Park hiking west on the Heritage Grove trail. This section is a flat easy walk along thickly wooded slopes with its trail tread carpeted with cushioning tree duff. I turned off to hike up the Big Trees Trail. This is another nice, mostly redwood, section leading uphill to the Towne Trail. After passing the junction with the Ridge Trail and the Jack Brook horse camp, the Town Trail becomes a fire road leading through open grassy meadows. The horse camp looked completely deserted, and the meadow grasses are turning deep green like springtime. Most of the trails are still closed to horses for the season even though it’s not very wet up there right now. At the next junction I picked up the Brook Trail.

Tiny red mushroom

From this point, the Brook Trail leads gently downhill into a densely wooded canyon. The switchbacks along the trail make the grading easy. Lots of Pacific Hound’s Tongue is just beginning to bloom all over Pescadero Creek right now. Most of it is just peeking out, but the leaf structure is unmistakable. I was seeing it everywhere and even saw some bees buzzing around it. By the time you get down to Towne Creek you are in deep forest canopy with the water sounds echoing around, and I was hearing lots of bird and squirrel calls. The creeks that run through here have cut some fairly deep little ravines thick with greenery, and one of them looks like a miniature version of Fern Canyon. After crossing Grangers Bridge at the junction of several creeks I turned on the Pomponio Trail and over to the Bear Ridge Trail eventually rejoining the Brook Trail and returning to Towne Road. I used the other part of the Heritage Grove Trail to return to Alpine Road. I didn’t see any other people for most of the day. Not until I was almost back to Town Road did I pass a Boy Scout troupe and some other hikers close to trailheads. I found a tiny white trillium along Bear Ridge alongside some yellow Wood Violets, providing a glimpse of the coming spring, even though I hope we get some more rain before that happens. This route was 11.7 miles with a moderate 1941 feet of total elevation gain. You can check out my trip report and photos on EveryTrail.
(fixed the track log)

Buzzard’s Roost from China Grade

2011-02-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

View of Buzzard's Roost from Pine Mountain

Looking for another new variation on a familiar theme, I was back in the mountains again this week. Big Basin has a popular destination called Buzzard’s Roost, which is an old favorite for many who regularly visit the Santa Cruz Mountains. Normally the hike to this curious little sandstone outcrop near the summit of Pine Mountain is a short hike from park headquarters. The Pine Mountain Trail originating near Blooms Creek Campground climbs gradually up 1200 feet over 2.4 miles to an elevation of about 2200 feet. In clear weather it offers some really wonderful nearly unbroken views out over the miles of rolling conifer habitat, and out to the ocean. It’s definitely worth periodic return visits. But on this day I was looking to make a full day hike out of it.

This route utilizes some lesser know trails which are virtually ignored by the general public, as well as some popular ones. I always have a good time searching out routes that are a little different than the pack. I love it when I can hike for miles just enjoying the trails, and the mountain air, without seeing anyone else. The East Ridge Trail offers that without straying very far from campgrounds and park headquarters. The trail is not pristine. You will find evidence of logging legacy, and occasionally spot unsightly power lines. Some sections are single track with nice tree duff like carpeting, while others sections are actually old roads, some of which even have old gravel deposits to support vehicle use. The recovering forests of pine, oak, and redwood are beautiful, shady, and fragrant. There are a few road crossings and marginal trail markers. But I had a really great time doing this hike, so I decided to share it.

Sequoias along East Ridge Trail

I actually began up on China Grade Road at the point where the Skyline to the Sea Trail crosses the road. You have to avoid the potholes, and there’s not much parking there, but there are a few very small turnouts. I started hiking east on Skyline to the Sea Trail toward Waterman Gap, downhill to the trail junction that occurs just after the trail crosses over Highway 236. This trail leads back up to China Grade Road, and crosses over to a gate where East Ridge Road/Trail begins. East Ridge Trail starts out as a dirt road. There are some junctions, so follow the trail signs toward Lodge Road. The trail is a “roller coaster” but its nice terrain with some views and lots of trees and shrubbery. After a few miles, the trail crosses the paved Lodge Road, and turns into a single track. I followed this trail past some unmarked junctions, and all the way up to the junction for Shadowbrook Trail, and to the left. This dirt road section will lead around to another crossing with Highway 236 near the southern entrance to the park. Following the trail signs, it leads along Bloom’s Creek, and eventually connects with Pine Mountain Trail which leads up to Buzzard’s Roost. You also have the option to use Bloom’s Creek Trail into the campground for potable water. It was still late morning when I began hiking up the trail to the peak without a soul around.

View west from Buzzard's Roost

The hike up to Buzzard’s Roost is an interesting hike. You begin within the redwoods, but after about a mile the trail changes to become quite rocky, and you see a lot of the scrubby knobcone pines characteristic of the dryer, rockier, terrain found atop some of the ridges here. I have heard them referred to as "sand hills". In a couple of places you actually have to do a really easy scramble up some little small rock formations. The clear weather views are great at the top. You can see Mt. Loma Prieta, a little bit of the ocean, and lots of thickly wooded coastal hills and valleys. You can spot the old lookout on Eagle Peak near Empire Grade, and you can look down across Big Basin while catching some rays. The Pine Mountain summit trail is closed, but you can’t see anything from there anyway. After enjoying some time on the peak, I returned by using the Hinh-Hammond / Skyline connector over to the Skyline to the Sea trail and hiked along Opal Creek eventually climbing all the way back to Chine Grade. These are some really beautiful trail miles, but you will likely encounter people close in around the headquarters area, and you get to smell the BBQ smoke. Further on as you climb higher, there are no more people around, and you get some really nice views along here too. There are some interesting sandstone outcrops and slick-rock along the upper section of the trail. My total distance was 15.9 miles with total elevation gain of 3581 feet. The elevation profile is almost comical the way it juts up and down. That’s one way to see Buzzard’s Roost when you don't feel like following the crowds, and are up for a bit of a challenge. You can view my trip report at Every Trail here, and I also have my pictures on flickr here.

January Iris

2011-02-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

I haven’t been able to find the time to do any blogging the last couple of weeks, but after thinking about all the blizzards, ice storms, and sub zero temperatures in other parts of the country, I decided I had to share this photo taken on 1/22/11. This is an Iris in full bloom that caught Sue’s eye while we were hiking at Pogonip in Santa Cruz. I almost walked right past it. There were a few more close by, but I did not spot any other native species blooming anywhere else except for a few fledgling Milk Maids. Last year I saw Milk Maids blooming on New Year’s Day which really took me by surprise, but seeing Iris on January 22 seemed even more amazing, even though it was isolated to one spot. Today I saw some partially bloomed paintbrush in Big Basin. I will probably work up a post on that hike soon, but things are really busy right now. I’m taking all this as a possible omen of a really great spring season, and I’m thinking maybe I should start doing some seasonal trip planning.

Iris blooming in January

Wilder Ranch

2011-01-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

Coastal Bluffs

Just north of the city of Santa Cruz, and roughly adjacent to UCSC, are the historical remnants of the 1871 DD Wilder and family dairy farm. The land was once part of the immense Rancho Refugio, and had been acquired as a partnership. It was of course originally home to the Ohlone people, the descendents of which still practice their traditions today. By the mid 1870s, the Wilder family owned all 4,160 acres of the purchase. Five generations worked this land until 1969 when 20th century taxation ruined the business. In the 1970s, developers were scheming to acquire the land intending to convert it into housing, but the voters wouldn’t allow that. The eventual result was the creation of Wilder Ranch State Park. The park includes a 6 mile long coastal section where the Ohlone Bluffs Trail snakes along the contour of the jagged rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The interior section on the east side of highway 1 sprawls out across the coastal hillsides abounding in open grassy meadows, intermingled with shady groves of trees including some pine, fir, and redwoods. The old Wilder family farmhouses and some of the out-buildings are still there.

California Brown Pelicans

Wilder Ranch is a nice change of pace from hiking the bay area’s beloved mountains. When you are lucky enough as we are, to live within reasonable distance from the coast, it’s nice to pay a visit once in awhile. I often crave hiking in the sea air. We decided to begin our hike by heading straight out to the Ohlone Bluffs Trail. On previous visits we have always finished our hikes by returning along this trail, but Sue got the idea to hike it early, while we could still have the trail virtually to ourselves. We’re always trying to dream up ways to be different, allowing us to enjoy hikes with fewer distractions. This popular trail was much quieter in the morning, and except for a few trail runners, it was ours to share. It was just clear enough to get some pretty good long range views. We had a nice time enjoying the sound of the surf, the crisp ocean breezes, and looking for various sea birds. The land between the trail and the highway is still used for agricultural production. We spotted some nice artichokes that looked just about ready for picking, and lots of brussel sprouts. Artichokes like these are going for $3.50 apiece in stores in the valley, but local farmer’s markets have them at $1.50. Some surfers were out in a couple of areas that have decent waves, and seemed to be catching some good rides. The sea birds were a little more scarce this time for some reason, and we didn’t see any of the usual sea lions, otters, or seals that are frequent visitors to the rocky ourcrops lying in the surf.

Redwoods along the Enchanted Loop Trail

After reaching 4 mile beach there is a concrete underpass to allow hikers to safely walk underneath highway 1 without having to deal with the traffic. The character of the hike changes, as you continue on up into the coastal hills. We were soon enjoying nice wooded areas along the Enchanted Loop Trail, and the Twin Oaks Trail, along with the open chaparral on the Baldwin Loop Trail and the Wilder Ridge Trail. The shady areas include oaks, pine, fir, and some redwoods. You can usually spot wildlife here too. Mule deer graze the grasslands as an array of raptors soar above, and little rabbits and squirrels scurry about to find refuge in the chaparral. Bobcats are wary and reclusive, but they are around. From the gentle hilltops we were able to see south to Monterey and Moss Landing as the skies had cleared up a little more. We completed a 12.5 mile loop with a moderate 1313 feet of total elevation gain. All the trails are multi-use and are popular with local cyclists and horse riders, so you have to be alert and prepared to share the trail. Wilder is an interesting place with a nice diversity of trails that can help you get yourself grounded back in the natural world. We had a really nice time. A map is available here, but the park office has a better one on sale. You can check out my EveryTrail trip report here, and my photos are also on flickr here.

Westridge 3 Falls Hike

2011-01-11T20:30:00.000-08:00

View from Chalk Mountain

I was hiking solo again this week, so it seemed like a good time to hike yet another variation on the Falls Trail at Big Basin. Old favorites never die. You just have to keep inventing different variations on the theme. I have done at least 6 different loops to visit this series of falls in the last few years, but never this one. I decided to begin at Waddell Beach, and hike to Chalk Mountain by way of the Clark Connector and the Westridge Trail. This route is a pretty good 14 mile out-n-back by itself. Chalk Mountain is worth visiting for awhile when I am craving some quite space. I love to enjoy the sun, breezes, long range vistas, and the stillness of this place. But today, I would not hang around too long. Especially after lazily sleeping in, getting a late start, and not reaching the trail head until just after 9:00 AM. I only stayed long enough to scarf a Clif Bar and admire the panorama for a bit. Then I was off on Chalks Road to cover the 2 mile distance to the junction with the Henry Creek Trail. The weather was not facilitating very good views anyway.

Westridge Trail

The Westridge Trail is a trail you have to love or hate. It’s not the usual type of trail. It’s classified as a horse trail, which in State Park vernacular simply means, it’s not graded very well. There are some steep up and down sections, as the trail takes a direct route over the washboard terrain. Most hiking trails are gouged into the hillsides in order to circumnavigate peaks and gullies, and make use of switchbacks to gain altitude gradually. But this trail simply follows the contour of the ridgeline. Many sections also have lots of erosion damage which will cause you to watch your footing a little more carefully. Some sections are shaded, but most are not. Not many maintenance crews make it up here except to party. But as much as I enjoy this trail, I always make it a point to share the true nature of this route. It’s not the kind of hike that everyone would enjoy. In short, it’s a little more challenging, but it’s one of my favorites because it’s remote and peaceful.

Immediately after turning down Henry Creek Trail, I was looking for the unmarked cutout from the main trail that heads down the side of this little ridge to meet up with the Sunset Trail just above the Golden Cascades. The trail is an old park trail that is no longer maintained. The current maps do not show it, but it’s actually in pretty good shape. Lots of other hikers use this trail as evidenced by the primitive markers that are found along the way. It’s a nicely done switchback trail through some thick trees heading down to the creek. Crossing the creek will bring you right up to the Sunset Trail. If you check out my track log over at EveryTrail, I have marked some waypoints at the two ends of the trail, and where it crosses the creek. Only experienced hikers should attempt this trail because of the lack of maintenance, and lack of proper markers. But the more people that hike it, the better shape it will be in.

Berry Creek Fall

From this point it’s an easy hike down the Falls Trail to visit the upper and lower Golden Cascade, Silver Fall, and Berry Creek Fall. This is one of the most beautiful sections of Big Basin, and it’s always a much better experience in the wet season. After taking some time to enjoy the singing waters, you can then hike back out to Waddell Beach by way of the virtually flat Skyline to the Sea Trail. Total distance for this route was 18.2 miles with 3995 feet of total elevation gain. Of course vast majority of that gain is on the Clark Connector and the Westridge Trail. Check out my elevation profile and hike tips at EveryTrail.
I had a great time doing this hike, and made quick pace back to Waddell Beach in order to be on time to make it to Swanton Berry Farm on the way home. They are located on Highway 1 just north of the town of Davenport, and they make some seriously mouth watering homemade berry pies, truffles, and preserves. I succumbed to the temptation and had a slice of fresh home made pumpkin pie, and an olallieberry truffle, and my mouth was in heaven for that short time.

Click here to see my photos on flickr
Click here to see my trip report on EveryTrail

Note: I probably won't link the Everytrail gadgets here anymore because they seem to slow down site loading. But you can following the links here to see my trip report with GPS tack log and elevation profile.

Monte Bello Crossover

2010-12-31T20:22:00.000-08:00

Taking advantage of a break in the wet holiday season weather, we decided we would take a look at the views available up on Skyline. We hiked a short loop beginning in Monte Bello. Trails are muddy, weather unsettled and windy, sunshine in-n-out, but it was good to get out for awhile. Check out my trip and photos at everytrail.
Monte Bello Crossover at EveryTrail

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in the Bay Area, California

More Skyline Ramblin'

2010-12-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

I hiked a slightly different version of my Skyline Rocks hike last Sunday. I always enjoy different variations of this route, but this hike was even more fun because it gave me the opportunity to try out some new things. Firstly, with technology ever surging forward, there are some new models of hand held GPS units coming out. The new stuff will incorporate many new features like touch screens, wireless data, and etc, for those who just need to have every technological bell and whistle. The basic capabilities of the units have remained pretty much the same though. But even if you are not a techno-junkie this is exciting news, because that means the existing models, which have excellent owner reviews, can be had for bargan prices. As for myself, I really only want the basics anyway, and I love to save a few bucks. My new toy for this year is a new more capable GPS unit that will not loose satellite lock every time I walk under a tree, or need a serial to USB converter that will intermittently blow up my computer. It also accepts an external antenna so I can even get satellite lock in canyons and such. So I can now regularly incorporate GPS data in my posts. The other new thing I am trying out is EveryTrail. I've been hearing about this travel sharing site for several years, but have not actually tried it until now. Better late than never (cliché alert). Using this site will allow me to make more posts on Way Points because it saves me time. I can quickly upload GPS data and photos from my hikes, do a quick little write up, and post all at the same time. I was also tipped to public domain software for geo-tagging my photos, so that's another enhancement I can incorporate in my write ups there. I will still do write ups on Way Points when I have more to say, but I can do quick little posts called "trips" on EveryTrail and link them here. And the trips will have meaningful data from my GPS instead of just my own route descripions.

This "trip" shows my route beginning in Sanborn/Skyline County Park, and using the Pederson and Sanborn Trails up to the Skyline Trail, over into Castle Rock State Park, on to the fall, Saratoga Gap Trail to the trail camp, Loghry Woods Trail back to the Skyling Trail, and returning to Sanborn on the San Andreas Trail. The Santa Clara Valley and Monterey Bay were both totally blanketed with thick low fog, but up above about 1000 feet, it was clear, sunny, and warm. The valley, the entire bay, and penninsula stayed grey and chilly all day. From above it looked like a great white void. Summit Rock is still closed, but Indian Rock is always open. Castle Rock has great clear weather views.

Skyline Rocks at EveryTrail

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Mount Manuel

2010-12-02T21:46:00.000-08:00

Lower section of Mt Manuel Trail

The Big Sur Coast is one of my favorite places for a short get-away. This section of the coast highway has always been a popular attraction among residents and visitors alike, but somehow it still seems like a remote location when you’re there. The Santa Lucia Mountains form the beautiful and scenic backdrop that isolates this rugged and picturesque coastline from large population centers. There is no freeway or major crossroads to bring throngs of people, or traffic passing through, ensuring that its character remains rather quiet, and largely unspoiled by unchecked development. Big Sur is virtually surrounded by mountainous designated wilderness, and the Los Padres National Forest. The best way to visit is to stay for a few days. All manor of accommodation is available from wilderness trail camps for backpacking, to campsites in state parks, to some very exclusive lodges. A short trip down there makes a great retreat from the maelstrom of the modern age, and the anthill mentality of city life.

One of my favorite trails in Big Sur is the Mount Manuel Trail. One end of the trail originates in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, which incidentally is a nice convenient place to camp. A little bit of history and commemoration is worth recounting here. The namesake of Manuel Peak is one of this area’s earliest settlers. Manuel Innocenti was Chumash, who moved here with his wife Francisca, who was Yokut, and their children sometime in the late 1860s. With abundant fish and game, their lifestyle here was predominantly hunter-gatherer with some crop cultivation as well. Manuel also worked at the nearby Rancho El Sur. Presumably their lives were happy ones, but there was also tragedy in the deaths of all of their children. The family gravesite is somewhere right around the trailhead, but is unmarked. Also along the lower trail is the tiny homestead cabin built by John Pfeiffer in 1893. It was John Pfeiffer in 1933 who sold his 706 acres to the state for parklands passing up offers from developers. He was one of four children of Michael and Barbara Pfeiffer who were among the first European settlers in Big Sur. John lived here as a beekeeper until 1902 when he finally married and moved to where the Big Sur Lodge is now. The partially restored homestead cabin is in remarkably good condition.

Santa Lucia Mountains

I left my campsite on foot as several great trailheads are nearby. I was still having a hard time deciding whether to head up Pine Ridge Trail, or use the footbridge to cross Big Sur River and head up to Mt Manuel. The skies looked fairly clear, so I decided Manuel Peak was the better choice. The rocky viewpoint near the summit is known to provide breathtaking views if you happen to be lucky enough to get clear weather. The lower trail begins with some switchbacks as you ascend the coastal foothills. Soon the trail begins following the contours of the terrain while steadily climbing. The route follows along the northernmost side of the Big Sur River Gorge. There is very little shade for most of the way, but the open landscape provides for great views. If you look up you can see portions of the trail winding above you in the distance making it seem more daunting, but the grading is really not bad. This trail has not been maintained very well over the last few years and has gotten worse. Some sections of the trail have washouts, and rough spots from erosion damage, and will require careful footing. The trail is narrow and the drop-offs are sometimes quite steep. It would be dangerous to get careless and go off the edge. The trail also passes through some forested areas which have downed trees which can make progress a little bit trickier as well.

View to Point Sur from Manuel Peak

After a couple of miles you begin to gain a sightline over the little ridge to the west for the first glimpse of the ocean, and you have a commanding view down into the Big Sur River Gorge. You really can’t see much of the river through the rough, but you can hear it echoing from the depth. Winding around the contours of the terrain, and into little forested tributary ravines, and up higher and higher, you climb back out into the open, and take a bend to the north. Rather suddenly, the heart of the Santa Lucia Range jumps into your easterly view. Commanding attention is Ventana Double Cone, the highest peak in the range. As you climb higher, the views are mostly to the east out over Ventana Wilderness. After just over 5 miles you make the final switchbacks up to a rocky outcrop at 3379 feet. This not the actual summit, but this is where the best views are. Conditions permitting, you will get breathtaking open panoramic views of the ocean, Point Sur, and the entire Santa Lucia Range. Fire damage is hardly noticeable. The trail continues on from here connecting up with various other backcountry and wilderness trails, trail camps, and another trailhead called Botchers Gap. The Ventana backcountry is notorious for rough, overgrown, unmaintained trails, and there are miles and miles of trails back there. If you are doing the out-and-back, this is the best place to turn around and head back to Pfeiffer, provided you have had sufficient time to admire the vistas, and savor the breezy sea air. The views on this particular day were not as clear as some of my previous visits, so my photoset is from a trip that Sue and I made here in October of 2007. This was also before the last big fire in the region.

Click here to see my 2007 photos

The Seekers

2010-11-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

Male Tarantula at Henry Coe State Park

Fall in the Diablos means, among other things, its tarantula migration season again. It’s the right time of year for large, hairy, male arachnids to go on their mass journey quest to find available nesting females. Some of them will travel amazing distances as they abandon the safety of their dens in order to search for the opportunity to mate. Whenever I see one I can't help playing the gutair riffs in my head from The Who song "The Seeker". Once they are successful in finding a suitable partner they don’t hang around. If the male suitors are smart, they will take care of business, and then get away fast before the larger, stronger, females begin to view them more as protein than company. The right motto is, “if you snooze you loose”, because they can literally become a meal for the voracious female.

The tarantulas found in this region are not dangerous. They have large fangs used for hunting, but are not poisonous to humans. Their demeanor is timid, and passive toward larger animals. If possible they will stay hidden and out of sight. The best policy toward any wild creature is to observe at a reasonable distance, but to simply leave them alone, and not stress them out. The best chance you will have to spot one is when they decide to use the hiking trails. Many wild creatures will often use the easiest path to get somewhere, and tarantulas are no different. They will be nearly impossible to spot in high grass or foliage. The biggest concern I always have is that they don’t get run over by cyclists. So if you ride a mountain bike in the Diablos in fall, please remember to look out for them. They are fascinating creatures, and play an important role in the ecosystem.

Garrapata State Park

2010-11-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

View from Rocky Ridge

Among the better kept secrets on the Big Sur coast is a great little tract called Garrapata State Park. Located just a few short miles south of Carmel Highlands, it’s easy to miss when you are admiring the coastline headed south toward Big Sur. It’s not marked very well, and the only available parking is in roadside turn-outs along highway 1. There is no staff or fees, and really no facilities at all except for one portable chemical toilet near an old dilapidated barn. The park is rustic with a trail system that is well used, and suffering quite a bit from erosion damage and neglect. It's easy to think this could be due to state park budget cutbacks, but some people actually like it better this way. Quiet and unspoiled. Garrapata is the Spanish word for tick, adopted from early settlers in the 1830s. That rather notorious sounding name seems undeserved though. Garrapata has some interesting trails leading down to a state beach, and to some scenic seaside areas, but on this hike I was using the inland trails heading up into the coastal hills.

The main trailhead is under a row of cypress trees which appear to have been planted along an old rough cut wooden fence adjacent to the highway as though to provide a windbreak, suggesting some agricultural history. I began by hiking up Soberanes Canyon Trail.

Redwoods along Soberanes Creek

After crossing the creek, the trail begins following the contours of Soberanes Canyon and Soberanes Creek. With the recent rains the creek is actively flowing water providing a nice auditory backdrop. At the time I started hiking, the morning haze was lifting, and the weather looked fairly clear. I was anticipating some very nice sweeping coastal views from the higher elevations in the park. Last time I was here we had clear weather, but the glare from the sun was so strong late in the day, it was hard to get decent looking pictures. I was thinking today would be a better opportunity, but meteorological conditions at the coast are always unpredictable, and this day was no exception.

The scrubby, open, hillsides along the lower section of the canyon trail host a diverse mixture of chaparral type vegetation which includes some non-native species. Especially conspicuous is the Prickly Pear cactus which catches your eye as it thrives and dominates some of the open slopes. This species is known to have been introduced by the early Spaniard settlers; ostensibly for its esthetic value, as the plant has no known practical uses. The trail continues winding along the creek with only mild elevation changes, and soon you can spot a very definite forest “edge”. An area where there is an abrupt change into or out of a wooded area. As you go deeper into the canyon, you discover a very nice riparian habitat with a contiguous grove of tall trees lining the course of the creek, with a shady canopy overhead. Redwood and other conifers are among the mix. Soon the grades begin to get steeper, and in some places there are washed out earthen steps, and badly eroded trail sections, which require cautious footing. After climbing higher, the trail begins to leave the cover of this beautiful wooded creek.

View south

There are some spur trails following further along the creek, but I have never attempted to explore them. Soon you are back out into the open grasslands and climbing very steeply. There are more unmarked and unmapped trails that can be confusing, but most of them lead back to the main trail. This portion of the trail is relentless, continuing to climb, with some very steep sections, until you reach the junction of the Peak Trail. The trail is unmarked, and so is Doud Peak. I’m not even sure just how far the Peak Trail goes. Unlike what the map shows, the Peak Trail seems to continue on climbing even higher toward far away ridges in the distance. The only half decent map I have for this park can be found here, but maybe it needs updating. One of the books I have shows a peak marked at 1997 feet, even though it isn’t clear exactly where Doud Peak is on the trail, but you get great views of the mountains to the east along the trail. By the time I had reached a point where I reckoned the peak to be, a very thick bank of fog had moved in from the ocean and drifted across this location obscuring any views to the west. That was really a downer, because the awesome views of the ocean while descending the Rocky Ridge Trail are really the highlight feature of this hike. I was hoping for the fog to lift some as I started back down using Rocky Ridge Trail, but it didn’t. As I got lower, I could hear breakers, but had no vision through the chilly void. My photoset for this hike includes pictures from a few years ago when I last hiked here. Total distance for this route was only about 7 miles, but on a good day, those are some very beautiful trail miles. The diversity of the scrub, cactus, and open chaparral, tall conifers along the creek, the sweeping views, and ocean air, all combine to stimulate the senses. Just remember that you’re always taking your chances on weather.

Click here to see my photoset

Boy Scout Tree Trail

2010-10-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Old Growth Redwoods

On the northern end of Del Norte State Park is another fine tract hosting some of the most pristine old growth redwood habitat on earth. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is almost completely undeveloped, with its watershed well protected, thanks to the efforts of Newton B. Drury and his Save the Redwoods League. The only roads going in are a couple of narrow, winding, unpaved scenic roads which are not recommended for large vehicles. Turning off of highway 101 at Elk Valley Road near the southern end of Crescent City brought us to Howland Hill Road. The section near town is paved, but as soon as you roll past some country homes and agricultural lands, the road begins climbing and winding. Soon, as you round a bend, the pavement abruptly ends, and the road narrows as you enter the forest. Further on the trees become very dense and the canopy thicker. The deep shade feels much more cool and moist, and the fragrance of the air is laden with barky aroma. This road could be a really great nature all trail by itself. The forest is awesome with thick populations comprised of both old and new growth mixed together exactly how it should be for untouched wild tree habitat. I don’t believe my pictures are going to do justice to this area. The old growth trees, their surrounding undergrowth, the high canopy, the lifting fog, and filtered sunbeams, were simply amazing; and we hadn’t even got out of the car yet. We were looking for the trail head that was recommended to us very highly. Jedediah Smith has two groves that are rated 5 out of 5, but we only had enough time to visit one. The Stout Grove is very popular with visitors, but we opted for the more remote of the two, which according to the map, included a little fall area. It’s called the Boy Scout Tree Trail, and it’s right in the very heart of Jed Smith Park. After slowly negotiating the road, and being profoundly impressed with surrounding area, we easily found the signed trail head along the road which provides a pullout for about 10 cars.

When we got there a forestry department truck was waiting along the road. We did not know this, but there was some trail work scheduled that day to be performed by a supervised team of low risk inmates from the local jail system, whom would arrive by bus later on. Good to know they’re earning their keep, and by helping to protect the parks, they earn bonus points toward good behavior status. Santa Clara County often does the same type of thing. They were working far enough away that we did not hear them until we came back to the trail head; otherwise their noise would have been a definite bother.

Old Growth Redwoods

We began hiking wasting no time being captivated by the “spirit” of these timeless forest lands. The delicate color and texture variations are impossible for me to describe, or even photograph properly. My little compact camera, although arguably best in class, is simply not up to this kind of a challenge. And of course I’m not a pro. I’m not even an accomplished amateur. I found myself behaving a bit strangely; removing my hat so as not to obstruct any peripheral vision, and craning my neck up a lot to see, then down to make sure of my footing. I was also stopping to turn around frequently so I could see in all directions, not wanting to miss any perspectives. By the end of the hike my neck was actually a bit sore from so much movement. Hopefully that description can better convey the grandeur of this trail without me having to wear out most of my best adjectives and qualitative phrases attempting to do so, and likely failing. After about 2 miles, you arrive at an unmarked junction of what looks like a spur trail. This is the little loop trail to view the Boy Scout Tree. The BST is a very large, and very tall, double trunked redwood, which is obviously thousands of years old. The knarly, fibrous, bark near its base is infused with green lichens, and it even has small plants growing in pockets of soil trapped within the cracks and crevasses of its weathered trunk. The soil all around is the color of mulched redwood debris, and soft and moist, almost like potting soil from a nursery.

After enjoying the BST, we continued on to see Fern Falls. The trail passes through a section of mixed conifers with maples and a few alders along a pretty little winding creek. The fall is not a big one, and there are fallen logs blocking the view along the trail. Fern fall is really more of a little stepped cascade, but this time of year is not the best flow anyway. But there were some nice trickling sounds, and a picturesque little spot to have some lunch sitting on a fallen log. I even found some seep monkey flower exploring along the creek below the fall. We saw a few other hikers, but not enough to detract from our hike. We could also hear fog horns way off in the distance much of the way, but that didn’t really spoil anything for us either. The hike is an out-and-back, so we headed back by the same trail. We only hiked a total of 5 miles or so, but this trail is well worth spending some time to enjoy. You can’t see this kind of fairy tail like habitat just anywhere.

Click here to see my photos on flickr

Damnation Creek Trail

2010-10-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Heading to the north from Prairie Creek, you pass through the coastal section of Del Norte Redwood State Park. Some nice views of the coast are seen before the highway turns inland a bit and begins climbing into the densely wooded coastal hills. A barely noticeable turnout on the southbound side provides access to the Damnation Creek Trail. The name got my attention just because it sounds cool somehow, even more so than Lost Man Creek. The rating for it is 3 out of 5 for what that’s really worth. Checking out the map, I could see the trail heads down to the ocean, and my interest was peaked. I had another one of my hunches, and began imagining what the trail might be like. I was conjuring up images of a challenging trail plunging down a canyon to a secluded beach that I would have all to my self. This was going to be our second hike of the day and Sue had decided she would rather explore the area around the trail head and find a place to do meditations. The sign at the trail head indicates a 1000 foot drop to the ocean in just over 2 miles. Not the steepest trail we’ve ever hiked by any stretch, but after 5 straight days of hiking I imagine she was beginning to feel a little whipped.

The upper trail originating within Del Norte State Park is thickly wooded, and really quite impressive. It doesn’t take long before you can loose the traffic noise of the highway, and begin to enjoy the landscape. The trail climbs gently for a little while before descending to the junction with the Coastal Trail. The sign at the junction warns that the Damnation Creek Trail is a "steep strenuous trail", but as I found out, it’s really not that bad. Most of the elevation change is along the 1.4 mile section from the coastal trail junction down to the ocean, but the grading is nicely done. There are a few sections with earthen steps braced with wood which have washed out and eroded dramatically. A few other sections will cause you to watch your step, but overall the trail is in great shape. I didn’t count them, but there are multiple switchbacks the whole way down. The upper section is dominated by Redwoods and their typical undergrowth. Further down, there are more Spruce and Douglas Firs, oaks, and a few maples, and a lot of mosses. The lower section is thick with berry bushes and other leafy plants, and the fragrances begin to combine with the salty ocean breezes. After many switchbacks, an old footbridge brings you across the creek along a sandbar, and you finally break out to an ocean view. You don't get to actually see the ocean until you are basically there, which was a little disappointing.

The beach is very rocky. Smooth rounded pebbles and jagged rocks of all sizes are scattered about and piled up together. The surf has a lot of tide pools, and the waves breaking against the shoreline rock formations give them a gentle rhythm of egress and flow. Large rock formations dot the views out in the deep surf, enduring the incessant water erosion like menacing relics from another age. Looking to the south is an almost sheer cliff plunging down from the tree line above. A beautiful setting, I could have spent a couple of hours here. For the most part it lived up to my imagination even though I’m not sure how it got such a foreboding name. It was easy to see that some of the tide pools are full of mussels, but I really did not have time to explore them further. I had told Sue that I would only be a couple of hours, and I wanted to make sure I held to that. It would have been nice to explore the creek bed a little too, but I didn’t stay around that long. After enjoying the area awhile I turned back up the trail to make my promised arrival time back at the car. The return climb up all those switchbacks isn’t so tough. The trail is mostly shaded with nice breezes, and the surface is mostly smooth. This hike was a lot of fun, and I agree with a rating of 3, taking off only for lack long range views along the way, and because you can’t make it part of a loop unless you are doing a side trip from the coastal trail, which is only rated as a 2 along here.

Click here to see photos from this hike on flickr

Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon

2010-10-07T20:08:00.001-07:00

Ancient Sequioa Turnk

The one classic, must do it, hike at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is the loop hike out to Gold Bluffs Beach using the Miner’s Ridge, and James Irvine Trails. If you are camping at Elk Prairie campground you have lots of choices among trailheads you can access on foot by simply walking from you campsite. And this time of year, if you get started early enough, you can count on having the trails virtually to yourself. You can saunter through the ancient forest in absolute solitude with the morning fog still lifting. The deep woods of the north coast have an unforgettable character which invites ramblers to sharpen their senses, and heighten their awareness of their surroundings. Creeks flow with clear waters that provide a soft sonic embellishment, even though the vegetation springing from their depths is so dense that you cannot see them. Old wooden foot bridges seem to span beds of ferns, and leafy green plants, but actually conceal hidden drainages carved into the alluvial soils. Ancient sequoias, their bark weathered almost grey, and frayed from the elements, endure the ages to tower to the sky, their tall canopy supporting unseen life; endangered and even undiscovered species. And even still, young growth abounds to join the fray as they reach for the heights in search of sunlight somewhere above as though by faith. Even the fallen logs are teaming with life as ferns and shoots of all variety have deposited seed there, and adopted them as their home. Toads, slugs, and newts, wander about enthusiastically in great health, and small bird species populate the shrubbery. This area is a treasure for the ages, very nearly lost.

Roosevelt Elk

On this hike, we used the James Irvine Trail on the way out to the coast, which eventually brought us out to the inland side of Fern Canyon. A loop trail allows a route either along the top, or down inside the canyon to the creek bed covered in smooth pebbles and sand. The trail at the top doesn’t allow much of a view into the canyon, so the creek route is much more scenic. The route is obscure requiring lots of crossings and meandering along rocks endeavoring to keep footgear dry, and there’s a lot of fallen debris to climb over, or maneuver around, or underneath. If the water level is high you couldn’t do it at all without wading. We almost needed to wade through parts, but these efforts are worth it however, as the canyon is unique and beautiful. There’s about a half mile section with jagged, abrupt, rock walls absolutely covered in ferns. One section has nearly vertical smooth rock walls about 60 feet high thickly adorned with layers of five finger ferns. You will see people here though. There is an unpaved access road that brings visitors to within less than half a mile by vehicle, so expect to have company. I wouldn’t want to bring my car on that road, but an SUV or truck can handle it well. We hiked the canyon, and as we began hiking the coastal trail toward Gold Bluffs Beach, we began to hear some elk calls. We were hearing males trumpeting to each other, attempting to exert a claim over a harem of cows. One out on the marshy sands of the beach, while the alpha male was laying around in the trees with the cows grazing around. I was able to get a few pictures without getting too close. We had lunch at the picnic area there while observing the elk behavior right around the parking lot for Gold Bluffs Beach. We headed back by hiking up the beach road to find the Miner’s Ridge Trail. This route is an equally pristine and captivating trail through the living ancient forest. A fantastic unforgettable day.

Click here to see my pictures on flickr

Tall Trees Grove

2010-10-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

And Dolason Prairie

The other grove that we really wanted to see within Redwood National Park is called Tall Trees Grove. This grove is more remote than Lady Bird Johnson. It's managed almost as though it were a wilderness area. There are several hiking routes which can be used to get there, which is usually the best way to really enjoy the area. But there is also a limited access unpaved road which can take you within about 1.5 miles of the grove. If you want to drive this road you must obtain a pass from the park service by driving to the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Information Center. Located on the coast along highway 101 about a mile south of the town of Orick, this visitor’s center serves as park headquarters. The pass is free, but they limit them to 50 per day during the peak season. This time of year they don’t hand out nearly that many, but you still need to register and obtain a pass. They will provide the combination to the locked gate at the entrance to the road, which is changed every day. Normally we would have wanted to hike in, but on this trip we thought about how great it would be to hike the grove completely on our own, with no one else around at all. In order to beat the crowds, which are very low this time of year anyway, we persuaded the rangers to grant us a pass for the next day so we could get an early start. They usually don’t begin handing out the passes until 9:00am at the visitor’s center. They provided us with the combinations for both days just in case we got there before it got changed. So we planned on hiking the grove early, having it to ourselves, and then hiking the Emerald Ridge and Dolason Prairie Trails as an out-and-back, rather than an entrance route to the grove. Normally it would be a 6 mile hike one way from Bald Hills Road to get to Tall Trees Grove by way of the Dolason route. The other hiking route along Redwood Creek Trail is nearly 8 miles one way.

We were up early the next day and were ready to go by sunup. We drove the 7 miles up Bald Hills Road to the gated Tall Trees access road. Then 6 miles, and about 1200 feet back down to a trailhead and dirt parking area in the heart of the park. The road is a little bumpy, the surface being gravel, dust, and hard pack dirt. It’s also quite narrow in places with lots of bends. We took it slow, but didn’t have any problems with our normal car and tires. On the drive in I spotted some late season redwood orchids on the side of the road. They were already turning back to seed, but I stopped to take some photos anyway because some of them were as much as 7 or 8 feet tall. The tallest ones I’ve ever seen in the Santa Cruz Mountains are maybe 3 or 4 feet tall. We were the only people at the trailhead just like we planned. The trail is in good repair and has good markers in place.

This grove is as close to wild and pristine as possible. The single track trail has some rudimentary markers, but apart from that there are no human influences. The trail meanders through the forest residing on an alluvial flat directly adjacent to Redwood Creek. This location is perfect habitat for the redwoods. The climate is not too cold in winter, nor too hot or arid in summer. The area is not directly exposed to the ocean or the interior valley heat, but has plenty of water, and a channel that ushers in the coastal fog to nourish the trees in summer. The leaf structure of the redwoods functions like a drip system. They also have the ability to assimilate some moisture directly through their leaf system. The alluvial soil has just the right nutrients and qualities for sustenance. The trail makes a loop of about a mile through the glorious forest and thick green undergrowth. There is also access to Redwood Creek and it's rocky sandbars. The trails out near the creek are lined with Big Leaf Maples with their braches covered with thick green mosses. There is a trail section that loops back toward the Emerald Creek junction that uses the rocks and sandbars as an obscure use trail, which requires multiple fording of the creek. We decided not to use that section this time because we were keen to keep our boots as dry as possible. The damp air was making it really hard to dry certain things out once wet. We spotted a flock of common mergansers swimming along the creek foraging for food. They were all females in their non-mating season plumage. We also saw plenty of little toads along the trails, which are a good sign of a healthy ecosystem. It’s hard to adequately describe the ambiance of an old growth forest like this, and adjectives can get well-used when trying to write up hikes of this type. You really need to be there to experience the “spirit” of a place like this, and we especially enjoyed having this time here with all this grandeur to ourselves. We did not see any other people until we were leaving; exactly like we had planned.

After enjoying our time at Tall Trees, we made our way back to the junction with Emerald Creek Trail, and headed toward Dolason Prairie. Emerald Creek is another section of beautiful, deep green, redwood country. The trail descends down to the footbridge at the primordial creek, before beginning to climb back up the ridge on the other side. The trail climbs higher and higher until the woods begin to show more spruce and fir trees. Soon you emerge out into one of the grassy meadows, and you begin to get views out over the coastal mountains. The trail begins switching back into the forest and back out to enjoy a higher perspective on the same basic view. We passed through one section of thick ancient Sitka spruce which finally brought us out for another view to the ridge system to the west. If you study it, you can spot the checkerboard pattern of the legacy clear cutting that lead to the massive 1964 flood. Square patches of much shorter trees are surrounded by a gridwork of very tall older growth as the area slowly recovers. A lot was learned from that disaster. They would never have done that type of clear cutting today. Finally you reach the open meadows of Dolason Prairie, and the remnants of the old Dolason barn. This old barn is listed in the National Register of Historic Places due to the sheep ranching history it represents. We enjoyed the sweeping vistas while imagining thousands of sheep grazing before pristine vistas of wild forested hillsides as they would have been then, around 1914. With rain threatening we heading back down the trail to get back to our car. It never did rain though. On the way back out we spotted a very large owl which flew from a tree down the road ahead of us landing high in another tree along the road. I tried to get a photo, but it took off again before I could get my camera out again. Judging from the size of it, I think it must have been a Great Horned Owl, but that's really just a guess. The wing span was huge.

Click here to see my pictures on flickr.

Redwood National Park

2010-10-02T06:33:00.001-07:00

After checking out Lost Man Creek we still had lots of time left in the day, so we decided to head deeper into Redwood National Park. We drove south to Bald Hills Road; the only paved road in the park. There are two main old growth groves in this park that we were interested in. The Tall Trees Grove is more remote, and is far from any paved road. You can hike to it from various routes, or you can obtain a pass to use the unpaved access road that takes you down within about 1.5 miles. We thought Tall Trees deserved an earlier start than we had, so we opted for the more accessible Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

Turning up Bald Hills Road from the highway (101), the road shortly begins climbing, and winding its way up the ridge system. The paving is marginal, hastily repaired, and bumpy, but passable. The many curves are fairly sharp. About 2.7 miles brings you to the trailhead for the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Redwood National Park was commissioned in 1968 under Richard Nixon, and the dedication was attended by Lady Bird Johnson, who was actually quite an advocate for preserving nature. Thus; this grove was named after her. Ironically, this park was created due in part to the publicity created in 1964 when Humbolt County, the Trinity River, and Redwood Creek had a massive flood. The over-harvesting of timber, especially redwood, had severely compromised the washboard terrain. Heavy tropical rains sent massive volumes of silt flowing, clogging the watershed, which caused flooding of near biblical proportions. Today there are signs along the highway showing the 1964 water level being 10 feet overhead. Only then did the threat of wonton destruction of irreplaceable old growth forests become real to general public, and more importantly, to the political machine of the period. If not for that disaster, perhaps there would not have been any old growth left at all on the north coast, where it is the most pristine and beautiful.

The trail is not a lengthy hike. Including the entrance trail it’s still less than 2 miles, and there is virtually no elevation gain. But this is not a trail to ramble through, making distance with one eye on the clock and the other on the map. This is a place to quietly stroll and savor, lift your head up, and drink it in. I almost don’t want to show my photos of this grove because there is virtually no chance of capturing its spirit. Tricky lighting balance, intricate textures, delicate coloration, and deceiving perspectives all combine to make it something you simply have to experience. The trees are not monstrously huge, but the overall character of the grove is captivating. It would be challenging to attempt to portray the essence. The trail is very developed and smooth, but not enough to detract from the deep woods ambiance. The breeze makes a delicate music high within the thick array of leaves and branches, and the sunlight glints in needle-like shafts as you move along imbuing the aroma. We saw very few other people on the trail. That’s one benefit of being here during the quiet season. I don’t know exactly how much time we spent there, but it was hard to leave. We decided we still had time to check out the lower section of The Redwood Creek Trail before heading back to camp.

There is a signed turn off only about half a mile in from the highway that leads to the trailhead for lower Redwood Creek Trail. Our car was the only one in the parking area. Crossing a rustic little bridge, the trail begins in impressive stands of Big Leaf Maple, and Alders which are covered by thick mosses, and carpeted with ferns and leafy vegetation. Along the way there are a few even more impressive large redwoods. There are a few little tributary creeks flowing into the main Redwood Creek which provide the backdrop of flowing water sounds. The trees, mosses, leaves, and vegetation are so thick, the trail feels almost primordial. The first 2 miles or so are under thick shade before the watershed opens up along the rocky sandbars of the main creek exposing you to sunshine. This trail could be hiked 8 miles into the Tall Trees Grove, but we were not going that far. We had obtained a pass for that grove for the next day. We hadn’t hiked a lot of miles that day, but we were more than happy with the quality of the experience. A restful day like this is good for the soul. The next day we would be headed for Tall Trees Grove and Dolason Meadow.

Click here to see the pictures on flickr

Lost Man Creek

2010-09-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

We had been reading a lot of different trail ratings for the north coast area in order to plan our time. But I don’t always agree with the available ratings. Sometimes a trail can be rated high, and might be beautiful, but not really be a good hike. And likewise, a trail can be rated low for the general public, but turn out to be a really great trail. I have hiked countless trails all over California that provided me with what I consider to be fantastic hikes that were either rated low, or even totally neglected, without even being rated at all.
Actually, I like the fact that some of my favorite local trails around the bay area are all but ignored by the public. From my experience, if you want to find the best hikes, sometimes you have to be willing to explore and draw your own conclusions. Once in a while I like to play hunches. The Lost Man Creek Trail was one these hunchs that I wanted to explore on our first day. It’s rated low, but studying the map, I could see that it climbed up to a high ridge within the old growth territory, which may have provided a good view point. I was also interested because of the history of the trail. In 1982, Redwood National Park was dedicated as an internationally recognized World Heritage Site. The dedication ceremony took place along this trail. Speakers at the 1982 ceremony dedicated Redwood National Park as a World Heritage legacy site “whose deterioration or disappearance is a harmful impoverishment to the heritage of all nations of the world”. The trail was once a logging road, and as we found out, it still is, even though the areas within the park boundaries are now protected and officially revered the world over.

The trailhead begins at the parking area for Lost Man Creek picnic area near the north end of Redwood National Park. There is a signed turnoff from highway 101 about 1 mile south of the Newton B. Drury Parkway. The unpaved entrance road is in good repair, and did not present a problem for our non off-road car. The picnic area is very picturesque and peaceful, thickly wooded, with Lost Man Creek flowing right past. Not much water flowing this late in the season, but still nice enough to have a soothing babbling quality. The creek is lined with moss covered maple and alders, with a bed of ferns underneath. The maple leaves are just beginning to turn. We started up the trail and began seeing some very impressive old growth redwoods while the trail climbed gently, following closely to Lost Man Creek with the trickling water, and bird sounds as a backdrop. The trail is wide, with strong wide bridges, and shows obvious signs of maintenance, we assumed as a fire road. This would make an excellent biking route. The under growth is rich and green, mostly huckleberry and ferns typical of this area. We spotted at least 5 different varieties of ferns including five-fingered, lady ferns, bracken, and sword ferns. About 2.5 miles in, the trail becomes steeper, and there are a few switchbacks. The forest begins changing, showing more sitka spruce as you climb higher. If the whole trail was as good as the first 3 miles, I would rate this trail as a 4 out of 5, knocking off only because it’s not a single track, and doesn’t have any views. But after that, you begin to find development indicating that the road is still used as a logging road. You eventually climb up above all the old growth, and the character of the trial changes to that of a well used dirt logging road. You could hike this trail 11 miles eventually connecting with Bald Hills Road in the national park. But from what we could see, we decided not to go further. The trail had lost it’s qualities as a pristine nature trail, and changed into a legacy of logging. We decided to turn around and head back enjoying the lower section before moving on. So in the final analysis, I agree with the original ratings we read which rated the trail low. But the first 3 miles are worth exploring. I’ll leave the rest to the cyclists, and we headed off to see the Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

Click here for some pictures

North Coast Trip

2010-09-25T20:53:00.001-07:00

We finally got away for a little bit of vacation last week. The first real time away we’ve had since our short Yosemite trip last February. We had planned a road trip to Oregon last June which we wound up having to cancel, so I’ve been harboring a bad case of cabin fever ever since. We had planned to spend time at Castle Crags on the way up, and were going to return along the north coast, stopping at the redwood parks. I am still kicking myself for not going through with it anyway, but dedicated employee that I am, we cancelled. That time frame should have placed us at Crater Lake during the snow melt, in the redwood country during the rhododendron, trillium, and clintonia blooms, and we would have been headed home before the tourist season kicked in. But instead, we took this week for a post Labor Day north coast camping trip, and we may do another winter trip of some type.

During the late summer / early fall season, you cannot reserve a campsite at most of the California state parks. The campsites are first come, first served. At Prairie Creek the larger loop of sites is closed, but the remaining campsites are usually turning over quickly, and we did not expect to have trouble finding a suitable site. This season is much quieter, and that’s much nicer than during the summer when all the campsites are usually full. We would not have the opportunity to see the spring blooms, but it’s more likely that you can spot wildlife when there are fewer people and less noise. We would also enjoy the trails virtually all to ourselves. It’s very damp and chilly up there during this season, and there are always threats of rain, so being prepared for the worst is smart. Mornings and evenings are mostly foggy, which means the lighting is lousy for photography. You get radiation fog from the meadows, and marine overcast and fog from the ocean. The evening radation fog made for great evening moon-gazing though. We had a couple of nights with full moon, and I took some walks along Elk Prairie to enjoy the interplay of moonlight through the drifting fog and the high treetops to the east after our campfire had begun to die down.

We had monitored the weather reports in the days leading up to our departure. There was predicted light rain on the Sunday we left, and a 30 percent chance on Thursday. The Sunday rain did happen. We had light rain and drizzle part of the way up which actually turned out to be good. By the time we arrived, the campground had almost completely cleared out with people leaving early, so we were able to pick out almost any site we wanted. We chose a nice secluded site right on the banks of Prairie Creek, so we had serenading waters the whole time. It was a little wet, but we were able to deal with it. The Thursday rain did not happen. It threatened on Wednesday, but never rained, and the last couple of days we had were the best weather, even though the clearer evenings were colder. The conditions were nothing we couldn’t handle, so we savored it all.

On the drive up we stopped at Richardson Grove State Park for a road break and to eat some lunch. We did not hike any trails, but they offer a free one hour pass. We admired the redwoods around the visitor’s center just off the highway before hitting the road again. We picked up cheap firewood and filled up gas in Arcadia and headed to the north coast. I stopped along the highway along Big Lagoon after spotting some elk grazing the wetlands there. I took a few pictures of the elk, and also noticed lots of waterfowl on the coastal side of the highway. I spotted a great blue heron, some snowy egrets, and lots of mallards and other species I did not know. After enjoying the wildlife for a spell, we hit the road again and arrived at Prairie Creek with enough time to for a quick little walk. We hiked part of the Skunk Cabbage section of the Coastal Trail before returning to our selected site to set up camp and settle in for the night.

We had an absolutely great time and I will do write ups of our hiking as time permits. We had studied maps and trail ratings, and selected what we thought were the best hikes in Redwood State and National Park, Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedediah Smith State Parks. The time flew by, and we are back home now, tired, but wishing we could be going back soon.

Click here to see photos from the first day

Tennessee 3 Beaches Hike

2010-09-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Marin’s Henry Coe ?

View north toward Mt Tamalpias

There have been a lot of marine layers coming in lately, but Saturday was supposed to be clear without being too hot. Trusting that report; not that I really ever trust weather reports; I began craving the cool breezes and salty air of a coastal hike. Not that some soothing fog wouldn’t provide the advantage of protection from the heat, but too much visual obstruction would really spoil the spectacular views available from many of the high places near the ocean. It’s been way too long since I’ve been back to the Marin Headlands, so I committed to heading there, hoping for the right weather. On pervious visits to the headlands I have always used the trailheads at the southern end of the GGNRA. These trails have been favorites of mine for their interesting historical sights, and many fantastic view opportunities. But perusing the map, I realized that there was a whole interior section of the GGNRA between there and the Muir Woods/Mt Tam area that I really had not explored before. So the prospect of unfamiliar trails had me interested. I decided to head for the Tennessee Valley trailhead and planned to hike the Coastal Trail from Wolf Ridge to Muir Beach looping back to the trailhead by way of Green Gulch.

Heavy low lying fog

I left fairly early, reaching the trailhead by about 8:30. Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge it was all too obvious that the fog was back again, despite the reports, and it was thick enough to maybe hang around all day. A low lying layer was in over the ocean and bay, but from a distance the towers of the bridge were sticking out. It was anybody’s guess whether it would dissipate. The stables at Tennessee Valley were all but deserted at this hour. There were only a few early morning trail runners. That would change by the time I got back. I was a little concerned that there would be a lot of horse traffic, but it didn't turn out that way. I began by finding my way to the Old Springs Trail to take me up toward Wolf Ridge. The trail is well graded making it an easy climb, and soon I could see the fog had drifted up into Tennessee Valley and all the little gullies, but the peaks were already in the sun. Lots of quail and wild rabbits were scurrying around, and I spent some time enjoying the little calls the quail were making. A little bit of trail music. My route used a short section of the Miwok Trail which was high enough to provide the first views of all the fog down at the ocean. When I reached the top of hill 88 on Wolf Ridge (960 feet), I began to realize that I maybe should have done this route the other way around. This would probably be the best long range views of the day, but it was being wasted by the fog. I was standing in the still rising sun feeling toasted, but could hear fog horns down below in the mire.

Beach at Pirate’s Cove

After admiring the fog, a concert of fog horns, and the abandoned, crumbling, Nike missile site on hill 88, I headed steeply downhill on the Coastal Trail down to Tennessee Cove. By the time I reached the trail junction at the bottom I was back in the fog, and I was quite chilly in the slight wind out by the beach. Luckily, I had my rain layer to use as a windbreaker and a light warmth layer. In the fog, the beach area seemed unremarkable. I could just barely see the rocky cliffs around the area, so I ignored the little overlook trail. I didn’t hang around because even in foggy weather this little beach has people around. Plus perspiration from the Wolf Ridge climb was still clinging to my shirt, and was beginning to evaporate inside the windbreaker. I found my way back to the Coastal Trail and headed north, climbing back up into the sun. The trail topped out at about 600 feet, and by then I could finally begin to see clearing. I was getting pretty good views of the ocean. I turned off on the Pirates Cove Trail to stick closer to the views, fragrant sea air, and the sounds of the surf on the rock far below. This trail is a single track and I was enjoying myself as it snaked along the coast. It soon began descending toward Pirate’s Cove. In the gully, there is a rocky, well used, trail down to the beach, if you could call that a trail. Very steep and rocky, I negotiated my way down with trekking poles. There was no one there except for one man lying around in the nude behind some rocks. I didn’t see him at first, and he seemed to pretty much ignore me. He went for what must have been a very chilly swim as I was leaving.

Rocky Bluffs

Back to the trail again, and my third climb up to a ridge top from sea level. These trails were beginning to remind me of Henry Coe except that the ridges are not as high. A good workout for the quads. The day was getting warmer now, and the views were clearing up even more. I made my way along further north until I was looking down to Muir Beach. The trail provides a nice view down to the beach, and to Bolinas on the other side. The parking lot was full, and the beach was occupied, although I wouldn’t quite say crowded. Not that I had planned on sticking around here. I paused for a quick little trail lunch before hiking down to the beach area to find my connection.

Middle Green Gulch Trail begins just inland from the beach. There’s some kind of little farm there with rows of organic vegetables growing. I spotted some pumpkins, squashes, and what looked like red chard, but the rest I did not recognize. You have to remember to close the gates here to keep the deer out of the veggies. After hiking through the farm the trail begins a nice long, winding, graded, climb back up to the Coyote Trail at the top, with a high point of just over 1000 feet. Bikers use this trail a lot, uphill only if they heed the trail signs. This was the last climb of the day on this route, but I still needed to make my way back down to the trailhead at Tennessee Valley. I used the Fox Trail to get down, and was back at my car by about 3pm. By this time the parking lot was full, and cars were parked up and down the road. Early is recommended for visiting here. The route was a little over 10 miles with about 3000 feet of elevation gain. There are stables at the trailhead, but I did not see any horses all day.

Click here to my photos

The Windowless Ridge

2010-08-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

A journey or a goal?

I don’t usually think of my hikes as being goal oriented, even though I often plan my routes to seek out some particular sights or seasonal attributes along the way. Some of my favorite routes I feel drawn to, and hike them again and again, while others I may not go back to for years. The Butano Ridge loop is a hike that fits into the latter category. Not to be confused with Butano State Park, Butano Ridge is partly in Portola State Park and partly in Pescadero Creek County Park. Most of the time when I find a trail that runs along the top of a high ridge, my expectation is that I will be able to find vantage points to get views of the surrounding terrain. I love an awesome long range view. Many of the local high ridges will provide views in almost all directions, and under clear skies, for tens, or even hundreds of miles. A fitting payoff after sweating to hike up steep meandering trails to gain the altitude. Walking along a rolling ridge-top trail drinking in the views provides a special kind of down-time for me, because it really seems like I have broken free of the confines of city life, at least for the day. The Butano Ridge loop trail falls short of those expectations. The route is so thickly wooded that no views from the ridge are possible. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not still a rewarding hike experience. Actually it made an interesting choice after reading a recent post at Backcountry Bliss entitled “Discussion: Does the Journey make the Destination?” I always like to think a true rambler loves the journey as much as the destination, but actually sometimes the payoffs are what make the journey special. Good point Chris. It’s an individual thing. But I wanted to go back and do this hike because I haven’t done it in recent memory.

My route began in Portola State Park, even though most of the hike is actually in Pescadero Creek County Park. You really need maps of both parks in order to figure out all of the trails. The official Portola map does not have enough coverage for this hike. The best map I’ve seen is available from Redwood Hikes Press, and covers both parks. Also the day use fee at Portola has gone up to 10 bucks. Luckily I still have some CSPF free passes left. Don’t forget to vote YES on prop 21 this fall.

I used the Iverson trail to get up to Old Haul Road. There are two different trails that can take you up to the Butano Ridge Loop Trail if you choose to go clockwise. The Portola Trail comes together with the Ridge Trail leading up to the junction near the top of the ridge, which tops out at about 2200 feet. Park headquarters is about 400 feet. The trails are not killer steep, but climb steadily for just over two miles with quite a few switchbacks. When you reach the top your thighs will know they’ve had some work. The terrain throughout the route is thickly wooded and the specter of historical logging is in evidence. This route also provides access to the Basin easement trail which you can use to hike over to Big Basin. Just be sure to stay on the trail. Go right at the fork to continue on to Butano Ridge. Much of the foundation of this section of the ridge was formed from sandstone, and there are quite a few outcrops along there that are worth admiring. The trail finally brings you down to a fire road. The trail markers are more than adequate, which is nice considering that a wrong turn will bring you into private logging company property. This fire road trail is so thickly wooded as to eliminate any possibility of views. The west side of the trail is a property line which is punctuated by lots of “No Hunting or Trespassing” signs precluding any notion of hiking off trail attempting to get a better view, although that may well be possible. The ridge trail/road rolls up and down gently, but mostly down going north. You get a nice stroll in the woods down to the marked trail cutout about 1.9 miles from the southern junction. Back onto single track the trail is now downhill in earnest until you give back all of the altitude back to Old Haul Road.

You could use this road to hike back toward Portola, but it’s a lot more fun to use the Shaw Flat Trail to Shaw Trail Camp. Not shown on the Portola map, this will require a stream crossing at Harwood Creek, so be prepared. It was easy this time of year. I didn’t even use trekking poles. After passing through the camp you can easily find your way to the Pomponio Trail, which is unspectacular, but a much nicer hike than the fire road. As you cross over the paved road to the abandoned county honor camp, you will have to hike up the paved road a little bit, cross a bridge to pick up the trail again. Total distance on this route is about 12.5 miles, and I will estimate about 2800 total feet of elevation gain. Not for the goal oriented, but something a little different for the ramblers. I enjoyed it.

You can probably tell it was a lousy day for photos but here they are anyway

In the Cool Cool Summer

2010-08-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

When I left work one day this week, near the wetlands of the bay, my car’s thermometer read 68 degrees. That’s so unbelievably cool for August in the south bay, I just had to pause and reflect a little bit. This has been one of the coolest summers on record so far, and frankly, I’ve been enjoying it every minute of it. It's really nice when the air stays fairly clear without having the glaring sun baking all the photochemical soup that blows down the channel of the bay, to be trapped by the mountains. We’ve been getting marine layers in from the ocean every evening, pouring over the coastal ridges, which really cools down the atmosphere overnight. Leaving the windows open is just like having an air conditioner running, but without the energy consumption. On hot nights I would likely be lying half awake at night contemplating turning on the air, but resisting that grievous carbon sin. Close the windows before the sun is up, and the house stays cool all day without using a single dirty watt. In hot weather I would normally be spending time indoors at my health club to get my daily fitness fix working, even though I really prefer doing some outside activity. One of the reasons I joined up about 10 years ago was because I find it really hard to get into a good hard workout in the heat. But lately I’ve been able to vary my routine well, taking full advantage of the strangely moderate climate.

I used to do a lot of bike riding, but lately I’ve been getting more into trail running when I don’t have time for an extended hike or bike ride, like on weekdays after work. Sometimes I use a jogging route around our neighborhood, but that’s mostly on pavement. There aren’t many unpaved trails around here, and concrete is hard on the joints. Plus the air quality suffers near noisy city streets. But several years ago I discovered a nice little oasis of naturalism not far away from our door, which is a great little retreat for some quick trail running. Guadalupe Oak Grove Park is said to protect one of the city of San Jose’s last remaining groves of heritage oaks. Like almost all of this area, it was once home to the Ohlone. Unlike most city parks where you tend to find cultivated grass needing lots of maintenance, and hundreds of gallons of water per day, along with a few non-native trees; this place is refreshingly different. It is maintained in a very natural state, and even serves as a wildlife sanctuary. Check out this really interesting birding site that I found, which highlights this park. I have not spotted any owls or hawks, but have seen some burrows both in the ground and in trees. It seems the squirrels and lizards like to lye about sunning in the open trails, then scurry about as you run past. This is not a place to go on a full day hike, or a long bike ride, but the trails are perfect for evening or morning fitness activity. Most of the trail sections are at least partially shaded, and there’s even some moderate elevation change, highlighted by some fairly nice long range views from the hilltops. As you breathe you imbue the fragrance of oak trees and grasses rather than health intrusive carbon monoxide and noise pollution, and the natural surface is great to run on. The park has limited shaded parking, and has water and bathrooms available, even though I always bring my own filtered water. It really helps to beat the monotony of running when the trails are interesting and the mild terrain changes provide a more balanced activity. Sometimes I use an MP3 player which can really help me get detached from my day. And trust me; some of my days need that.

Click here to see some photos

Tigers at Pescadero

2010-07-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

After working most of the day on Saturday; (I always hate to work on weekends); I was off for a solo hike on Sunday 7/18, and I was focusing on finding more Tigers Lilies. I’ve been searching around in areas where I have seen them before for the last few weeks, but except for finding some suspected buds along Opal Creek while hiking with Dave (my brother in law), I have struck out each time. Finally, last week I did find blooms. Sue and I did a hike to Berry Creek Fall by way of McCrary Ridge. On our return route along Skyline to the Sea Trail, I was able to search off trail and spot some blooming leopards along Waddell Creek. These were what I like to call Leopard Lilies even though they are really the same species as the California Tiger Lily (Lilium pardalinum). For some reason, these blooms along Waddell Creek have a slightly different coloration than the more vivid orange shading of the ones that I like to call Tiger Lilies. They are all spotted though, not striped. This actually makes them much closer to resembling Leopards or Jaguars than Tigers. Go figure. Common names are fun like that. You can pick the one you like. These felines are typically found in areas that are very moist; normally along creeks, or in marshy meadows, and are almost always hard to get close enough to for taking good photos. They have an uncanny knack for displaying themselves if precarious locations requiring wading, or groping around on fallen logs and rocks to get close, and are rarely found along a trail. But it’s fun to discover them.

For this hike I parked my car at the Tarwater trailhead entrance to Pescadero Creek County Park (San Mateo Co). I was planning to use the Coyote Ridge Trail to get into Portola State Park, and begin searching along Pescadero Creek, working my way back toward the county park, searching out access points to the creek as much as possible. Coyote Ridge Trail is usually a nice trail, but it hasn’t been maintained very well in recent years. Lots of over-growth has begun encroaching on the trail, which includes stealthy poison oak lurking just out peripheral vision. There are some fresh tree falls, and one of them is a multiple-trunked tangled mess. I climbed over the slippery heap of tortured, broken, logs and found my way down to the switchbacks that descend to the junction with the Iverson Trail. Upon reaching the seasonal footbridge at Pescadero Creek where I expected to begin searching, I was a little surprised to find the first Tiger Lilies of the day right there along the trail. I’ve never known them to be that accessible. Actually, a casual stroll in sandals from Portola park headquarters would have revealed them. There was a small cluster between the creek and the trail right at the footbridge. Where there’s one there are potentially more, so I began making my way up the creek bed. The water level is still high though, and I was finding it hard to get very far. I went back to the trail and turned off and hiked through the forest duff until I found a way back down to the creek and onto a sandbar. I was finding my way further up the creek until I ran up against some fallen trees. Looking further still, I could spot some really nice displays of bright orange Tigers in an area where the water was deep, with a steep drop off directly above. I found my way back up to the forest to a place where a small creek ran down to the main creek, and a fallen log provided a pathway to get back down to the creek bed. As I gingerly walked down the moss covered redwood log and got close to the bottom, I discovered another cluster of Tigers that I had not even noticed before. Many of them were inaccessible in terms of getting close up photos. I used my zoom to get some shots, but that type of photo usually doesn’t look as sharp as a macro shot. I did get a few close ups though by parking my butt on a tree limb and dangling my feet over the water. I could have waded to get closer, but the water was waist deep, and I decided not to try it. I had not really prepared for that.

Please understand that I don’t usually hike off trail like this. I cherish our parks and preserves, and I generally follow all the conventional wisdom about staying on mapped trails to avoid erosion damage and protect delicate habitats. Over the years I have been an ardent advocate for preservation, and have devoted many hours of volunteer time to help maintain trails. I am always cautious, and I know how to navigate and maneuver through terrain without causing damage. I always practice leave no trace ethics. I was only doing this because otherwise, these stunning seasonal examples of nature’s handiwork would likely go undiscovered by human eyes.

I eventually got my fill of doing this, and had gotten some fairly nice photos of Lilies, so I found my way on up to Old Haul Road. I headed back over toward the county park searching out any accessible areas along the creek for any further signs of glorious orange spotted bloom-age. With the afternoon sun beaming away, it was great to have the cover of the tall canopy most of the time. I found my way back up to the trailhead using the Tarwater loop trail, and was back at my car by mid afternoon.

Click here to view the my photos

Big Basin Coastal Loop

2010-07-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Coast Redwood

The Big Basin Falls loop is an undisputed classic. Beautiful any time of year, the awesome redwoods, babbling creeks, diverse understory, and the singing waters of the 3 major falls all combine to make this a common favorite for Bay Area hikers. This fact is also made evident by the sheer number of hikers on the trails, especially during nice weather. The hike has gotten so popular that the crowds can sometimes detract from the experience. But there are other routes to the falls. One of my favorite ways to hike to Berry Creek Falls is to use a less traveled route from the coast. Lots of hikers and bikers also know about the out-and-back coastal route using Skyline to the Sea Trail. With very little elevation gain and a mostly multi-use trail, this is also a popular outdoor experience. It is possible to enjoy the falls and still have some quality quiet time along the way though. A good outdoor experience should include some time alone in nature for your party. We like to search out the less traveled routes. And yes, there is another route from the Waddell Beach trailhead that virtually no one uses. My wife and I first used this route during the winter several years ago when the water level in Waddell Creek was so high that some of the temporary footbridges along the creek were washed out. The rangers had posted signs at the trailhead warning of this condition, and of dangerous current at the crossings. But seeing this sign only caused me to imagine what the falls would look like with that volume of water flowing. Why would I want to miss that? Right? I considered the possibility of attempting to wade across, but it was way too cold for getting wet. I was unprepared for doing that, and I wasn’t sure I could do it. Plus, Sue was definitely not into any such thing. So we decided to re-route to the fall area using the McCrary Ridge horse trail in order to bypass the section of trail with the bridge out. We had a great time, and we still use this route even when the trail is open. McCrary Ridge connects with Hihn Hammond Fire Road, which in turn intersects the Howard King Trail near Mt McAbee. The King Trail descends back down the ridge all the way back to Skyline to the Sea Trail very close to the junction of Berry Creek and West Waddell Creek, where Berry Creek Fall is close by.

View from McCrary Ridge toward Waddell Beach

I really don’t pay much heed to the sign at the McCrary Ridge trailhead which warns that the trail is “For horse use” and “Not recommended for hiking”, “Very Steep Sections”. These signs are very reminiscent of the signs up on Middle Ridge Road which state that the Berry Creek Fall hike is a “Strenuous hike”, and warn to be sure you have enough daylight to complete the hike. These signs seem to be intended for the generally public. The route has an uphill return, and I suppose the rangers are tired of having to find people who are overdue because they are really not hiking savvy, or not of a reasonable fitness level for hiking 1000+ feet of elevation gain. For a seasoned rambler, that hike is really only a good intermediate level hike. I tend to enjoy a hike that offers some challenge anyway. As for McCrary Ridge, it’s really not as bad as the signs indicate. There are some sections on the trail that are steeper than the recommended grading for hiking trails, but they are do-able. I find McCrary Ridge to be a really nice hike with beautiful scenery, lots of character, and very quiet due to the relative lack of travel.

Spindly Knobcone Pines on McCrary Ridge Trail

The trail begins with in dense woods climbing up, sometimes steeply for short sections, but mostly gradual, under the shady forest canopy, eventually reaching the scrubby chaparral at the top of the ridge. On the way up its quiet enough to hear the bird sounds and breeze really well. You get lots of exposure when you reach the upper sections, but it’s quite interesting with its array of scrubby vegetation, and spindly, sparse, weathered, knobcone pines reaching for the sky. Plus you get wonderful views in all directions. Use your sun protection and drink plenty of liquid up here. Many sections level out, but you basically keep climbing almost the entire way to the fire road. Once you connect with Hihn Hammond Road, you turn right and do a short graded uphill to the junction of the King Trail, turning left to go briefly up, before heading down. Soon you are back into dense woods and giving back all of your elevation. This section of the Howard King Trail is the most elevation change in any one section in the whole park. From just over 400 feet up to Mt McAbee at 1730 feet. The direction we were headed has you doing this as a 1300 foot downhill; also a beautiful trail though. We found some really nice Pine Drops along the trail. Sue is usually the one to spot stuff like that. She’s good a spotting Spotted Coral Root and unusual stuff like Pine Drops.

Leopard Lilly

We visited Berry Creel Fall, and I was impressed at how much water was flowing this late in the season. It was crowded there however, so we didn’t stay around. I had wanted to return by way of the Skyline to the Sea Trail in order to hunt for late season Tiger and Leopard Lilies. This is the third time this year I have planned hikes along areas where I expected to find the Tigers, and so far have struck out, although Dave (my brother in-law) and I found pods that had not bloomed a couple of weeks ago in a different section of the park. Searching diligently in areas where I have found them before, I was able to found several clusters of Leopard Lilies right in the habitats they like, near the creeks. Usually they are difficult to get close to for photos, but using my best skills, and some rocks and fallen logs, I got some decent shots. I then had to really pick up my pace to catch up with Sue as she continued hiking out the Skyline to the Sea Trail back to our car at the coast. On the way back I was tempted to stop at Swanton Berry Farm on highway 1 for a home made organic berry pie, but I resisted for some reason (darn it!). Instead we stopped for some favored food shopping. Sue always likes to visit the natural food stores in Santa Cruz because they have excellent quality and much better prices than in the valley. We expected heavy beach traffic driving back “over the hill”, but it wasn’t bad. Only a little bit of accordion action to watch for.

Click here to see the photos from this hike

End of May Report

2010-06-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

With Memorial Day weekend now past, it really seems like spring is evaporating quickly. Local hillsides are slowly beginning to fade from the brilliant greens of the cooler season into the browns of summer as the sunshine gets stronger. With all the unusually cool weather and intermittent rain we’ve had here, clear through late May, the transition into sunny weather seems more abrupt. But I am expecting all this to lead into a nice mild summer. I haven’t been able to get away on any extended hiking trips since our winter trip to Yosemite last February. We had been looking forward to a road trip up north for a couple of weeks in late June, but work related circumstances have thoroughly dashed those plans for now. I’m still not completely sure exactly what my vacation plans will consist of at this point. I’m going to have to play it by ear. But at least I can always rely on having the great diversity of local venues for putting in trail miles.

We made one more visit to the southern end of Henry Coe on 5/22. This should have been a great time to get pictures of some really nice Mariposa Lilies out there, but to my surprise, almost none were to be found. I covered some trails that have had outstanding displays in past seasons, but they simply didn’t happen this year. I only found a few yellow ones all day. I was able to find plenty of other subjects to admire, but I sill couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. But we did have a fine day with clear skies and mild temps while hiking through the serpentine and scattered oak dotted grasslands on the ridge tops, and the woodland areas down at the east end of the hollow. There’s still lots of water flowing, and lots of seasonal blossoms and fragrance. And it was good to see that by the time we got back to Hunting Hollow the parking lot had a good turnout of visitors.

We went to Montara Mountain and San Pedro on 5/29 anticipating very clear skies. Sue suggested we try to find a nice view, and we hadn’t been there in quite awhile. We parked at McNee State Park along the coast and hiked up from sea level using the short steep route just to shake the legs out a little bit. Normally the winds are strong here, but this was a mild day by Montara standards. I spent the day in shirt sleeves and boonie hat with no concern about the wind or fog. There was some lingering offshore haze in the morning, but later on it cleared enough so we could see the Farallone Islands, the upper San Francisco peninsula, Mount Tam, and all around the east bay. The views from Montara Mountain are among the best coastal views available in the Bay Area. If you look hard you can even make out the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, even though they are just a blur in my photos.

On Memorial Day (Monday), we decided to look at Sierra Azul. This is also usually a prime area for Mariposa Lilies. Did I mention that Mariposa Lilies are one of my favorites? I typically find lots of white (butterfly) Mariposas out on the Bald Mountain Trail, and lots of yellow Mariposas near the grassy sections of the Woods Trail up high near Mt El Sombroso. But again, only a few were found. I took some photos of some nice butterfly Mariposas along the lower Woods Trail, but that was it. On the other hand, some other species that I don’t expect to find here were plentiful. Again, Mother Nature has proven to be a bit mysterious. But I suppose that’s how it should be. Always full of surprises, making each experience something a bit different. I think I should declare this year the year of the Iris. It seems the one common theme of all my hikes this spring has been the abundance of Iris. Even in places where I do not remember seeing any Iris before, like Sierra Azul, this year there were thriving displays of Hartwigs Iris all up and down the Woods Trail. Also a lot more Chinese Houses than any time in memory. Normally there’s only a few, but this year there are sections of hillsides covered in them, mostly all white, with some having pinkish to pale purple whorls mixed with white. I also saw three different varieties of Clarkias, Crimson Columbine, lots of Two Eyed Violets, and a host of other species. I have to say that this is the best I’ve ever seen this section of Sierra Azul, despite the fact that one of my favorites displays was really a no show. A stunning variety really. I’m still waiting someone to put the fire under the Air Force to get Mt Umunhum cleaned up so we can hike the peak. But for now the views from Mt El Sombroso will have to do. Here's some links. I will label the photos as time permits.

Click here to see photos from Henry Coe on 5/22
Click here to see photos form Montara Mountain on 5/29
Click here to see photos from Sierra Azul on 5/31

Mid-Peninsula Ridge Trail

2010-05-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

We finally got some radiant sunshine over the last couple of weeks, and it appears that those species of wild flowers that thrive while bathing in the warm glow are finally responding. Until now, most of the best displays I’ve seen so far in the Bay Area have been of those species which seem to prefer at least partial cover. I decided the time was right to take a look at the open grasslands of Russian Ridge. Situated west of Palo Alto, CA in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this preserve is usually a good place to find lots of variety, and this fact is no secret. This place is very popular with the general public. This tract has sun exposed rolling grassy hills, along with some interesting woodland trails, located right off of highway 35. A typical spring day there will find the parking lot full of cars, and groups of people hiking, and biking, the preserve’s multi-use trails. It isn’t necessary to embark on a particularly lengthy or challenging hike to enjoy the offerings. The primary wild flower areas can be reached in less than a mile from the parking area, with minimal elevation gain. On a clear day the parks featured peak, called Borel Hill, provides sweeping views of the bay, the surrounding hills, and even the Pacific Ocean. It’s common to see families with young children enjoying an outing at Russian Ridge, and that’s great to see. As for myself, I love to visit this place, but I never actually begin a hike there. Russian Ridge is just one part of the greenbelt system of open space preserves managed by Mid Peninsula Open Space District. Many of these preserves are interconnected by a system of trails including the BART, which make it possible to plan hikes that traverse multiple properties and easements. I think it’s important to note that land management systems like Mid-Pen and other park districts around the bay area are an invaluable asset to the local communities. They provide a great many benefits that enhance our quality of life, which go far beyond mere recreational opportunities; however I will not digress into all that right now. I will suffice to assert that what we’re doing here really should be a model for the rest of the country to follow. So-called “green tech” is one thing, but livable space, and preservation should fit in with our vision of a better world.

Now that I am off of my soapbox, I can describe my hike. I started along Highway 35 at the gate marked LR01 on the South Skyline Region map(available at trailheads). Its located note quite 2 miles north of the Highway 9 junction. There is also a trail head into Upper Steven’s Creek County Park directly across the highway. The terrain varies in character along this route and I have seen different displays of wild flowers along the different sections. Most of Long Ridge has open rolling grasslands that provide grazing lands for the coastal black tail deer. I usually always spot groups of them early mornings, along with other common wildlife species found in this area. Nice long range views out to the west along here too. Hiking north following the BART route leads you to the Peter’s Creek Trail which is thickly wooded, and shaded. After descending some switchbacks, a footbridge crosses a little creek, and the trail leads along an earthen dam shoring up an interesting old pond covered in green algae and mosses like a swamp. The ducks seem to love it. More dense woodland on the other side is dotted with Two Eyed Violets and Woodland Stars. The trail leads though a pretty little murmiring creek under thick tree cover, and then through some sections of old apple orchards blossoming in pink and white with a really nice fragrence. Further on you hike through more rolling grassland, an active chestnut orchard, and a Christmas tree farm, encountering mild elevation changes. Paying attention along the way you can spot Trilliums in the woods, and a lot of yellowish Iris, some of which have striking purple veins contrasting with the delicate coloration of the pedals. This year the pale yellowish Iris is in much more abundance than I can remember. Identifying Iris species can be confusing for a novice like me, but from my analysis for this location, they must be Hartwig’s Iris (Iris hartwegii). After the Christmas tree farm, the ridge trail descends to Horseshoe Lake, which is really a historical cattle pond with the typical earthen dam. Lots of waterfowl can be seen here. I spotted a Snowy Egret grooming itself on the bank and got some photos of this handsome creature. Continuing north, Skyline Ridge preserve has a really nice ridge trail with awesome westerly views and it’s usually peppered with common wild flower species and fragrent ceanothus. On the other side is the David C. Daniel’s Nature Center with Alpine Pond. A cool little interpretive center with some gentle trails great for families. Hiking through a tunnel under Alpine Road you now pass into Russian Ridge. Hiking up to Borel Hill you are treated to displays of Common Madia, Tidy Tips, and scores of Miniature Lupine, Yellow Violets, Blue Eyed Grass, Checker Bloom, and a host of other common meadow type wild flower species. Things are just getting good right about now. Continuing around to Ancient Oaks Trail will lead you past more Trilliums, Winter Vetch, Poppies, and more. Sometimes I do this hike as a loop hike by continuing across the highway into Coal Creek, Monte Bello, Rancho San Antonio, and Upper Steven’s Creek preserves. That is a much longer and more challenging hike. Today decided I retraced my footsteps back along the ridge trail to savor it again in the reverse direction. I always have a great time hiking different variations of this same hike. Combining other trails can give you a completely different hike. It's all good.

Click here to view my photos on flickr

Can’t Get Enough of Coe

2010-05-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

With summer rapidly approaching, I always feel like I am really missing something if I have not spent enough time at Henry Coe. The place is so vast it’s actually not possible to day hike all of it. While most parks can be fairly well documented on a small, pamphlet sized piece of paper; the official map of Coe is so humongous, it has to be printed of both sides of a large, reinforced, folded map that’s too big for a pocket. If it was waterproof you could probably make an emergency shelter out of it. The park is divided into regions, almost like there were separate, but contiguous, smaller parks that exist within the boundaries of the one enormous tract of land. Many areas are so remote you simply cannot expect to hike there, and get back out on the same day. One of these days when I finally have more time on my hands, I plan to do a lot of backpack trips here, but for now I am content to stick to the areas that I can day hike. This time of year, Coe’s punishing terrain is a lot more manageable than it will be when the glowing California sun starts coming in buckets. In spring, the hillsides are green and moist, and there is a lot of natural fresh running water around that is filterable. If you get a clear day you get treated to nice mild sunshine, cool breezes, and beautiful views. But maybe best of all are the springtime displays of wild flowers, billowing white clouds, and butterflies. With our proximity to the south end of the Santa Clara valley it’s a fairly easy drive for me (us) to get to Henry Coe, which is where I’ve been for the last two Saturdays, and likely will go back several more times before the season evaporates into the heat of summer.

On 4/24 I went hiking by myself out of Coyote Creek around the Mahoney and Grizzly Gulch regions of the park. The Mahoney region has quite a few seldom used trails that are a bit more obscure than the more popular trails and old ranch roads. They are especially nice to hike if you enjoy not seeing other people all day, and don’t mind if the trail markers are not quite as good as other places. In areas of high grasses, the narrow single tracks can be a good place to pick up ticks if you are not careful, and there are rattlesnakes moving around. I had one fairly large rattler cross the Grapevine Trail right in front of me. I spotted its back and stopped in mid stride. It calmly disappeared into the grass and I think it never even knew I was there. I didn’t get a photo, but I wasn’t about to go looking for it. Past visits have taught me that the wild flower displays are always changing. The types of species you are likely to see are not always as expected making each year’s hiking a different experience. My favorites this time were the Chinese Houses, some pure white ones, and some with the traditional purple and white whorls. Owl’s Clover in 2 different varieties, along with Tomcat Clover seems to be unusually abundant at Coe this year. I also enjoyed hillsides covered in Goldfields and Johnnytuck, clear blue skies, and lots of birds and butterflies.

On 5/1 Sue and I decided to hike Blue Ridge. I would have been content to hike the flatter trails around the headquarters area just to scope out the flowers, but Sue must have been feeling some cabin fever. She wanted a workout so we did the Mt Sizer loop. We did the short sidetrack onto the Ponderosa Loop Trail. I really enjoy the sounds of the sighing breeze high in the tall pines on this section of Pine Ridge. With the pine scented air it reminds me of being in the Sierra. Coyote Creek is still running strong and clear. Perfect for using a filter for a quick refill on refreshingly chilled water before hiking up the Hobb’s Road “short cut” section to the top of Blue Ridge. From the high points near Mt Sizer we had views to the east all the way to the Sierra snowcaps. This was the first time this year I have been able to see the Sierras without being in them. We’ve had a lot of murky skies this season, but we’re finally getting some clearing. Damage from the Lick fire is still very much in evidence up here, but at least the views have opened up. Before the fire the views to the east from this ridge were mostly obstructed by overgrown mixed vegetation. Now the views are excellent in all directions. Further down the trail we were both amazed to watch the soaring pass of a bald eagle gliding along the valley between Blue and Middle ridges. I was not fast enough to get any photos, and it was quickly gone as it banked off to the south. I’ve never seen a baldy out here before, and it was quite a surprise, but it was unmistakable. That’s the second eagle we’ve seen this year in the Diablo Range. We hiked past masses of Purple Owl’s Clover, lots of Lupine, and Ground Iris is in much greater presence than I can remember. Even the scorched Jackass Trail, which had been a virtual black moonscape, has lots of Iris showing. We ran into the Sierra Club Day Hikers along Poverty Flat as they were headed up to Manzanita Point for a barbeque. They invited us to join them, but we had to get back home, so as they were turning up the Cougar Trail, we headed for the dreaded 1000+ foot return climb up Poverty Flat Road to regain Pine Ridge. This climb always seems worse than it really is at the end of a fatiguing hike. This is a really great classic hike which we usually do at least twice a year. Not a casual hike, this is one for the ramblers.

Click here to view my photos from 4/24
Click here to view my photos from 5/1

The Nest; Our 2nd Visit

2010-04-25T12:11:00.001-07:00

We were so pleased with our last visit; we decided to make a second trip to see the condor nest at Pinnacles. Over the years I have kept a keen eye on the various California condor recovery programs. Sometimes I feel as though there is an undiscovered wildlife biologist somewhere inside of me. Wildlife issues have always been a point of passion for me, but I find the whole condor story to be an especially interesting and compelling one. It speaks to me more about the state of contemporary humankind than of the condors themselves. It is important to understand that the condors are not being coddled away from so called “natural selection” like some flying dinosaur unable to cope with change. The truth is; every one of the challenges they face are man-made. This is why human intervention was necessary for the condors to have a chance. It is my opinion that our successful efforts in helping them regain their rightful place in the ecosystem, and to protect the wild spaces in which they live, represent the best examples of why humankind itself will ultimately overcome our own challenges, and thrive into the future.

We decided to park at the Chaparral parking lot on the west side and hike the Balconies section, Cliffs Trail, before heading up to the view point. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and we were not about to waste it. We were treated to an outstanding display of wild flowers while hiking around amongst the rocks and along the Chalone creek. Based on what we know about this condor family, we tried to time our arrival up at the viewpoint at about the time we expected at least 1 of the 2 parent condors would likely be leaving to search, or returning with food. There were 4 people at the viewpoint when we got there. Jess, the biologist we met last visit, was there with a young intern from the program named Laura, a volunteer ranger named Joe, and another volunteer who had climbed up onto some rocks, and was tracking the birds with a little receiver. I didn't ever get his name. We found out that the mother had already been on the wing that day earlier, and her signal was to the south. Some other hikers had also spotted condors on the wing earlier while on the High Peaks Trail. We spent some time talking to the Jess, Joe, and Laura while park visitors who happened to hike by were invited to look into one of two spotting scopes they had set up. We could see the little grey chick moving inside the nest while the father remained crouched close by. About an hour later, the mother returned to the nest by some route that was out of our vision. Using the spotting scopes, we watched and could see her feeding the chick, its little grey wings flapping away. We were then able to watch what appears to be the parent’s daily bonding ritual. The parent birds took to flight and soared in unison high above the nest, mimicking each others flight paths and movements like stunt planes in formation. They glided around banking into swooping arcs and lazy figure eights. They are a marvel to watch because they move their wings so little. Their wings are kept straight and level and they use the thermals and air currents for lift. Their wings have large flight feathers which they use to generate lift just like the flaps on an airplane. They are very good at saving energy during extended flight. Their instinctive skills would easily put a human hang glider to shame, and those guys can stay up for hours. This was all occurring at fairly great distance. We were using binoculars to follow them. When they finished their aerial bonding the father returned to the nest to watch the chick while the mother soared very high above as she glided off to the south, probably to search for more food. She flew right over our location maybe 200 feet above us, and I could read her tags with my binoculars. She did not come close like last time, but with binoculars it was still another awesome demonstration of flying skills. Later on we began hiking back to the Chaparral parking lot while enjoying some great wild flower displays on that side. Pinnacles really has an amazing diversity of wild flowers which changes throughout the season, and right now is really a great time. It was another great day.

Click here to see the pictures from this visit