Part II, Trilliums are Out

Bush poppies blooming along Ward Road

This week I had the notion to go out and try to find some blooming clintonia in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I found it strange that I did not see any clintonia at all last year, but I usually see it early in the season in forested regions, especially those having lots of redwood. I have seen it in this region when flowering in reddish pink, and also when it’s showing dark blue berries. The best examples that I have personally seen (locally around the south bay) have been at Portola State Park in the Peter’s Creek region.

Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Hiking solo again this week, I decided to hike into the Peter’s Creek grove using the infamous inverse route originating from LongRidge OSP. With gas prices reaching over 4 dollars per gallon in California, it was a lot shorter drive this way; but that’s really just a fun fact for my green fetish. The real reason I used this route is simply because I enjoy it. I wanted to hike the section along Slate Creek east of the Page mill site. This trail section leading along the creek bed is thickly wooded, festooned with mountain greenery, and the flowing waters of the creek adding its gentle sounds makes it a very pleasant afternoon walk in the woods. Using the route originating at Portola headquarters is much easier, but would skip this beautiful section of trail. This is a much more challenging route which has a daunting uphill return, so it’s a choice each person should weigh for themselves. I also ran into some adverse trail conditions along the upper section connecting with Ward Road, which could have been troubling for some hikers. This section has not been maintained very well in recent years, and at one point there is a large redwood that has fallen directly across the trail along a slope, bringing a collection of other smaller trees and undergrowth down with it. The result is a thickly tangled mess that is all but impossible to get around. When I first encountered it, I tried to find a way around it only to find myself on the wrong side of a drainage to reconnect with the trail. I circled back and had to climb over the heap to get past. I hope this trail gets some maintenance soon because the whole upper section between Ward Road and the creek bed has lots of debris and issues. I may consider finding some time to volunteer for some trail work as I have done before in years past, if the park remains open. Hopefully it will. You need a good sense of adventure to hike it in current conditions. Again weigh it for yourself.

Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Beginning at an access point along skyline (hwy 35), gate LR01 is about 1.7 miles north from the junction with highway 9, which provides access to Ward Road (trail). I would recommend having both a MedPen South Skyline region map (available at the trailhead), and a Portola map for this route. You hike down from the oak woodlands through some chaparral with lots of manzanita, and with bush poppies and lupine blooming in spring. The view out to the ocean was quite obscure on this day. With luck there are fine views. At about 1700 feet the trail levels out and passes through an area dominated by Douglas fir, and soon intermingled with redwood. After making a couple of turns to avoid private property the trail begins heading downhill again. The second turn, which is not as well marked as the first, is the junction that become Slate Creek trail after which you are in Portola. The trail continues descending to the creek bed at about 900 feet. I was so glad I decided to take this route because I began seeing great displays of Western or Pacific trilliums (Trillium ovatum). This entire section is blooming with trilliums, but unfortunately no clintonia was to be found.

Sequoia Sempervirens

After enjoying the creek route, I found my way to the Slate Creek trail camp where you find the junction with Bear Creek trail. This trail leads up and over Doherty Ridge topping out at about 1466 feet, and then down into the confluence of Peter’s Creek and Bear Creek where the Peter’s Creek grove is located at an elevation of about 675 feet. This is where I have found clintonia before, but on this trip I found nothing. I’m not sure why, but I hope to find some before the season is over. I had to settle for the nice displays of the trilliums, and a few other species just beginning to bloom. The secluded Peter’s Creek grove is always a nice peaceful time, providing some nice relaxation before beginning the long steep climb back out.

I really enjoyed the hike, but the nice displays of trilliums along Slate Creek, which were the highlight of the day, could have been enjoyed with a much simpler and less strenuous route from park headquarters. In hindsight, considering that I was not able to spot any clintonia, which was really my goal, I could have skipped the Peter's Creek diversion altogether. But who doesn't love a good challenging hike. "Nothing ventured nothing gained" is a good cliché; but I just love to hike. In any case, if you enjoy trilliums, now is the time to get yourself into the deep woods while the blooms are at peak. I created a photoset from this hike on flickr if you want to see more. I also recorded a track log and uploaded to EveryTrail.

Trilliums are out

Aged cluster of redwoods

We’ve had a lot going on lately, but I took some time out for hike last Saturday and got the notion to hunt for trilliums. They usually start coming out early, and one of my favorite places to look for them is Purisima Creek. This is a great little preserve situated in the coastal mountains above and just south of Half Moon Bay. The trilliums come out in lots of other places, but they just seem to flourish here for some reason I have never been able to discover. I’ve had many cold, foggy, and wet visits here including last year when I got thrashed by rain and hail, so it was great to finally enjoy a beautiful sunny day for this route. I enjoyed great Pacific Ocean views from vantage points on top of Purisima’s ridges. So nice were the views that I could actually spot the Farallon Islands from points along the North Ridge and the Harkins Ridge trails with the naked eye. I almost wished I had gone to Montera Mountain instead to get the full 360 degree sea air imbued panorama including the bay, but I had come here for a specific purpose. I also took some time to admire some of the remaining examples of old growth redwood that somehow got missed when this area was logged many moons ago. Despite the logging history the terrain here is mostly thickly wooded with many tall conifers and a thick canopy. It’s a beautiful place to hike any time. The best displays of Trilliums are on the Craig Britton and the Whittemore Gulch trails. When spring arrives in earnest, there will be lots of other wild flower varieties. We spotted two types of nightshade, two types of violets, chaparral current, wild cucumber, and hounds tongue, but these were just beginning to show and weren’t really photogenic yet. The better displays are yet to come.

The route that I used for this hike begins at the main trailhead up on Skyline. The track log I’m linking here is actually my same exact route from last year. The route is an “inverse” hike requiring a steep uphill return back to 2000 feet. Another more remote trailhead can be accessed by driving to the south side of Half Moon Bay and taking Higgins Canyon Road a few miles to the rather small parking lot. Getting there takes a lot more driving, but will allow you to begin at the lowest elevation in the park giving you a downhill return. I would recommend getting there early if you want to that because on a nice day, this place is popular. As I was leaving in the early afternoon, the parking on skyline was full and people were squeezing their parked cars along the highway. It wasn’t a crowed hike though. I have attached a few photos below, but you can also click here see my photoset on flickr.

Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Giant Trillium (Trillium chloropetalum)

Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum)

Oak Protection Project Update

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



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

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

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

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.