Henry Cowell State Park Redwood Ramble

Today I lead my Foothill College class on the same Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park route that I took my College of San Mateo class last Spring.  This is a wonderfully diverse 5.5-mile walk, which took us through a magical old-growth redwood grove, along the banks of the only real river in the Santa Cruz Mountains, to a sunny overlook with sandy soil, a unique ecology, and views of Monterey Bay.

We started at the parking lot near the park entrance, and continued on the Redwood Grove Loop Trail, stopping to admire some magnificent trees and to go inside the hollowed out John C. Fremont Tree, where Lieutenant Fremont is reputed to have camped in 1846.

We then proceeded south on the Pipeline Trail and uphill on the Eagle Creek Trail, stopping to admire a gnarly old-growth redwood which was spared the ax because of its gnarly condition. The trail then climbs above the redwoods and into the sand hills, which have a unique ecology all their own. Manzanita, knobcone pine, chinquapin, and ponderosa pine predominate in the sand hills. A right turn on the Pine Trail took us to the Overlook, where we stopped for lunch.

After lunch we headed downhill on the Ridge Fire Road and north on the Rincon Fire Road and the River Trail, which took us back to the Pipeline Trail. Just before returning to the Redwood Grove Loop Trail we stopped to examine a rare albino Redwood. This pure white phantom of the forest is a genetic mutant that lacks chlorophyll and is unable to photosynthesize. Because it cannot make its own food, it survives as a parasite by connecting its roots to a nearby redwood.

After returning to the parking lot, we crossed the railroad tracks and walked to the right to see a nineteenth century steam donkey and a steam-powered sawmill.

The big surprise is the entrance fee to the park. Since I was here last Spring the state has raised the entrance fee to $10.00 per car ($9.00 if you are over 62). It is still a bargain, especially if you carpool.

TO GET THERE... the main entrance is just south of Felton on Highway 9. The Rincon parking lot is 3.3 miles south of the main entrance on Highway 9.

Skyline Ridge Open Space Figure-8 Ramble

Yesterday was a good day to lead my College of San Mateo class field trip at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. The weather was sunny and mild, though the coastal fog to the west obscured some of the best views this preserve has to offer.

Starting at the main parking lot, which is just west of Skyline Boulevard about a mile south of the Page Mill/Alpine Road intersection, we charged uphill on the Ridge Trail and continued on, past Rattlesnake Point, to Alpine Pond. Near the pond we examined a bedrock mortar stone where Ohlone Indian women pounded their acorns centuries ago. We looped around the pond, looked at natural history exhibits at the David C. Daniels Nature Center next to the pond, and then stopped for lunch at the nearby picnic tables.

After lunch we visited the cluster of buildings that are now used for MPROSD maintenance. In the early 1930's this was the vacation retreat for California governor James "Sunny Jim" Rolph. Nearby is a dead Douglas fir tree which is home to a lively colony of acorn woodpeckers. They are now busy collecting acorns and fitting them into holes they made in their granary tree for later consumption.

We then made a steep ascent up the ridge and descended downhill to Horseshoe Lake. On the way we saw the feral Christmas trees that were not chosen decades ago when this land was a Christmas tree farm. Both Alpine Pond and Horseshoe Lake were created in the 1950's to provide water for John Rickey's hog farm. We then looped around the reservoir and back to our starting point, for a figure-8 loop of about 4.5 miles.

TO GET THERE... The main entrance is on Skyline Boulevard about a mile south of the intersection with Page Mill/Alpine Roads. There is one parking lot each for equestrians, handicapped, and all others. You can also access the preserve from the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve parking lot on Alpine Road just west of its intersection with Skyline Boulevard. Take the trail through the tunnel under Alpine Road south from the parking lot.

Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny day for a six mile field trip at Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve. This is a great destination for Summer and early Fall because fog drip keeps the forest moist and verdant all through the dry season.

My Foothill College class met at the main parking lot along Skyline Boulevard. We then carpooled about 3 miles south on Skyline Boulevard to a smaller parking area at the uphill end of the Purisima Creek Trail. Our one-way hike took us 1.6 miles down the Purisima Creek Trail, where we got a close look at some exceptionally large banana slugs. We then turned north on the Craig Britten Trail and followed it for 2.6 miles, stopping for lunch along the way. This stretch of trail offers a wide variety of scenery, from shady redwood canyons to sunny chaparral slopes with great views of the ocean.

We then turned right (uphill) on the Harkins Ridge Trail for a steep ascent and lots of beautiful views into the forested canyon and on to the blue Pacific. Some of the class walked off trail a couple of hundred feet to get a close look at the legendary Ohlone Whisper Tree, which is a large and gnarly old fire-scarred giant which was spared the ax long ago because of its wounds. Legend has it that if you approach this tree quietly and listen carefully, the tree will whisper to you the words you most need to hear.

Our group then headed to the North Ridge Trail and uphill to our original meeting place. The total distance of this hike is 6 miles.

TO GET THERE... The main entrance is on the west side of Skyline Boulevard about 4.5 miles south of Highway 92. 

A One-Way Ramble on Long Ridge

Here is a wonderfully diverse and scenic one-way 5-mile hike at Long Ridge Open Space Preserve. I tried out this route with my College of San Mateo class yesterday.

First, meet at the Grizzly Flat turnout, which is along Skyline Boulelvard, about 3.2 miles south of the intersection with Page Mill Road/Alpine Road. Leave some of the cars at Grizzly Flat and carpool about 3 miles south to the parking lot at Saratoga Gap (at the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Highway 9). If the parking lot is full there is legal parking along the Highway 9 roadway west of the intersection.

Then cross Skyline and walk a short distance to the beginning of the Skyline-to-the-Sea/ Toll Road trail. Take the old nineteenth century toll road trail downhill (to the west) and turn right on the Skyline-to-the Sea Trail, which crosses Highway 9. On the other side of Highway 9 take the Achistaca Trail north for 1.7 miles in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve. This trail was named after a band of Ohlone Indians who once inhabited this area.

The Achistaca Trail takes you through shady stands of Douglas fir and bay trees, and into open grasslands and chaparral which offer sweeping views of the mountains all the way to the ocean. Continue north on the Hickory Oaks Trail, with a side trip to the left that takes you to Turtle Rock, at the highest point in the preserve. This is a great place for lunch, with wonderful views.

Continuing north, on the dirt road trail, take the narrow trail to the right, which connects with the Long Ridge Road Trail. Turn right (downhill) on the Peters Creek Trail to the edge of a beautiful pond, which is on the Jikoji Zen Buddhist property. Look for turtles in the pond. Continuing north on the Peters Creek Trail, you will pass an abandoned apple orchard on the right, which bears delicious fruit in the fall. Then head uphill to your awaiting car(s) at Grizzly Flat.