1       August 2019 Redwoods Trip

 There was a lot of planning put into this trip but time was set aside for fun hikes as well.  My sister Lisa met me on this trip, she is a very knowledgeable outdoorsperson and a strong hiker. We made an interesting duo arriving at hotels and places to buy food, two older middle-aged people with Monongahela twangs wearing dusty trail clothes and hiking backpacks.  There is unfortunately a certain chill toward people looking a little musty and dusty at North Coast businesses.  Anyhow once credit cards and ID were presented people were friendly enough, but not until then.  In the parks. rangers are immediately friendly to everyone.

2       Montgomery Woods Reserve

The first stop was a scenic late afternoon hike around the Montgomery Woods Reserve loop.    This is a great place to get close to tall trail side redwoods and to see tall trees in their full profile. In the late afternoon the green crowns are lit up by the sun while the lower trunks are in the canyon shadows.  It’s a pretty spectacular sight.

3       Humboldt Redwoods State Park

We spent a good deal of time in Humboldt Redwoods exploring the groves along the Eel River and Bull Creek.   A particularly interesting hike was the new Canoe Creek loop on the River Trail.  There are a lot of huckleberry in the fire recovery areas and it is evident bears are enjoying the huckleberries.  Some good blackberries as well. 

Canoe Creek has a flat near the Eel River with some really nice redwoods.

Humboldt Redwoods has a number of trees that are joining the 350+ redwood club.  We used LiDAR data to find one of these new trees.

4       Redwood National Park

On another day we did some hiking in the Redwood Creek area.  There was a small group of fledgling raptors on the hunt in Redwood Creek Canyon, looking for fish in the creek from high above.  They were probably bald eagles.  We saw a bunch of college aged trail runners zipping along Redwood Creek trail in groups of two or three, moving so quickly they made a breeze as they went by. 

5       Del Norte Redwoods State Park

In Del Norte Redwoods we hiked the Damnation Creek trail.   This trail goes from 101 (enter and exit southbound), crosses the old Coastal Highway (Coastal Trail), and then winds down to the Pacific.  It is pretty special to see the blue ocean and hear the surf while still high up at the edge of the redwoods.  I didn’t make it down the switchbacks to the beach, but Lisa did.

It was great to see the redwoods again this year.

Thanks for reading.