Auburn State Recreation Area
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Lake Clementine Trail Auburn State Recreation Area |
March 30, 2008
This is just about a perfect day for a spring hike — a partly cloudy
65°. Plenty of parked cars line the roadside; but there are several
trails nearby, so perhaps it won't be overly crowded on ours. For My Barbara
and me the plan is a simple one — follow the North Fork of the American
River upstream until we feel like stopping. It appears that we will share this
route along the eastern bank with some bicycles.
The first noteworthy 'attraction' is the Foresthill bridge spanning the gorge
730 feet above the river. Built to accommodate the waters of the
ill-fated Auburn Dam, it is the highest bridge in California and the
third-highest in the United States. Had the dam been built,
this trail would not exist.
Bridges and bikes
Numerous species of wildflower adorn the route, as anticipated:
Popcorn Flowers
Bittercress
Redbud blossoms
Ants like the Buckbrush
Only a dog is willing to venture into the water today, as it still is pretty cold. Within a month or so, everyone will be in there, including us.
It's a dog's life
Numerous butterflies are flitting about, including this relatively bland-looking pipevine swallowtail; the females don't even have the white spots. This species is so named because its eggs are laid only on a pipevine plant, which is poisonous to most animals. The caterpillars feed upon it, rendering themselves inedible to birds and other predators.
A Pipevine Swallowtail enjoys a Blue Dick
But wait. Check out this same guy from underneath. He's gorgeous! Several other species of butterfly have emulated this creature's markings, thereby fooling some of their own hungry adversaries.
This guy can afford a bright coloration; he's poisonous!
We observe the remains of a home site on the opposite bank near the old
stagecoach route, just above an interesting river section. Perhaps those
folks ran afoul of their adjustable-rate mortgage.
Beach-front property
The scenic North Fork
The trail becomes shady and nicer after about a mile and a half.
North Fork Lake (reservoir) awaits us up and around the bend, but we are
going to call it a day. On the return we encounter a butterfly I
have not seen before — a sara orange tip, but it won't alight
long enough for a nice still-shot.
Pleasant strolling when bicycles aren't hurtling by
An elusive Sara Orange Tip
No springtime hike in the foothills would be complete without the requisite patches of our state flower:
California Poppies
Back near the trailhead
§: Numerous homes and other structures are visible on the ridge
top, on the outskirts of Auburn. Those and other artifacts render this
hike something less than a wilderness experience; but being close to home,
it has served as a good season warm-up.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Flowers |  |
| Solitude |  |
UPDATE
This outing was a perfect example of being relatively unprepared for an outing;
for it so happens that another half-mile of walking would have gotten us to the
Lake Clementine Spillway, which is a spectacular place. It would have been nice
to have known about it at the time.
