Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
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Fern Canyon Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park |
June 23, 2017
On Day #3 of my first-ever redwoods hiking tour, I want to visit
the famous Fern Canyon, which is accessible via a 9-mile loop
from the park headquarters on what some writers suggest is the best
redwoods walk in the world. There have been reports, however,
of problems with accessibility to the canyon itself; so I will make inquiries.
A docent at the visitor center has a lengthy spiel ready for me as
well as a few other interested folk. He says that Fern Canyon is
closed; but then he mentions something about a 20-foot-high
blockage in the canyon that some kids are negotiating, which suggest to
me that the canyon is not actually closed at all.
The maps show a route looping through the canyon over to the James Irvine Trail; so if access is stymied at one end, then it might be available at the other end, right? I'll take my chances.
Starting down the James Irvine Trail, I walk for only about a minute before stopping at a nifty bridge.
The path ahead
Western Azalea
Blackberry
Suddenly I stop short, upon realizing that I have neglected to call
home today. It's not that big a deal; but my sweetie does enjoy her
standard morning greeting, as do I. It's not too late to try to
make amends, so I trudge back to the visitor center.
The trees and the bridge have nearly blended together
The docent tells me that phone reception is not available by the
buildings, but sometimes is active in the adjacent meadow.
I try that, but with no luck. Pshaw. Now that I am back
at the car, though, I have a change of heart. I'll not do that
all-day walk at all, for there is an alternative.
Driving a couple of miles south, I turn west onto the graded
Davidson Road, which winds downward toward the ocean for four dusty
miles, to an entrance station where a park day-use fee is
collected. There are five vehicles in line ahead of me, and it
seems the the kiosk is unmanned at the moment. I walk up to the
building, read the sign that instructs me to deposit $8 in an envelope,
do that, and head on, leaving the other cars behind. I don't
know what they are waiting for.
Now I am on Gold Bluffs Beach Road, which predictably parallels both Gold Bluffs and the ocean beach. Abruptly, the road ends at a parking lot where there is more activity than I had anticipated. This actually is good, because it means that others are visiting Fern Canyon.
I will have plenty of company here
This walk will be quite short
Entrance to Fern Canyon
All the plank bridges on Home Creek are fun to use, albeit unneeded in some cases. They do help to keep the tourists' sandals dry, I suppose.
The Maidenhair Ferns are beautiful
Ah, this is more like it. I have reached the high-wall section,
which is what this place is all about.
There are eight different varieties of fern in the canyon
This probably is the best photo-op in the canyon:
This is why I go hiking
Just to add a little perspective
I see a big obstacle ahead
Yes, this is the place that the docent was talking about; and it is not only kids who are attempting a passage. As I arrive, one woman is removing her boots in order to wade through six inches of water for about twelve feet, thereby solving the problem.
Not as easy as it might look; but it's not twenty feet high, either
For me at least, sliding off that slippery log with no available handhold was a bit scary.
Coincidentally enough, the blockage effectively coincides with
the end of the canyon's pretty sheer-cliff section.
Having seemingly seen most all of the good stuff already, I decide
to turn around at the next problematical obstacle.
End of the line for me
Up ahead, someone has cut footholds cut into the fallen tree; but going around to the left and underneath the tree is safer and easier.
Heading back
Did I sat safer? As I scurry underneath the tree, I bump my head on a protruding stump. That hurts.
There is an easier way here as well
Back at the big obstacle, I get over that big slippery log by straddling it
face-down, then inching sideways, which proves easy enough with the aid
of long legs. It's a cakewalk from here.
Exquisite
After a rain this could be spectacular
A good-feeling place
Up ahead, several folk are peering into the creek, unsure as to what they are seeing. One man wonders whether the little creature is an eel, but I rather doubt it.
A leech is my guess
Back at the canyon entrance is a trail junction. Knowing that the James Irvine Trail heads up beside Fern Canyon, I will follow it for a ways and see whether there are any views down into the canyon.
After quickly climbing about a hundred feet, the first thing I encounter is not a canyon view, but a meadow. I head across it, veering right toward the canyon rim.
There are plenty of 'bogstacles' in the tall grass
I am able to get a shot of a short section of the canyon itself, without getting dangerously close to the edge.
Fern Canyon
There aren't many animals around, but I record what I can:
A pair of banana slugs. Aren't they cute?
Another canyon view
Suddenly I encounter a set of wooden stairs heading
downward, partially blocked by a sawhorse-shaped
construction signpost. Although the sign is unmarked,
it does indicate a problem in that direction.
I already know, however, that a passage might be managed; so I head down the stairs. At worst, I would simply have to return here.
A fun crossing
Some new obstacles to surmount
Within just a couple of minutes I am back at the point where I had stopped earlier. Go figure. This time, I find a way around the obstacle and continue down the canyon bottom. This will be more fun than returning on the high trail.
Back at the big jumble a group of Amish women are standing around, their passage up the canyon having been effectively terminated.
I seriously doubt whether any of them will clamber over the logs
On the return walk, I could head over toward the ocean for a bit; but that is not why I came here.
The beach holds no interest for me
Autumn Hawkbit
Western Swordfern
They are in it for the long haul
The bikers are trying to avoid the creek ford
§: Well, I managed not two, not four, but three
traverses of Fern Canyon. I wonder how many others have
compiled that unlikely statistic.
More importantly, not only was the canyon not closed,
but the current obstacles seriously added to the fun —
at least for me. In retrospect, I am disappointed with the
park docent for his discouraging commentary; for today's trek was
delightful. I hope that no one actually canceled any plans
because of his misleading choices of words.
Even if there were an unnegotiable obstacle, hikers on the James Irvine
Trail would need only to walk the extra half-mile down to the western
entrance in any case. The docent didn't mention that.
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