Big Basin Redwoods State Park
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Waterfalls Loop Big Basin Redwoods State Park |
June 1, 2016
Because I must travel all the way to Pleasanton to pick up my wife anyway,
this seems like a good opportunity to continue another 50-plus miles
to catch up on some unfinished business in California's oldest state park.
It is supposed to reach the mid-eighties at Big Basin today, so I leave home
just after 5 a.m. for the 3-hour drive in order to try to beat
the afternoon heat. It is quite cool when I arrive, however; so naturally
I put on a long-sleeved shirt, knowing that it won't be wanted for long.
Hardly anyone is around at 8 o'clock
The first leg of the planned loop is on the Sunset Trail. The map
acquired upon payment of the $10 parking fee shows that I can begin at
the picnic area just up the road from the park headquarters.
What is this all about? See Addendum
Several trail markers point me in the right direction
Onto the Sunset Trail
Knowing that deep forest generally isn't the place to find a lot of flowers, I manage to spot some anyway.
Western Heart's Ease
A tasty California Wild Rose
Presently I encounter a huge obstacle that makes it clear that this not a heavily used route. Clearly, some hikers have detoured around it to the right; but I elect to clamber over the top and back onto the trail.
If this route were more popular, this tree would have been cut by now
Sticky Monkeyflowers
Douglas Iris
Easy walking, but lonesome
The crowds will be walking over on the Skyline to the Sea Trail. Over here, I might not see another hiker for the next five miles.
Tunnel tree
Banana Slug
Yellow-Spotted Millipede
I knew the name of the multi-legged guy, having spotted another one recently over at Mount Tamalpais.
One of the nicer bridges on the trail
After several miles of not being able to see the forest for
the trees, a mini-view opens up.
It's time to doff my shirt and don my hat
It is warmer here, and the flower types have changed. These two are new to me:
Bishop Lotus
Tree Poppy
After five miles of up-and-down during which I do encounter two other hikers, I turn left onto the Berry Creek Falls Trail.
Amazing rock coloration in West Berry Creek
Almost immediately I find a beautiful waterfall:
My photos do not do justice to Golden Falls
It would have been better had there been a bit more water in the creek, but this is a special place no matter what.
The Cascades are pretty interesting as well
Now, at the brink of Silver Falls, the 'main' trail heads toward the left; but there clearly is another way down, closer to the water. A cable fence helps me to negotiate the rough going without falling into the creek. This is a delightful route.
Can you see the hiker couple sitting at the base of the falls?
Silver Falls
Ten minutes farther downstream:
The fancy overlook is empty at the moment
It seems that the park's principal attraction will be mine alone to enjoy for a time.
Berry Creek Falls
I visited this place three years ago as part of the Walk Across California campaign, having hiked up from Waddell Beach.
As I finish munching gorp and grapes, three young women show up to interrupt my reverie, followed shortly by a fourth.
It's time to move on
Nice fence
Nice trees
A last look
The remainder of the trail will follow Kelly Creek, meaning that the scenery will be a lot better than on the first half of the loop.
Verdant spots are everywhere
This is much like the recent climb out of Steep Ravine — lots of
stone and wooden steps, and lots of fallen timber to avoid bumping one's head on.
These wildife entries are somewhat unusual:
This guy appears to be injured
Burrowing right in the middle of the trail
A signpost says that my car still is three miles away, and the GPS
says that it is nearly a thousand feet above me as well. It is
getting hot, my legs are sore, and my feet are inexplicably sore as well
despite the relative gentleness of today's footpaths. Admittedly,
I have been 'pushing it' in the hopes of beating the rush-hour
traffic later; perhaps that has contributed to my current condition.
The biggest tree on the walk
The last mile or so is downhill, which usually is good; but I actually have energy to spare, despite my sore parts.
Old growth, new growth
Western Azalea
§: Well, I do tend to favor loop outings, of course,
if only for the enhanced variety of scenery. Today, however,
the first five miles on the Sunset Trail were just a long
slog — a shady one among some of the world's tallest
trees to be sure, but a slog nonetheless.
Should you be determined to do a loop, then go for it; but if so, I recommend that you traverse it in clockwise fashion. That way, the last couple of miles will be downhill; but more importantly, the exploration of West Berry Creek will be done in the upstream direction. You will be facing the various attractions as you approach them, and you will prefer to climb that special section of trail beside Silver Falls. Those factors will make your visit there more rewarding.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Solitude | |
ADDENDUM
The Statue of Responsibility is the brain-child of Viktor Frankl,
a Holocaust survivor who just happens to have given the world some of its
most profoundly meaningful literature. His dream was to create a
park on the west coast of the United States, featuring a 300-foot
statue to supplement the Statue of Liberty on the east coast.
Its purpose would be to promote a perceived truth paraphrased by Ben
Franklin on the signpost — namely, that freedom cannot
persevere unless those enjoying it act responsibly toward its preservation.
In today's political environment of relative irresponsibility and virtual
lack of accountability, we certainly could use some of that guidance.
For political and financial reasons, Frankl's dream is a long way from
being realized. I am guessing that this 300-foot tree at Big
Basin is intended to serve as an interim monument until that time;
yet inexplicably I can find no information about it beyond the mere
mention of its existence. Had I been aware that nothing would be
forthcoming from the park brochure, and had I not been focusing on the
clock rather than on the outing, I would at least have stopped by the
ranger station and asked some questions.
Begin your own reading here: http://www.statueofresponsibility.com
