For those who want to travel vicariously, here are three short hikes in California from a vacation earlier this month.
Maple Falls - Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
I grew up hiking through the redwood forests here. A fire road that's popular with mountain bikers runs straight through the park and up an incline to a viewpoint, with small trails weaving off to the side in either direction. Logging was big 100 years ago, and there are plenty of remnants scattered through the forest.
http://www.advocatesfnm.org/photos/history2.jpg
Photo: http://www.advocatesfnm.org/history.html
From my last trip in 2012
Nisene is also notable as the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that collapsed a section of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.
From my last trip in 2012
Photo: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/ ... _10_18.php
This trip we didn't have time to do a long hike, so we did a short 5 mi out and back to Maple Falls. EG was around 500 ft - the area is pretty flat, and even if you go to the viewpoint at the top of the incline, it's not much more than 1000 ft. Some of the trails are very wide, with a nice cushion of needles.
Remnants of old railroad ties from the small trains used to transport cut lumber in the logging days.
Big trees abound.
Walking across some large trees that made a railroad bridge back in the day.
(This is to the left of where I was standing)
Photo: http://santacruzareaproperties.wordpres ... alls-hike/
Maple Falls is a trickle in summer, and tiny by NW waterfall standards.
I did not walk out on the log, despite the temptation...
Rocky Ridge, Sobranes Canyon, Garrapata State Park
Just south of Carmel on the way down to Big Sur, I used to do this hike in high school. Parking is free on the side of Highway 1. There is a loop up the ridge and back down the canyon (7 mi?), but we wanted to save time to explore some of Big Sur (lots of photo ops!), so we only went up the ridge to the viewing bench and back. It's short - maybe 3.5 mi, but steep - 1200 ft or so. Can't beat the view.
Bishop's Peak, San Luis Obispo
Bishop's Peak is the tallest and most popular of the Nine Sisters, a chain of small volcanic cones on the central coast. The hike is around 4 mi round trip, with 1000 ft of EG.
I love California oaks...
Looking NW towards the ocean.
Bonus
Avila Beach
Pit stop on the drive back north.
Three shorties in California - Oct. 13-17, 2014
Three shorties in California - Oct. 13-17, 2014
#pnw #bestlife #bitingflies #favoriteyellowcap #neverdispleased
- adamschneider
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Re: Three shorties in California - Oct. 13-17, 2014
I did Rocky Ridge (and Soberanes Canyon) in the early part of wildflower season this past spring. I went up the canyon and then down the ridge: http://adamschneider.net/photos/2014-04-bs/
- weathercrazy
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Re: Three shorties in California - Oct. 13-17, 2014
I love that shot overlooking the ocean. Though that trail looks like one to avoid when it's too hot!
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