Ma-le'l Dunes North

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

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The Lanphere and Ma-le'l Dunes are one of three sites that were recently designated as National Natural Landmarks. The designation does not imply that you can actually visit them, and for Lanphere Dunes a visit requires a permit or guided tour. Ma-le'l Dunes are split in two by the nearby gun club with the south section being BLM land that is open daily. The north section is part of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and only open from Friday through Monday. As it was Friday and I had already visited the south section on a geocaching wander, I made my way up the rough road to the parking at the north end.

The view from my parking spot over the Mad River Slough. There's a touch of snow at the tops of the mountains from the last storm.

I brought Rachel's tall rubber boots along since I've noticed these areas get full of puddles, but then left them and just put on my usual shoes, which turned out to be the better choice. They've got very nice trails throughout and the recent heavy rain has left no puddles along them. I decided to walk the trails staying generally right to first wander the shore pine and Sitka spruce forest, then across the dunes and wetlands and along the beach before coming back across the dunes and wetlands to return. There is a great variety in a little space.

The start of the trails. Rules, a map, and local information included at the kiosk.

As I followed along the flat, graveled path on the edge of the Mad River Slough, I couldn't help noticing that the trees on the outside edge seemed to be in the process of falling in. Some are tilted far out over the water with branches dipping in, but just because it is slow that doesn't mean it isn't happening. Further along, I started noticing the giant wave of sand bearing down on the other side. The tops of dead trees stick out near the top and the ones near the bottom are showing some distress.

The sand is nearly upon the trail! The sign is largely information on these moving sands that probably got started with a megaquake in the 1700s and it's more than fast enough to be an ongoing disaster for the trees in its path.

Wetlands pop up wherever there is a depression, which includes along the edge of much of the trail.

One of a few hairy woodpeckers hunting through the trees.

As I followed the Tsoutsgish Trail to the end, its status as an old road became quite obvious as it ended at a washed out bridge. I was surrounded by water although the maps seem to indicate a bit more dry land. The tide was just about high and for the winter tides at that moment, that meant just over 8.5 feet.

That's as far as this old road goes. The far side looks to be ranch land anyway.

The land covered by the extra high tide was streaming bubbles at a high rate.

I turned back to follow the closer leg of the Dap Loop Trail up away from the slough and into the forest. It's not that far up as I got surrounded by the shore pines and Sitka spruce. There's quite a lot more to it. The ground is covered in little manzanita and reindeer lichen. The middle level has all sorts of bushes.

A look out over the Mad River Slough and the flooded ranch land on the far side. Humboldt Bay is just visible beyond from here.

Back down into the forest. Nice steps help on most the hills.

And the manzanita has berries almost as big as its leaves. Apparently this is what gets called bearberry.

The storm brought a little damage as I found a tree broken and hanging over the Viqhul Trail, the next one along. It is another that goes out and just stops, but I wasn't going to miss it for going nowhere. I squeezed past the branches as at least a couple others had already.

The trails are all signed and some junctions have maps.

The trail rolls along, up and down just a little bit, and swings once more along the edge of the sand dunes. It is not so tall here, but still rolling along with the same effect on the trees it encounters. It swings away again and runs into the slough, which was getting ever closer to the 8.74 foot high.

More moving sand dune slowly overtaking the trees.

The end of the trail is very much the end when the tide is high.

So I turned around again and returned to the slightly obstructed junction.

A look around the tall trees of this forest. They are the shore pine and Sitka spruce.

I continued around the Dap Loop Trail just to finish it off, then turned right back. It is a very short trail after all. The forest seemed wetter along that section.

At first it edges past the moving dunes, so is quite sandy.

Hout Trail climbs up the sand at a steep slope and the prints on it were all facing the other way. There is a rope along one side. It probably doesn't work as a handrail, by might be helpful to haul oneself up. I didn't try it. It really doesn't look strong enough. It levels off as it comes into the sand field. The signs say to keep to the trails or the dunes, so once on the dunes, I did what a few before me had also done and started to explore, first up to a high point on my right, then down to a low point and a row of signs. They were, of course, the ones indicating one must have a permit to continue on. I carefully avoided the sand verbena, which right now is a few leaves and stems poking out of the sand.

The gentle slope of sand. In the far left, a white toothpick of a sign can be seen marking the edge of where people may roam.

Everything seems to be rising up from behind the Earth.

The wet from the rain changes the ripple patterns.

I climbed back up and caught the trail as it headed off in an entirely different direction. It was hard at first to spot the posts marking the way, but then I didn't know they would be there.

Just the slightest view of Humboldt Bay when looking over the leading edge of the slowly moving sands.

Posts with big red dots (which may be reflective) mark the path.

Trail was obvious again once it hit the new tree growth on the far side of the sand dunes. It crosses wetlands, but there is no worry about wet feet as there is some very solid bridging.

The new growth gets a lot of water, but it is easy to cross on the boards.

Then I was on the beach. The tide seemed high, but was definitely going out. The tide only came up to 7.81 feet on the ocean side, which is still rather high. It's almost a foot higher than the average for the highest tide.

To the south, the coming storm is shading the sun quite a bit.

I turned and headed north expecting to go however far a half hour or so got me, then paused to watch the little birds at the edge of the surf. They rush in and then the waves coming in finishes fighting the wave going out and nears them, they suddenly wheel and run away, then in a continuous run bank around to follow the water back out. They would stop briefly near where the water turned around to look for tasty morsels, then zoom off to a lower section of the beach as it was exposed. Then the run back again, a few fluttering because they didn't get started soon enough.

The beach off to the north.

When the head is up, the feet are running. When the feet stop, the head swings down to feverishly feed.

The birds all have different timing in the run from the water, some of them with food still in their beaks.

The signs requiring a permit for entry line the beach along Lanphere Dunes as well. I only spent about 20 minutes walking the sand before turning around.

Driftwood doesn't come in small measure along here.

When I returned, I passed by the two trails and continued south a little way, too.

The sign is high on the low dunes to keep it from washing away, but is still easy to see from a distance.

The low dunes look soggy and a lot sculpted like they got a little bit of washing in the last tide.

Former barnacles that tried to make some redwood driftwood work.

There's getting to be lots of beach.

I got back to the nearest of the two trails. There really isn't that much distance between the two. I started along Kimuk Trail noting that the footprints no longer indicated I was going against all traffic.

Trail beside the sign back into the wildlife refuge.

Here, the wetlands are obviously wet even from a little afar.

Looking up across the edge of the newly establishing plants on the west side to the old established plants disappearing under the east side of the dunes.

Back on the sand dunes, I started wandering again. I had seen some suspected high points on the first crossing but hadn't visited them. This time I did visit them.

The great spreading of water around the Mad River Slough has dropped back into the channels.

The sand as it arrives at the old, lichen draped forest that stands in its way.

I gave into the urge to climb to top of the very highest bit of sand. I followed some footsteps around the grass and up.

The view to the south from the very highest bump.

The view to the north where it seems trees have started to setting into the tops of the dunes as well.

I got down again and went to rejoin the trail across the dunes. It actually manages a good bit of view out over the Mad River Slough, the bridges, and Humboldt Bay as well. There is a rope lining the trail again. It is on the outside, raising the possibility it is meant to keep people from wandering over the side. It is a bit short to prevent falling.

Another look out over Mad River Slough, the bridge, and Humboldt Bay.

A little more gentle trail down the leading edge of the sand dunes than it was to climb up.

Once again among heavy, hanging lichens, nearly back to the parking lot.

I got back and the parking lot that I thought was full before had nearly doubled the number of cars. They lined it all around. It was quite an excellent spot to explore especially after so much work has been put in to remove invasive species. There's still work to be done to help the dunes to the south.




©2021 Valerie Norton
Written 31 Jan 2021