Hikshari' Trail to King Salmon

Eureka City Park

(Map link.)

I decided to take the Hikshari' Trail, the southern end of the Eureka Waterfront Trail and part of the Humboldt Bay Trail, in a new season. For the most part, the different season just meant it was drier in the areas that are not bay. I started a little south of where I intended, having turned at the second road after the Bayshore Mall instead of the first, then wandering along to the parking at one of the parks. That just avoids the parts close to a little used road, leaving the parts on the far side of the water treatment plant.

The view north over the bay from the park at the end of the road.

I headed south on the bike path, but turned onto the gravel alternate almost immediately. It doesn't go very far, but it does it closer to the water.

Information sign about the trail at the junction with the Melvin "Cappy" McKinnley Loop Trail, which provides an alternate for a short way.

South along the bay from the gravel trail.

I soon found myself back on the paved path. It gets close to the bay, too, but also gets surrounded by willows and blackberries. There's a sign stating that these are great places to find birds, including ones usually somewhere else for the season. It was almost quiet among those branches, though.

I found a slug that's as big as a banana slug, but not supposed to live here.

One of the sections where the trail is close to the bay, looking south.

The trail leaves the old railroad grade. I could faithfully follow it to more parking, or return and catch that bit of trail I had missed. I decided to continue along the (future) Humboldt Bay Trail, on and around the railroad grade, for a little longer.

A caterpillar among the blackberries coming up in the middle of the tracks.

Bright blooms of fennel along the tracks.

The tracks have filled in with sand from when the waves wash over. The edge is hardened in this area where the Elk River sandspit doesn't protect it.

When it is properly part of the Humboldt Bay Trail, it'll be more paved multiuse trail and the tracks will be long gone. They are a little bit dangerous now. I had fun playing among them.

The old ties aren't straight.

The rock wall hasn't saved the tracks at all.

One more railroad tie is about to make its escape.

The trail gets a little brushy as it approaches King Salmon. The old railroad grade cuts across inland while a second route behind the rock hardening along the bay offers a second route. Choices. I started along beside the rocks, then admitted that it was getting late and I should probably be turning back.

Arriving at the King Salmon area means finding more industry. This is the trail beside the rocks.

The railroad grade crosses inland among the brush on the other side of the fenced off field.

A different look at the hardened coastline and what it is hardened against.

So I did turn back.

A kite with a fresh catch eyes me from a fencepost.

There are sorts of rock piers along the way that one may step out on, at least if the waves aren't getting too active. There were only little splashes as I was walking by.

The view south to King Salmon. The hill is the tsunami evacuation zone.

Something was built here once? Or a shipwreck? It would probably be in the list of shipwrecks you can visit if it was one.

Pieces that were separate are now fused, but pieces that were solid are flaking into many.

When the beach started, I decided to walk along it a little way. Just until there is a major trail back to the railroad bridge. All the way out would be very far indeed.

On the beach until nearing an old wooden wall, which is a good sign to turn and get to the trail.

The sun is setting.

I overshot the major trail slightly, but there's plenty of other trails to follow through the grasses and back to the bridge.

There were a few more birds overhead as I went back. The evening was bringing out the bugs and the bugs were bringing out the swallows. They would fly over in bunches.

A scattering of swallows in the sky above.

A nice little walk, if a bit flat. The birds were quite unexpected.

*photo album*




©2021 Valerie Norton
Written 15 Sep 2021