Elk River and South Side Trail

Headwaters Forest Reserve (Arcata BLM)

(Map link.)
I've got the Elk River Trail penciled in for February to try to catch the fetid adderstongue (specifically Scoliopus bigelovii) in bloom, but by that time the river will be high again and the South Side Trail closed again. To see what it offers, I would have to get out much sooner, so I did. The South Side Trail provides a longer dirt alternative to the paved first mile of the Elk River Trail. Well, unless you are dog walking or bicycling. Neither are allowed on any of the trails south of the Elk River. They're less serious about being a reserve on the north side and allow leashed dogs along with bicycles.

00: information boards and paved trail — Just a little of the information available at the trailhead and the start of a mile of ADA accessible trail.

01: signs marking trail into the trees — A few feet along, there are signs marking the west end of the South Side Trail. The second is a long explanation for why dogs, no matter how small or leashed, are not allowed on the south side. One hopes it helps with compliance.

It's less than 100 feet on the pavement before the turn. I took it and found the trail winding back west before finally arriving at the river. It's just the south fork, so not that big to start with, but was certainly looking more like a thin creek with pools.

02: bridge like an extension ladder — A thin metal extending bridge offers a seasonal, non-salmon-disturbing crossing.

04: deep grey colored water with trees hanging over — A dark pool below the bridge gives the illusion there's a lot of water here.

On the far side, the trail stays low a short way before climbing up high enough to be among the redwoods. Sometimes it is on old roads as it drops and climbs again and winds along the hills.

05: brambles and alder standing tall — Where the trail is low and floodable, there are alders.

06: large redwood trunk — A little height and there are redwoods. This impressive specimen ends shortly above this picture. It's just a stump. The old growth is a long hike.

07: very large trees — There's a few impressive Sitka spruce specimens.

08: leaning trees — Long, leaning maples among more Sitka spruce.

11: cluster of mushrooms with caps upturning and disolving — One of a cluster of clusters of mushrooms.

There's random signs of human habitation toward the end, including a just visible house that has colapsed in on itself.

14: bathtub in a forest — A random bathtub beside a stump.

17: alien tentacles — Alien tentacles or a fungus emerging from a rotting stick?

18: long row of steps — You'll need to be able to handle steps without a handrail for this trail.

There's a permanent wooden bridge, just as narrow as the seasonal metal one, across one tributary. I couldn't even hear water in it as I crossed. Then there's another narrow metal extending bridge as a seasonal crossing over the river. A few winds up through the forest duff and I was passing the old truck and arriving back at the main trail with Falk and the end of the pavement just around a corner. It takes 1.6 miles to bypass this 1 mile.

19: brighter water — Sunlight leaves the water less dark.

20: the metal remains of abandoned things — I think it's a truck, anyway.

The trail after the end of the pavement isn't as flat as that before and a couple land slides have given it a bit more shape since it stopped being a road. The second, a space of slick and unavoidable mud on a slope has finally gotten the work it desperately needed. Small switchbacks have been carved in and a thick layer of rocks has been dumped on it. I hope there are plans to dump more on when the mud eats those. For now, there was just one spot where goo is starting to come up through the rocks, but it was the only place the trail was still wet from the previous rains. There is hope that come February, I won't finish with a decorative layer of mud on me. It has happened in the past.

21: trees along wide, flat trail — Most of the trail is still very easy travel.

I crossed the wide, old car bridge to get once more on the south side of the river and settled into the climb up to the postage stamp of old growth they'll let the public visit on their own. It's steepest at the start.

22: tiny stream of water — South Fork Elk River with creek sized flow.

23: oval berries in blue — Some of the currents have really big berries.

24: snake stretched out on the ground — The garter snake in a little bit of sun on the trail has a distinctive bulge in the middle.

25: smaller trees and stumps — Getting into some traveling rather than climbing through the second growth forest. The ferns are not so lush as they will be.

And then the trail split. I chose to do the little loop at the end clockwise. The old growth starts a little sooner that way, I think. It would be true to say you see different things going different ways, so there is likely an argument for either direction.

26: tall trees, big ones in back — Spotting the old growth through spindly second growth trees.

27: trail past big trees — Entering the best of the old growth.

28: log wider than a person is tall with big ferns and giant sorrel growing — A nurse log taller than the average hiker with everything but a tree growing from it.

29: big trees above the trail — Those same big trees that were spotted through the thin ones.

Then the old growth stopped and the stumps started and I got back to the start of the loop. I had stopped to snack (leaving no crumbs!) in the middle, but it still gets over fast. All that was left was to get back to the parking. Downhill I went.

30: big berries, smaller leaves — More berries on a different sort of current.

31: bird with sharp, straight beak and strong tail — It took a minute to find who was pecking high in the alder trees and dropping bits of bark. A woodpecker, of course.

34: yellow and brown leaves — One big leaf maple with all its leaves colored.

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