Moments in Dirt and Ink

Eureka City Parks ( map link ) With a second day of sunshine, I decided to check out the trail extension along what will, one day, be a complete Humboldt Bay Trail. This bit has been referred to as the Hikshari' Trail extension or the Bay Trail extension. It's a piece of the Great Redwood Trail where the California Coast Trail follows along. Specifically, it is a mile of paved multiuse trail running between the breaking waves coming in through the bay opening and restored salt marsh. Since it is only a mile of trail, I planned on seeing a bit more and actually started at some parking at the Bayshore Mall for the Eureka Waterfront Trail. There's supposed to be trail parking somewhere around the mall, and I believe I saw it marked once near the oil pier at the other end of the long line of unused spaces where I parked. I got a spot next to a short gravel connecting trail and turned south toward the extension. This is paved multiuse trail with occasional rest points...

McKinleyville City Parks Mad River Bluffs ( map link ) As I've compiled the yearly hike list and map , I can't help but notice there's been a distinct lack of interest in presenting much local. I go off to the upper reaches of the Mad River and there's plenty of content, off to Trinity and there's a run of content, out to Nevada and there's a barrage of content. Stay local and there's whole months without content. I didn't even get out to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park to go looking for some of the distinctive parasitic flowers that are still to find. And I have continued this way as there is no content for January and nearly none for February. Oh, what a beautiful day. There has been a near constant parade of storms in that time, but sometimes they wander north or south and leave a day or two that turns out sunnier than predicted, much like this supposedly overcast day. (Well, it was sunny for a while.) There are things to go out and se...

Loleta Community Park ( map link ) I've seen that this hike is detailed in a couple news articles and blog posts and YouTube videos and Hiking Humboldt volume 2 and that it even has a geocache along it. It was seeing that the last barrier to the Great Redwood Trail has fallen and the right-of-way is now property of the Great Redwood Trail Agency (GRTA) that got me thinking more about it. It was seeing trucks marked "CCC" out on the rails clearing vegetation from the Humboldt Bay Trail , which is part of the Great Redwood Trail, that got me to come out and do it. On the drive here, I even spotted a sign claiming that the Humboldt Bay Trail - South was now under construction just south of the industrial park at Bracut. The north part of the trail currently ends at a missing bridge just north of Bracut. It all served to embolden me about this other little piece of the same right-of-way. The start of the trail in Loleta. In the newspaper articles, which are only a c...

McKinleyville Parks and rights of way McKinleyville Land Trust ( map link ) All the rain that came through has brought the Mad River to a level not seen at any time last year. Admittedly, it stopped and the water has dropped back down a bit. That has allowed the little creeks started to run clear again. It's prettier when it all runs clear. I decided to go out and visit the river in its long run from getting almost to the coast (near the old railroad bridge) to actually breaking through to the ocean waves over 3 miles to the north. This time I would use the more common path on the McKinleyville side of the river rather than the long sandbar . There's a lot more places one might start such a trip and I've marked all the spots with public parking along the route. I actually started at the aforementioned bridge, the southern terminus of the Hammond Trail. Feeling a kind of tunnel vision at the southern terminus of Hammond Trail. The Mad River is still muddy on its...

Lassen National Forest ( map link ) I enjoyed my time on the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail yesterday so much, that I decided to try the other direction. It's the same easy railroad grade until it gets to the crossing of CA-36. The train went right across this highway that didn't even exist when the tracks were built, but the people get the only piece of this trail that is not considered accessible as it drops down to cross under the bridge, then climb back up to the railroad grade above, both at greater than 3% grade. Gate upon arriving at the CA-36 right-of-way. Trail drops downward to the left. The actual old grade has already gone to the right. Looking up to the CA-36 bridge over Susan River (and the moon below it) The railroad bridge and the old Lassen Highway bridge Trail gets back on grade just before the biggest bridge over the Susan River. It comes with a lovely interpretive sign about the bridge that includes a lot of pictures. The railroad b...

Eagle Lake Field Office BLM ( map link ) The Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail is a rails to trails project following the Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific Railroad. It travels 25.4 miles from the Susanville station to the Mason station on old railroad grade, then continues on county roads (modified grade) to the Westwood station. It would be a pretty easy thing to through hike. (There's even bus service to make a one way hike or bike easy.) I was interested in the segment between Susanville and Devils Corral (named for sounds the wind makes in the rocks, supposedly) where both tunnels and many of the 12 bridges (11 from the railroad days) are found. Additionally, there is the Southside Trail, which gives a secondary route for a little different experience along this section. There are multiple connectors between these two trails, so a number of loops are possible. Small train stop themed information kiosk at the Devils Corral Trailhead The tra...

Leadville City Trail (map link) The Mineral Belt Trail is a paved biking and walking path that circles Leadville. Usually, 11.6 miles of pavement wouldn't sound very attractive, not even if it is a National Recreation Trail, but with all the rain the reliable surface has its appeal. Additionally, it comes with numerous interpretive signs that are all unique and very few generic. If you stop, you're going to learn something and it's actually about Leadville. I decided to do it with an extra excursion on dirt up Iron Hill. I parked in a big lot off US-24 south of Leadville, which does seem to be the nominal start point. I then took off in a counterclockwise direction, which brought me first to the 11 mile marker, so must be considered the wrong way. It seemed like an excellent direction anyway. Starting at the beginning by the baseball fields. I encountered a number of buildings and other mining relics very quickly. Though I'm sure there's ample to say abou...

Eureka City Park (map link) Sometimes, when it's been gently dribbling rain with scattered heavy torrents for five days straight, I get to thinking the sun is a lie. This is the real Eureka! It's not really true. Neither is the true Eureka because there's too much of both to leave out either. I decided not to stay in on the dribbly day and instead wander along the Eureka Waterfront Trail (including the bit in the middle I'd skipped before) and pop up to 2nd Street on the way out to see the old buildings. Other old buildings are available, but this one happens to have an "Adventure Lab" along it that points out a couple of the numerous historic plaques that tell a little about them. I started at the Eureka Slough unpowered boat launch, which is a small lot behind Target and put my umbrella up against the eternal dribble falling from above. The slough, the launch, the path, the highway, and the grey. I turned away from the highway and started along th...