Moments in Dirt and Ink

Arcata Community Forest Click for interactive map Speaking of new trails, the city of Arcata has been getting some built. The Beith Creek Loop in the Arcata Community Forest has a nice windy bit that dips deep into another stream canyon, making a lovely reroute for a skid road that passed as steep and slippery trail before. I keep meaning to show it off although likely very few will find any meaning in it. They've also been hard at work on their end of the Annie & Mary Trail. A while back when I hiked the Arcata Ridge Trail, I found the base layers in and it was getting close. A couple weeks ago , it was paved with a bike zooming past. I've been told that the section still under construction is quite beautiful as it goes along the Mad (Baduwa't) River. So, with the caveat that I don't want to be pressing gravel about and slowing down the process of the trail coming together, I headed out for an Arcata Ridge Trail "thru hike plus". Past the first ...

Mendocino National Forest DAY 1  |  WORK DAYS 2-3  |  DAY 4  |  WORK DAYS 5-6  |  DAY 7 Green lines for days 5 and 6. Click for interactive map I might have overdone it on the Two Peak Extravaganza on the nominal rest day. I still found myself up a bit earlier than the rest and decided to see if I could capture some of the area birds and a few flowers in the meadow. Distant Mount Shasta feels much closer in the sunrise. The sun hits the Pacific bleeding heart a few yards from my tent. The robins were keeping the little ones safe and finding food. The western bluebirds were popping in and out of their nest high up.

Mendocino National Forest DAY 1  |  WORK DAYS 2-3  |  DAY 4  |  WORK DAYS 5-6  |  DAY 7 Orange line for day 4. Click for interactive map Wednesday is a free day, and while one chose to simply rest, there evolved two excursions among the small group. The more relaxed characters who still wanted to do something planned to head over to a small swimming hole tucked away above camp just out of sight of our trail in, then off to Solomon Peak for the views and memories. Unfortunately the swimming hole was dry this year, but the peak hadn't lost its views. I dreamed up the "Double Peak Extravaganza". First we would continue along the Summit Trail to where the Bigfoot Trail joins it coming out of Ides Cove. I mean, here we were on a BFTA trip and we weren't even expecting to touch the Bigfoot Trail? So we would tag it. Then we would continue a short way further on Summit Trail to where someone has marked (on OpenStreetMap) the "Sugarloaf Tra...

Mendocino National Forest DAY 1  |  WORK DAYS 2-3  |  DAY 4  |  WORK DAYS 5-6  |  DAY 7 Blue lines for day 2 and 3. Click for interactive map The camera saga continued as I found the battery dead in the morning. I used to take this camera out on week long trips without an extra battery because it barely used any. Just charge it at the start and it'll still be going for a second week of hiking. I didn't even turn the camera off during the day. It did manage to charge up from the battery pack in the early morning and through breakfast. The battery pack could get more power from the small solar set up that the group brought. Monday When we left, rain was in the forecast for Monday, at least a little at middling chance in the afternoon, and it was already looking a bit dreary in the morning as we clustered in for breakfast. (That's a wide collection of yogurt, bread, oatmeal, granola, jam, nuts, and more toppings/additions that pop ou...