Hiking Big Basin
This past Sunday Merhawk and I went hiking in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. It was part of our we-don't-care-about-the-Super-Bowl plan I wrote about recently. The idea was that we'd take advantage of the fact that so many other people were glued to their TV sets to go outdoors and hopefully encounter fewer crowds there and less traffic along the way. On some of our previous visits Big Basin has been crowded.
Big Basin is in the Santa Cruz Mountains southwest of Silicon Valley. Getting there on back roads can be half the fun. ...Well, actually, hiking in the park is way more fun than driving, but the drive is fun, too.
We exit highway 85 in Cupertino and drive past increasingly expensive homes to downtown Saratoga, where we pick up State Route 9. Route 9 leaves snooty Saratoga behind just a few blocks later as it winds into the foothills and then begins a sinuous climb toward the ridge over 2,000' above.
Route 9 is a popular route with bikers-- both the motorized kind and those using pedal power. The uphill route is grueling for the latter but it's still immensely popular with them. On a normal pleasant weekend day like Sunday we'd usually pass several dozen. This trip, likely because of the Super Bowl, we saw only a fraction.
Route 9 crests the ridge after about 6 miles-- a torturous 6 miles for those pushing pedals but a pleasant 6 miles for those of us driving a convertible. Did I mention the February 1st weather here was in the upper 60s under a clear sky?
At the ridge we cross Route 35, the Skyline Bouldevard, another road popular with cyclists and nigh upon legendary amongst motorbikers (or so I'm told) and continue southward. Route 9 is the old road to Santa Cruz on the coast, but we don't go that far. We turn off at Route 236, which winds deeper into the forest past tiny mountain villages. At points the road narrows so much to thread between immense redwood trees that there are no lane markers.
Redwoods, of course, are the park's middle name, so it's only appropriate to pass a lot of them. This area is one of the few in the world they grow in, and they're abundant here. Once at the park we find a space for our car nestled in amongst a small stand of redwoods, shrug on our packs, and head off on the trail.
One of the great things about Big Basin is that you don't have to walk far if you want to see these tall and stately trees. They're already surrounding you as you enter the park. But another great thing about Big Basin is that there are other beautiful things to see in addition to the trees. Our favorite trek in the park is a big, 10.5 mile loop that swings past several waterfalls. And much of the trail has us winding on foot across a narrow dirt path between the redwoods.
Redwood forests have a certain quietude unto themselves. The trees' straight trunks are spread out creating a feeling of openness near ground level, while their huge canopies high up create a hush below. On a day when the park is not busy, when you can enjoy solitude amongst the enormous evergreens, this special feeling is magnified. You can feel like an explorer, the person who is first to discover this wilderness.
By the way, the picture of Merhawk walking amongst the redwoods was shot at 3:26pm Pacific, within minutes of the Super Bowl kickoff. I hope the view from your living room at game time was as satisfying as our view.
Whenever we walk beautiful trails like this we think about how they were built decades ago by programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps. So much of what we have, from roads to parks to hydroelectric dams, was created by our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations. Today we enjoy the fruits of previous generations' foresight and hard work. And we often lament how generations alive today are generally not leaving such a legacy to their descendents. California's crumbling infrastructure (outdated roads, schools, water lines, electrical grid, etc) is testament to that.
The present and future are not all bleak, though. On this trek we encountered work crews of another CCC. This time, it was the California Conservation Corps. This state-run organization has been active in Calfiornia since 1976 though it's the first time we've seen them in action. Upwards of 20 young men (we didn't see any women) were working with axes, saws, picks, and shovels to repair trail damage and prevent erosion. We were glad to see investment in the future.
We chatted with a few of the workers as we passed their teams. The conditions are tough: 10 hour work days, sleeping in tents, working 8 days in a row (but then 4 days off), all for low pay. I asked one young man whether he'd ever want to come back here again after finishing this job or if he'd be sick of the place.
"I will take my children and grandchildren here," he said proudly.
I get a lump in my throat just writing that.
But wait, there's more! Big Basin waterfalls.
Big Basin is in the Santa Cruz Mountains southwest of Silicon Valley. Getting there on back roads can be half the fun. ...Well, actually, hiking in the park is way more fun than driving, but the drive is fun, too.
We exit highway 85 in Cupertino and drive past increasingly expensive homes to downtown Saratoga, where we pick up State Route 9. Route 9 leaves snooty Saratoga behind just a few blocks later as it winds into the foothills and then begins a sinuous climb toward the ridge over 2,000' above.
Route 9 is a popular route with bikers-- both the motorized kind and those using pedal power. The uphill route is grueling for the latter but it's still immensely popular with them. On a normal pleasant weekend day like Sunday we'd usually pass several dozen. This trip, likely because of the Super Bowl, we saw only a fraction.
Route 9 crests the ridge after about 6 miles-- a torturous 6 miles for those pushing pedals but a pleasant 6 miles for those of us driving a convertible. Did I mention the February 1st weather here was in the upper 60s under a clear sky?
At the ridge we cross Route 35, the Skyline Bouldevard, another road popular with cyclists and nigh upon legendary amongst motorbikers (or so I'm told) and continue southward. Route 9 is the old road to Santa Cruz on the coast, but we don't go that far. We turn off at Route 236, which winds deeper into the forest past tiny mountain villages. At points the road narrows so much to thread between immense redwood trees that there are no lane markers.
Redwoods, of course, are the park's middle name, so it's only appropriate to pass a lot of them. This area is one of the few in the world they grow in, and they're abundant here. Once at the park we find a space for our car nestled in amongst a small stand of redwoods, shrug on our packs, and head off on the trail.
One of the great things about Big Basin is that you don't have to walk far if you want to see these tall and stately trees. They're already surrounding you as you enter the park. But another great thing about Big Basin is that there are other beautiful things to see in addition to the trees. Our favorite trek in the park is a big, 10.5 mile loop that swings past several waterfalls. And much of the trail has us winding on foot across a narrow dirt path between the redwoods.
Redwood forests have a certain quietude unto themselves. The trees' straight trunks are spread out creating a feeling of openness near ground level, while their huge canopies high up create a hush below. On a day when the park is not busy, when you can enjoy solitude amongst the enormous evergreens, this special feeling is magnified. You can feel like an explorer, the person who is first to discover this wilderness.
By the way, the picture of Merhawk walking amongst the redwoods was shot at 3:26pm Pacific, within minutes of the Super Bowl kickoff. I hope the view from your living room at game time was as satisfying as our view.
Whenever we walk beautiful trails like this we think about how they were built decades ago by programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps. So much of what we have, from roads to parks to hydroelectric dams, was created by our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations. Today we enjoy the fruits of previous generations' foresight and hard work. And we often lament how generations alive today are generally not leaving such a legacy to their descendents. California's crumbling infrastructure (outdated roads, schools, water lines, electrical grid, etc) is testament to that.
The present and future are not all bleak, though. On this trek we encountered work crews of another CCC. This time, it was the California Conservation Corps. This state-run organization has been active in Calfiornia since 1976 though it's the first time we've seen them in action. Upwards of 20 young men (we didn't see any women) were working with axes, saws, picks, and shovels to repair trail damage and prevent erosion. We were glad to see investment in the future.
We chatted with a few of the workers as we passed their teams. The conditions are tough: 10 hour work days, sleeping in tents, working 8 days in a row (but then 4 days off), all for low pay. I asked one young man whether he'd ever want to come back here again after finishing this job or if he'd be sick of the place.
"I will take my children and grandchildren here," he said proudly.
I get a lump in my throat just writing that.
But wait, there's more! Big Basin waterfalls.