Portola Redwoods State Park
Hike Review
I hiked the Slate Creek Trail, Bear Creek Trail, and the Peters Creek Loop Trail before returning the same way.
All three trails were single track trails with almost full shade. It was amazing how nice the day was for hiking.
Due to the winter storms, there were lots of debris and downed trees on the trail. While the hiking was slow due to the trees that had to be either jumped or ducked, it did add character.
There were a few parts of the trail that had steep drop-offs, but the ground was firm, so wasn’t bad at all.
Around the half way point to Peters Creek is Trail Camp, which has a pit toilet that can be used. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s nice that there’s a bathroom option. Perhaps because there wasn’t summer heat, the bathroom didn’t smell. However, the toilet paper was all used up.
There are two creek crossings at Peters Creek, which just has to be forded. The water was ankle to knee deep, though I think the line I chose was a little deeper than ankle deep. My waterproof socks came in clutch.
There were lots and lots of poison oak on the trail (especially Bear Creek Trail), which we did our best to dodge or not touch.
I didn’t spot any trash on the trail, which was awesome.
I did get stung by a mosquito during the lunch break at Peters Creek; I was surprised that they’re already out and about.
What I Learned
It was my first time using my new Salomon ADV Skin 12 running vest. I had to return my REI running vest because some threads were coming undone even though it was only 6 months old. The new vest is roomier and more comfortable to carry. I’m not used to all the new pockets, but so far, I like it.
I don’t usually hike in a large group, but gave it a shot since I am trying to be more social this year. I didn’t love the experience (I have to give up a lot of independence), but it wasn’t a bad experience either. I did like it as a change of pace, and will probably attend another one in a few months.
I saw 12 banana slugs! I didn’t know you could see so many on a day where it wasn’t raining.
There were lots of flowers on the sides of the trail, which was nice.
I wrote to my friends using the postcards I carried, and enjoyed that process again. I’ll continue it until it doesn’t bring me so much pleasure.
GaiaGPS let me down with the map not loading at all (even though the saved track showed). I think in the future I should test Gaia by loading the map without internet enabled the night before the hike.
I packed 3 rolls of tortilla filled with peanut butter and it worked well as lunch. I did still get hungry on the way back, so maybe I should pack 4 next time. Also, peanut butter makes me thirsty, so i should pack some extra water in the future.
I packed 1 liter of water for this hike which was a little short. I think another 250-500ml would have been great. Or a water filter, since I could have refilled at Peters Creek.
Friends
I hiked with the Sierra Club and met some pretty cool people. I can’t remember the names of two people that hiked with us, but I do remember Bill (the organizer), Aaron, Irene, and Kim. I remember them because I spoke to them the most while hiking. Bill and Kim shared with me some of the adventures that they had planned or had gone on, which was awesome. From what I learned from them, I’m pretty sure I won’t be backpacking the Lost Coast anytime soon. Irene and Aaron were very friendly and shared personal stories with me, which I appreciated. I hope to hike with them in the future :)
What Happened?
13.1 miles, 6 hrs 53 mins, 2188 ft of ascent
In my effort to be more social this year, I decided to sign up for a group hike with the Sierra Club (which I am a member of). Out of the hikes listed on the site, this one caught my interest since Peters Creek hike was one that I had planned on doing—why not go with a few other people.
We met up right outside the visitor center at 9am, and started hiking around 9:20am. Bill led while one kept to the back to ensure that we didn’t lose anyone. The pace was a little slow, but made sense given that I believe I was probably the youngest member of the team.
The conditions were just fantastic for hiking—the skies were blue with the temperature being not too hot. Even on the return portion of the hike with all uphills, there was a nice gentle breeze to cool us down.
After we made it back to the visitor center, we said our goodbyes and almost everyone went to their cars. Aaron and I, however, went to the visitor center and got ourselves some ice cream bars, which tasted like heaven after a nice hike like this one.
