Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
MVP:
Salomon Waterproof Trail Runners—These trail runners are as light and comfy as my regular trail runners and they are also waterproof! It meant that my socks were relatively clean by the end of the hike, instead of the socks being completely covered in mud.
Waterproof Socks—I bought these as insurance against hiking in the rain and worked really well for that. But, it was worth its weight in gold when I had to do various creek crossings that I had not expected. The final creek crossing ended up being the deepest one with no better place to cross the creek. The water came up higher than my ankles, enveloping my feet completely, but my feet stayed completely dry! Amazing!
Hike Review:
I hiked a loop starting with Miner’s Ridge Trail, then to James Irvine Trail, Fern Canyon, and finally on Davidson Road.
There is 100% shade, as there are only a few moments where you can see any major portion of the sky.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a dense forest in my life, with trees, ferns, and bushes covering the earth with barely any space to spare.
I didn’t see any trash and the trail was well laid out.
Because it was raining, some parts of the trail were muddy, still most of the trail (~90%) was hard packed earth, that didn’t splash any mud or water.
I felt that Miner’s Ridge Trail was the best, with the most gorgeous trees. I felt that Fern Canyon (especially because it was not hike-able due to the high flow of water) was overrated.
What I Learned:
Even though it was raining most of the time I was hiking, I was completely dry due to the awesome equipment I had. The synthetic puffy I bought also worked out perfectly. I did not sweat or shiver at all.
With waterproof socks, my feet remained dry even though they were completely submerged in water. I think these socks will get lots of use in the winter/spring seasons.
The Coastal Trail north of Fern Creek was completely washed out due to the increased flow of Home Creek. I had planned on hiking 7 more miles, but I should remember that when it rains, certain trails are just impassible. I did try my hardest to find a way though, which led to me being covered in thorns and dead leaves.
Fears Overcome:
Hiking in the rain—I had always avoided hiking in the rain due to my fear of getting wet and cold. However, with proper equipment, I can hike all day in the rain and stay completely dry.
Media Consumed:
Killing Commendatore—finished!
What Happened?
12.5 miles, 5 hrs 13 mins, 1283 ft of ascent
I decided to hike a figure 8 through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park but was able to only do the bottom half of the hike I wanted to do. Still, I found the trails to be completely mesmerizing (especially in the rain). I felt completely enveloped by the moss-covered redwoods in certain parts of the trail and was awed by the number of them.
I started at the Gold Bluffs Beach Campground and quickly made it to Miner’s Ridge Trail. This portion of the hike was just awesome. There was a torrent of rain, the trees were completely still except for the rain, and I just felt at one with the forest. My worries about getting wet was unfounded and I gained more confidence the more I walked. It was especially fun to walk across the dozen or so bridges (and downed trees) while hiking Miner’s Ridge Trail and James Irvine Trail.
Once I made it on to the James Irvine Trail, I found the hike to be less joyous due to the views not being as overwhelming. Still, the hike was engaging and the miles went fast.
I then hiked down to Fern Creek, but found the path laid on the map to be completely impassable. I’m going to guess this was due to the increased water flow of Home Creek. Where the path was supposed to be, there was just more creek. So I hiked back to James Irvine Trail and hiked some more. I then attempted to get on the Coastal Trail, but found it also impassable.
Defeated, I hiked back to the campground, but found the final creek crossing to be deep and swift. I could not find a better place to cross, so I just went for it and to my surprise, my waterproof socks held its ground and kept my feet dry. Amazing!
