Hiking After the Rain

Saturday, April 14th

When you're hiking in the rain, mud and water on the trail are only to be expected. Hiking after a couple of heavy downpours also brings the expected mud. However, it is a special challenge when the streams decide to use your path as their waterway. It's times like these that I'm especially grateful to have my hiking poles - they really help with the slippery footing!

Golden Spike trail, Redwood Park

I'm sometimes tempted to do a little water engineering at times like this. However, I try to follow the edict of "do no harm", and I'm not sure which is better - erosion of the entire trail via the waterway? Or erosion of the bank where the water runs off? I'm sure someone better trained in trail management, and that would be just about anyone, would know better, which is why I try to avoid the temptation to divert the waterways. It does remind me, however, of the hours of happy times spent as a child re-engineering the little stream that ran into the back yard.

All the rain does bring some gorgeous sights along the way, including tiny waterfalls, that won't last a week.

Toyon Trail, Redwood Park

I also saw another favorite plant that I want to bring home and put in my front yard. I have similar ones, I think, but these are so pretty! I need to bring this picture to Annie's Annuals and ask them.

Monteiro Trail

I also found another wildflower that I'm fond of, but also don't know the name. Instead of a large cluster, though, these are tiny and singular. The conflict between having enough time to garden, as well as enough time for hiking adventures has already begun.


My hike this time took me up the Monteiro Trail to the West Ridge. I then went into Roberts Park to use the restroom. While I have lost most inhibitions about peeing in the woods while alone, that solitude is not guaranteed on a beautiful Saturday in Redwood Park. So having a bathroom (with flush toilets) at the top of the trail is a wonderful thing. I then continued on to the Chabot Observatory. While I was there, I decided to turn back and add more length via the return trip instead.

The appropriately named Fern Trail.

So I took the Fern Trail to French Trail, went back up to the West Ridge, and then down one of my favorites, the Toyon Trail. I'll have to study the map to get the mileage. I'm still looking for an app that will add up the little trail numbers for me. Any suggestions?