Gary-Summer: December 21, 2017 - Jay Camp to Waddell Beach

Thursday, December 21, 2017

December 21, 2017 - Jay Camp to Waddell Beach

Title: December 21, 2017 - Jay Camp to Waddell Beach
Hike Info : Description : Background : Menu : Extra Photo's

Trail head:Jay Camp

Hike Info:

Type: Backpacking

Trail: Skyline to the Sea Trail, Howard King Trail, Hihn Hammond Road, McCrary Ridge Trail

Destination: Waddell Beach

Distance: 9.43miles¹

Start Time: 9:43

End Time: 4:47

Travel Time: 7:03 (1.30 mph)

Moving Time: 6:45 (1.36 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,633 '

Descent: 2,518’

Maximum Elevation: 1,757'

GPS Tracks

¹For about the first quarter mile, the GPS could not find its satellites. So I have added that to the mileage. Also I was walking a lot slower than Sherri and Steven going up hill. So my time is longer than theirs.

Description:

Cold Morning Start

I get a good long sleep last night. Maybe because of being tired, or more likely, it is cold and my sleeping bag feels so good. Even getting up at 7:30, it feels like it is about freezing, or colder with the amount of moisture in the air. But I do not see any ice on our water. I wait around, keeping warm until the others get up. I do not think we will make our 8:00 start time we talked about, or even a 9:00 start. After our breakfast, we get packed for our final day on the trail.

We exit Jay Camp, returning to the park’s headquarters area. Then cut through the Redwood loop to meet up with the STS. The first of the STS today is up, and more up. Once again, both Sherri and Steven are stronger at this than I am. I trudge up, but am left alone with my thoughts-which I enjoy as well, or at times even more so, than trail comradery. It is beautiful walking. Cold, but the exertion warms the body. I am just winded more than I should be. As we approach the top of the ridge, about a 400’ climb, the sunlight peaks through more. Until we break out to the top. Should be almost all downhill from here to the parking lot.

But wait! What is that sign? It says the STS is closed because of hazardous conditions between here and Berry Creek Falls. Now what? The recommendation is to go through Sunset Camp. But this will Add another 2.5 miles, plus an unknown amount of climbing. Maybe it is time to call David and have him pick us up.

Steven and I came to the same conclusion separately. I had been eyeballing another trail earlier when it became apparent we were going to get a late start. But rejected it because of the unknown factor. Steven had been examining a map on a sign. We both saw that following the ridge we were on was a road, at the end of the road was a trail which lead down to the STS by Waddell Creek. That was our solution.

The road is call the Hihn Hammond Road but there is a trail which weaves its way around this road it is called the Howard King Trail. We will we start up the King Trail. It circles around while not giving a very good view, it is delightful in that it goes through a sheltered area and with a trees hanging over and and giving a pleasant feel to the trail

By the time would we get close to the end of the first segment of the King Trail, Sherri and Steven have gone ahead and, even though this sounds odd, I am still behind. This leads to an interesting situation. I am looking up the trail and it looks like the trail goes straight. There is definitely is a time when this was used as a road, as I see two tracks going up my way. But I realize I do not see any recent tracks and the trail no longer really looks like a trail. So I stop, yell and blow my whistle with a single tweet-that says “I am here.” Steven hears it and comes back away and yells out. I put away my stuff and Steven walks up. We walked back to the trail-it now is obvious where I got off-the trail bent and I went straight. Sherri is waiting for us at the Hammond Road.

While I do not think of myself as lost there, I definitely was not on the right trail. Stopping where I was, was the right thing. Yelling and whistling was proper. If there had been no response, I would have used my GPS to backtrack to where I definitely could spot the trail I think this would have gotten me the correct results.

Lunch Break-McAbee Overlook

We look at the map and noticed that the King Trail goes on the other side of the road. The trail looks like it drops a couple hundred feet and then comes back up to meet the road again. Even as interesting as the King Trail was so far, we think we will skip this venture and go via the road.

In a little over a mile, we come to the Mount McAbee Overlooked, complete with a log seat to rest on. Thank you Mr Wheat for putting it there. We decide this is a good place to stop and have lunch, as well as just enjoy the sights From here, we see where Waddell Beach is and take heart on on it we know we are about to leave the road in in a little while.

Waddell Beach from McAbee Overlook

Sherri on the McCrary Ridge Trail

When we branch off on the McCrary Ridge Trail, we go along the side of the ridge for a little ways then the trail drops down somewhat steeply on a trail of loose rock and dirt. With our poles, it is not too much of a problem yet it is reason to be cautious. This is a very exposed trail as well. Today, it is not bad because the coolness but on a summer day you would get fried walking this trail.

We stopped often to look at the views. Across from us is Chalk Mountain, which looks like it on a map, there was once had a fire lookout; now, there is a large antenna. Not all the time are there views to look at; sometimes the trail dips into places of shade. This is a pleasant contrast to the exposed areas. Instead of conifers, madrone abound. This gives the sense of red when we look around.

Chalk Mountain

There is a sense that this trail keeps on going down and down and down-it is good we are not going up it. We start to see evidence of the East Waddell Creek on our left side. So we know we are getting close to the junction with the STS.

Sherri among the madrone

Steven

We find at the junction sign saying that this was a horse trail going up and it is very steep. Our thoughts are: “well duh, it is steep”. But we are glad we have come down the trail. From this point on is just a straight shot to the car about two and a half or three miles. By the time Sherri and I have gotten to the junction Steven has gone ahead.

Since we left the STS, we have not seen people but as we are on the STS. there we have started running into hikers and a few bicyclists. Nothing major, just a bit jarring. Since we are now in the valley created by Waddell Creek, It is a lot darker, almost gloomy-both because of the deepness of the canyon but also of the fading light of day.

East Waddell Creek

There is a place where the trail splits off: hikers cross Waddell Creek and go up and around before dropping into the parking lot; bicycles and horses continue down the road. But when we examined were the trails supposed to go, it looks like a bridge has been washed out and there is one possible place to cross without taking off our shoes. At this point in the day we think, “why do we want to go to through this when we can just walk down the road?” So that is what we do. Nobody seems to care that we are just walking down the road and this does give us pretty good time. The road is pretty level a bit rolling but nothing dramatic. And then we see the side of the cars and we know that our trip is done. Steven is waiting for us in the car.

We get all packed up and ready to go. Steven drives us down to Santa Cruz where we have pizza at the Upper Crust Pizza.. Tastes really good today and we stuff ourselves enough so that we think why do we really want to go to Marianne's? That is besides the ice cream is really good and it is our tradition when we are in Santa Cruz.. We inquire at the Upper Crust if they serve ice cream Marianne's Ice Cream. They do but only vanilla. But they make a dessert of a vanilla with a cookie and toppings and stuff. So we order that and are satisfied. Steven drives as back to Fresno and we get in about 10. Tired, but feeling good about ourselves.

Background

STS: Skyline to the Sea Trail

Howard King Trail: Howard King was a photographer and conservationist who helped found the Sempervirens Fund. He was also a volunteer who helped to build and maintain many hiking trails. Born in Otisco, N.Y., south of Syracuse, in 1906 he died June 29, 2003 of natural causes at his home in Boulder Creek. He helped write and illustrated the book, Plants of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Taken from LocalWiki.. Also see the LA Times obituary.

Hihn Hammond Road: Named after the Hihn Hammond Lumber Company. Just as a point of interest. About six months before we walked this road, a tree fell and a video was caught of it falling.

McAbee Mountain: As much as I looked for this mountain, I could not see it. That is because it was right next to us. Instead of looking East or South, I should have looked NorthWest about 200 yards. Sometimes these things are right there staring at you.

As a note when I dropped off the car Monday I paid a $10 parking fee for Monday night. I was not sure if our permit covered that night. But we saw the law enforcement person who is collecting the money and I asked him. He said that yes a few for Monday night since the permit did not cover Monday but only Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday nights. So it was a good thing I left the money there Monday.

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Oatmeal and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola. Tang.	Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Upper Crust Pizza	Clif Bar, GORP, Propel, CytoMax, Scrytch, Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly