Journey Return

Monday-Wednesday, August 26-28
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Redwood National and State Parks
Unceded lands of the Yurok Tribe

60.01 miles
7,181′ ascent
6,980′ descent
These three days and 60 miles of hiking were a focused training period and preparation for hiking the Wonderland Trail (September 4-10).

Monday, August 26
19.17 miles
2,223′ ascent
2,271′ descent

Park Headquarters to West Ridge Trail
Zig Zag #1 to Knapp Trail
Hiker Biker Campsite check-in
Foothill Trail to Brown Creek Trail lunch
Reverse to Knapp and up Zig Zag #1
West Ridge Trail to campground

After driving to Prairie Creek, it takes a bit of time sorting and fiddling to get everything situated. I have added a new ZPacks front utility pack which clips directly into my hip belt, that will hold my InReach, phone, headlamp, handkerchief, medication, chapstick, etc. I don’t get the earliest start but I’m on trail by 8:45am. My pack is way too heavy, at about 30 pounds.

I climb up West Ridge with an osprey calling overhead. I’m not very far into my morning and my shoulders and back are already hurting. I stop at my usual break spot with a perfect log bench.

I’m keeping this morning’s loop a little shorter so that I can head over to the campground check-in after 10am. For the first time ever, I drop down Zig Zag #1 to the Karl Knapp Trail. Despite the weight of my pack, I do my best to cruise. But there’s a spot low in my back that’s particularly painful – probably some compressed vertebrae.

As I near the visitor’s center, there are many tourists out enjoying the trails and awe-inspiring trees. It’s almost noon when I arrive at the Elk Prairie Campground check-in booth. I reserve and pay $10 for two nights in the hiker/biker campsite.

There are at least 1,000 dragonflies swarming above the prairie. There are so many of them that their collective flight is humming and audible. Are these angels? I’m totally in the moment and forget to take a video.

The hiker biker campspots are pretty great. Much more spacious and covered than the ones I saw walking in. Each spot has a table and food locker. There’s a water spigot nearby that doesn’t work properly but it is possible to catch the spraying water in a bottle.

I head back towards the visitor center and then catch another new-to-me trail. The Foothill Trail is flat and wide being enjoyed by quite a few tourists. I guess the main draw along this trail is Big Tree Wayside. Everyone wants to see THE Big Tree. I zip on by, not even stopping for a picture, and continue down the Foothill Trail. I keep looking for a lunch stop but there’s nothing that gives me much space to stretch out.

I come to the junction with Brown Creek Trail and decide to return to my lunch spot that I found earlier this month. Plus, I can fill up with water for the afternoon. It appears that the top of a redwood has come down and the trunk and debris litters the trail. I climb over, grateful that these things happen when I’m not here. I peer down the unmarked Carl Schenck Grove Trail and see a man and woman in a wedding dress getting their picture taken. I chuckle as I think about her having to climb through the downed tree mess.

I enjoy a nice lunch break next to the babbling Brown Creek. I lay down flat on my mat to rest my back. As I’m filtering water from the creek, a group of hikers come by headed up the canyon.

I retrace my steps back to the Foothill Trail and then continue on towards Drury Parkway. I cross the road and connect to the Knapp Trail. It’s decision time. I could make a left and hike the easy Knapp Trail or I can make a right and push myself back up Zig Zag #1 and the West Ridge Trail. This is no time to shy away from a challenge! So a’climbin’ I go.

I drag myself back into Elk Prairie just before 6pm and the fog is starting to roll in. I stop at the campground booth and ask the ranger for a pen. I have the idea to leave some of my food in the food locker tomorrow but want to leave a note with it. I absolutely must make my pack lighter.

I walk into the hiker biker site and there are some people who appear to be in their twenties unloading their cars and setting up tents. What the heck?! I say hello but they just kind of ignore me. I head towards the back where there is still a spot available. I set up my tent and get everything situated. I change out of my sweaty bra and top and put on my sleeping baselayer and Appalachian Gear hoodie. This is the first time I’m trying out this piece of gear and I love it. So so warm! I chow down on some food while trying to send some InReach messages.

I arrange my food that I will leave behind tomorrow and put it in the food locker with a note about my special diet. I also make my mocha coffee so it’ll be ready for the morning. I’m in bed by dusk but toss and turn for awhile trying to fall asleep.

Tuesday, August 27
19.84 miles
2,425′ ascent
2,393′ descent

Elk Prairie Campground to Miner’s Ridge Trail
Gold Bluff’s Beach Road to Fern Canyon Trail
James Irvine Trail to Friendship Ridge Trail
West Ridge Trail to Zig Zag #2
Karl Knapp Trail to Elk Prairie Campground

I rustle to life around 6am. I go through all my morning duties and head out of camp just after 7am. The other car campers are up and moving pretty early as well. As I’m walking out of the campground, the cars drive by and I see that they have government license plates. Ok, so now their use of the hiker biker site makes a bit more sense. On my way past the campground registration point, I leave the borrowed pen on the sill of their welcome window.

I do a quick glance-by of my truck but don’t approach it. I don’t want to draw attention to where I’m parked and all looks well. The park is still very quiet as I start my way up trail. I fork off onto the Miner’s Ridge Trail, climbing through the forest all by myself. By dropping several pounds from my backpack, my back and shoulders are happy and feeling much better today.

I can hear a bird calling in an alarm-like, repeating sequence. I launch the Merlin app which identifies my friend as a Northern Pygmy-owl. It hoots for a few more minutes and then goes silent. I take a break at my usual ridge-top log and sip my mocha.

The Miner’s Ridge Trail comes to a junction with the Clintonia Trail and forks left. This portion of the trail is particularly spectacular before it transitions to a more Sitka dominant forest.

I push through the green tunnel and emerge on the Gold Bluff’s Beach Road. I walk along the road as cars whiz by on their way to Fern Canyon. The tourists are going too fast to see the elk out on the beach. And I even spot a few in the trees next to the road. I get to the parking lot and find a picnic table for a break. The fog is still thick, so I throw on my patagonia houdini layer while I eat a snack and take my meds.

I weave through the tourists and enter Fern Canyon. The seasonal bridges are still in place which make for easy walking. As usual, Fern Canyon is dripping with green and water. I manage to snap a few pictures without people in them before heading up the stairs to the James Irvine Trail.

I’m not on the James Irvine Trail for very long before making a left onto the Friendship Ridge Trail. It’s steep at first and I kind of drag myself along. I take my time observing a northern red-legged frog and a few tiny scarlet waxcaps.

There are endless cobwebs which only exhaust me further. I notice that the elk poop from weeks ago is looking very aged now with no signs of fresh deposits. I push all the way to the junction with the West Ridge Trail before taking a lunch break.

Polypores abound!

I pause my Garmin watch but accidentally end the track. Dang. For the day, I’m at 11.33 miles in 6+ hours. I lay out my mat and stretch out with this view above me. I eat lunch and start to get a little chilled.

I’m back hiking just after 2:30pm. The trail signs are wrong as it takes me nearly 2 miles and 45 minutes to get to the junction with Zig Zag #2. Having my fill of West Ridge Trail yesterday and the hope of fewer cobwebs, I drop down Zig Zag #2 onto the Karl Knapp Trail.

Hiking along Prairie Creek.

After some map study last night, I am determined to find the illusive Corkscrew Tree. It’s listed on Google and Park maps but I’ve never seen a sign for it. There’s an unmarked pathway that forks off of the Knapp Trail which I follow towards the Drury Parkway. There’s a significant tree, also with no signs, that must be THE tree. There’s three massive trunk columns that seem to spiral around each other. There’s a hoard of people approaching from the road, so I snap my picture and run off.

These forests have tales to tell, mysteries whispered from every corner.

It’s just after 6pm and I’m finally getting close to the visitor’s center. I roll into the campground about 6:30pm and the government peeps are camped again. I try to make eye contact with them to say hi but they completely ignore me. I head back to the spot I camped last night and there’s another adjacent tent. I check the storage locker and luckily my food is still there and the new camper has added a note of their own.

I set up my tent and arrange all my gear. I make a pile of stuff that I’m going to leave in my truck tomorrow. I eat my dinner and crawl into my tent at dusk.

Wednesday, August 28
21 miles
2,533′ ascent
2,316′ descent

I toss and turn a long while before putting my ear buds in for some music. I must have lied awake until almost 11pm. I’m up before 6am and hike out before 7am. As I approach the main circular drive in the campground, there is a giant elk bull browsing. Other campers are out and watching. I stop my forward progress realizing that I’m suddenly in striking distance. The elk brings its head up and looks at me. Not wanting to be part of a spectacle, I take a few steps backwards. I wait a bit longer but the elk is back to browsing and going nowhere fast. It looks up at me again. I watch a car circle around and drive right next to the elk. Yikes! I retrace my steps and find a paved loop that I can use to circumnavigate my very large friend.

I walk past the quiet elk meadow and the vacant campground entry station. I can’t help but notice that the car that drove dangerously close to the elk is now parked at the bathroom. That’s some different camping skills. Why walk to a nearby bathroom when you can drive to one farther away? When you gotta go, you gotta go. Even if you have to risk a collision with an elk.

Today I have a permit to park in the overnight parking so I head over to my truck and drop off a few things. I do have a permit to camp at Gold Bluffs Beach tonight but due to tomorrow’s schedule, will instead drive home. After I get everything situated, I climb up Miner’s Ridge Trail and make my way out to Gold Buffs Beach like yesterday morning. When I get to the road, I accidentally stop my Garmin track instead of pausing.

I hike down the road as tourist cars come and go. I sit at the picnic tables for second breakfast and the last of my mocha. Then I decide to walk all the way out to the ocean since it’s such a lovely sunny morning. It involves one tricky maneuver over a log before climbing a little bluff.

I was trying to take a picture of this bird when a seal magically popped its head up.

The sun streaming into Fern Canyon is particularly beautiful today. Perfect crepuscular rays!

Near the junction with the trail leading up to the James Irvine Trail, I stop and filter some water. Several tourists stop and ask me questions about the trails. Guess I look like I know where I’m going.

I tread along the James Irvine Trail and luckily there’s not too many hikers out. When I arrive at the junction with the Miner’s Ridge Trail, I head up it for about a tenth of a mile in search of a quiet lunch spot. I throw my mat down and relax. To my surprise, several groups of people come tromping by during my lunch break.

I hike back into the park headquarters and pop into the gift shop where the rangers hang out. I mention the huge tree that’s still down across Zig Zag #2 and they confirm that it’s on their list.

I decide to hit some new trail and head out on the Cathedral Trees Trail which skirts the Atlas Grove. There are some really old and amazing trees along this trail. Complex architecture in the crowns and spiraling trunks. I have my eye out for Iluvatar.

I follow the Cathedral Trees Trail until I junction with the Foothill Trail. Like Monday, I follow the Foothill Trail until the Brown Creek Trail. I cross the Drury Parkway and follow the Knapp Trail back to where I started. At the junction to headquarters, I calculate that I need at least another mile to hit my three day 60 mile goal. I connect to the Nature Trail, which I’ve never taken before. I think it’s a short loop but then I’m climbing and at the end of the day, it feels like it goes on forever. There are some ancient interpretive signs that are virtually illegible. It switchbacks down and I find a seasonal bridge across Prairie Creek. I hit up the bathroom before walking the short distance to my truck. It was a great three days and the drive home is a spectacular sunset.

I loved the few pieces of new gear I tried. My Appalachian Gear hoodie is a tad heavy at 14 oz. but too warm and cuddly to leave behind. The Zpacks front utility pack was amazing since it provided quick and easy access to my InReach and phone. I just had to develop a new routine of zipping the fanny before unclipping my hipbelt. My pee rag began to stink because it never was warm or sunny enough for it to dry quickly. Never had this problem on the PCT.