WEEKLY

WALKER

By Tom Davids

A Loop Trail into a Redwood Canyon

El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve

"Earth has no sorrow that earth cannot heal." John Muir

Directions: On Skyline Boulevard, 9.7 miles south of Highway 92 or 4.5 miles south of Kings Mountain Road. Park at Gate CM-03 one-half mile south of the Skagg’s Point view area.

Grade: Strenuous. The elevation loss and subsequent gain is approximately 1,600 feet.

Distance: Eight miles.

Time: Four to five hours.

Special Conditions: The trail is multi-use. Watch for bicycles. No water. Dogs not allowed. The preserve is operated by the Midpeninsula Open Space District (650) 691-1200.

You might think of this walk as your pre-summer challenge hike—your chance to reexamine muscles and joints as you make plans for summer activities.

The El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve, which includes 2,788 forested acres, is one of the area’s best wilderness preserves, but it also has three destination highlights: tafoni sandstone formations, a crash site of a DC-6 in 1953, and an old growth redwood about 14 feet in diameter. But for this week, we leave those common points of interest behind and launch into the deep southern canyons of the preserve for eight of the 36 miles of trails available.

From Gate CM03 on the west side of Skyline Boulevard, head down the Gordon Mill Trail, an old timber-haul road. Many of the old roads in this and other forested preserves along Skyline Boulevard were used to “haul out” timber that was used to house the Bay Area’s growing population in the early 1900s. The trail gradually descends along a sunny southern slope, under a canopy of second growth fir, oak, and madrone. After one mile, the trail takes a hard turn to the left and away from a beautiful dense field of pale blue forget-me-nots.

A little farther on, you will pass a narrow unsigned downhill trail on your left, which is the return terminus at the end of this loop. Continue on the Gordon Mill Trail for another 1.2 mile to the junction with Lawrence Creek Trail. Along the way are fine examples of a plant called horsetail, one of the world’s oldest plants. This variety is a muted version of the plant’s predecessors, which formed giant forests 50 or more feet tall. Examine the plant, and notice that it is made of siliceous material that discourages most animals from eating them. Early settlers and native Americans used the plant to scour and clean utensils, and it is said that early miners checked the plants for particles of gold to test the worth of panning nearby streams.

Turn left on Lawrence Creek Trail, and drop steeply to the lowest elevation (1,000 feet) of this hike. Cross Lawrence Creek on a nice wooden bridge, and gradually climb the opposite ridge. Lawrence Creek is a tributary of El Corte Madera Creek, and the bridge crossing is a great place to stop for lunch and enjoy the cool redwood forest. The next junction is with the Virginia Mill Trail, which was closed in mid-May. Continue on the Lawrence Creek Trail for 2.5 miles, gradually gaining 1,000 feet in elevation to a steep, unmarked trail. This trail is a short distance beyond a galvanized drainpipe left by the side of the haul road. The main trail will take you to Bear Gulch Road. The side trail, only .1 mile long, connects to another trail that begins at Gate CM05 off Bear Gulch Road. If you miss the unmarked connecting trail, continue to Gate CM06 on Bear Gulch Road, and hike the road east to Gate CM05, then re-enter the preserve and reconnect with the trail in .1 mile. The connecting trail tops out in .1 mile. At the intersection, turn left, and quickly descend to the canyon below. The next 1.3 miles is a pleasant downhill stroll through a second growth forest with abundant sword fern and huckleberry. At the canyon bottom is a flat area with a wide, unmarked level trail to your right and a narrow uphill trail straight ahead. Take the uphill trail that moves along the south side of the ridge and into the cool canyon beyond, while steadily gaining elevation. Eventually, you will reach a junction. Continue across the intersecting road for a few more yards to the next intersection, which is Gordon Mill Trail. Turn right, and you will soon be back at the entrance gate.

We hiked this loop trail in three and a half hours with a short stop for lunch and found it to be a good conditioning hike—not too steep, but steady, with sustained distances to push your heart rate to its aerobic limit.