WEEKLY
WALKER
By Tom
Davids
The Resolution Trail
El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve
"Air Pacific
easy, Roger, southeast, turning inbound".
--the last transmission from the Resolution
Directions: On Skyline boulevard, 9.3 miles south
of Highway 92 or 4.4 miles south of Kings Mountain Road. Park at the rest stop
at the Skaggs Point on the east side of Skyline. Note: A left turn from Skyline
southbound to Skaggs Point is not allowed, so go beyond the rest area, turn
around, and double back.
Grade: Moderate.
Distance: Six miles.
Time: Three hours.
Special Conditions: Stay on trails to avoid poison oak.
Watch for bicycles. No dogs. The preserve is operated by the Midpeninsula Open
Space District (650 691-1200).
For more: Information on the crash of the Resolution
was obtained from "Wreckchasing: A Guide to Finding Aircraft Crash
Sites" by Nicholas A. Veronico, published by Pacific Aero Press, P.O. Box
20092, Castro Valley, CA, 94546-8092.
As
the sun came up from the east on Oct. 28, 1953, the crew of British
Commonwealth Pacific Airlines DC-6 flight 304/44 prepared to end their long
flight from Honolulu and land at San Francisco International Airport. The
flight had originated in Sydney, Australia, with stops at the Figi Islands,
Canton Island, and Honolulu, where Captain Bruce Dickson assumed command. There
were eight crewmembers and 11 passengers on board eager to end their long
overnight flight. The last transmission from the DC-6 came at 8:41 a.m. Then
the radio
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later the plane crashed at an elevation of 2,300 feet. All 19 on board were
killed in what became the worst air disaster in the history of San Mateo
County. No one knows exactly why the plane crashed, but the CAB report states
that the probable cause was "the failure of the crew to follow prescribed
procedures for an instrument approach."
This week's walk follows the Resolution Trail, which leads through the crash site. At the point of impact you will see small pieces of metal, clumps of wire, and other unidentifiable parts of the airplane.
The walk starts at the Skaggs Point viewpoint on Skyline Boulevard. From the parking area, walk north a few hundred feet to the marked trailhead (Gate CM01) on the west side of Skyline. The Tafoni Trail is a well-graded former logging/ranch road that leads westerly through the headwaters of the El Corte de Madera Creek. After 1.2 miles of gentle walking, you are at a four-way trail intersection. Continue right on the Tafoni Trail, a short distance to a sign on the right marking the Tafoni sandstone formations. These unique formations are well worth a special visit and will be the subject of a future Weekly Walker column. Continue on the Tafoni Trail for about a mile to the intersection with Resolution Trail. Turn left on the mostly level trail that meanders along the face of the slope to the junction with Madera Creek Trail. Go left, and begin to regain altitude as the trail passes by large redwood trees. The trail rises out of the shady canyon to a sunny, exposed hillside where you will see small parts of the DC-6. There are also signs of a fire, which may have been one of several sparked by the crash.
Continuing on, the trail enters a dense redwood forest, then moves to a worn, exposed hillside before joining Fir Trail. Turn left on Fir Trail for 0.3 miles to a junction to Vista Point for good views to the west. Note that this area was cleared by bulldozers to serve as the base for the rescue and recovery operation of the Resolution crash.
Return to the junction and retrace your steps on the Tafoni Trail to Skyline. Or, for a change of pace, take the Fir Trail around the south side of the ridge to the same gate.