Weekly

Walker

By Tom Davids

Autumn Color in Your Backyard

Purisima Creek/Soda Gulch/Harkins Trail Loop

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

Directions:West on Highway 92 to Main Street, Half Moon Bay; south to the junction with Highway 1, then east on Higgins-Purisima Road for 4.5 miles to the trailhead.

Grade: Moderate, 1,200-foot elevation gain

Distance: 7.5 miles

Time: Four hours

Special Conditions: Bicyclists use the Purisima Creek Trail and the Harkins Fire Trail, so be on the lookout and give them the right of way. Sorry, no dogs allowed in this or any San Mateo County Park or Open Space Preserve. No poison oak on the Purisima Creek Road Trail or the Harkins Fire Trail. However, watch for the bush on the upper third of the Soda Gulch Trail.

"No man is suddenly a good walker; many men begin with good resolutions, but they do not hold out." Ralph Waldo Emerson

When the days get shorter and the evenings crisp, many of us East Coast and Midwest transplants remember the trees--leaves turning from shades of green to an artist's palette of scarlet, brilliant yellow, subtle gold, and dark brown--leaves that float to the ground when touched by the wind, that cushion the trail and crackle when stepped on.

This week's walk will bring back some of your autumn memories or introduce you to a very special time of year when nature sheds the old and prepares to rest awhile before the spring. You must hurry because the leaf shower is now under way, and it will be finished in just a few weeks. The dominant and most colorful deciduous tree on this walk is the Western or California sycamore, which grows on riverbanks throughout the Coastal Range. This is a striking tree with whitish bark that contrasts sharply with the surrounding vegetation. Take along your Tree Finder and identify other trees and bushes that are preparing for next year's new growth.

The Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve consists of 2,519 acres located on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, between Skyline Boulevard and Highway 1. The preserve offers 13 miles of trails and historical logging roads that touch cool, moist canyons, towering redwoods, rushing streams, and panoramic views.

Start your hike from the parking area at a small bridge over Higgins-Purisima Road. You will be walking on an old logging road which, earlier this century, was used to transport first-growth redwoods sprouting from the stumps of huge mother trees that were commonly 6 feet or more in diameter.

In about an hour you will reach the junction with Soda Gulch Trail. Return to the trailhead if your time is limited, or turn left on the narrow trail that climbs another 600 feet to Harkins Fire Trail.

In my opinion, the Soda Gulch Trail is one of the most beautiful of any on the Peninsula. It winds for about three miles at an easy grade through deep redwoods into and out of No-Name Gulch and Soda Gulch to sunny chaparral slopes and the junction with Harkins Fire Trail. Turn left on Harkins Trail for 2.5 miles and descend 1,200 feet to Purisima Creek and the trailhead.