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| California Redwoods and Waterfalls:
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November on
the Berry Creek Falls Loop (BCFL) Trail
in the Forest of Big Basin State Park.
Route was clockwise except where stated otherwise.
Report is by Joan Zimmerman except where stated otherwise.
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Designation of "unique": In these reports, "unique" refers to any species that was seen in a single location on the reported day.
Designation of
:
In these reports,
("New")
refers to a flower that was not spotted by us in previous years.
Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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3-layer-plus-gloves cool to start the day; down to 2-layer after about 3 miles.
(8:20 a.m. - 5:55 p.m. (earlier subgroups out 3:35 and 4:50 p.m.) Team of eight (!) observers, exiting in three groups after Berry Creek Falls; met five people. Gorgeous vermilion blankets of redwood leaves. Waterfalls pretty but still only mild. 202 Banana Slugs. 8 different flower species in bloom. (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) (Look at slug and flower count graph in a new window.) 16 adult aquatic amphibians, all Pacific Giant Salamanders. A few butterflies: California Sisters. Berries and other seed housings on many plants including: Burning Bush (scarlet "pawn-broker" balls); coffee berry; Golden Chinquapin (the green mediaeval-death-star spiky balls); honey suckle; Hookers fairy bells (red fruits); huckleberries; manzanita; madrone; rose hips. Many mushrooms and fungi. Lace ferns and coffee ferns and California Polypodys are green again (were dry last month). We list the flowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time on the hike. |
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No flowers at HQ. Taking Dool Trail toward Sunset Trail - beginning our counter-clockwise exploration. By Middle Ridge Fire Road: 0 new slugs (0 total).
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Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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29 banana slugs
(banana slug graph).
Only 5 different wildflower species in bloom. We list the wildflowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time. 3-layer-plus-gloves cool at start. Four observers till Berry Creek Falls viewing seat, then one returned; Three observers till East Berry Creek Bridge, then one went on ahead. (8:40 a.m. - 4 p.m.) Met 2 hikers (solos). Thanks to 
our heroes, the Big Basin volunteer trail-clearing crews,
the trail was clear EXCEPT (sigh) for the 12-months-per-year quagmire by the Marion Jones Grove on Sunset Trail. Cloudy; fairly still. Spotted scores of Varied Thrushes on the way to the park and in first four miles. Lots of tanoak leaves and redwood duff; falling tanoak acorns. Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) |
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Zero flowers at Ranger Station HQ. Take Sky-Line-to-the-Sea Trail toward Middle Ridge Fire Road. Slug count so far is 0. A Pileated Woodpecker pounding a tall about 15 minutes down the trail from HQ. By Middle Ridge Fire Road: 1 new slug, 2 total. Masses of scarlet berries on hairy honeysuckle. By Sunset Connector Trail junction: 1 new slug, 2 total. Black Beetle with a red spot on each side of his head, eating an Ocean Spray leaf, at upland meadow just after the Sunset Connecter trail. By Kelly Creek Bridge: 2 new slugs, 4 total. Berries on fat Solomon's seal, burning bush, rose. By East End (upper) of the side trail: 5 new slugs, 9 total. Lots of plump scarlet berries on Hooker's fairy bell. Also berries on Spikenard (Elks Clover) and Fat Solomon Seal. By West End (lower) of the side trail: No new slugs, 9 total. Short new catkins starting on the hazelnut, along with the remnants of the previous season of catkins.
By Timms Creek Trail: 5 new slug, 14 total.
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Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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190 banana slugs.
Only 7 different wildflower species in bloom. 2 Aquatic newts and 8 terrestrial newts. We list the wildflowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time. 3-layer warm at start. Three observers till Silver Falls, then one went on ahead. (8 a.m. - 3 p.m.) Met 24 hikers (solos, pairs, and a group of 5). Thanks to trail-clearing crews
our heroes, the trail-clearing crews
We appreciate the huge amount of unseen work that they do to make this part of the park accessible to us. Take care on the rickety old bridge over West Waddell Creek. Cloudy; fairly still. Lots of tanoak leaves and redwood duff. Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) |
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We saw our first banana slug at Ranger HQ, so this bodes to be a high count day. Zero flowers (except on lichens) at Ranger Station HQ: Take Sky-Line-to-the-Sea Trail toward Middle Ridge Fire Road. Slug count so far is 1.
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Report by Joan Zimmerman and Scott Peden, Photographer and Docent at Big Basin State Park.
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Damp and cool; 49 to 53 Fahrenheit.
(8:20 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Gorgeous vermilion blankets of redwood leaves. 258 Banana Slugs. [3 days later, another 2-person spotter team walked about three times faster to Silver Falls, by which they found 78 (38%) as many slugs; the day was slightly drier, but their lower count is attributed primarily to their higher land speed.] 5 different flower species in bloom. (Slug and flower count graph in a new window.) Also, 9 newts (all Terrestrial). Lots of winter wrens. A flock of six wild turkeys near HQ, each making watery sounds like a bubbling brook. Berry Creek Falls was spectacular for this time of the year. Several bright yellow slime molds on the Basin side on the return trip. Several large brownish fuzzy multi-layered mushrooms. (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) We list the flowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time on the hike. |
Designation of "unique": In this report, the designation of "unique" is given to those species that were seen in a single location.
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No flowers visible by the Ranger Station HQ. Take Sky-Line-to-the-Sea Trail toward Middle Ridge Fire Road. By Middle Ridge Fire Road: slug count so far is 0.
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Two reports this month, both shown below: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 (by Scott Peden) and Friday, November 28, 2003 (by Joan Zimmerman).
Report by Scott Peden.
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148 banana slugs and 4 flower species blooming and 5 newts.
See graphs of slug and flower counts (in a new window). |
148 Nanners, 5 Newts (1 with gills in a pool of water, left side of the trail near suicide bridge -
this is a bridge where a newt once escaped JZ's observation by leaping off the bridge).
4 flowers:
(1) Coyote Brush flowers at park HQ.
(2) A sugar Scoop (Saxifrage, look for the scoop, and the petal sepals stick way out,
the flower petals stick out too) (RH side just after Timms Ck).
(3) A California Hedge Nettle (just before the W. Waddell bridge on Sky Sea Tr).
(4) A large bunch of Alum Roots (Saxifrages) on the RH side of the trail between BC Falls,
and the next bridge. Their sepals stick out, but the flower petals curl back,
giving it a blimp shape, sticking its tongue out. They grow away from the water.
The leaves are real similar to the Sugar scoops.
[All of the Boykinia I saw had only dried flowers left; these have
a row of flowers on branching stems, and are right down in the water,
often near sugar scoops.]
Water flow has barely improved, due to the minimal drizzle we had last month.
Only 3-4 downed trees on the trail, and all only minor inconveniences.
Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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76 banana slugs and 2 flower species blooming and 1 newt.
See graphs of slug and flower counts (in a new window). |
2 flowers: (1) Coyote Brush flowers at park HQ. (2) Several small-leaved Manzanita in bloom (Sensitive Manzanita). Quite dry since the hike earlier this month; as a result, less of everything. Saw a (winter?) wren about 4 miles from HQ on Sunset Trail. Still 3-4 downed trees on the trail; only minor inconveniences. Worrisome to see signs of wild pig activity, in overturned dirt beside Sunset Trail from about 4.5 miles from HQ to about 2 miles from HQ. (Reported this at HQ, which is keeping a record of sightings.)
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Respect the
Berry Creek Falls Trail, a loop in Big Basin State Park in the Santa
Cruz Mountains near Boulder Creek.
Respect the trail restrictions, in courtesy for the Forest and other users: Hikers only. No dogs. No horses. No mountain bikes. |
|
Redwood Region Flower Finder : A Guide to Identifying Wildflowers
of The Coastal Fog Belt of California by Phoebe Watts, Sarah Ellen Watts (Illustrator). |
| Support us in bringing redwood reports to you - buy what you want at Amazon! |
|
Forest and Tree Home.
Glossary pages: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. |
Two reports this month, both shown below: Saturday, November 9th, 2002 and Thursday, November 21st 2002.
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175 Banana Slugs (Slug photos)
11 Newts. 5 different flowers in bloom. (See how to access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) (Look at graphs of slug and flower counts, in a new window.) There is a noted increase of Funguses (not mushrooms) on the trail. Please note: I mention the flowers in the order that I see them, and only once for each section of the trail.
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THE HIGHLIGHTS
On the trail with me today are Sally, Dougie, and Tony, all very sharp eyed individuals! Sally and Dougie probably got 15-17 Banana Slugs that I and Tony would have missed, and Tony saw at least 8 more that I didn't. Just myself, I might have seen 145 to 150. They were everywhere! A good many of these had a greenish color to them, which isn't usual here, and I am still noticing a lot of lumps under their hoods. I have put a couple of pictures to the Picture site. Thanks to Sally for keeping the running track of where we were at on our Banana Slug count! Note: Funguses and Mushrooms are protected just as all of the flowers, trees and shrubs are. This is a State park, and these are here for all of us to enjoy. No one is allowed to pick or harm any feature in the park or to take anything home, etc. There are penalties for this. Last January on Tuesday the 15th I walked to Berry Creek Falls, and counted dozens of fungus and mushroom. I took pictures as my trophies. I walked to the falls again on Friday the 18th of Jan 2002, 3 days later, and there were only 6 mushrooms left, even the poisonous ones were gone. Latin Names and more information are posted with each picture on my picture site. I load pictures to that on-line portfolio (see how to access Scott's Flower Photos) as time permits.
THE PARTICULARS!
Park HQ up Skyline to the Sea Trail to Middle Ridge Fire Road
* 5 different types of Mushrooms and 2 different types of Funguses
Middle Ridge Fire Road to Sunset Trail Connector
Banana Slugs 14
Sunset Trail Connector to Kelly Creek bridge
20 Banana Slugs, total 34
Kelly Creek Bridge to east end of the Loop Trail
* 5 different types of mushrooms
15 Banana Slugs, total 49, we are already over last months totals
East end of Loop Trail to west end of Loop Trail
* One mushroom and one fungus
* I took a few neat pictures of one Banana Slug eating a Trillium ovatum leaf (Western Wake Robin).
It will make the picture web site
16 Banana Slugs, total 65. The Banana Slug count is now officially in 2nd place over July 2002 (62),
but 123 is the record in May 2002
West end of Loop Trail to Timms Creek Trail
* Red Berries on the Fat/False Solomon's Seal
* Bead Lily/Bluing Balls
* A recently downed, and cut through for the trail Tan Oak, has several types of funguses/mushrooms
on it, This is really going to town in the decomposition department!
Banana Slugs 18, total 83!
Timms Creek Trail to Berry Creek Falls viewing bench
* 5 different mushrooms and 1 Shelf Fungus
1. Burning Bush
2. Alum Root/ Crevice Heuchera, Heuchera micrantha
3. Sugar-scoop
Newts 4
23 Banana Slugs, total 106!
Berry Creek Falls viewing bench to Silver Falls
* Egg Shell at the viewing bench, almost looks as though it may have been a chicken egg
but I couldn't get close enough to verify that
* The 'spray bows' on the Berry Creek Falls were really nice today, and one picture turned out
good enough for the Picture Web Site
* Red berries of the Fat/False Solomon's Seal
Sugar-scoop
* After the little bridge crosses West Berry Creek, look in East Berry Creek, in the first pool of water,
I have been observing either a California Newt, or a Pacific Salamander in its aquatic stage,
I am unsure of which it is, but there it is, swimming around the last 3 months or so.
4. Coast boykinia/Brook Foam, Boykinia elata
* The dried remains of the Halloween Pumpkin Fungus (I don't know the real name)
* Bluing Balls/Bead Lily
* Three different types of Funguses and 3 different types of Mushrooms too (includes the Halloween Fungus)
34 Banana Slugs, More than we have seen in most months! Total 140.
We now have a new record of number of Banana Slugs seen in a day. Previous record was 123 in May 2002.
7 Newts, total 11
Silver Falls to Sunset Camp Trail Connector
* Silver falls are still real nice after the rain fall 2 weeks ago
5 Banana Slugs, total 145
Sunset Camp Connector Trail to West Berry Creek bridge
* Bright red berries of the Toyon, aka California Christmas Tree, as the berries turn red
at this time of the year ( the Madrone's berries do too)
5. Manzanita, one of the smaller leaved varieties (there are probably 5 different Manzanitas
out here in the Chaparral area, blooming at different times)
* Salal dark Blue berries
* One mushroom type
West Berry Creek bridge to Timms Creek Trail
* Bark Boring Beetles patterns in a standing redwood snag. They are really interesting,
like a hound's-tooth pattern so numerous and close together
11 Banana Slugs, total 151
Timms Creek Trail to West Waddell bridge
* A patch of really tiny Mushrooms, .1 to .5 inches across!
West Waddell bridge to Skyline to the Sea Connector trail
* One mushroom type, and 2 different funguses. One of them looks like it is dissolving the Tan Oak log!
21 Banana Slugs, total 172!
Skyline to the Sea Connector Trail to Middle Ridge Fire Road
* We were getting the last of our sun, and the red sunset on the base of one of the Redwood Trees
was just amazing, Thanks Dougie for pointing this out!
3 Banana Slugs, for a grand total of 175!
Middle Ridge Fire Road to Park HQ
* It was getting quite dark, but we weren't using flashlights yet (do you always carry one?)
though in the flat area next to the creek, the party got off of the trail
once. When it is low on light, or dark, a flat area is the easiest time to lose the trail
from my experience, since you can not see the well walked path, and everything is an even brownish black.
We left:
Park HQ at 8:05 AM
Middle Ridge Fire Road 8:38 AM
BC Falls viewing bench Arr 11:44 AM, left 12:07 PM (255 pictures taken so far)
Sunset Camp Trail marker 1:48 (420 pictures taken) Note: My knee began giving me problems
going down hill, and this slowed down the whole group.
Skyline to the Sea Connector Trail 4:40 PM
Middle Ridge Fire Road 4:50 PM
Arrive Park HQ 5:20 PM, (514 pictures total, or 94 pictures on the last half of the trip)
9 hours and 15 minutes total trail time, and my bad knee possibly lengthened the trip by up to an hour.
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45 Banana Slugs (Slug photos)
26 Newts. 2 different flowers in bloom. (See how to access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) (Look at graphs of slug and flower counts, in a new window.) Please note: I mention the flowers in the order that I see them, and only once for each section of the trail.
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Dave spotted 2 banana Slugs that I hadn't and probably 8-10 Newts that I would have easily missed. Most of the Banana Slugs that I observed had a small lump under their hood, so I wonder if the renewed moisture has stirred up a mating search? This is the first time that I have done this walk on a weekend. Of course it rained for the previous 3 days (I can't wait to see the water Falls!) and where I live 12 miles away, I was told it was dreary and wet. HERE it was sunny and gorgeous!!! Such are the mountains! Big Basin had 5.5 inches of rain in the last 3 days (7.5 at my house in Ben Lomond). David (the Newtman!) joined up with me early on and stayed till Timms Creek Trail, hence the high Newt count! The Falls were in greater splendor than last month, and everything out here looked like it had enjoyed drinking from the sky. A tremendous amount of Shelf Fungus's, and everything had such a bright look to it. Please visit when it has rained! Last Month everything was carped with a layer of Tan Oak leaves, this month it is Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Redwood needles, just like everything has been redecorated! I met 27 people on the trail today, they still didn't out number the Banana Slugs, and just barely the Newts! Note: Funguses and Mushrooms are protected just as all of the flowers, trees and shrubs are. This is a State Park, and these are here for all of us to enjoy. No one is allowed to pick or harm any feature in the park or to take anything home, etc. There are penalties for this. Last January (2002) on Tuesday the 15th I walked to Berry Creek Falls, and counted dozens of fungus and mushroom. I took pictures as my trophies. I walked to the falls again on Friday the 18th of Jan 2002, 3 days later, and there were only 6 mushrooms left, even the poisonous ones were gone.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
Park HQ up Skyline to the Sea Trail to Middle Ridge Fire Road:
* More Fungus's and Mushrooms in evidence than there were last month
* The bridge that was damaged last winter has been replaced, and the old portion of the trail is back in use again.
Bridge picture is on the web site! Nice work State Trail Crew guys!
Middle Ridge Fire Road to Sunset Trail Connector
* On this side of the ridge the leaf litter is deeper than on the 'Basin' side of this ridge.
Banana Slugs 2
Sunset Trail Connector to Kelly Creek bridge
Banana Slugs 10, total 12
Newts 8!
Kelly Creek bridge to east end of Loop Trail
Nothing noted
East end of Loop Trail to West end of Loop Trail
* Some more interesting fungus or Mold? I am not sure which it is!
Banana Slugs 4, total 16
Newts 4, total 12
West and of Loop Trail to Timms Creek Trail
* Some more funguses and Mushrooms. I am going to have to get a book on these and see how many
I can tell you the names of.
* Bead Lily/Bluing Balls
Banana Slugs 2, total 18
Newts 9, total 21, Newts lead by three! Newtman David leaves me to go up Timms Creek Trail, for his favorite walk.
Timms Creek Trail to Berry Creek Falls viewing bench
1. Burning Bush
* Several interesting Lichens, from higher in the forest canopy are down on the ground after the storm
* Witches Butter, one of the Fungus's that I can identify!
* Many more fungus's that I can't identify
* I have one picture with a Banana Slug and a newt together, the Newt was just trying to get away from me,
though the Nanner was just hanging out!
* I can tell the water level is up, some of the small side streams that didn't dry up are moving with
a greater flow than they have in months! Berry Creek Falls from the viewing bench easily has 3-4 times
the water flow that it had last month. I'll post a copy of last month and this month to the picture website.
Banana Slugs 9, total 27
Newts 2, total 23
Berry Creek Falls viewing bench to Silver Falls
* Poison Oak, bright green and looking like it will never change colors. I am beginning to believe
that this may be one of the varieties that doesn't turn color, and may not lose all of its leaves
at the same time (evergreen)
2. Sugar-scoop
* Bluing Balls/Bead Lily
* A couple of varieties of Shelf Fungus
* The creek below Silver falls is about 3 inches deep right now, but the vegetation shows that
the level was well over 1 foot deep at some point during the storm
* Silver Falls show about double the flow (This is on West Berry Creek; Berry Creek Falls has both
Berry Creeks join above the top of the falls.)
Banana Slugs 9, total 36
Newts 1, total 24
Silver Falls to Sunset Camp Connector Trail
Banana Slugs 2, total 38
Newts 2 total 26
Sunset Camp Connector Trail to east Berry Creek bridge
* Bright blue/black berries of the Huckleberries, that manage to grow here in the chaparral.
They even look different than the ones that grow in the redwood Forest
* Yellow Slim Mold
Banana Slugs 1, total 37
East Berry Creek bridge to Timms Creek Trail
* Loads of Fungus's growing on down logs, mostly Tan Oaks
* Witches Butter, this is bright yellow, and really interesting! I will get one to the picture website.
* Bright red Rose Hips
Banana Slugs 1, total 38
Timms Creek Trail to West Waddell bridge
* Heard what I think is several hawks hunting cries
West Waddell Creek bridge to Skyline to the Sea Connector Trail
* Lichens? 4 different varieties in a short distance growing on the uphill side of the trail,
where it has been cut into the ground
* Dewy looking shelf fungus's, Looks like nectar coming out of them! Of course there are more
varieties that I have noticed this time.
* Termite with wings, interesting creature. I only saw one, so I don't know if it was the beginning
or the end of a swarm.
* Yellow Spotted Millipede
* Heard the almost 'jungle' call of the Pileated Wood Pecker
Banana Slugs 7, total 45
Skyline to the Sea Connector trail to HQ
More funguses but that is about all.
Departure times. Left:
Ranger station 8 AM
Middle Ridge Fire Road 8:38 AM
Berry Creek Falls viewing platform 1:15 PM
Sunset Camp Trail 2:09 PM
Middle Ridge Fire Road 4:57 PM
| Our continued thanks to the Trail crews of the State Park System,
and the several volunteer trail crews,
some of whom have been at this for 30 years. They do a huge amount of unseen work to make this part of the park accessible to us. |
|
The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California
, by James C. Hickman (Editor), Willis Linn Jepson.
First published 1925, Willis Linn Jepson's Manual of the Flowering Plants of California is a standard reference for teachers, students, and naturalists. This new volume includes a wealth of material accumulated over almost a century. Two hundred botanists across North America contributed to this comprehensive resource and authoritative identification guide. Recommended for those with (or pursuing) formal education in botany and plant ID identification. |
| Coast Redwood : A Natural and Cultural History. Editors Michael G. Barbour, John Evarts, Marjorie Popper. |
South Bay Trails: Outdoor Adventures in & Around Santa Clara Valley: From the Diablo Range to the Pacific Ocean
by Jean Rusmore, Frances Spangle, Betsy Crowder.
568 miles of the best trails around the South San Francisco Bay. |
| Peninsula Trails: Outdoor Adventures on the San Francisco Peninsula by Jean Rusmore, Frances Spangle, Betsy Crowder. | Foghorn Outdoors: 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area by Ann Marie Brown. Lovely and usually easy trails. |
|
|
Redwood Region Flower Finder : A Guide to Identifying Wildflowers
of The Coastal Fog Belt of California by Phoebe Watts, Sarah Ellen Watts (Illustrator). |
|
| Support us in bringing redwood reports to you - buy what you want at Amazon! |
|
Forest and Tree Home,
Glossary pages: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. |
[Thanks for visiting.]
|
Copyright
© 2001-2007 by
Joan Zimmerman,
except for sections authored by Scott Peden, which are Copyright © 2002-2007 by Scott Peden. |