Autumn (October 2001) California Redwoods and Waterfalls: The Berry Creek Falls Loop in the Forest of Big Basin State Park

Welcome to Ariadne's Forest

Autumn (October 2001) California Redwoods and Waterfalls: The Berry Creek Falls Loop in the Forest of Big Basin State Park.
by Joan Zimmerman, Ph.D.

What can you see and hear by walking a particular trail every month? The 11-mile Berry Creek Falls Trail is a loop through redwood forests, riparian habitats, and chaparral. Here are the sights and sounds for October on this Trail.

Recent monthly reports (also see archives):

Autumn ( September, October, November).
Winter ( December, January, February).
Spring ( March, April, May).
Summer ( June, July, August).

Started under clouds in sweatshirt weather at 10 a.m. Blue sky and down to my T-shirt on the first uphill stretch.

Highlights:

Wild pigs -- a mom and four black hairy piglets rooting in the verges of the highway 1.2 miles before Park HQ from Boulder Creek. (If you see wild pigs, report them at Park HQ, where they keep a log.)
4 (four) banana slugs in miles 2-4.
Many squirrels and Stellar's jays.
Several redwoods and tan oaks fallen across the trail. Met a trail crew cutting a section out of a trail-blocking 3-feet-diameter fallen redwood.
To Berry Creek Falls view 11:30 a.m. -- spray bow.
Chain fern growing very tall near Silver Falls.
Still seeing new (green) redwood cones and tan oak acorn cups. Also a few knobcone pine cones.

Respect the trail restrictions, in courtesy for the Forest and other users. Hikers only. No dogs. No horses. No mountain bikes.

See also these pages