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| California Redwoods and Waterfalls:
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September 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 J. 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 J. Zimmerman.
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1-layer warm to start the day; hot and humid after about 3 miles.
(8:20 a.m. - 2:10 p.m.) Team of four observers; met 18 people. Waterfalls pretty but weaker; strong spray-bow 11:50 a.m. at the base of Berry Creek Falls. 0 (ZERO) Banana Slugs -- first time ever that our team saw no Banana Slugs on this entire loop. 10 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 small (baby) aquatics with two dark stripes on their backs (Pacific Giant Salamanders) . Many butterflies, particularly California Sisters. Also dragonfly. Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) in chaparral. Two black-tail deer (subspecies of mule deer) near Opal Creek on the far side from Park HQ. Berries on many plants including: bluing balls (on Red Clintonia), branched Solomon's seal, elk's clover, hooker's fairy bell (bright scarlet), pawn-broker balls (on burning bush), rose (scarlet rosehips), salal. Birds seen: chickadee, junco, steller's jay. Birds heard but not seen: raven. We list the flowers below alphabetically. |
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Starting with the flowers (alphabetically) at Ranger Station HQ:
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Report by J. Zimmerman.
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1-layer warm to start the day; hot and fairly dry after about 3 miles.
(8:50 a.m. - 6 p.m.) Team of five observers, exiting in three small groups after Berry Creek Falls; met almost a dozen people. Waterfalls pretty but weaker. 7 Banana Slugs. 14 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.) 25 Aquatic Newts, several of which were newt juveniles (shorter than adults; disproportionately short legs). Many butterflies, particularly California Sisters. Aquatic garter snake near the Berry Creek Bridge on Sky-to-Sea Trail. Berries on many plants including: bluing balls, branched Solomon's seal, Hooker's fairy bell, manzanita pawn-broker bush. We list the flowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time on the hike. |
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Starting with the flowers (alphabetically) at Ranger Station HQ, many of which are seen on the loop trail:
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Report by J. Zimmerman.
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12 Banana Slugs.
10 different wildflower species in bloom. 0 newts. 1-layer warm; very dry. 6 hours (8:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.) 12 other hikers. Many California sister butterflies, especially on mud flats by creeks. Lots of tanoak leaves and catkins and a few new acorns fallen to the ground beneath the tanoaks. Berries on clintonian, Hooker's fairy bell, branched Solomon's seal, pawnbroker bush, rose.
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No wildflowers visible by the Ranger Station HQ. Take Sky-Line-to-the-Sea Trail toward Middle Ridge Fire Road. Slug count = 0. Almost no mushrooms on Sky-Line-to-the-Sea Trail, confirming the current dryness.
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Report by J. Zimmerman.
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65 Banana Slugs;
many of them were eating, and one was grazing on the corpse of another banana slug.
18 different wildflower species in bloom. 0 newts. 2-layer warm at start. (7:50 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Sunny now but very early; last night's dense sea fog may account for the record number of slugs and the ongoing waterfall. Butterflies especially the California sister. Lots of tanoak leaves and acorns and catkins fallen to the ground beneath the tanoaks; redwood duff and some green cones starting to fall; maybe autumn is early. Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) We list the wildflowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time on the hike. |
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A few wildflowers visible by the Ranger Station HQ:
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Report by J. Zimmerman.
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Warm, dry; not much breeze.
9:30 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. 9 Banana Slugs. 9 different flower species in bloom. (Look at slug and flower count graph in a new window.) Also, 3 newts; lots of California Sister butterflies, many drying wings as if recently emerged. I list the flowers below in the order that I encountered them for the first time on the hike. |
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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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Starting with the flowers at Ranger Station HQ:
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10 banana slugs and 8 flower species blooming. (Look at slug and flower count graph in a new window.)
Aquatic garter snake (yellow stripe along the spine) near Opal creek. Many thumps of falling tan oak cones. Wonderful big crimson fruit on Hooker's fairy bells. Lots of California sisters (butterflies), often standing on the trail and touching it with a long coiled proboscis). Species seen in blossom (alphabetically): Alum Root (white) Boykinia (white) California Harebell (blue) California Hedge Nettle (pink) Redwood Sorrel (palest pink) Sugar Scoop (white) Trail Plant (white) White Hawkweed (white)
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23 Banana Slugs (Slug photos)
12 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.) A variety of pretty seeds and berries on the flowers of the previous months, and many fungi coming up.
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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September, 2002. This Glorious Day held THESE HIGHLIGHTS
Ranger Station/HQ to Middle Ridge Fire Road, taking the Skyline to the Sea Trail toward Berry Creek Falls:
In the Meadow next to the parking Lot Kiosk entering the Park:
1. Bull Rush
* Dried Seed heads of the One Leaved Onion and Golden Brodiaea
Middle Ridge Fire Road to Sunset Connector Trail:
2. Hawkweed, White Hieracium albiflorum. Yup, looks a might weedy!
I love the layered petals of the white flowers with the small yellow center.
Sunset Connector Trail to Kelly Creek Bridge:
* Hookers Fairy Bells with Bright red Berries hidden under the leaves.
3. Ocean Spray
* Leaf mites have left interesting patterns in the leaves of the Trilliums in one area.
* Dried flower heads of the Spotted Coral Root Orchid
Banana Slugs 4
Kelly Creek Bridge to the east end of the Loop Trail:
4. Douglas's Nightshade, in the hillside meadow area.
5. Harebell
6. Hedge Nettle, California. This isn't a nettle at all, it is a mint imitating the Stinging Nettle.
* The green developing seed heads of the Elks Clover (Spikenard) which will give showy bright black seeds later on
* Branched Solomon's Seal, Bright red cluster of berries.
Banana Slugs 2, total 6
East end of Loop Trail to west and of Loop Trail:
California Hedge Nettle
* Green seed heads, along with black seed heads of the Elks Clover
* Bird feathers, some light black others are white on top, black on the bottom.
I frequently see, from here to the creek crossing, see bird feathers on the trail.
* Branched Solomon's Seal red berries
Banana Slugs 5, total 11
West end of Loop Trail to Timms Creek Trail:
* Shiny Red berries of the Hookers Fairy Bells, hidden under the two outermost leaves! Beautiful!
Harebell
7. Sugar-scoop, now easily identifiable by the little seed 'scoop' under each flower
Harebell
* Bluing Balls, or Bead Lily. When in flower this is knows as Red Clintonia!
Banana Slugs 6, total 17
Timms Creek Trail to Berry Creek Falls viewing bench:
8. Mountain Boykinia, Boykinia major ssp. intermedia? This has dense flower cluster, and the flower stems
are not red like the Coast Boykinia.
California Hedge Nettle
9. Coast Boykinia, Boykinia elata
Hawkweed
* Large 3 1/2 foot diameter tree has basically made the viewing bench inaccessible.
We had to climb down thru the tree and screed (lose shale) to get to the lower part of the trail.
This was taken care of in short order by the trail crews. Thanks Guys (and Gals)!
Banana Slugs 9! total 26
Berry Creek Falls viewing bench to Silver Falls:
10. Burning Bush, Western. Some with ripening seed heads.
Also known as Pawnbrokers Bush due to the fruits hanging in clusters of three, the symbol
of the pawnbroker. There is a lot of this plant growing on the hillside just to the left
of Berry Creek Falls, unnoticed due to the splendor of the Falls and 5 fingered ferns themselves.
11. Alum Root or Crevice Heuchera, Heuchera micrantha.
I distinguish this from the sugar scoop, as both plants the middle parts of the flower extend
well past the petals, but the Alum Roots outer petals curl back, where the Sugar-scoop has them
at about a 90 degree angle to the middle parts. Both are Saxifrage Family.
Sugar-scoop
12. Redwood violet!
Mountain Boykinia, intermedia
Hedge Nettle
* Bluing Balls/Bead Lily
* Lady Ferns and Chain Ferns are magnificent!
* California Sisters! Butterflies
Banana Slugs 3, total 26
Silver falls to Sunset Trail connector:
* A lizard
* Poison Oak turning a lovely warning shade of red!
* Butterfly, California Sister
Sunset Trail Connector to East Berry Creek bridge:
* Newly forming acorns on a Canyon Oak
* 'Skeleton Pumpkin's' seeds on the poison Oak, they are white and ribbed like a pumpkin!
* It was warm when we arrived at the Sunset Trail Camp marker, but was actually hot
by the time we had arrived back at the edge of the Coniferous Forest, so much so that it almost
felt cold as we re-entered the shade of the woods again.
* I have never noticed so much Poison Oak in the past, hopefully no one allergic
to it has taken any home either (look, but don't touch or take anything home!
I doubt that you'd get fined for taking a case of Poison Oak home though!)
East Berry Creek bridge to Timms Creek Trail:
Sugar-scoop
* California Sister
* Rose Hips
* Seeds on a Milkwort. I have never noticed one of these before, they are in a papery sack,
something like the Globe Lily's.
* I noticed a great many leaves of the Pacific Star Flower. I wonder of they come up
at this time of the year, and flower early next year, or have the other bits of scenery
just kept me from noticing in the past?
Timms Creek trail to West Waddell Bridge:
Nothing of interest that I photographed, that is a first!
* The leaves of the Redwood Sorrel are curled up in this area, and some are actually dry!
West Waddell Creek Bridge to Skyline to the Sea connector Trail:
Blueing Balls/Bead Lily
* A stout trunked Mushroom pushing its head through the soil
* Several different types of Fungus's many as large as my hand spread.
Skyline to the Sea connector Trail to Middle Ridge Fire Road:
Hawkweed
Middle Ridge Fire Road to Park Headquarters:
* A bright Yellow slime mold, moving over the surface of a downed
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) Tree.
| 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. There is a huge amount of unseen work that they do to make this part of the park accessible to us. |
Respect The Berry Creek Falls Trail is 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.
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| 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 became 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. |
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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.]
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2002 Report Copyright
© 2002-2008 by Scott Peden.
The remainder Copyright © 2001-2008 by J. Zimmerman. |