Tuesday: (10/07) We headed North after filling up the gas tanks. We stopped for breakfast in Trinidad at the Trinidad bay Cafe, one of our must stops when we pass. We started breakfast sharing one of their berry cobblers then topped it off with an omlette that lou and i shared and Dawn had oatmeal.
We then headed on to the park about 20 miles further North arriving about 11am.
The park is half shut down and the kiosk is closed and almost nobody here so we found a nice spot on the prairie easily. It's overcast and threatening drizzle but quite nice.
The sun finally came out later inthe afternoon. We relaxed in camp then Lou got energetic and barbecued some chicken and steaks for dinner. Lots of leftovers for later.
About 6pm we took a hike around the prairie on the Elk Prairie Trail.
Always interesting things to see along the trail. A wet spider web. A pod on what we determined was a wild rose bush.
Above left is the view of Elk Prairie. On the right are Lou and Dawn hiking the trail.
From across the prairie on the Elk Prairie Trail we got a nice view of our campsite from a rise on the trail. We also came upon the main elk herd.
When we arrived back at camp we had several new neighbors. The mist was rising from the prairie and the overcast returned. We stayed inside and watched TV, really ruffing it.
Wednesday: (10/08) The low foggy mist over the prairie burnt off really early and the sun was out. We enjoyed watching a fellow camper break camp and pack up. He was on a motorcycle touring the Northern route. He had all the comforts and seemed to be very organized putting it away and back on the bike. He retired a couple of years ago and takes a couple of the trips a year. Evidently his wife still works nd he uses a GPS device called a Scout to allow her to follow his location. He can also sent an OK message back through the satellite. When he camps for the night, he sends an OK message. It can also send a 911 call via satellite so it works in the boonies when he takes a hike. Sounds like something I really should get since i usually hake alone.
We broke out our planes for a little flying time until a little breeze came upo and we decided to quit rather than loose a plane iin the trees.
Around noon, I packed a lunch and we drove out to Fern Canyon. It's about 4.5 miles by trail 12 miles by road to the canyon. There are several streams to forward on the beach road but today wasn't a hiking day.
We found some critters along the trail, a caterpillar and a beetle.
From Fern Canyon, we hiked along and by the beach.
It was a bit cool on the beach but the views are nice. The textured sand on the beach looks like the moon?
We passed a small elk herd and some bachelor elk on the way back to the car. Crossing the stream from the beach to the parking area was exciting.
From the end of the road it's about .1 mile to the mouth of the canyon, a narrow steep fern covered walled canyon. The trail is a bit wetter and muddier than usual due to the ecent rains. But it was as green and ferny as usual.
Of course we started with lunch overlooking the ocean then the hike.
When we returned to the mouth of the canyon we turned right instead of left toward to car. We decided to go see a waterfall that is about . mile further up the trail. Wee didn't find the waterfall probably due to several detours on the trail due to mud holes. e hailed up about a mile and then out to the beach then back the beach to the car. As we were hiking from the beach we saw a couple of old bachelor elk grazing in a pond right by the parking lot.
On our way home we went out to the Redwood National Park visitor center about a mile sout of the town of Orick. We also stopped at a couple of the craft vendors in Orick. There are only about 6 ventors left o the 15 that used to be here. Either a sign of the bad economy or that people really don't need redwood sculptures from China?
We stopped at the Palms Cafe for dinner.We started with a piece of homemade peach pie. Then I had an excellent chicken fried teak and Lou and Dawn shared a steak. Everything I homemade good.
The evening was topped of with a campfire. The weather was very nice today.
Thursday: (10/09) A nice clear morning. Breakfast was spaghetti. We relaxed around camp all morning and flew our planes. Lunch was leftovers, of course.
Lou and I took a hike a little ways out the james Irvine trail and back. It wasn't as much fun as planned. Fro some inexplicable reason thwy have eliminated to best part of the trail by rerouting it. It now totally bypasses the center of the best redwood forest to be found and is routed far away on the side of a hill a half mile away. Brilliant! Of course, it was still a good hike. How could it be anything else here, just not as good as it could have been.
When we returned we had a new neighbor that had a friendly cat. The cat was interesting because it looked like a leopard. Acording to the owner, that's because it was. Evidently a cross between a cat and a small type of leopard cat found somewhere?
For dinner I fixed a bi batch of spaghetti. Enough to last the rest of our trip.
When we took our evening walk around camp to see who arrived, we met another cat. Seems like more and more people are camping with their cats.
Friday: (10/10) Breakfast was simple, spaghetti. After breakfast we flew the planes a while until the wind picked up.
Lunch was leftover saurkraught, potatoes, and pork.
After lunch Lou and I took a hike up the West Ridge Trail to the Zig Zag #1 Trail over to the Prairie Creek Trail and back to camp, about 7 miles.
On our hikes we saw lots of fungi all quite interesting. We also saw this unusual deer with two bodies?
Lou loves to look in the ponds and streams for living things.
I wanted a picture of both of us on the trail so I used the timer feature. unfortunately I didn't have a tripod. I snapped a couple and couldn't decide on the best because they both show the wonderful forest.
It was a very nice hike.
For dinner, Lou fixed rotini and sausage soup.
Saturday: (10/11) There was a heavy frost on everything this morning. It must have been cool last night. The sky is clear this morning and it looks like another good day to be. We're leaving here today, heading back home. But first, another hike, this time with Dawn on the Prairie Creek Trail. It's a nice level trail along the river. After the hike, we returned to camp and departed just before noon.
We headed back down to Mackinleyille. Dawn wanted to pick up some plants at a nursury there. We then headed on down to Freshwater near Eureka to a native plant nursery to look for plants.
And, of course, since we were near, we stopped by the cookhouse for a late lunch (4pm). A little more shopping before heading on South out of town toward home. We stopped for the night just North of Willits at a rest stop.
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