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This was one of the easiest hikes
we've ever had! (rocks thrown my way#$@#%*) Ok ok - it wasn't
easy at all! It was the most strenuous hike we've attempted.
26 people signed up, enough to make the alphabet or two baker's dozens.
They had no idea what they signed up for :) But guess what?
The attempt was utterly and fantastically successful, for all 26 hikers,
many of whom were first-timers, finished the 11 mile hike. Luckily,
the weather was fabulous, not too hot nor too cold. The towering
redwoods shielded us from the sun while the sound of the babbling brooks
kepted us going. We were handsomely rewarded with beautiful waterfalls,
thousand-year redwoods, and most importantly, a deepening of friendships.
Although the elevation changes were not very drastic (+/-400 ft), the total
distance of the hike was certainly something to remember. The beauty
of what we saw made it all worthwhile, and here are some pictures of the
infinite beauty of nature.
We gathered at Bijan starting at
around 8am but did not start out for Big Basin until close to 9am.
Six cars paraded through downtown Saratoga, onto Rt 9, and finally Rt236,
into Big Basin headquarters. It was a pretty long drive, lasting
about an hour, through pretty narrow and curvy roads. I guess I forgot
to mention that the hike featured a free (car) rollercoaster ride :)
By the time we arrived at the park, many were a little dizzy, but since
we were brave boys and girls, we took a quick break and started our march!
After a little over two hours, we arrived at the first of the falls - Berry
Creek Falls. It was like finding paradise, or at least a small version
of a Hawaiian waterfall :) Under a huge redwood, we ate our lunch
on an observation platform next to the waterfall. After a relaxing
lunch, we continued on, having now committed to the entire loop.
In half-an-hour, we arrived at Silver Falls where the fallen trees resembled
something out of Jurassic Park. Sheets of water fell over slippery
rocks. The two Tuan's took advantage of this and took a quick shower
while still in full marching uniform (a.k.a. tee-shirt and pants).
Continuing the loop, we then saw the Golden Cascades - a series of step-like
gentle falls that poured over golden boulders. After the spectacular
triple-showing of the waterfalls, we targeted the headquarters for the
final destination. Amazingly, no one complained on the way back,
which was another 5 miles. Ok ok, we had a few threats to call in
the national guard to rescue us and a few folks quickly writing up wills
in case they didn't make it back, but other than that, everyone was perfectly
happy about the distance reamining :) When we finally got back
to headquarters, the hikers wanted to party! Some made nature calls
while others celebrated with ice cream bars and special drinks such as
snapple iced teas and coke colas. And that was how we
ended this hike :) Be sure to join us next time for this wonderful
journey!
-ph |
