Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Northern California - Matt Heid - Страница 18

HIKE 1 Upper Salmon Creek Falls

Highlights Waterfalls, woodlands, and wildflowers

Distance 5.2 miles round-trip

Total Elevation Gain/Loss 1,000'/1,000'

Hiking Time 3–5 hours

Recommended Maps Big Sur and Ventana Wilderness by Wilderness Press, USGS 7.5-min. Villa Creek and Burro Mountain

Best Times Year-round

Agency Silver Peak Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest

Difficulty

ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE of the Big Sur region, a little-traveled pocket of coastal mountain grandeur awaits within Silver Peak Wilderness. Far-reaching vistas look out across the ocean, perennial streams swirl beneath lush forest, and several quiet backcountry campsites entice you to spend the night.

Salmon Creek Falls (photo: Analise Elliot Heid)

The Hike first ascends to nearby Salmon Creek Falls, a dramatic cascade within eyeshot of Hwy. 1, and then travels along the mossy corridor of Salmon Creek to reach Upper Salmon Creek Falls. An iridescent pool shimmers at the base of this misty gem, a refreshing swimming spot on hot summer days. Fog can be thick in the summer months and poison oak is ubiquitous year-round. No water is available at the trailhead, though Salmon Creek is regularly accessible.

To Reach the Trailhead Follow Hwy. 1 to the signed Salmon Creek Trailhead, at a tight bend in the highway 8 miles south of Gorda, 7 miles north of Ragged Point, and 1.5 miles north of the posted San Luis Obispo County line. Park in the wide turnouts on either side of the highway.

Description From the trailhead, follow Salmon Creek Trail as it climbs a moderate grade along the south bank of Salmon Creek. The falls are clearly audible and you quickly reach an unmarked junction leading downward to the base of the cascade (0.1/230'). A side trip not to be missed, the 200-foot spur drops past fragrant bays and mossy boulders to reach the mist-cloaked cascade.

After exploring the falls, don’t be taken in by the heavily used, steep spur that continues up Salmon Creek to rocky promontories above the falls. Many hikers mistake this spur for the Salmon Creek Trail, following it until it disappears into oblivion a mile upstream. Instead, carefully retrace your steps to the earlier junction, bear left, and continue climbing a moderate grade up the south canyon wall. The trail soon switchbacks past a seasonal creek and reaches a rocky viewpoint (0.3/760') overlooking the lower Salmon Creek drainage.

Notice the diverse plant life and dramatic shift in vegetation in the surrounding canyon. A lush riparian forest of alders, maples, and bays lines the ravine’s floor but quickly transitions to a drier coastal scrub zone of sagebrush, sticky monkeyflower, and coffeeberry bushes. Higher up, a rocky arid zone is populated by hardy succulents such as Our Lord’s candle, a yucca that dies soon after sprouting its large stalk of cream-colored blossoms.

Onward, the trail switchbacks past a conspicuous mound of light green, slippery serpentine (0.5/760'), California’s state rock. Formed atop ancient seafloors that tectonic activity later smashed into Big Sur, serpentine produces nutrient-poor soils that are inhospitable to most plant life. A few “serpentine endemics” have adapted, however, including California poppies, yucca, and other tenacious succulents.

The trail passes several unobstructed ocean views as it climbs the north-facing slopes, winding through dense coastal shrub and beneath shady live oaks and bays. Fragrant black sage and sagebrush thickets line the trail, as do mats of hedge nettles boasting deep lavender blossoms in spring. Just past a dry creek bed, you reach a crest (1.5/1,050') then gradually descend past groves of Douglas-fir, tan oak, and bay amid dense huckleberry bushes. The trail contours along the south canyon wall, hopping across two seasonal creeks. Fifty feet past the last creek, you reach the signed junction for Spruce Creek Trail (1.8/1,010').

Bear left to continue on Salmon Creek Trail as it heads steadily downslope past large old-growth Douglas-firs and vine-like poison oak. You soon reach Spruce Creek Camp (2.0/750'), where three idyllic campsites line the confluence of Salmon and Spruce Creeks.

Past the camp, the hike begins a moderate climb of the north-facing slopes in the shade of young Douglas-firs, bays, oaks, and ceanothus, which fills the spring air with a lilac aroma from profuse blue flowers. The trail skirts high above the creek past small rapids and swirling emerald pools; a few small washouts require careful footing.

To reach Upper Salmon Creek Falls, watch for a steep spur on your left, just before a bend in the trail (2.6/1,140'). More reminiscent of a deer trail, the steep and precarious path drops 150 feet over loose rock and past poison oak to reach the base of the falls, a refreshing grotto of mist and spray that is well worth the effort. After a refreshing dip, retrace your steps to the trailhead. Alternatively, you can continue another 0.6 mile along Salmon Creek Trail and ascend 300 feet to Estrella Camp, where two pleasant campsites perch along the banks of Estrella Creek.

Nearest Visitor Centers Big Sur Station, 831-667-2315, just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on Hwy. 1, is open daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Memorial Day–Labor Day; the rest of the year it’s open intermittently depending on staffing availability. Also try King City Ranger Station, 831-385-5434, at 406 S. Mildred Ave. in King City; take the Canal off-ramp from Hwy. 101, go east on Canal, right on Division, and left on Mildred. It’s open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Backpacking Information Spruce Creek and Estrella Camp are both ideally situated for an overnight trip. Several sites feature picnic tables and fire rings. A valid campfire permit is required.

Nearest Campground Plaskett Creek Campground (43 sites, $22) is 4 miles north of Gorda along Hwy. 1. Eighty percent of the sites are reservable year-round; visit recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777.

Additional Information www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf