El Corte De Madera Creek Hike
San Mateo County, California

Sunday, September 7, 2008


By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com




Preface: On Sunday, September 7, 2008, my friend drove to Skyline Boulevard by Bear Gulch Road where we went on a hike at El Corte De Madera Creek Open Space Preserve. More than 30 miles are available for exploration at this 2817-acre Preserve. Hikers, bikers, and horseback riders will enjoy the creekside trails and ocean and forest views. There is an Old Growth Redwood in the Timberview Trail that's so tall that its top can't be seen unless one is outside the vicinity. Photos were taken with a Canon PowerShot A590IS digital camera. The haikus were written on the trail or soon afterwards.

Click on Photos for Enlarged Images


Sunday, September 7, 2008, 1:20 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Four wooden birds around mailbox #27
near gate entrance CM04 to Trail


Mailbox #27
with six wooden birds
welcomes me here hiking.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 1:25 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Skyline Boulevard, Bear Gulch Road
Gordon Mill Trail South Entrance CM04



The creekside trail at
El Corte De Madera
brings joy to hikers.

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 1:30 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Information Board with maps & brochures


The map brochure will
guide me on this hike
as well as to squat the bugs.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 1:40 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Blue thistle on side of trail


A whole row of blue
thistle lined up on this trail
as if they're on parade.

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 1:45 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Close-up of Blue Thistle


A nice dash of blue
thistle among these wild weeds
on this dry dirt road.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 2:00 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Tall redwoods along Gordon Mill Trail


This corridor of
redwoods takes us back
into the past of logging.

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 2:10 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Signpost to Steam Donkey Trail


Steam locomotives
can't navigate these woods
so they used donkeys.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 2:12 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Entrance to Steam Donkey Trail


Steam Donkey Trail leads
us into the past where
loggers transported lumber.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 2:20 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Carved steps from a fallen redwood


Giant redwood fell right
across the path of this trail
so they carved steps in it.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 2:30 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Root of redwood looks like a horse


From roots of fallen
redwood Nature made sculpture
of a horse's head.

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 2:40 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Roots from a Douglas Fir


Look at the roots of
a fallen Douglas Fir that
made them grow so tall.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 3:00 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
End of Steam Donkey Trail


Amidst piles of weeds
this strange plant blossoms
like a sunburst mandala.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 3:15 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Signpost and hill up Crossover Trail


A hilly climb up
the Crossover Trail
to the inner dark forest.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 3:30 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Redwood tree looks like a tuning fork


Around the bend of
Crossover Trail is a tree
looking like tuning fork

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 4:40 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Timberview Trail, Old Growth Redwood
(50 feet circumference at the base)


Fifty feet around
is this Old Growth Redwood—
largest in my hikes.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 4:44 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Timberview Trail, Old Growth Redwood


Here I am— tiny
thumb next to Old Growth Redwood
telling me to aim high.

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 4:48 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Old Growth Redwood opening at base
resembles the Platonic Lambda


Platonic Lambda—
Soul of the Universe is
singing at its roots!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 5:00 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Old Growth Redwood soaring to the sky


Old Growth Redwood is
so tall that one can't see
its top when nearby.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 5:05 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Scars of Old Growth Redwood


They tried to log me
here are my wounds of their
attempts to chop me down.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 5:10 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Trunk of Old Growth Redwood


Here's another view
of Old Growth Redwood
how robust is its trunk.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 5:15 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Top of Old Growth Redwood


Finally— the top
of Old Growth Redwood seen from
afar on Timberview Trail.
Sunday, September 7, 2008, 5:45 pm
El Corte De Madera Creek Preserve
Red sand stone rocks near exit


These stones not covered
by red moss but the color
is its true nature.



— Peter Y. Chou, Mountain View, September 7, 2008




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email: (11-13-2008)