Portola Redwoods Hike (6-17-2012)

Hike: Portola Redwoods State Park
La Honda, San Mateo County

Hike on Service Road, Iverson Trail, Portola Trail,
Fall Creek Falls, Butano Ridge Loop, Pomponio Trail
Sunday, June 17, 2012

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

Preface: This is our second hike in Portola Redwoods State Park. Last week we went on the Iverson Trail to Tiptoe Falls and Sequoia Nature Trail, starting our hike at 2:40 pm and ending at 7:20 pm. Today we began hiking at 1:10 pm on the Service Road and went down to Pescadero Creek (1:50 pm). Coming up the stairs from the creek, we recognized the Iverson Cabin Site from last week. When we arrived at Old Haul Road, three bikers asked my friend for directions. She showed them her large Portola Redwoods State Park map, and didn't realize that they took it afterwards. The small map I got from the Park Office Visitor Center didn't show the trails we went today. The Portola Trail was quite rugged with bikers not permitted. Many logs and branches were strewn around and Portola Trail was unkempt throughout. It took two hours (2:24-4:24 pm) to trudge through this "jungle-like" area. The highlight was Fall Creek Falls during middle of the trail (3:27 pm) after crossing a small footbridge. The Butano Loop Ridge Trail took an hour (4:25-5:25 pm) to the Bridge Trail. Here we encountered the first flowers seen today (Forget-Me-Nots and Star Thistle) as well as several banana slugs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) by the creek. A surprise photo on the Bridge showed sun's rays cascading down Pescadero Creek. The hike on Pomponio Trail took an hour (6:14-7:13 pm). We left Portola State Park at 8 pm and saw fog hills near sunset. Below are 164 photos of today's hike.

Sunflare on Giant Redwood

Redwood near Entrance (1)

"Lambda Λ" in Redwood Bark

Fence on Service Road

Cut Log Chunks before Service Road

"Infinity Image" Pair of Logs

Bullseye Redwood Log

Criss-Cross Tan Oaks

Tan Oaks to the Sky

"Tuning Fork" Tan Oak

Platonic Lambda Fern

Twin Tan Oak Bottom

Twin Tan Oak Top

Arch Tree Over Creek

Steel Bridge Pescadero Creek

"Ghost Image" in Goosepen

Pescadero Creek

Pescadero Creek Bank

Old Haul Road Signpost

Arch Tree Over Creek

"Snake Image" Branch in Shade

Falls in Iverson Creek (1)

Stairs from Iverson Creek

Old Haul Trail Sign

Goosepen in Half Redwood

Portola Redwoods Sign on Haul Road

Pescadero Park Map Board

No Bikes on Portola Trail Sign

Portola Trail Signpost

Many Arms Tan Oak

"Seven Pillars of Wisdom"

Portola Trail Path

Pair of Tan Oak Leaves

"X Marks the Spot" Sticks

"Iguana Head" Trunk

Y-Branches in Tan Oak

"Wrathful" Tan Oak

Inside Burnt Out Trunk

Burnt "Lambda" Goosepen

Fallen Logs by Portola Trail

Hollow Trunk Log Bottom

Fall Creek Falls

Footbridge to Fall Creek

Fall Creek Falls

Ferns in Fall Creek Falls

Rocks & Ferns at Fall Creek Falls

Trillium Leaf at Fall Creek Falls

Giant Rock by Footbridge

Footbridge from Fall Creek Falls

Logs Over Fall Creek

Ferns Around Fall Creek

Sunlight on Chopped Logs

Ferns & Rocks at Fall Creek Falls

Chopped Logs Debris on Portola Trail

Horizontal Tree on Portola Trail

Slanting Trees Near Fall Creek

Sunflare on Slanting Trees

Two Tan Oaks Creek View

Sword Branches in Tan Oak

Ferns in Fall Creek

Tiny Creek Passage on Portola Trail

Jumble of Logs on Portola Trail

"Reptilian Head" Trunk

Giant Mossy Rock

Decaying Logs by Portola Trail

Decayed Logs by Portola Trail

"Boar Head" Image in Log

Lotus Root-like Logs

"Hundred Swords" Tan Oak

"Face" Image on Trunk Base

Y-Branch Tan Oak

Jungle-like Portola Trail

Butano Loop Trail Sign

End of Rugged Portola Trail

"Alien Head" Image Fallen Trunk

Twisted Tan Oak

Twisted Tan Oak Top

"Bison Head" Between Trees

Twisted Medusa Tree

Twisted Medusa Tree Top

Y-Shape Tan Oak (1)

Hideaway in Trunk (Closeup)

Y-Branches to Sunlight

Arch Tree Over Three Fallen Ones

Life from Dead Trunk

Trident Tree in Sunlight

Tan Oak Leaves on Trail

Y-Tan Oak at Trail Bend

Tan Oaks to the Sky

Cave-like Trunk

Butano Ridge Loop Trail Sign

Forget-Me-Nots (Myosotis latifolia)

Forget-Me-Nots Closeup (1)

Bridge Trail Signpost

Bridge Trail Mileage Sign

Trees Growing on Fall Trunk

Star Thistle Centaurea calcitrapa

Logs in Creek Dump

Y-Tree with "O-Mouth"

Sunny Trails Ahead to Bridge

Banana Slug by Pescadero Creek

Pescadero Creek View Through Bridge

Cluster of Redwoods to Pescadero Creek

Down by Pescadero Creek Bed

Wooden Bridge Over Creek

Sun's Rays to Pescadero Creek

Tall Redwood by the Bridge

Bridge Over Pescadero Creek

Banana Slug at Pescadero Creek

Banana Slug Nesting by Creek

Many Rocks in Pescadero Creek

Log Across Pescadero Creek

Banana Slug on Rock

Banana Slug by Pescadero Creek

Banana Slug and Fern

Tall Redwood by Bridge

Giant Redwoods by Bridge

Towering Redwood by Bridge

Bent Redwood on Trail

Jungle Path Down to Creek

Aborted Sticky Path to Creek

Redwood Cones on Bridge Trail

Giant Ferns on Bridge Trail

Map Board at Trail Junction

Pomponio Trail Sign

Hideaway Redwood Base

"Giant Insect" Image Trunk

Shelf Mushrooms on Tree

Sunlight on Tall Redwoods

Giant Redwood Top (Middle)

Hollowed Log Trunk

Steps Down Pomponio Trail

Hideaway Redwood

Giant Redwood Bottom

California Honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)

"Wooly Mammoth" Image Trunk

Fallen Log on Pomponio Trail

Cutaway Logs on Pomponio Trail

Passing Through Cutaway Logs (1)

Entering Portola State Park Sign

"Lion Head" Trunk (Trail View)

"Boar Head" Trunk

Life from Dead Trunk

"Letter R" Trunk

Pomponio Trail Mileage Sign

"Boogie Man" Image Trunk

Iverson Trail Mileage Sign

"Angel Wings" Image in Log

Steps Down Iverson Trail

Bent Tree & Fence on Trail

View Down Pescadero Creek

Logs in Pescadero Creek

Sculpturesque Rugged Log

Flowers on Portola State Park Road

Mindego Hill from Car

Impressionistic Sunset

Fog Hills, Trees, & Grass

Glow on Fog Hill and Grass

Sea of Fog, Hills, Grass, & Fence (1)

Glow on Wires, Hills, & Trees

Fog in Valley from Car

— Photographs by Peter Y. Chou, June 17, 2012