Reenie and Bob
Backpacked 14 Miles; Day hiked 30 miles
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*The moist and verdant coastal forest, lush with ferns, watched over by towering redwood giants
*The delightful surprise at Elam Horse Camp near Redwood Creek of finding a wooden outhouse perched atop a steep hill, a heart cut-out on the door and with a long stick to manage the sliding door lever. It was 52 steps uphill and we didn't complain!
*The kindness of a stranger who gave Reenie the gift of a bottle of Yarrow tincture she made to use as a mosquito repellent. This was a brief chance encounter at Horse Flat campground in the Trinities
*The miracle of finding Reenie's glasses on a log, a day after accidentally leaving them during the cross-country climb on the East Coffee Creek spur 'trail', which was no trail at all
*The warmth of our camp fires on cool evenings
*The clear night skies with millions of stars
*The tranquility of Stoddard Lake, two of the four days with no other campers, remarkable for a popular lake
*The treat of a meal at Peppers restaurant in Arcata enroute from the Redwoods Park to the Trinity Alps. Good food and a wonderful waitress.
Bob picks up Reenie and we leave at 10:45 in the morning. We drive up Hwy 101 through Eureka to the Kuchel Visitor Center, after having stopped in Arcata for Subway sandwiches. We talk there to rangers about trail/hike recommendations. And we see a rabbit just outside.
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We eat chicken sandwiches in the car while driving which Reenie had prepared. We drive to Redwood Creek Trailhead and start backpacking at 5:20 that afternoon on a pretty level, beautiful, well maintained shady path along the creek to Elam Campsite, about 2.8 miles one way as shown on map below. The creek is running and wide. There is a bridge we cross.
Backpack Route to Elam Campsite:
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We have the Campsite to ourselves. The campsite has 3 picnic tables, two bear boxes and an actual toilet. To get to the toilet we have to walk up a very steep hill. The facility is next to a huge redwood tree. Rather than having a door handle, there is a stick one has to move around just right to open the door.
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We eat our Subway sandwiches, set up our tents, and go to bed. It is a calm, cool night.
Get up, eat breakfast (Reenie had prepared granola and much else).
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We finish breakfast and hike along Redwood Creek, meet 5 rangers who had brought materials to re-build 2 bridges.
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Walk is in redwoods: shady, cool, verdant, and well maintained. Go down to creek a couple of times. Reenie lifts up a tree that is blocking our way. And we even see a banana slug!
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Day 3, September 6, Friday
We wake up and eat breakfast. Then we do a very steep hike up the mountain next to our campsite.
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We reach the top and hike a much more level trail hoping to find an overlook of the Pacific Ocean. No luck. We find a log to sit on and eat snacks. We continue to hike up through redwood forest with lots of trees and ferns. We see several banana slugs and even another toad/frog, but no other big animal.
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We hike back down to camp and nap, then get up and have dinner: curry squash soup with mushrooms. After dinner we go walking (maybe about 3 miles) along Redwood Creek trail.
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Day 4, September 7, Saturday
We get up in the morning and each hike up 50 steps to the outhouse. While sitting in the outhouse and looking out the open door, one sees a redwood tree on the trunk of which it appears a bear and camel are looking back.
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After breakfast we pack up and backpack about 3 miles to the car. Along the way we pass a blackberry bush, so Bob snacks.
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Then we drive to Kuchel Visitors Center. Reenie calls Bill and Bob calls Shirley. We do a little shopping at the Center.
We drive to Arcata and go to Pepper's for a tasty, big lunch served to us by a very nice waitress. Neither of us can finish our lunch, so we take out enough food for dinner plus a piece of apple pie.
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The drive along Hwy 299 through the mountains to Weaverville is beautiful. We go to the Ranger Station there. It is closed, but no problem since we get our permit outdoors for backwoods camping in the Trinity Alps. Next we drive north on Hwy 3 to the Horse Flat Campground. The last part of the drive we go slowly up a dirt road.
We find a very nice, clean campsite right near a nice, clean set of toilets. We set up our tents in the twilight and decide to stay there for two nights rather than the 1 night we had planned before going to Stoddard Lake. We eat dinner (left over lunches) using a flashlight.
Day 5, September 8, Sunday
We eat breakfast and Reenie reorganizes food for the rest of the trip.
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We walk to Eagle Creek Trailhead, then walk roundtrip about 4 miles along the Eagle Creek Trail. There are a lot of logs, chasms and some steep trail. Also creeks and one large frog, who, thankfully, let us by.
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Along the trail are some huge pinecones, one of which Bob saves to give to Shirley.
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We meet a very nice couple. Once back to camp Reenie mixes lemonade which is very good after the long hike. We meet a guy, Mike, who tells us a lot about the park. Although he is not a park employee, he has taken it upon himself to spend a lot of time in the park helping to maintain it on his own. He has an amazing campsite. The couple we met walk around his campsite together with us.
We walk back to our campsite and then the nice couple drive their car and stop nearby. They have come to give Reenie a home made (made by Rahn, the lady) Yarrow spray tincture which is used as an insect repellent.
For dinner we have vegetable pho. Then, the dessert highlight given to us by one of Reenie's neighbors: a freeze-dried ice cream sandwich.
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Day 6, September 9, Monday
We get up at 6 AM, pack up camp, and drive to Stoddard Lake Trailhead. The drive is quite challenging along a dirt road. We drive very slowly.
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The last half mile is dicey with lots of loose rocks in the road and plenty of water erosion. We make it to the Stoddard Lake Trailhead, where only one other vehicle, a pickup truck, is parked. We backpack uphill for 2 miles.
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Reenie struggles a bit with nausea and dizziness, perhaps from eating something for breakfast which had been left out too long. We stop for a bit, Reenie throws up, and feels better. We decide to continue the hike for the last 1.5 miles to Stoddard Lake, arriving around 2 PM.
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Backpack Route to Stoddard Lake:
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Stoddard Lake is big and beautiful with giant granite ridges and peaks on one side. It is surrounded by forest.
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We find a nice campsite next to the lake. There is only one other group at the lake and they are camped quite farther away. Our campsite is quiet and the group leaves the next day.
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We set up tents, have dinner and enjoy a clear night sky with so many stars. The temperature is mild all night long.
Day 7, September 10, Tuesday
It is clean-up morning. Bob pours a pot of lake water on Reenie's head. Reenie says lake water is cold, but not freezing. After breakfast we decide to do a short, non-strenous hike on a relaxing day. We take Spur Trail to East Fork of Coffee Creek. However, "trail" soon disappears.
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Our theory is that there is no maintained trail. We hike across country on no trail using Reenie's phone GPS. At a creek we get to see a frog.
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Lower half of mountain is completely burned forest.
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We make it maybe 1.5 miles, getting lost and backtracking. Entire hike is about 7 hours. On the way back we run out of water and sadly, had not brought a Steripen to clean more water. At one point we sit down and rest on a log. Bob has been using a branch as a hike pole and sets it down. Reenie sets her glasses down on the log in order to pour cold creek water (which we had decided not to drink), over her head. The afternoon sun is hot with little shade as we climb up the mountain.
After resting we get up and hike the mile cross country back up to our campsite.
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At camp we eat dinner of salmon, gouda cheese, Triscuits, candied ginger and lemonade. We also realize we did not bring up either Bob's hiking branch nor Reenie's glasses from the log.
We are both tired from the day's hike and swear we will take it easier tomorrow. The other party on the lake had left, so we have the lake to ourselves.
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Being tired, we each collapse into our tents.
We get up, have breakfast and walk to south end of lake to check out the large campsite the group had left. We find a large roll of toilet paper hanging on a tree. We take it. There is some small sprinkling of rain in the morning, but not much. It is no problem and looks good coming down on the lake.
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We hike back down mountain to find Reenie's glasses. There is no trail. Reenie sees Bob's hiking branch next to a log and finds her glasses on the log. (To see glasses on log, click on photo, zoom in to Reenie's foot, look on log next to rock). A miracle!
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We hike back to camp, have lunch, then Bob naps while Reenie enjoys a quiet afternoon looking at the lake. Bob gets up and a Fish and Wildlife Ranger walks by our camp. He says he was looking for fishermen or bow men to check their permits. About 3:30 PM we hike to McDonald Lake, south of Stoddard Lake. It is beautiful.
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We hike back, build our first fire, and eat dinner.
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Then sit outside and enjoy the day, the campfire, and the moon which has now risen above the ridge on the other side of the lake.
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Day 9, September 12, Thursday
We get up, eat breakfast and go on a walk around the lake to the opposite side. We climb up and down rock, then sit and enjoy the view.
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We also check out a few campsites along the way (none better than ours), then walk back to ours for lunch and naps.
After naps we get up just as 5 guys (father, two sons, father-in-law and brother-in-law) hike by on way to campsite the earlier group had left. We take another walk along the lake and on way back pick up firewood. And rocks to take home.
Back at camp we make another fire, eat dinner (very spicy Yellow Tadka Dal, with rice and peppered salmon). Then drink hot chocolate while sitting near the fire. A great dinner for our last day on the hike.
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We do crossword puzzle and Jumble, enjoy the evening and get in our tents for the night.
Day 10, September 13, Friday
We get up early, pack up our tents and everything else, put on our backpacks, and hike back to the car. Along the way we meet and talk a bit with a German couple. We believe at one point we are seeing Mount Shasta in the far distance.
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We drive along the dirt roads for quite a while, with Reenie getting out of the car to pitch rocks on the road out of the way. We go a bit faster than we did coming up.
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We get on paved road and drive home, stopping at a Subway sandwich shop along the way, eating at a table next to a CVS store. Two guys and a woman sit at the table next to us, speaking in Spanish.
During the long drive home, Reenie drives for an hour while Bob naps. All goes well. We get home before 6 PM.
What a wonderful, wonderful backpacking trip.
Contact/Website Author:
Bob Phillips [phillips bob 27 at yahoo dot com - no spaces]
Santa Rosa, CA
September 15, 2024
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