Redwood Nature Trail – Loeb State Park

At Alfred Loeb State Park, Brookings Oregon

On Wednesday evening I took a ride up the Chetco River about a mile and a half where the North Bank Chetco River Road crosses the Chetco River.  As evening grows near, the shadows along the river can be interesting.  This first picture was taken just as I was exiting the park.

I parked at the bridge and walked across it.  Above is a picture looking up river, while below…

…while this picture is looking down river.

Look at how you can see right down to the rocks down in the river.  Looked for signs of fish, but did not see any…perhaps the birds of prey keep them away from waters like this.  Had a young Bald Eagle swoop right down in front of me the other day as I was driving around.  WOW, what a surprise that was!

Well, on Thursday I decided it was a cool enough day to attack the Redwood Nature Trail, just north of the campground.  I discovered this hike last year, and I walked the Riverview trail a few days before the Redwood trail…but this year I decided to do the Redwood Trail first.  It is a mile loop (I know, the map says .9 of a mile, but when you walk from where you park to the red dot it adds up to a mile) with a gain in elevation by about 500 feet.  Last year I started to the left, this year I started to the right.

Very quickly you cross over a bridge, and stand there listening to the quiet brook that flows down and under the bridge.  Through the entire hike I only saw a handful of people…it was very quiet.

There is an abundance of plants, like one finds in many coastal redwood areas.  This particular coastal redwood patch shares its home with Douglas Firs, Maple Trees, and lots of plant life…

…including Poison Oak.

But you can see the path is wide, and I did not encounter (I hope) any poison oak growing onto the path.

     

One can really enjoy this trail.  In fact, I stopped numerous times just sit and listen to the peaceful sound, feel the cool air flow by, and pant like a dog laying out in the summer sun.

When I came upon this nature-made chair just a third of the way, I thought I was in heaven! 

Yep, look at that smile on my face.  I don’t take many selfies, but this one seemed appropriate…it is also the last one I took because here I was only 1/3 of the way done…the next third just about killed me.

      

Just about here (picture left) I hear this noise…a very slight rumble.  Suddenly this 50 year old female comes RUNNING down the path right at me.  “NO!”, I said, “IT IS NOT FAIR TO RUN!!!!”   She just laughs as she passes by me…my spirits are dashed.  By now I am soaking with sweat, she is as dry as bone.  Reminded me of when I hiked Pinnacle Mountain with a group of people in Arkansas as this guy runs up and down and up and down passing us many times.  THANK GOODNESS she did not run it a second time, I would have felt like a pea in one of those bounce houses at McDonalds.  In the picture right, I was hoping that I could make a bed along that fallen log…it was sure tempting.

Near the end of the trail, I sat upon another log and just contemplated about how long it would take to myself to get back up off that log.  At this spot one can just get a slight cell signal, so I texted Marcia to let her know that I would not be too much longer.  It was all downhill from here, and a smooth trail…I don’t think I stopped much more than two or three more times with less than 2/10ths of a mile left.

 

A point of interest or two…here is a shot of a Douglas Fir and a Coastal Redwood.  They are both large trees, but their trunks are very different…with the Fir having large gaps in the bark (left) while the Redwood is a smoother look but a very splintery look.

Near the end (or beginning depending upon which way you go) you will see this heavy cable.  It was was a logging cable, used to drag cut logs down off the mountain…err….hill. 

I made it back to the car, drove back to the motorhome, and sat in the car with the A/C going (on a 70 degree day) just to cool down a bit.  After getting into the motorhome, I sat for a bit after taking a couple of Aleve, and eventually made my way down to the showers (which they had parking at the showers so that I did not have to walk it!)  Now, 24 hours later, other than a little ache in my knees, I am doing fine.  Next week, the Riverview Trail, which is 3/4 of a mile to the entrance of the Redwood Trail, and 3/4 of a mile back.  The good thing, the elevation change is minimal.  The Redwood Trail, according to the Park’s pamphlet, is Moderate to Steep, while the Riverview Trail is Easy to Moderate.  After doing the Redwood Trail, I think the Riverview Trail will be pretty easy.