Can you feel it? The heart of the day is still warm, but at the
edges – getting the morning paper, walking the dog after dinner –
you can feel autumn’s approach.
Spring is Henry Coe State Park’s marquee time – green grass,
wildflowers, water in the creeks, and mild weather. But fall is Coe
Park’s best kept secret. In addition to the sleepy stillness that
characterizes fall anywhere, temperatures in the park are mild,
and, maybe best of all, very few people are there.
Can you feel it? The heart of the day is still warm, but at the edges – getting the morning paper, walking the dog after dinner – you can feel autumn’s approach.
Spring is Henry Coe State Park’s marquee time – green grass, wildflowers, water in the creeks, and mild weather. But fall is Coe Park’s best kept secret. In addition to the sleepy stillness that characterizes fall anywhere, temperatures in the park are mild, and, maybe best of all, very few people are there.
On a recent fall-like day, I drove to park headquarters above Morgan Hill to get a preview of the upcoming season. My favorite hike from headquarters is a 6.2-mile loop that travels over the top of Pine Ridge to Frog Lake, then follows Middle Ridge to the Fish Trail which brings you back to headquarters. A walk like this is lovely for its own sake, but let me share some simple things I saw along the way that might add interest to your walk.
The Monument Trail begins above the ranger’s house and climbs a half-mile to the top of Pine Ridge. Blue Vinegarweed was growing in the disturbed areas at the edge of the trail as it does on many road sides. Twist a few of its leaves between your fingers and you will understand the source of its name. But get on your hands and knees and look closer. The stamens and pistil, the flower’s sexual parts, extend way beyond and arch over the flower’s petals. It won’t be long before a bee comes by to mooch some nectar. When it lands on the flower – wham – these flower parts slam down on the bee’s back depositing or picking up pollen in the process. Clever.
On the top of Pine Ridge, look for acorns set in holes in the bark of ponderosa pines by Acorn Woodpeckers for later consumption. You’ll hear their raucous “Jacob, Jacob, Jacob” call as they flit between trees.
The Frog Lake Trail climbs Middle Ridge above Frog Lake. Most of the trees you are walking past here are blue oaks. They may look similar to the valley oaks you are used to seeing down below, but their leaves have a blue color cast, are smaller, and are not as deeply incised as valley oak leaves. Blue oaks are better adapted to the dry conditions that prevail as you move east in the park – the oak savannah you drive through just before the Sierra foothills populated by blue oaks.
Once atop Middle Ridge, turn right toward Poverty Flat. As you rise, then dip, then rise again along the crest of Middle Ridge, there are great views back toward Pine Ridge on your right and further east toward Blue Ridge on your left. You will pass through massive big berry Manzanitas. These specimens, some with trunks two feet across and reaching 20 feet in height, stretch the meaning of the word shrub.
A little more than a mile down Middle Ridge, don’t miss the Fish Trail junction on your right. As you drop down toward the Little Fork of Coyote Creek, listen. Birds are much easier to hear than they are to see. Little outdoor knowledge has brought me more enjoyment than learning a few bird calls that, until I learned them, I didn’t realize were constantly around me. You are likely to hear the single high-pitched, but strong “CLEAR!” of the northern flicker ring from a tree top. Wrinkle your nose, pinch it shut, and make an “ank” sound. That’s a white-breasted nuthatch that I heard frequently on my walk.
The beauty and the stillness are enough, I know. But when I look closer, I find wonders.
