When I watch our spring green hills begin to turn brown each
year, I feel a little bit of me wither and die along with them.
There’s vitality and new beginnings in that green. I hate to see it
go.
My solution has always been to seek remnants of spring in the
nooks and crannies where it lingers a while longer. The hill’s
north slopes, the deep creases of our coast range and the dense
redwood forests are a few places where the sun’s summer parch is
delayed. Once again, I found just such a spot in my own
backyard.
When I watch our spring green hills begin to turn brown each year, I feel a little bit of me wither and die along with them. There’s vitality and new beginnings in that green. I hate to see it go.
My solution has always been to seek remnants of spring in the nooks and crannies where it lingers a while longer. The hill’s north slopes, the deep creases of our coast range and the dense redwood forests are a few places where the sun’s summer parch is delayed. Once again, I found just such a spot in my own backyard.
I have visited Mount Madonna County Park many times, but I have never taken the grand tour. When the kids were young, and the summer valley heat got to be too much, we would seek relief up there, where the cool ocean breeze takes the edge off. Grab the cooler, the Hibachi, a couple chaise lounges – 30 minutes, max – and we’re off. We visited the Miller house ruins and the deer pen, but not much more of the 3,219 acres the park encompasses.
The main entrance to Mount Madonna County Park is at the top of Hecker Pass. The campgrounds and picnic areas are situated along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. But this is only a small part of the park. There are miles of trails to explore beyond.
Last Saturday, despite the predicted rain, I decided to see what surprises these trails held. I parked at Sprig Lake five miles west of Gilroy on Highway 152, grabbed a free map from the kiosk and started up the Sprig Trail just west of the empty lake basin. The ceiling was low and gray, threatening rain, which perfectly matched the dense, moody forest.
The trail quickly envelopes you in a thick forest of second growth redwoods that leaves the noise of whooshing cars behind. It is a steep climb most of the two miles to the top, but the show is worth the pain. Even a short walk up and back down this trail is worthwhile. Crimson columbine, trillium, redwood sorrel and violets were a few of the flowers I saw still in bloom early on the trail.
As the trail levels off near the top, I took the half-mile side trail to the Giant Twins – two massive old growth redwoods marked with a plaque that states they were growing during the American Revolution.
There were several routes across the upper portion of the park to the Merry-Go-Round Trail that would take me back down the hill. At random, I chose the Rock Springs Trail. It’s a beauty. Though it crosses the busiest part of the park, I was completely secluded in a beautiful redwood forest carpeted with ferns and redwood sorrel. It is a little steep when traveling from south to north, but this half-mile trail is an ideal walk for someone looking for a short stroll near the visitor center area.
Past the ruins of the summer home of cattle baron Henry Miller, the Loop Trail and the top of the Merry-Go-Round Trail are a little dreary. But things opened up soon and I emerged into a classic California landscape – round, grassy slopes dotted with oaks. The contrast from the morning’s moist redwood forest could not have been more complete. I was in bright sunshine with sweeping views down toward Redwood Retreat Road and out across Gilroy all the way to Hollister.
If you walk the full seven-mile loop as I did, you will see great variety and enjoy solitude. I saw no people on the stretches of trail up from and back down to Sprig Lake. But even if you just carve off a slice of it, you’re in for a treat. Hurry, though, there’s not much spring left.
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Ron Erskine is an outdoors columnist. His column appears every Sunday online at www.freelancenews.com. You can reach him at:
ro********@ms*.com
