Explorers

On our initial ride into the Redwoods State and National Parks system, we took US 101 south, then took the Newton B. Drury Scenic Byway (top yellow dashed line) to the Prairie Creek  visitor's center.  Today we took the 101 past Prairie Creek and entered the National Park and took the lower yellow dashed line, the Bald Hills Road to see where it went.  According to park literature, the mostly paved road went 17 miles (45 minute drive) to a trail head.  We were going only 13 miles to the end of the pavement.  

With Brock and Leola in the lead, we ascended a steep 15% grade through old-growth redwoods.  

The trees were beautiful, but the road was rough with areas where the top layer (s) of pavement had deteriorated and left uneven pavement and potholes.

The forest would open suddenly on small open meadows.  

The road by this one was very rough.  We had gone only a couple of miles when Leola's bad back gave out.  Unfortunately they had no alternative but to return home.  

Duane and I decided to continue.  We rode up and up, almost 2500 feet to the top of the hills.  There we found several open prairies, making the hills 'bald' of trees.  The grass-covered slopes would have been really beautiful on a clear day.  What we found was wildfire smoke.

Still, we managed to evade the worst of the patchy road, and ignore the thin layer of smoke and enjoy the curvy twisting ride.

Where the pavement ended and the gravel began we turned around and headed back the same way.

In the 1/2 hour or so that we rode, the smoke thickened so that the mountains that looked like this on the way in

looked like this on the way out.

The scenery on both sides of the road was obscured, but we cruised along enjoying the ride and the beautiful trees that we could see.

At the Lady Bird Johnson Grove trailhead (where Brock and Leola turned around), we stopped for a break and some information.

The trail crossed the road via an overpass.

Back on US 101 we passed the Elk Prairie picnic area and found....elk!!

Instead of continuing on the highway we opted for the Drury Parkway for a last view of the redwoods before hitting the highway for home.

An afternoon well spent.

Louise and Duane