Completed: May 4, 2024 | Elevation: 1,730′ | Trail: Redwood Loop Trail to Hihn Hammond Road | Distance: 5.7 miles (out and back)
I thought we were done with the rain. At least, that’s what it seemed like after we completed Willson Peak on a bluebird day. I spoke too soon, and that’s how we found ourselves hiking in the pouring rain to Mount McAbee in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. When I had originally checked the forecast earlier in the week, it was only supposed to shower until 10 A.M., so I went ahead and reserved my $8 parking pass. Saturday arrived and the forecast showed rain through the early afternoon. We decided to go for it. Isn’t this why we have all our rain gear?
This was our first time back since the park closed in 2020 from a major fire that tore through tens of thousands of acres. Driving in we could see the scars, the trunks of many trees still bearing telltale char marks. It was heartening, however, to see lots of redwoods sprouting again.
When we arrived at the park visitor center, we were, unsurprisingly, one of only a handful of cars in the lot. In the shelter of Axle we donned our rain gear and wondered if were crazy. Around 10:30 A.M. we hit the trail. From Redwood Loop, located near the entrance kiosk, we made the first left and walked through the redwood grove until we reached Hihn Hammond, an asphalt road that once it veers right to head up into the hills, becomes more like a fire road with a layer of dirt and detritus that in some areas became a muddy soup from all the water.
We climbed gradually and eventually came to an area with a bench. From here, the trail narrowed. Rain fell relentlessly, and soon we could see the last half mile of the trail in the distance. It traversed a rocky section and then dead-ended at the overlook. We had made it!
While the overlook, based on its elevation, matches the entry for Mount McAbee in the Sierra Club’s Nifty Ninety list, the actual summit of Mount McAbee is farther away and requires some bushwhacking. We considered reaching the overlook a success for purposes of completing the challenge.
Chris was starting to get cold – it didn’t help that he was wearing shorts – so we hurried back, jogging portions of the trail while still trying to enjoy the beauty of the woods around us. The hike had taken us a little over 2 hours to complete.
Considering the conditions, it could have been a lot worse. My rain gear actually held up, including my boots which I thought were no longer waterproof. Chris’ gear, on the other hand, didn’t fare as well.
We sat in the car with the heat and seat warmers on high, drying out while we ate our sandwiches. On our way home, we stopped in Saratoga and had a warming bowl of clam chowder and a plate of fries at Anchor’s Fish and Chips and Seafood Grill.
The irony of this whole excursion is that as we got halfway up the peninsula, the rain stopped and patches of blue appeared in the sky, and as it turned out, Sunday was a fantastically beautiful day.
Fortunately, we have another hike planned in Big Basin. While I enjoyed having the park to myself (we didn’t see anyone else while we were hiking), I’m looking forward to see the forest, and especially the redwoods, in the sunshine.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.