Myrtle Creek Trail

At the end of the trail, Myrtle Creek

Up reasonably early (0630) and by 0800 at least 8 American Robin on the lawns outside the cabin with 2 Steller’s Jay. A hummer about and I assume it is Anna’s Humingbird. A cock and hen bantam roam the veggie garden with the cock often crowing! Mist at treetops level on the ridge to the N of Smith River. The pattern of low cloud and cool conditions at the coast only 20 miles away contrasting with the high temperatures back here in Gasquet is remarkable.

Found an excellent local bird guide yesterday –Barron (2001). Best site guide I have ever come across.

After breakfast we walk the Myrtle Creek Trail just N of Hiouchi but see absolutely no birds all morning!

The trail is in an interesting area on a geological boundary between two soil types combined with the climatic transition between cool humid coastal conditions and the warmer interior. The more unusual soil is serpentine derived from iron and magnesium rich rocks. The area is designated a Special Botanical Area – one of six in the six rivers National Forests.

Serpentine

Also of interest is the fact that his area was worked as an hydraulic mining operation for gold between 1894 and the early 1920s. Gold was first found in this area in 1853 when panning was the method used. When pacer deposits were exhausted (gold bearing deposits in sand and gravel in the streams) the hydraulic method took over. Most of the vegetation along this trail has regenerated after intense occupation and clearing.

Flume alongside the ditch used to direct water to outlets below

The ditch with the present Myrtle Trail along its bank

The mining operation was made possible by a long ditch that acted as an aquaduct to bring water from a mile up the stream to provide the pressure on the hoses used to sluice out the alluvial deposits. The pressure was as much as 200 lbs per square inch.

We see a good variety of plants including fruiting Huckleberry, Western Azelia Rhododendron ocidentale (typically found away from the coast) and a true Rhododendron R. macrophyllum (typically found near the coast in the Redwood forests) . Trees include Coastal Redwood Sequoia sempervirens, though none are large due to soil and climate, and an abundance of Tanoak Lithocarpus densiflorus.

Giant Banana Slug

Oregon Myrtle Umbellularia californica otherwise known as California Bay or Laurel gives the trail its name and the colourful Pacific Madrone Arbutus menziesii with its flaky peeling bark revealing rich reddish-browns and yellows is spectacular. In serpentine soils with permanent water we see some insectivorous Pitcher plants Darlingtonia californica.

Pitcher Plant

Conifers include Knobcone Pinus attenuate (a closed cone pine), Sugar Pine Pinus lambertiana and Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii. We also saw some Port Orford Cedars Chamaecyparis lawsoniana a conifer often ravaged by a spore born root disease.

The spicy Wild Ginger Asarum caudatum was found and California Hazel Corylus cornuta. Riparian vegetation becomes more obvious as we near the end of the trail at about 1 mile. Here there are Bigleaf Maple Acer macrophyllum and Red Alder Alnus rubra.

Red Alder

I spot a California Sister Adelpha bredowii, a distinctive medium size (2-3”) butterfly rather like a White Admiral with two white bands extending across the wings and large oval spots at the
wingtips. Ferns are abundant on moist slopes and along the ditch near the stream abundant five-finger Maidenhair Fern Adiantum pedatum is conspicuous.

No Dippers.

Five Finger

We go into Crescent City and have a good seafood lunch at the harbourside café ‘The Chart Room’. I take a few pictures of gulls and cormorants and we see a Pigeon Guillemot far across the inner harbour. There are fewer Sea Lions visible today but time of day and tide probably have an influence on numbers hauled out. There are still lots of Harbour Seals – at least 40 I should think. A large number of Semipalmated Plover (ca 50) on the beach to the south with some Western Sandpiper. Not much else to note.

We return to walk in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and pay $6 to enter. We park near the Smith river on the N side of the park and David and I walk the Nature loop trail where some ‘interpretive’ signage is helpful but there is no pamphlet it seems. Along this trail towards the end it is noted that this is a place where the Marbled Murrelet breed above us in the redwood treetops. August is a bit too late in the year to see them (May to July is best) assuming one has the patience to sit out at dawn and spot a high pitched squealing speck of a murrelet buzzing past over the canopy – if you are lucky! Feeding occurs only twice a day it is stated.

Coastal Redwoods Sequoia sempervirens

I saw a couple of Steller’s Jay and 5-6 Common Merganser (Goosander) all in female plumage and I suspect a brood. They were lazily swimming against the flow in shallow clear water with frequent dipping of their head below the surface to look for fish I suppose. Nothing else seen. No Dippers. Goosander and Semi-palmated Plover best birds of the day.

Return to our cabin very weary.