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Henry W. Coe SP - Middle Ridge, Poverty ...
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trip viewed 241 times
Story: A very enjoyable hike in a perfect Coe weather.
No crazy Mount Sizer hike this time, we just went for a more reasonable few hours loop through MIddle Ridge and Poverty Flat.
Sam and I met on the HQ parking lot at 10, and we checked out the visitor center/store first since no matter what, it's always, always closed after a hike.
For a change, we took the Corral trail to leave the HQ. A ranger told us that a few tarantulas were seen on this trail few weeks ago. We then continued on the Fish Trail. We decided to take Fish rather that Flat Frog because of time constraints. We could always make our hike longer later on if time permitted. This turned out to be a smart choice as even this shorter version of the loop turned out to be close to 10 miles. Fish Trail essentially goes down to Little Fork Coyote Creek (which was slightly flowing) before going up to Middle Ridge.
Once we reached Middle Ridge, the next step was Poverty Flat. Contrary to what I thought, it was a lot of downhill because Middle Ridge doesn't go as far South as Blue Ridge or Pine Ridge but terminates suddenly, forcing the trail to go down.
This is where Little Fork and MIddle Fork meet, and it's a beautiful place. We took some cool pictures and saw a garter snake.
We then climbed back up on Pine Ridge using Cougar Trail and then the upper portion of China Hole trail. Cougar trail is great. It is quite steep, steeper than China Hole but you quickly get out of Poverty Flat. It is shaded, but the tree cover is not very dense, and this allows for great views of Blue Ridge.
During this hike, we saw many different vegetation types and this variety made the hike very interesting. The China Hole/Cougar junction area is covered with chaparral, a type of vegetation I really like. This is where we saw a tarantula and a snake skin (likely from a garter snake).
We had a nice rest by the picnic tables at Manzanita Point, another very enjoyable area.
We then used the very familiar Manzanita Point road to go back to HQ and admired a young gopher snake that was sunning itself on the trail.
Tips: Entrance fee (at HQ) is now $8. Ouch...
Tags: Henry Coe, tarantula, Middle Ridge, Pine Ridge, Poverty Flat, Cougar Trail, China Hole, Madrone Soda Springs (historical)
Photos: See all pictures from Henry W. Coe SP - Middle Ridge, Poverty Flat, Pine Ridge
Marine layer over the Monterey Bay, Little Fork is flowing, At the top of Middle Ridge, looking back, Savannah..., Lunch?, Manzanita tree..., Madrone tree..., Middle Fork Coyote Creek, Fuchsias, still going strong, Middle Fork, meet Little Fork, Coyote Creek, Flowing, Sam crossing at Poverty Flat, Start of Cougar Trail, On Cougar Trail, fungus..., View of Blue Ridge, View toward China Hole, Shed skin, Tarantula, Manzanita Point
Marine layer over the Monterey Bay, Little Fork is flowing, At the top of Middle Ridge, looking back, Savannah..., Lunch?, Manzanita tree..., Madrone tree..., Middle Fork Coyote Creek, Fuchsias, still going strong, Middle Fork, meet Little Fork, Coyote Creek, Flowing, Sam crossing at Poverty Flat, Start of Cougar Trail, On Cougar Trail, fungus..., View of Blue Ridge, View toward China Hole, Shed skin, Tarantula, Manzanita Point
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