More from the Ecological Staircase
Eco Staircase — phoning it in
I was originally going to call this post “One last look.” Then I started browsing through my collection of photos from the hike at Jug Handle Preserve last October and realized I’ve barely even scratched the surface! So instead, these images are the last batch that I shot with my phone camera, and I’ll save the rest for some later […]
The trail to Fern Canyon
First of all, I should say that I didn’t actually hike Fern Canyon on this coastal trip. Secondly, there are a surprising number of places in California called Fern Canyon; Huell Howser visited one such trail in Humboldt County’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and there are two that I know of in Mendocino County. The name itself sounds so […]
In the Pygmy Forest
The loop trail through the Pygmy Forest forms a huge contrast from previous sections of the Ecological Staircase at Jug Handle State Reserve. Leaving behind the deeply shaded coastal redwood path and soft forest floor, I found myself on a narrow boardwalk in full sunlight lying above highly acidic, poorly draining soil. I was surrounded by a profusion of trees […]
One last look at Castle Peak
Here is the last of my batch of photos from late July 2006, when the Big Guy took me along on his quest for a good bow hunting spot. I had never stopped to explore this area, not far from Interstate 80, and I honestly didn’t see a whole lot of it even on this day. But there was quite […]
Up the terrace trail
Yes, I did shoot an awful lot of photos on my hike up the Ecological Staircase at Jug Handle in Mendocino County; I used three different cameras and walked very slowly. And even though several of my images were not good enough to share, that still left me with plenty of pictures I’m quite happy with. Today, I present a […]
Forest homestead
Here are some more images from my October 2023 hike along the Ecological Staircase trail in Mendocino County near Fort Bragg. The trail starts at Jug Handle State Reserve parking lot and ends at the Pygmy Forest. The path leads through a former homestead site and land formerly owned by a timber company which was last logged in 1961.
Exploring at Castle Peak
More images from our visit to Castle Peak on July 22, 2006.
Mendocino big trees
Whenever I go hiking alone in a place like the Ecological Staircase at Jug Handle Reserve, I’m never sure how much exercise I’m actually getting. I may end up walking three or four miles — and more if I have time — but I tend to go slowly as I gaze around, admiring the beauty and shooting photos. I’m perpetually […]