Hiking Henry Coe on St. Patrick's Day

Yesterday, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and satisfy my desire to hike in this beautiful weather, I drove to nearby Henry Coe State Park. To reach the park, one must cross a trussel bridge...

And pass Anderson Lake, a popular boating, fishing, and picnic location...

Most folks stop at the lake, which I like to see, since it usually means less people at the park.

I had originally intended to venture out to Frog Lake for an hour or two of relaxation, but when I saw a pack of twenty-somethings heading off that way, I decided to head in the opposite direction, towards Madrone Soda Springs. Since the park had a checklist of wildflowers currently in bloom, I made a point of keeping an eye out for them.

It was a beautiful day. The sky was so blue and the hills were so green that I kept stopping to take photos. I elected this one to represent the twenty or so I took...

From the headquarters, I took the Corral Trail until I reached the spot where four trails intersect. It makes it a little confusing if you've never been here before. One has a choice of the Flat Frog, Fish, Forest, or Springs Trail. There's also Manzanita Point Road, a dirt road that people treat as a trail.

I chose the Forest Trail since I was told it would be my best shot of spotting wildflowers. Up to that point, all I had seen were California Poppies. I did come across California Buttercups, Hound's Tongues, and Lowland Shooting Stars along the trail, but that was pretty much it.

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Other than the flowers, the most colorful thing I could see amongst the browns and greens was a cyclist in red, riding on the Fish Trail.

Not that I'm complaining about the browns and greens. The view of the Middle and Blue Ridges were impressive...

Once I reached the end of the Forest Trail (where it connects with Manzanita Point Road, Poverty Road, and Springs Trail), I stopped at a picnic table under a large oak tree to eat lunch and write.

I ended up spending so much time at the table that I had to change my plans. Instead of getting all the way out to Madrone Soda Springs, I only reached Bass Pond...

I took Springs Trail back and was treated to some pretty views on my way back to Coe Headquarters...

And that's pretty much how I spent St. Patrick's Day. To end this post, here is a page from my hiking notebook that I thought I'd share...