This Spring has been busy with things other than hiking, and I am left feeling like a pop-corn kernel about to burst. Soon (early July) my feet will touch down on the Bigfoot Trail. This trail was created by Michael Kauffmann, an adventuring botanist and author from Humboldt County, CA.

Yolla Bolly Rigdeline

Yolla Bolly Rigdeline

The trail highlights 32 different species of conifer in it’s 400 miles. I look forward to the scavenger hunt aspect of this trail, and will learn a whole lot about trees as I walk, not to mention maybe see Bigfoot!

The trail starts in the Yolla Bolly mountains in Mendocino County. These mountains are where I went skiing and adventuring as a kid, they are close to my home town, Willits. The Bigfoot Trail travels through the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountains before turning west through the redwoods to it’s north terminus in Crescent City. The BFT connects with the route I created in 2011, the Japhy Ryder Route, and might provide a great alternate start.

After weeks of work on the computer, my friend Treehugger and I created a map set for the Bigfoot Trail to help supplement Michael Kauffmann’s guidebook. If you are interested in the mapset contact me. Tree, her partner d=rt, and their amazing dog Justa started their hike of the Bigfoot Trail on the 24th of June, follow their blog on trail journals.

 

Making maps for the BFT

Making maps for the BFT

 

Besides spending a bunch of desk time on maps for this hike I have not been prepping much. My conditioning has consisted of gardening and building a patio, my food and resupply prep has included a couple trips the grocery outlet for bars and some time in the kitchen drying up strawberries. I expect the first week of the trail to be harder than normal, but I’m sure my soul will be happy to get back out into the wilds!

My Bigfoot Trail training consists of building a patio... could be a slow start!

My Bigfoot Trail training consists of building a patio… could be a slow start!

I'll miss my garden while I'm gone!

I’ll miss my garden while I’m gone!

mmmm! Dried Strawberries for the trail

mmmm! Dried Strawberries for the trail

Northern California has not received much rain in the past few years and conditions are very dry. Fire season is promising to be dramatic, and my fingers are crossed that the flames stay away from the trails long enough to hike this amazing new route.

I always feel a little strange about saying “I will be hiking” because there are so many factors that could keep me from the trail this summer. If all works out and my feet do get to touch down on fresh trail tread in early July I will be sure to share the adventure!