Banana slugs on the South Fork of the Trinity

After 20 steps on the S. fork of the Trinity trail I was welcomed by a familiar slimy critter, the mascot of my alma mater, the banana slug. UC Santa Cruz grads seem to have an attachment to these creatures, and I’m no exception.
It was nice to know I was someplace cool and wet enough to be home to one of these yellow slugs, especially after the dry dusty trail in the Yolla Bolly mountains. At lunch I sat down on a cool rock by a flowing creek and slowly realized I was surrounded by slugs. They were everywhere, and one even crawled on my shoe! As I munched on a cheese and salami tortilla lunch I watched two slugs race across a nearby rock, observed a big spotty one sipping water from a puddle, and witnessed one short stubby slug tumble 2ft off a rock onto some pebbles below.
It was interesting to get to know these strange animals a bit better. They are hermaphrodites and mate through holes in the sides of their heads, eat with a tongue called a radula, and sure are slimy!