Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
I ventured into Napa County to hike on Mt. St. Helena at the invitation of my friend Tina. Being in the background of so many of my photos, I was definitely excited to hike on this mountain that I have never visited except to drive over.
We decided to take the Table Rock Trail which is about 4.5 miles round trip. The trail departs from the small parking lot on Highway 29 and heads south to the massive Table Rock volcanic formation following an old utility road and single-tread path. There are many incredible views along the way that overlook Calistoga, Mt. St. Helena and Clear Lake. Here is a photo of where we stopped to eat lunch:
This was a hike that I would use my newly essential trekking poles, and I was so glad I had them. They definitely gave me hill support as well as more confident balance in navigating the rocky trails. It was an unseasonably warm day that was into the 70's, so during the hike, we were shedding our layers. I think that's pretty unusual for this time of year though. It was great to be with friends while chatting and hiking.
Tina (not me!) knew her way around the area, so she recommended a few offshoots that we hiked that extended the hike beyond the Table Rock trail. We hiked down to some stone labyrinths that were incredible to see and walk among, but this also brought us completely in view of the devastation caused by the Glass Fire. It was so burnt out, that we decided not to go any further on that route and turned around. Here are some photos:
As we walked back up to the main trail, we saw how truly hot the fire burned by noticing huge burnt out craters where trees once lived -- the fire not only burned the tree completely, but continued down to burn out the roots as well. It was an ominous sight to see. We took another trail that lead us to a plateau which was clearly where bulldozers were working to create a fire break. We enjoyed more incredible vistas from there, then we headed back.
On this hike, I truly felt like I was in the mountains. I loved having the feeling again of being high up and enjoying the vistas and gaining a better understanding of how the landscape fits together. Oh, and once again, the journey to and from were absolutely gorgeous! As was my time with these ladies:
Yes, sister! I can’t wait for our next hike together. Less than a week!! Today we hiked the other side which took 4.5 hours with only small breaks to appease my awful sciatica. It was hard and rewarding as most hikes are! Too much pain for me so I will have to figure it all out. So much love!!
ReplyDeleteYes, sister! I can’t wait for our next hike together. Less than a week!! Today we hiked the other side which took 4.5 hours with only small breaks to appease my awful sciatica. It was hard and rewarding as most hikes are! Too much pain for me so I will have to figure it all out. So much love!!
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