WTA Hike-a-thon 2012 The First Week in California

For the start of Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon this year, I was in Folsom, CA staying with my sister. She just had surgery and I needed to be down to help her with heavy lifting and such around the house. Day One of Hike-a-thon, I hiked 4 miles along the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (American River Bike Trail) near Folsom, CA. I started at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and hiked downstream 2 miles and back again. That's the mile marker for mile 22. The trail runs approximately 32 miles from Sacramento to Folsom, CA. The key to hiking in California in August is getting out early in the day before it gets too hot. The weather forecast for this week had the highs in the 100's! Way to hot for this Seattle girl. I was out on the trail at 6am and the thermometer in the car told me it was 68 degrees. Perfect. When I returned to the car 2 hours later, it was already 78 degrees.








You know you are hiking in California when you encounter grapes along the trail! And we aren't even in Napa! :-)

Day Two of hike-a-thon, I was inspired by my successful hike the day before, so I got up even earlier to travel to Auburn, CA and hike to Hidden Falls. Much of the park is undergoing renovation, so many trails were blocked for trail work and restoration. But the route down to the Falls Overlook was open.  I got to see some baby deer and the whole family was there too!





On day Three of hike-a-thon, I made a tactical error and did NOT wake up before the dawn to hike. So there I was in 100 degree heat back on the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. This time I got on the trail at mile marker 20 near Fair Oaks Bluff and only made it one mile before I started melting....so I barely made it back to the car. I had depleted my water supply and luckily had gatorade in the car to help keep me from passing out. I seriously do not do well in the heat.  I had thought doing a flat trail like the American River Parkway would not be that bad, but I was mistaken!

On Day Four of Hike-a-thon, I made the effort to get up early and I was out at The Monte Vista Trailhead to hike the Old Salmon Falls Loop at 6am. I did 2.2 miles and totally enjoyed the cooler temperatures of the early morning hours. The Salmon Falls is an extinct waterfall. It was dried up when the Folsom Dam was built in the 1950's. The Salmon Falls town site was flooded by the dam construction, but some foundations can be see in the fall and winter when the Folsom Lake has low water levels  Originally a gold mining camp, Salmon Falls was founded by Mormans in 1850.

 Day five of Hike-a-thon and I am happy to say, my last day of hiking  in Folsom. I did 2 miles on the East Natoma Lake Trail near Old Town Folsom. A highlight was this historical marker commemorating the Mexican Land Grant that lead to the creation of Folsom. And Turkeys! I will be headed home to Seattle to hike in  the Pacific Northwest for a few days! And Ryan and I will be traveling to Paris together, might not do anything for hike-a-thon there, but might have to post some photos anyway!

On August 7th (I skipped a day, I know--slacker--) I did 2 miles in Carkeek Park in Seattle. It was so good to be back home and hiking in cooler weather and where everything is GREEN!

I hiked the Piper's Creek Trail and was pleased to see an interesting interactive story trail along the way.I don't text, so I had to wait til I came home to access the info via their website, but I thought this was an awesome way to engage people in the hiking process and you learn something about the area too!
All this activity is for the Washington Trails Association Hike-a-thon. Be sure to check out my WTA page and make a donation, we are almost half way towards our goal of $1000. WTA Hike-a-thon  And while you are reading this, Ryan and I are on our way to Paris. Don't know how much hiking we will do there, but I will be sure to blog about our adventures and I will leave him in France to start his hike of the Way of St. James or the Camino de Santiago!