Olmstead Loop, Aurburn State Recreation Area, Cool, Ca

June 30, 2012 - Olmstead Loop - Knickerbocker Canyon - Auburn State Recreation Area - Cool, Ca

Oh boy, where do I start with this one? 

First, this trail is known for wildflowers and great views of the canyon, in the spring. My not-so-trusty guidebook suggested this hike for May, however the author's suggested hikes for June had me heading over an hour south I decided to check this trail out in June. The absolute last day of June to be exact. Not my best idea.

Head east from Auburn on 49, follow the highway across the bridge towards cool. (Notice the beautiful and refreshing river here, you'll be missing it later.) Just before the only stop sign in Cool, yes that one, and the fire station, take a right. It's ok, highway is a lofty term for this isolated stretch of road so a u-turn shouldn't be a problem. (It'll be a left turn now.)

It started out nice...

There is a parking lot behind the fire station and a self-pay day use fee. If you choose to park here, the lower lot is for cars, upper lot for horses. I, forgetting my CA state parks pass, opted to park in a nearby parking lot and walk in, via the handy access path. There is water here, hoses and horse troughs, which came in handy at the culmination of the hike.

My guidebook suggested doing the trail in reverse (counter clock-wise) which came in handy for counting down how many miles we had left, and for our shortcut. However I think both ways have their bonuses, for example the end of our hike was rather barren and quite warm, something that may have been better at the start.

The first big view

Moving on. The counter clockwise trail starts on the north side of the parking lot across the road. It parallels 49 and makes it's way around a fenced field, which is a common theme. About a half mile up the road there is a fork and the Olmstead trail turns right with a dirt road extending straight ahead. If you opt for the dirt road version it is supposed to cut off a mile or so from the hike. We opted for the shortcut.

There are many trails that intersect with the loop. The trail is decently marked with yellow triangles reminding the user of trail etiquette.  These are useful if you are worried about getting off track, however since it is a loop, just keep veering to the left when in doubt, or follow the most used trail and you'll be fine. The loop without shortcuts is 8-9 miles with 2 significant up-hill sections and one significant creek crossing. Do be aware that coyotes do frequent the area, as do snakes. Luckily we saw none of the former and the latter one was not poisonous. Phew.

"Tick Creek"

The views are fantastic and the creeks are refreshing, however the large sunny fire road leaves much to be desired, especially in June. As well the wildflowers are long gone.The other downside of this trail, besides popularity and frequent horse related presents, was not discovered until the first creek and then more thoroughly once we returned. Ticks. My guidebook did warn about off-trail consequences such as ticks, so I kept my four-legged friend on leash and out of the brush. Her entire off-leash activities consisted of a 5 minute swim in the creek. I also thought that the heat of the day and time of year would help to diminish the risks. 40+, that's how many ticks we pulled off my little friend, or found in and around the house over the next 3 days. two of which decided to crawl on me in search of their next meal. Yuck, made sleeping very difficult as I was sure there were more in my room and bed, and my skin cooperated by inventing new itches throughout those sleepless nights.

We made it! From here you can see where
we took the first view picture. Waaaay over there... 

In the end the unanimous decision was that this trail is not worth the effort. Heat, ticks, dry, barren, and heavy traffic outweighed the views and the easy access.



Pros: easy to find, ample parking, wide trails
Cons: too hot and dry in the summer, heavy use, TICKS!
Rating: 3/5 for difficulty (due to length and few hills), 1/5 for pleasantness.