You can consult a maps.yahoo.com map to plan your driving route. You want to take Skyline Boulevard to Route 9, then turn right at the fork to Route 236, which takes you into the Park. Follow the signs to "Park Headquarters". The Headquarters building is a neat old log structure built by the CCC in the 1930's. The rangers often serve free hot cocoa and coffee there.
Here is our hiking route: We will meet at Park Headquarters, Big Basin State Redwood Forest, in the town of Boulder Creek, on Saturday morning. If we are lucky, we'll be able to assemble at 8 am. We will begin our hike from the parking lot at the Big Basin Redwood Forest State Park Headquarters. We will take the Redwood Trail to the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail heading west, and then turn north on Berry Creek Falls Trail. We will camp at Sunset Trail Camp. There is a good place to get water along the trail about 3/10 of a mile before the Trail Camp. You need to carry in only enough water for the hike in. We will need to purify the water; no one should drink it straight from the creek. On Sunday morning, we will hike out via the Sunset Trail heading east, to the Redwood Trail, back to Park Headquarters. The hiking will be about 5.5 miles in and about 5.5 miles out. There is only 100 feet of net elevation change from the trailhead to the campsite, but the trail is steeply rolling. On the way in, we will hike up 600 feet, down 1200 feet, then up 500 feet. The Sunset trail on the way out is much less steep, but still moderately rolling. It has lots of 200 foot rollers and one long-feeling 400-foot ascent at the end.
You may enjoy glancing at Big Basin's official Web site.
When you arrive at the park, it would be very nice if those of you who are camping out paid the balance remaining on your tent site. I think it's $10 per site. We get free parking, included with our tent-site fee.
It would also be smart to pick up your own trail
map. It also makes sense for each family or single person to have a
compass.
I have two extra compasses that I can lend out.
Remember to set your
compass for the magnetic declination of Big Basin. Your needle will
actually be pointing to 17 degrees East. If you don't know how to
adjust your compass, I'd be happy to show you an easy method, in the
parking lot. Bring
scotch tape!
I have other gear that I can lend out: a large 2-person polyethylene tarp; a camping stove, homemade out of a coffee can; 2 extra down sleeping bags, rated to 40 degrees F; a variety of sleeping pads--Thermarest inflatables ranging from 2 inches to 3/4 inch in thickness, plus extra 3/8 inch foam pads and Ridge Rest "Z" foam pads; a small aluminum pot, maybe 1-quart capacity; and extra folding knives and multitools.
There are a lot of informative Web pages listed at the bottom of my Ultralight Backpacking page. There are tips on what to bring, where to buy stuff, etc. You may find your question answered there, or tips that you find helpful.
If you still have questions, contact me:
rmahony@stanford.edu
650-493-0986. Call between 6:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. :^)
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
~~Rhona
(c)Rhona Mahony, 2002: rmahony@stanford.edu