'Steep Trail?' Yep.

John and I are staying in the North Bay, taking a long weekend to celebrate our anniversary. So for a hike, we headed to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve that's about 20-25 minutes from where we're staying in Forestville. The park is known, as you might guess, for its beautiful redwood trees.

We got a late start, even for us, and didn't hit the trail until about 3pm. Armstrong Redwoods is near Guerneville, which seems to live up to its reputation as a summertime getaway because we encountered a long line of traffic in the town, but it didn't actually take too long to get through town and on our way.

Given how bustling Guerneville was, it wasn't a surprise that Armstrong Redwoods also had a lot of visitors. The park entrance was busy and the road leading up to the reserve was lined with cars.

From behind the Visitor Center, we took the East Ridge Trail, up about 1200 feet over 2.7 miles through mostly open forest. The trailhead had "Steep Trail" signs, but it's all relative and I never take those too seriously until I find myself struggling up a steep hill or two. (I mean, Mission Peak doesn't have such signs--though "Sun-Baked Vertical Slog" signs might be more appropriate there), but I did in fact find myself struggling up a number of steep hills on the East Ridge Trail, so, OK, those signs were pretty accurate.

 The trail was a bit slippery here and there with dusty, gravelly patches, but it wound up the hillsides through open forests of bay trees. There was a lot of filtered sunlight, but it was mostly shaded and a beautiful climb.

We were grateful for the shade because the weather was hot, and almost a little humid. Hiking in the heat--not hitting the trail till mid-afternoon is a mistake we often repeat--slowed us down, and it took some effort to get to the top.  Once we reached the end of the East Ridge Trail, the views were worth it.

At the end of East Ridge, rather than head back the way we came, we picked up the Pool Ridge Trail for our descent, coming back down roughly another 2.5 miles. This trail was also mostly shaded as well--more bay trees and some evergreens. We met a good number of other hikers along both the East Ridge and Pool Ridge trails, which wasn't a shock, since the park entrance had been so crowded, but neither trail was uncomfortably busy (like Yosemite in the summer often is, for instance). A little spur called the Loop Trail appears to have shaved a little distance off our descent--it's up for debate, and the map was a bit confusing, but no matter, because  it did offer us another nice view.

At lower elevations, the trail wandered through shaded canyons, along mostly dry creekbeds, and final 1/2 mile or so became more of a stroll through a flat, dense redwood forest.

Despite being a bit sweaty and dirty, we stopped in Guerneville for dinner, and had some tasty food at the Big Bottom Market, which serves what I'd call comfort food, but not in the unhealthy or heavy way that implies. Big Bottom also has a deli with sandwiches and salads, and a shop area that sells local wines, and goodies like high-end olives, cheeses and chocolates. Looks like a good place to stock up for a picnic.