(Please click on the pictures to enlarge them for more detail.)
Near the entrance to Humbug Mountain State Park there was a roadside overlook. This is looking back north.
This was the view to the south. Unbeknownst to us at the time, we would be hiking north on a trail that paralleled Highway #101, and these rocks, known as the Redfish Rocks, would be our lunch view.
And here we are, eating lunch halfway through the hike! The bay with the red rocks in the first picture is just beyond Frederick"s right shoulder.
Our lunch view south along the coast.
And here is our view straight ahead - the Redfish Rocks. We had a special bonus for lunch because we could...
watch whales spouting in the water between the shore and the Redfish Rocks.
There were three or four whales in the water and here are the flukes of one diving after spouting. It's hard to tear your eyes away from watching the whales!
A waterfall along the trail with bigleaf maples turning their fall colors.
The short section of the hike, near the trailhead, is known as the Fern Trail. Someone has gone to a lot of work to identify 9 different varieties of ferns and placing labeled rocks by the different ferns.
Deer Fern
Western Maidenhair Fern
Leather Fern - this one was on a tree.
Sword Fern - perhaps the most abundant variety that we see blanketing the forest floor.
Coastal Wood Fern
Giant Chain Fern
Lady Fern - a little past its prime.
Bracken Fern - also past its prime.
Goldenback Fern - Thank you, Frederick, for showing us the back of the fern.
Today's hike:
Length - 5.35 miles
Duration - 2 hours, 19 minutes
Elevation gain - 610 feet (61 floors on the Fitbit)
That's amazing you can see the whales from shore, beautiful!!
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