On Sunday the 6th, Nick, Lauren, and I spent the day slow hiking in northeastern Napa County. None of us had hiked the Oathill Mine Trail starting from the Aetna Springs Trailhead. We have hiked the route from Calistoga up to the top of the mountain, but not down the other side to the bottom at Aetna Springs.
This is what remains of the resort, which is currently being restored. It was developed in 1891, and was a popular summer destination for people from San Francisco and Hollywood. In 1966, Ronald Reagan announced his intention to run for governor in the dining hall here. The road from here to the trailhead was a narrow rocky affair with a sketchy washout in one place. The whole area is remarkable for being serene, having little traffic, and being mostly rugged countryside with scattered large oaks.
There is a lot of volcanic rock making for a striking landscape. Fire swept through here in 2020, burning 315,000 acres in 5 counties.
Waiting for the next big earthquake?
Oat Hill Mine Road, now a trail, was a stagecoach road that linked Calistoga and Aetna Springs. You can see the wagon wheel ruts worn into the volcanic stone. The "road" is 8.3 miles long and climbs 1,500 feet from Calistoga.
Nick and Lauren's love of plants is infectious. They had me photographing and identifying wildflowers along with them.
Henderson's Shooting Star
Bush Poppy
Looking at all those Kellogg's Monkey Flowers!
Indian Warrior
Kellogg's Monkey Flower
A lot to look at on this hike.
Nick spent a lot of time down on the ground.
To me this area is a real treasure of raw nature.
You can see the old stagecoach road crossing the middle of the picture. It must have been one bumpy ride! You can also see the burned fallen trees.
Miniature Lupine
Lily of some sort?
Erythronium Californicum
Scarlet Fritillary
Diogenes' Lantern
We had to stop to check out this '30-31 Ford Model A Coupe at the historic Pope Valley General Store. This is just like my first car I bought for $100 when I was 14. It would be perfect for chugging around the Forest Service Roads here in Oregon!
To be continued
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