How does a forest stay cool when summer temperatures soar? Join Docent Naturalists Nick Yatsko, Catherine Xun, and Nancy Weintraub on this moderately-paced "lollipop" loop to find out. Climb the Upper Pete Siemens Trail through second-growth redwood and Douglas fir trees, continue onto Redwood Springs Trail, and return through old-growth giants, all the while exploring how this ecosystem creates its own cooling system from canopy to forest floor. Total elevation gain is approximately 1,200 feet. Bring a snack.
Meet at the Alma Parking Area. From Highway 17 take the Bear Creek Road exit, opposite Lexington Reservoir. (From southbound Hwy. 17, exit the highway and go under an overpass; road will curve right to a stop sign at Bear Creek Rd., turn left. From northbound Hwy. 17 exit highway and cross the highway via the overpass on to Bear Creek Rd.) Travel 1.0 mile from Hwy. 17 on Bear Creek Rd., as road curves left there will be a pedestrian crosswalk, turn left into the parking lot immediately after the crosswalk.