The Idiot’s favorite MedTrek training hike in Northern California between June and September takes him through a majestic redwood forest to a loop through some of the world’s tallest trees.

The 16.6-mile round-trip stroll on the Redwood Creek Trail to the renowned Tall Trees Grove is on a generally decent path with little exposure to the sun, only minor ups and downs, and not too many deer, bears, elk and slugs. Combined with numerous walks along the Pacific Ocean, it’s an ideal preparation for next month’s trek down the coasts of Lebanon and Israel on the Mediterranean Sea.

A map and description of the Redwood Creek Trail at the trailhead just north of Orick, CA.

The Redwood Creek Trail is rated as “moderate” in difficulty.

Here’s what “moderate” looks like:

Moderate: Many fallen trees have been expertly cut to maintain a clear path.

Moderate: One fallen redwood has left just enough room for short hikers.

Moderate: Bridges are installed across Redwood Creek during the summer.

Unfortuantely, many footbridges on the trail are out of commission this summer and maintenance crews haven’t cleared many recently fallen trees. Forest rangers in Orick told The Idiot that this is “a problem of money and manpower.”

Moderate? There are currently more “closed” or removed foot bridges on the Redwood Creek Trail than The Idiot has seen since he began hiking here in 1985.

Moderate? A number of fallen trees on the Redwood Creek Trail that might hinder some hikers.

The Idiot nonetheless relished walking through the old growth forest and took a lunch break that included a “Cave Man” bar when he arrived at the Tall Trees Grove in just under three hours.

The Idiot respects his elders when he encounters them on the Redwood Creek Trial. The plaque reads:”Approximate age 750 years.”

There are frequently more slugs than people using the Redwood Creek Trail on a weekday in early August.

A sign indicating the direction of the Tall Trees appears after The Idiot walks 7.3 miles from the Redwood Creek trailhead.

The Idiot carried a healthy lunch that included a “Cave Man” bar. (Photo: Liz Chapin)

The Idiot’s picnic table at the Tall Trees Grove.

Next week: The Idiot returns to Redding, CA, to walk in 100-degree heat.

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."