Beginning our field trip at the Shasta Dam parking lot, a half dozen hikers explored a bit more than the first two miles of the Sacramento Ditch Trail—an out-and-back walk of 4.5 miles. The trail descends the first half mile before joining the relatively flat contour of the historic ditch, which was finished in 1858 and originally ran from Digger Creek (behind present-day Shasta Dam) south for seventeen miles to Quartz Hill. Along its route it provided water to several gold and quartz mining operations.
We had hoped to see several waterfalls along this section of the trail, but the lack of early fall rain made for bone-dry conditions. The weather, however, was perfect for hiking!
Highlights of the walk included toyon, which were loaded with bright red berries, and white-leaf manzanita, some of which towered over fifteen feet in height and had trunks with a circumference of over two feet at their bases. We also identified five different types of ferns: swordfern, maidenhair, bracken, bird’s-foot cliffbrake, and giant chainfern.
The waterfalls are looking good now, so take yourself and your pooch for a walk on this beautiful trail. If you have a mountain bike, enjoy the 9.2-mile ride from Shasta Dam to the trailhead at Walker Mine Road. –Chris Harvey
