Jack Hines and I just returned from a look-see for available inland
coastal sites around Mendocino and northern Sonoma Counties in
Northern California. Basically, we were looking for either Marbled
Murlette or Spotted Owl sites. Because all of the campsites in the
Redwood National Park were taken during the times we wanted to go
(Marbled Murlettes), we opted to go inland to try to find redwood
locations for Spotted Owls further south. The first night we ended up
at a campsite in Jackson State Park (N39=B021'28.40"/W123=B009'45.50"). =
To our ears it was solitary and quiet. To our mics, it was noisy as
hell with logging traffic from as far away as 5 or 6 miles =96 big
trucks downshifting around curves and downhill runs. We heard one owl
call early in the evening when we weren't recording. Also, over the
distant traffic noise some ravens around dawn. Because of the distant
traffic, and some few overflights, the site is not great for
recording at any time of year, probably. As for the rest of the area,
checking all of the jeep trails and dirt roads off the main arteries,
every gate was locked. Every other access blocked, even for serious
off-road vehicles. Apparently, Mendocino County and residents are
particularly concerned about the thriving pot-growing industry and
the property owners, logging companies, and even state and national
parks, have clamped down on access to wilderness sites we could
easily get to only a decade ago.
On Monday, we went further south into northern Sonoma County to try
to find other sites. Same problem. We covered 175 miles looking for
locations or access to them and were thwarted at every turn. There
are some private properties =96 large holdings of land =96 that we're
looking at, particularly south of Hwy 128 off the Anderson Valley =96
one 3500 acre site owned and managed by a state university. The other
a very large piece owned and managed privately, that we will try to
get permission to camp and record at in the spring.
Anyone on the list know of good inland camping/recording sites in
that region (Willits - Ft. Bragg at the northern boundary, Mendocino
- Cloverdale at the southern. Ocean on the west, Hwy 101 on the east.)?
Bernie
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