Have you been reading these Wednesday morning columns on our
local parks? They
’ve been terrific. They extol the beauty of destinations like
our own Henry W. Coe State Park and the many opportunities for
hiking, camping, solitude and nature appreciation found there. You
can be sure to find encouraging, uplifting, positive press in this
series. That is, until today. I’m goi
ng to break this perfect record. I’m going to talk about THE
RULES!
Have you been reading these Wednesday morning columns on our local parks? They’ve been terrific. They extol the beauty of destinations like our own Henry W. Coe State Park and the many opportunities for hiking, camping, solitude and nature appreciation found there. You can be sure to find encouraging, uplifting, positive press in this series.
That is, until today. I’m going to break this perfect record. I’m going to talk about THE RULES!
Why do this? It’s probably the school teacher in me. Isn’t this what we teachers do – make lots of rules and ruthlessly enforce them? In fact, we are so proficient at this that we silence kids who dare to talk in a movie theater and reprimand young miscreants running in store aisles. “If you see a child behaving, thank a teacher,” as the saying goes.
So, rules at Henry W. Coe State Park. That’s bound to be a bummer, right?
Consider these:
No dogs are allowed, except on one short trail and at the Headquarters campground.
No wood gathering is allowed.
Bicyclists cannot ride cross country, and hikers should not shortcut across switchbacks.
Bicyclists and horses are not allowed on some trails.
No flower picking!
No collecting of rocks, pine cones or any natural feature.
Backpackers must register before entering the backcountry.
Pack out all refuse.
No wood or charcoal fires are allowed in the backcountry. Fires are only permitted in fire pits in certain campgrounds.
Bicyclists should yield to hikers and equestrians; hikers yield to equestrians.
How troublesome are these rules? Once, when camping at the Headquarters campground, I found I had left the propane for my stove at home. Since I had plans (and all the food) for making a superb breakfast, I needed fuel. The Visitor Center store was closed, so I could not buy wood there. The logical option was to pick up a few stray pieces of downed wood. There was plenty.
The problem: park rules. “No wood gathering allowed.” I was thinking about that rule when I took a hike on one of the park’s nearby trails. Before, on hikes, I’d notice the living flora … pines, oaks, manzanitas, California bay and so on. This time, I focused on the down wood. It was everywhere. The decaying wood is home to animals (big and small … very small) as it decomposes and enriches the soil. Birds particularly find tasty morsels in this cafeteria. Reluctantly, I agreed – let the wood be. It’s a vital part of the eco-system. (And, in case you care, I found plenty of unused firewood in a nearby fire pit.)
“Dogs are not allowed on most trails.” Rewrite that rule to read: At Henry Coe, you have a greater chance of happening upon a deer, rabbit, snake, or even a coyote or bobcat than in many other parks. Expect the unexpected!
“Bicyclists stay on trails, and hikers avoid the switchbacks.” That’s a guarantee that at Henry Coe you can see entire hillsides in their natural state, a particular plus during wildflower season.
Speaking of which: “No flower picking.” That hurts! What’s wrong with taking just a few lupine? Or a small bunch of buttercups? Here comes the school teacher’s answer: “If everyone did it …” You know the rest. Seeing wildflowers in an undisturbed state is one of the supreme thrills at Henry Coe State Park. Let these flowers be, to be seen by others and to seed next year’s crop.
Spend just part of a hot summer day on the dry hills of Henry Coe State Park, and the restriction on backcountry fires becomes a “no-brainer.” And, speaking of no-brainers, let’s add the prohibition on firearms.
Bicyclists find the terrain of Henry Coe provides a challenge perhaps unequaled in Santa Clara County. (If that’s not enough, there’s always the ride up to the park itself!) Since all but 12 of the park’s 250 miles of trails are open to bicyclists, I’ve never heard anyone complain about the few trails that are closed to that activity. Equestrians, too, cherish the resources provided them at Henry Coe State Park.
On the trails, there’s a rule that both hikers and bikers should yield to equestrians, and bikers should yield to hikers. (Hikers have also been known to yield to rattlesnakes and wild boars!) This is less a rule than common courtesy, and it works.
As in most parks, the farther you hike from Coe’s headquarters, the fewer the restrictions. In Henry Coe’s backcountry, camp where you like. Please, though, leave the area as undisturbed as you found it, for the next visitor. And packing out your refuse is good practice for when you return home and have to take out the garbage.
So, just as in my fifth grade class, all those nasty, negative rules may not be so ominous, or numerous, after all. Enjoy the park. Cherish the sense of freedom that will be with you each step of the way. Just one warning: Rules and restrictions await you once you drive back down to the valley. Especially if you encounter a school teacher!
Jim Wright is a uniformed volunteer at Henry W. Coe State Park; he and his wife live in Morgan Hill, where he teaches at P. A. Walsh Elementary School.
