The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: hike

  • Take a Hike, why dontcha: A guide to the best hiking spots near Cal Poly Humboldt

    Take a Hike, why dontcha: A guide to the best hiking spots near Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Alina Ferguson

    Cal Poly Humboldt is famous for its forest and hiking. Arcata is centrally located between hills, forests and beaches, so there are a lot of options for anyone looking to backpack, camp or simply take a hike. 

    Maired Sardina, program coordinator for the Center Activities Recreation and Wellness Center on the CPH campus, has some tips and trips for aspiring hikers.

    The Arcata Community Forest is right here on campus. It is easily accessible for those without cars or any other mode of transportation. This hike is relatively low intensity, so it is not required to be a seasoned or skilled hiker. 

    This hike is also safest for beginners or anyone new to the area, as it is connected not only to campus, but to the town as well, so it is difficult to get lost. “There are so many options to get back into town” said Sardina.

    According to returning senior, seasoned hiker and R.A. Alexis Quiroz, the Community Forest is best for beginners because there are resources available close by.

    “If you get lost or injured and you dial 911, it connects you to the UPD instead of the Arcata Police because the forest is within the school boundary,” said Quiroz. 

    Last semester, Olivia Greenwood, an education major here at Cal Poly, said she spent practically every day in the Arcata Community Forest. 

    “I was hiking like everyday last semester, I would hit the trail at like 4pm and I went pretty deep into the forest,” claimed Greenwood, “Hiking during covid was pretty isolating but kind of nice, to be alone with nature.” 

    A hidden gem that is really only ever traveled by locals, a part two to this hike, is called Beith Creek Loop. While not on the campus itself, it is a short distance away, within the Arcata main town. 

    A 10 minute drive away from the CPH campus, the Ma-Le’l Dunes are a historically significant hiking spot. These dunes lead to the waterfront. This route is the site of many historical events, which mostly occurred during the late 1990s and early 2000s, as protesters lived in trees. To find more information, the Humboldt Nature center has hikes available. 

    The Coastal Nature Center has a visitor center with plaques listing facts about the dunes and the nature around the dunes. 

    “That’s one of my favorite areas” said Sardina, “It’s gorgeous there” 

    Headwaters Forest Reserve is a progressive hike. The first mile is all paved, so it is most popular for casual strolls, skateboarding or dog walking. However, the next four miles are all trail, so the intensity picks up. 

    “You get to choose your own adventure,” said Sardina. “You can choose, I want to go a mile on the pavement, I want to go a mile on the trail, or you can choose to do all ten miles, 5 miles in and 5 miles out” 

    Fern Canyon is one of the busiest and most famous hiking spots in Humboldt. So much so that a permit is now required to get in until October 1st. The canyon itself is a flat hike, with fallen trees and trails partially submerged underwater. Hikers can park directly next to the canyon or hike in from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, about a 11 mile round trip according to the National Park Service.  

    This hike is much further from campus, about a 40 minute drive. However, the hike leads to a beach called Gold Bluff, where camping out for the night is an option. 

    Prairie Creek Redwood National Park is home to the tallest trees in the world. To see these giants, it takes 45 minutes from campus, if not by car, then by bus as all Cal Poly Students can use their student IDs for free transport.  This is the spot for anyone looking to camp, or go backpacking for a day. Backcountry campsites are very common to find, a couple of the biggest being 44th Camp and Elon Camp. 

    “I couldn’t recommend it more,” Sardina said.

  • Editorial: Betsy Devos: Public School’s Enemy Number One

    Editorial: Betsy Devos: Public School’s Enemy Number One

    Warfare on Educational Welfare

    The war on our public education system is on. Betsy DeVos’s appointment as the Secretary of Education is the first indication that our education system is in trouble. DeVos’s devastating record of promoting the deregulation and privatization of schools is the signal for all public school students to arm up with their cell phones and keep their representative’s on speed dial.   

    DeVos showcased her ignorance on running the public education system during her confirmation hearing which was only compounded by the denial of the second round of questioning.

    DeVos has never worked with or attended public school. She has no government experience or experience in running a large organization, and yet she has been deemed fit to run our nationwide education system.

    The last two decades of DeVos’s life has been dedicated to the promotion of for-profit charter schools that offer weak accountability standards. DeVos also tirelessly advocates for vouchers to redirect public funding to pay for these private and religious schools.

    The problem with this is that the money would come directly from taxpayers’ pockets. You and me. Not only would we have to pay for these new schools, but we wouldn’t have the opportunity to check their credibility or hold them to basic education standards.

    DeVos has extreme views on the way our schools should run. In a 2001 interview with The Gathering, a Christian philosophy organization, DeVos said she wants to use these vouchers to “confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God’s kingdom.”      

    Critics of DeVos are worried about student civil rights. Devos has made it clear that she doesn’t understand the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and it is possible and likely, that DeVos may move to reverse the Obama administration’s direction on LGBTQ student accommodations and the policies dictating how to handle instances of sexual assault.

    Our public education system needs reform. Not to be gutted and replaced with an unchecked privatized corporation.