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KTK: Big Basin State Park, 2 years after [1]
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Date: 2022-08-20
only thing left of the park headquarters building are the stairs
Two years ago, August 16, 2020, an early morning storm blew through the Santa Cruz mountains and other areas of Northern California. A dry lightning storm producing 11,000 strikes. This set off fires that would become the CZU Lightning Complex fires. The fires would burn for over a month before being declared fully contained. And some stumps were found smoldering almost a year later.
The firefighters were able to keep the fires from burning through the downtown areas of Ben Lomond, Brookdale and Boulder Creek. But many homes were lost, as was Big Basin state park.
Living near the base of the Santa Cruz mountains just outside of Los Gatos, we were safe from any fires. We did have weeks of smoke and ash from the CZU fire or the SCU fires burning Diablo range to our east. During my lifetime I’ve mostly lived in Santa Clara valley but also lived in Brookdale and areas of Boulder Creek. Some of my earliest memories (and best) were of family camping trips to Big Basin. Guess I would consider Big Basin my home state park. And will admit tears were shed when hearing the reports of damage to the park.
Of course, Big Basin was the first place I took my little one camping. She still remembers fighting off the jays while I tried to cook breakfast.
On our first hike I learned peeing in the wild was not as instinctual for little girls as little boys. A story she still loves for me to tell.
Big Basin has been closed for almost 2 years. It is still closed to camping. Day use is by reservation only with openings for about 60 cars a day. Santa Cruz Metro has buses running to the park on weekends. Park entrance is free of charge for those coming by bus.
TLO and I were able to get reservations last Monday for our first visit since the fires.
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