Parker Flats Loop

I haven't been out for a while because I have been fighting off a cold, and have had problems with extreme foot pain. Just sharp shooting pain up my heel, for no apparent reason. But, I felt that I was starting to get into a couch potato rut and I just needed to push myself to get out again.

So, yesterday I went for a long walk through the Parker Flats area of the former Ft Ord.


I love walking through the there because of all the beautiful trees, song birds, bees, and butterflies. I saw a particularly unusual butterfly near the blocked off gate on Watkins Gate Rd near East Garrison. I grew up here in Monterey County, and I have never ever seen a butterfly like this before. It was mostly black, with white dots in a v-pattern and then two larger orange dots near the tips of it's wings. My guess is that the butterfly was 3-3.5'' across, definitely larger than a Monarch.

I didn't see as much evidence of mammals while I was walking through the area yesterday, although I was walking during the heat of the day. Some deer tracks here and there, and I only found coyote and bobcat scat near 8th Avenue.

Oh, and there is a HUGE eagle or hawk nest between 200-500 meters in on the north side of Gigling. I'll have to post some pictures. It's in an half dead tree, and I saw some white thing crawl out of it. Perhaps it was a hawks lunch that wasn't quite dead or something and then scurried off. I could be wrong, and curious to hear what other people think it is.

If you get a chance to take the Watkin's Gate Spur near Parker Flats, check out the HUGE old oak tree just a few feet from the trail head from Watkins Gate going towards the spur. I mostly took the Spur yesterday because my feet hurt so bad and was looking to shorten my route a bit.

All in all, I walked about 7 miles in around 4 hrs with about 650 ft in ascent and descent. It's not bad for a beginner, but my muscles around my knees feel tight.

I'll post some pictures later.

Route:

Start at Gigling and Eigth Ave. Walked down Gigling to Watkins Gate Rd - until blocked off - past Addington Rd. Turn around and walked back to intersection of Watkins Gate and Gigling, turned down Watkins Gate until the Watkings Gate Spur, walked down Watkins Gate Spur until intersection with Parker Flats, turned down Parker Flats towards Eigth Ave. Walked down Eight Ave utnil I was back at Gigling and Eigth.