Upper Bidwell Park is wide-open in some locations. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

What a difference a month can make. When hike leaders scouted the route to Lovejoy Falls in February the water was flowing freely. By March 18 you wouldn’t know water flowed from this rock face.

That’s what happens when it’s a warm late winter.

The gray rock is where water should be flowing to make Lovejoy Falls. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

These falls are fed by rain, so with the dry winter it’s not a surprise they evaporated quickly.

No problem. This pre-spring hike in Upper Bidwell Park in Chico with a gang from OLLI was still delightful. The wildflowers were wonderful. That’s the other thing about spring arriving before winter has left the calendar, wildflowers sprout early. Some of what we saw included fawn lily, miner’s lettuce, mariposa lily, lupine, checker lily and red larkspur.

This trek through Upper Bidwell Park started at 10-mile, aka Green Gate. It was billed as the Lovejoy Falls hike and Old Homestead Semi-Loop. Our loop was 5 miles, with 889 feet of elevation gain. Part of the time we paralleled Big Chico Creek

Cardinal catchfly dot parts of Upper Bidwell Park. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Some of the trails we were on were: Ten Mile House, Chico Canyon, Legacy Loop and Bloody Pin.

Mostly the dirt trail is wide enough for one person. It’s more dirt than rock, allowing for one to look up and around at the flowing green grasses and expansive oak trees.

While parts of the route were shaded, too much of it is in the sun to make this enjoyable in the heart of summer.

Lovejoy is the name of the basalt rock in the area. Where the name Lovejoy comes from I could not find online nor did anyone in the group know.

Iris have a short life in the wild. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

The USGS website says: “The Lovejoy basalt represents the largest eruptive unit identified in California, and its age, volume, and chemistry indicate a genetic affinity with the Columbia River Basalt Group and its associated mantle-plume activity. Recent field mapping, geochemical analyses, and radiometric dating suggest that the Lovejoy basalt erupted during the mid-Miocene from a fissure at Thompson Peak, south of Susanville.”

A few remnants of the old homestead were pointed out by the hike leaders.

Chico Hiking Association’s website says: “Historically, the south side of the creek was privately owned Simmons Ranch. Chico’s (former) Mayor (Mike) McGinnis pushed through the effort to acquire the land, doubling the size of Upper Park, from Mr. Simmons and co-owner Dan Drake, a developer. There was a cabin at the pond just off 10-Mile Road. The pasture extended down to Big Chico Creek. Most of what we hike on are the ranch’s old roads and routes.”