OLYMPALI STATE PARK VISIT

LAST WEEKEND I HIKED AT THIS STATE PARK. I COPIED A TOPOGRAPHIC MAP WHICH DID NOT PROVIDE ME MUCH INFORMATION ON THE TRAILS. I ALSO SAW NO ONE IN THE VISITOR CENTER WHEN I STARTED MY HIKE.

THEIR GENERAL PLAN CALLS FOR LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS. THEIR VISITOR CENTER IS RUN BY SOME VOLUNTEERS. THEY HAVE SEVERAL HISTORIC DAIRY BARNS THAT WERE OWNED BY DENTIST GALEN BIRDELL IN 1863. THE BIRDELLS TRANSFORMED IT INTO A WORKING RANCH AND FARMHOUSE OVER THE ORIGINAL ADOBE. CHINESE LABORERS IT INTO A WORKING RANCH AND FARM HOUSE BUILT OVER THE OLD ADOBE. CHINESE LABORERS BUILT ROCK WALLS AND CULVERTS . MARY DIED IN 1900 AND HER CHILDREN WERE INHERITED THE ESTATE. THE SON OWNED IT UNTIL 1943. THEN IT WAS SOLD MANY TIMES. BETWEEN THEN AND 1977.

THE GRATEFUL DEAD, A ROCK BAND, LIVED HERE IN THE 1966. OTHER ROCK MUSICIANS LIVED HERE IN THE 1960'S LIVED HERE IN 1966. ANOTHER MAN LEASED THE PROPERTY TO A COMMUNAL GROUP. IN 69 THEY HAD A SEVER ELECTRICAL FIRE. CALIFORNIA STATE BOUGHT PROPERTY IN 1977 AS A PARK. THE PARK HAS A LONG TRAIL THAT GOES UP TO MT. BURDELL. A SHORTER TRAIL THAT I TOOK LOOPS AROUND THE MIWOK VILLAGE AND STAYS MOSTLY IN FORESTED AREAS. I SAW A LARGE BUCK, MANY LIZARDS COW AND COYOTE DROPPINGS AND MANY BIRDS ARE IN THE GRASSLAND HABITAT.

SERPENTINE ROCK OUTCROP WITH MIXED CHAPARRAL, OAK WOODLANDS AND DOUGLAS FIR AND MANY BUCKEYE TREES ARE HERE. I DID NOTICE A COUPLE OF WHITE OAKS THAT WERE WITH ACORNS (THERE ARE NONE WHERE I HIKE IN SONOMA COUNTY). THERE WAS MUCH POISON OAK AND I DID NOT SEE ANY SOAPROOT. THERE WERE MANY MONKEY FLOWERS AND BUCKBRUSH AND MADRONE TREES AND MANZANITA.

THE WILDLIFE IS FOXES, RACOONS, OWLS, BOBCATS, SOME MT. LIONS, BLUEBIRDS, RATTLESNAKES, BLUEBIRDS, MT HATCHES AND WOODPECKERS, WILD TURKEYS, HUMMINGBIRDS. THE PREHISTORY OF THE AREA IS WITHIN A 700 ACRE PARK WITH A LARGE MIDDEN SITE IN FRONT OF THE FARMHOUSE. NO ONE ELSE WAS HIKING ON THE TRAIL I TOOK AND IT WAS VERY HOT. OLYMPALI MEANS A VILLAGE OR PEOPLE. THE OLYMPALI ARE A SUBGROUP OF THE MIWOK AND IT WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST VILLAGES AND TRADING POSTS IN MARIN COUNTY. BY THE TIME THE MISSION PERIOD STARTED THEY LOST THEIR FOOD RESOURCES AND SOME STARVED AND OTHERS DIED FROM EUROPEAN DISEASES.

IN 1834 YNITA WAS THE VILLAGE HEADMAN AT OLOMPALI AND BUILT AN ADOBE HOME IN 1837, RECYCLING BRICKS FROM AN EARLIER ADOBE CONSTRUCTION. IN 1843 VALLEJO PETITIONED THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO OF ALTA CALIFORNIA TO GRANT 8900 ACRES OF LAND AT OLYMPALI TO HIS FRIEND. CAMILLO YNITA. YNITA WAS THE ONLY NATIVE AMERICAN TO BE GIVEN A A LAND GRANT IN NORTHERN ALTA CALIFORNIA.NO ONE KNOWS HOW LONG THE OLYMPALI WERE THERE. THEY HAVE A LARGE ROCK ABOUT 5' BY 3' CALLED KITCHEN ROCK THAT SERVED AS MANY MORTARS OF VARIOUS SIZE TO POUND ACORNS AND PLANT SEED. THEY RECONSTRUCTED THE COAST MIWOK SHELTERS IN AN AREA TO THE WEST OF BURDELL MOUNTAIN.

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