Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park 2015-06-16

When we hiked Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Park in February, we had experienced lush green rolling hills following rains in the days before. In sharp contrast to that, the same place was brown with dry grass in the Hayward hills today. We parked at the May Rd staging area, off Mission Blvd & Decoto Rd in Union City. My daughter, Sanjana, is back home for her summer break, so she joined Apollo and I for the hike today. 

It was a fine spring day to do a longish hike in the hills. From the May Rd parking lot, a short walk on May Rd Trail and High Ridge Trail got us to Meyer Ranch Trail . A wide dirt trail / fire road, Meyer Ranch Trail will lead you to Meyer Ranch. There is a nice oak tree in the middle of the trail; when I suggested to Apollo that he climb it, he showed no hesitation in demonstrating his tree-climbing skills - that I didn't know he possessed!

From here, we took the mile-long Pioneer Trail, a single track trail through heavily wooded forests in the hillside. Midway, we had to maneuver around a tree that had fallen in the trail, but otherwise, this is a beautiful trail this park has to offer. 

Pioneer Trail connects to High Ridge Loop Trail. After climbing some 500 feet, the half mile hike in High Ridge Loop Trail is an easy descent. My daughter and I engaged in discussions around stereotyping and the India-Pakistan partition. Dogs are allowed off-leash in this park and Apollo was happy to be on his own for much of the way, especially in the next segment of our hike to Tolman Peak.

From High Ridge Loop, we went left on Tolman Peak Trail. The next mile or so is quite exposed, and it leads you to the junction of South Fork Trail. We hiked clockwise around the Tolman Peak loop, choosing the shorter and more exposed segment to ascend. The views from this segment are quite impressive as we gain some 900 feet or so in less than a mile. 

The trail ends abruptly at a fenced portion that is not accessible to the public. On our way down, we took the longer South Fork Trail. It was getting warmer, but a gentle breeze and the well-shaded portions of the South Fork Trail made our descent very enjoyable. We also saw a beautiful Western Scrub Jay right after we got out of Tolman Peak Trail.

We wrapped up the hike by retracing our steps on Tolman Peak Trail, continuing in High Ridge Loop Trail again before reaching the May Rd. parking lot. With nearly 1600 feet of climbing, we took 3 hours to complete the 8.3 mile hike today that was entirely within the Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park. 

More pictures from our hike today.
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