Calero Creek Trail 2015-12-23

Calero creek trail

After a series of storms that passed by us, today was a break with clear weather, sunshine and typical blue skies we are blessed with in California even in winter. Apollo and I took advantage of the break and decided to hike the Calero Creek trail that runs from Singer Park (Camden Road) where we had turned around when we hiked Los Alamitos Creek trail in August and Stiles Ranch/Santa Teresa Park in May. I had parked close to Singer Park on a side street as road side parking is not possible on Camden Ave. 

We started our walk in Los Alamitos Creek trail. The trail runs through Singer park before coming to an intersection on Camden Ave where Calero Creek and LAC trails separate, both running parallel by their namesake creeks. From here until Harry Rd junction, Calero creek trail also runs by Camden Ave, a nice paved, blacktop multi-use trail.

At Harry Rd, the trail crosses the creek and continues south by it. This stretch, little more than a mile, goes until San Vicente Ave parking lot for Stiles Ranch/Santa Teresa Park. And it is a dirt trail all the way.

The dirt trail runs by Calero creek for a portion of this stretch. On the other side is a fenced orchard, probably belonging to IBM campus with Santa Teresa mountains in the backdrop. The trail turns sharply left goes right to the foot hills, crossing Santa Teresa creek along the way.

And for the home stretch, the dirt trail runs right by the foot hills until it reaches San Vicente Ave. Starting out as an urban black top trail, Calero creek trail transforms nicely to a rural section running amidst farmlands and orchards by the mountains for a while, providing excellent variety. 

LAC trail

On the way back, at Harry Rd, we pressed ahead to the intersection of LAC trail head at McKean Rd, nearly half a mile walk by a quiet residential neighborhood. From this end until Singer park, LAC trail runs on either side of the creek. 

Alamitos creek

On both sides, the trail is bordered by a residential area on one side with the wide Alamitos creek in the middle. It passes through an underpass at Almaden expwy before reaching Camden Ave junction. 

More pictures from our 4.7 mile walk.
#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #CaleroCreekTrail #LosAlamitosCreekTrail

Joseph D Grant County Park 2015-12-17

Our third visit to the spacious and tranquil Joseph D Grant County Park. I had parked at the Grant Lake staging area, the same place where I had on our first visit. We had covered the northeastern side of the park in our first visit, southern side in our second. Today, we focused on the western side of the park.

Apollo was sporting a red scarf today as we started our hike walking by Yerba Buena trail. In a short distance, we crossed Mt. Hamilton Road and connected to Hotel trail. Another short stint in this trail, we turned west into an access road, crossed the main parking lot and made our way to the Dutch Flat trail head.

Dutch Flat trail

It was cold when we started hiking today, the ground wet from the recent rains with a thick frost covering the Dutch Flat trail. A wide dirt trail, we walked more than half a mile by this trail before coming out of the shade into sunlight and some warmth. Walking up the gentle slope, in about half a mile, we came to the intersection with Dairy trail. 

Dairy trail

We continued by Dairy trail walking south for about a mile. Also a wide dirt trail, Dairy trail was essentially flat or sloping down slightly. At the next intersection with Brush trail, we took the longer section heading towards Dutch Flat trail.

Brush trail (Mt. Hamilton)

Brush trail has great views of Mt. Hamilton, Lick Observatory and the Diablo mountain range on the left. We were on this section for more than a mile. Brush trail opens up to a beautiful open grass valley with mountains surrounding it. While the temperature was in high 40s, it was warmer than when we started and the bright sunshine made this stretch thoroughly enjoyable.

Brush trail

In the distance, probably 1/4 mile from where we were walking, I saw a family of coyotes walking across the open space. By the time we reached, they were long gone. We continued by Brush trail towards Eagle trail, bearing left in a northerly direction.

Corral trail

We stayed on Eagle trail for a very short distance before turning right into Corral trail and heading east to Corral circle & Hotel trail intersection. Walking east with the sun behind us provided great views of the Diablo mountain range in the front. 

Hotel trail

We turned left into Hotel trail. This was an interesting stretch, walking through a stretch where cows were grazing. At multiple points in Hotel trail, there were cows standing or sitting on the trail, barely budging as we walked right by them. Apollo had to be on a tight leash away from the cows, especially if there were young calves around them. 

Hotel trail

Hotel trail offered great views of wide open spaces directly ahead and the mountains on the right. We could've walked straight all the way to the spot where we took the access road into the parking lot. Instead, I turned right by Bass Lake trail, a slightly longer and uphill route.

Bass Lake

We came to the shores of Bass lake, but not before passing through another large group of cows and calves. Thankfully, they moved away from the trail as we approached them making it easier to go by the alert group. 

Yerba Buena trail

We took the short loop trail around Bass lake to Mt. Hamilton Rd. Crossing the road, we turned left by Yerba Buena trail and walked the last mile to the Grant Lake staging area. 

Joseph Grant park is remote, not busy and quiet. There is barely any road noise and it is very much possible to spend lots of time hiking listening to just your foot steps and the sounds of the birds. Our 7.8 mile hike today involved two uphill sections, adding up to about 900 feet of elevation gain.

More pictures from our hike.
#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #JosephGrantCountyPark #JosephGrantPark #DutchFlatTrail #DairyTrail #BrushTrail #HotelTrail #BassLake

McNee Ranch State Park (North Peak) 2015-12-15

Martini Creek at Montara beach

Apollo and I were back at McNee Ranch State Park to do the North Peak hike just couple of days after our Gray Whale Cove trail hike. I had parked at the Martini Creek parking lot of Montara State Beach and walked the couple of hundred yards to the trail head on the inland side of Hwy 1, crossing Martini creek that ends at the ocean.

We headed towards the mountains by the North Peak Access Rd, a wide fire road. In a short while, we passed the ranger's residence on the left and Ocean View farms that we'd stopped by couple of days ago on the right. The trail starts climbing steeply right away as you gain about 400 ft. in the next 1/2 mile.

N Peak Access Rd meets Old San Pedro Mtn Rd and for the next 3/4 of a mile, both of them share the same section of the trail that is a paved black top road in repair. The grade also eases a bit providing a bit of respite from the steep climb earlier.

Old Pedro Mtn Rd winds its way up offering excellent views of the Montara beach and the Pacific ocean. Old Pedro Mtn Rd breaks off to the left, heading towards Pacifica. N Peak Access Rd continues ahead as a dirt road resuming its relentless climb.

Pacifica - Marin coastline

Over the next mile, the trail gains nearly 600 ft. About 2.5 miles into the hike and at about 1300 ft. elevation, you will come to a nice landing on the right. If the views of the ocean was great until now, it becomes simply breathtaking from this point on. 

Pillar Point, HMB Coastline

It was a picture perfect day today. The sun was shining bright, there wasn't a cloud in the beautiful azure sky with visibility stretching to several miles. From the landing, Half Moon Bay (HMB) airport, Pillar Point and ocean south of HMB was clearly visible with the water glistening against the bright sunlight. On the north side, Devil's slide, Mori Point, Pacifica, Sweeney Ridge, Golden Gate, San Francisco and Marin coastline was clearly visible. 

As we walked ahead, the road passed through a couple of rocky sections in the mountains where the trail was literally laid out on rocks. It was a sunny and clear day, but definitely wintry and with the wind picking up in the upper elevations and temperature dipping to mid 40s, I missed having one more layer of clothing.

Oakland, East Bay

A third view of the bay opened up around here, Oakland, bay bridge, Oakland harbor and Mt. Diablo spread out before me. The top of the north peak was also getting near with the radio antennas and communication devices standing tall at the summit, officially measuring 1898 ft.

East Bay, Mt. Diablo

The summit offers 360⁰  views of the bay, but not from one particular spot. A fourth view of the peninsula wrapped up the final view quadrant, with San Mateo bridge, Dumbarton bridge and the east and south bay in that quadrant. 

It was a slow and arduous climb taking an hour and forty minutes to reach the top, but the experience was well worth it. Complimenting the sheer pleasure of the climbing was the incredible 360⁰ views, particularly from upwards of 1300 feet. The radio antennae were the only blemishes coming in the way of thse views. Apollo and I made the descend in about an hour, jogging along sections with easy grade. 

Two pieces of advice. Choose a clear sunny day for this hike. How well we could see Farallon islands, 27 miles into the ocean was a measure of the great visibility we had today. There are no printed maps available at the trail heads. However, if you follow the directions to N Peak Access, you simply cannot get lost - every single intersection is labeled making the trek fool proof. I took a picture of the area available at the trail head and have colored the N Peak Access in purple for those who'd prefer to have a printed map with them.

More incredible pictures from our hike.
#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #McNeeRanchStatePark #McNeeRanch #MontaraMountains #NorthPeak

McNee Ranch State Park (Gray Whale Cove Trail) 2015-12-12

McNee Ranch State Park is located in Montara, north of Moss Beach and south of Pacifica along Hwy 1. Free parking is available at three places - Montara State Beach, Martini Creek parking lot; just ahead of it on the inland side of Hwy 1 by the trailheads for about 5 or 6 cars; at the north end of the trail in Gray Whale Cove Beach parking lot. 

Apollo and I started our hike at the southern end of the Gray Whale Cove trail. From near sea level, the trail gradually climbs couple of hundred feet through a shaded section to reach the top of the bluffs. From here, the single track dirt trail pretty much hugs the coastline as it winds its way towards Gray Whale Cove beach.

Views from this trail are simply gorgeous. This section of coastal trail hike is north of the Pillar Point hike and south of the Devil's slide hike we've done earlier. On one side of the bluffs, the Santa Cruz mountain range stands tall and on the other, the Pacific Ocean and the impressive waves were crashing against the cliffs and rocks. 

At little more than a mile one way, Gray Whale Cove trail is a short one. About half way, there are couple of park benches to sit and enjoy the views of the ocean. I was figuring out my next steps reaching the north end of the trail when I met a park docent. 

We struck a conversation and she volunteered lot of information about the history of the place. Just north of the Gray Whale Cove beach parking lot, the mountain was cut and a road laid leading north. This was part of the ill-fated Ocean Shore railroad project from early 1900s.  

We walked back together and she gave me more information about McNee ranch and the vegetation along side the trail. Just past the vista point I'd mentioned earlier, there is a cutoff on the left to Old San Pedro mountain road. We took that and walked south, crossed a wooden bridge to visit the Ocean View farm where a horse was putting on a show rolling over mud to the amusement of a donkey in the next enclosure!

From here, Apollo and I walked back to the trailhead where I had parked the car. Today's hike was an easy 3.5 mile trek, up and down by picturesque Gray Whale Cove trail, bit of hike north of the Gray Whale Cove beach parking lot and the detour into Ocean View farms. 

I do plan to visit this park once more to hike to the top of north peak.

More pictures from the hike.
#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #McNeeRanchStatePark #McNeeRanch #GrayWhaleCoveTrail #CoastalTrail

Foothills Park, Palo Alto Open Space 2015-12-09

An exclusive park for Palo Alto residents, non-residents can visit Foothills Park if accompanied by a Palo Alto resident or if they hike from Pearson Arastradero Preserve by the the Arastradero Creek trail. Dogs are allowed in the park only on weekdays. You can also take a chance to drive in by the main entrance at 3300 Page Mill Rd (off Hwy 280). I did that with Apollo and was lucky not to be stopped although I have heard reports that people have been turned away due to residency requirements.

Toyon trail

Foothills Park has an extensive and varied trail system on the hills and the valleys. We parked right by the entrance and started off hiking Toyon trail. The mile long trail is easy that winds up gradually through shady woodlands. The trail also offers views of Boronda lake. Towards the end, I took the fire road and did a quick stop at Orchard Glen picnic area and Lee Grove, a redwood tree grove in Wildhorse Valley.

Steep Hollow trail

We continued our hike by Steep Hollow trail. From Wildhorse Valley, this trail climbs rather steeply over the next 1/2 mile before connecting to Los Trancos trail. Steep Hollow trail is heavily shaded, with oak and California bay trees lining its sides.  

View from Los Trancos trail

Running 7.5+ miles, Los Trancos is the longest trail in the park. Apollo and I did just a mile of it, turning right from Steep Hollow and walking down to the Las Trampas Valley where the park HQ is located. This mile we walked is an easy descend. Along the way, there were couple of spots offering great views of the bay and the mountains on the east bay side. 

Las Trampas Valley

Las Trampas valley is a huge valley with mountains on either side. A grassy knoll greeted us as we exited Los Trancos trail and walked the 1/4 mile to connect to Coyote trail. 

Madera Point

Coyote trail winds up gradually, has a short detour to Madera Point before continuing in an easterly direction. We did take the short trip to Madera Point, but I must admit the views were somewhat underwhelming, with heavy vegetation cover.

Panorama trail

Coyote trail passes by Gate D, where you can hike from Pearson Arastradero Preserve. Little ahead, Coyote trail connects to Panorama trail. Situated at the northern most corner of the park, this trail intersects a fire road before doing a mile loop. It is possible to miss the Panorama trail here. The loop starts and ends right by a small wooden bridge. Keep an eye out to avoid getting lost - there are no markers at this spot.

There are couple of spots from where I could see the bay, Stanford Dish and the iconic clock tower of the University, but overall, the views were impacted by vegetation cover. In fact, the best views are actually from the fire road! Completing the loop, we reached the fire road intersection. We took the fire road into the park, walking around a huge water tank and a fire station to reach the main road.

Turning left by the main road, we walked around the other side of Boronda lake and reached the main entrance where I'd parked my car. We covered nearly 7 miles doing a clockwise loop by Toyon trail --> Steep Hollow trail --> Los Trancos trail --> Coyote trail --> Panorama trail climbing about 1100 feet along the way.

A word of caution. Apollo picked up lots of ticks in this park. I had to constantly keep checking him for ticks all through the hike. I must have easily picked between two to three dozen ticks! Ticks are a general problem in bay area hikes. However, we're nearing 100 hikes in bay area and in no other location did I experience this severe a tick problem. 

More pictures from our hike.
#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #FoothillsPark #PaloAltoOpenSpace 

Las Trampas Regional Wilderness 2015-12-07

Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is a large park, offering miles of trails and commanding views of the landscape around it, including the impressive Mt. Diablo. I had parked in the Bollinger Canyon Staging Area that can be reached by taking Crow Canyon Rd exit from Hwy 680 / 580 and going north on Bollinger Canyon Rd all the way to the end.  

Elderberry trail

Our entire hike was blanketed by a thick fog today that barely budged until the very end. The commanding views from the ridge top eluded me today, but instead, I got to experience a hike with just few feet of visibility much of the way.

We started our hike in Elderberry trail, heading south. The dirt trail ascends gradually pretty much all the way until it hits the Rocky Ridge View trail. While the air was very damp and it had not rained in the last couple of days. I couldn't quite figure out why Elderberry trail was wet and muddy today. 

California Newt

Whatever the reason, the 1.5+ mile stretch by Elderberry trail was tricky to climb. There were several spots it was difficult to get a good foot holding, especially in sections that involved a slightly steep climb. 

I got to see several California Newts in this trail. Moving laboriously, these orange bellied lizard like creatures are actually semi-aquatic amphibians belonging to the salamander family.

Mt. Diablo

Reaching the Rocky Ridge View trail, we turned right started heading north. As the name suggests, this trail is on top of a ridge. The thick fog continued to hamper any views I may have had from this trail, although I could make out Mt. Diablo trying to stand tall and the weak winter sun attempting to clear the air of the fog.

Rocky Ridge View trail

Passing up on checking out the south-west corner of the park - didn't feel like walking the Devil's Hole trail today with the low visibility, we continued on Rocky Ridge View trail. Traversing the ridge top, this trail does ascend some, but quite gradually.

Much of the way, Rocky Ridge View trail runs parallel to Rocky Ridge Loop trail that is on the other side of a wire fence. It is possible to hike that trail with permission from EBMUD although dogs are not allowed there. 

Just as we started descending, the sun started getting an upper hand with the fog. Rocky Ridge View trail reaches a point from where there are two trails running in parallel that would take you back to the staging area. One of them is a paved black top trail and the other a dirt trail.

Having walked in thick mud much of the way, I decided to take the black top trail. We gave up the 1000+ feet elevation we had gained quite rapidly over the next mile or so as the black top trail winds around the mountains leading us to the staging area.

We did nearly 5 1/2 miles today, although the progress was slow due to the trail conditions. Las Trampas is a park we most certainly will visit again, the park has more areas that should be explored, perhaps when I can see more than few feet ahead.

More pictures from our hike.
#Hiking #HikingWithDogs #LasTrampas #LasTrampasRegionalWilderness #EBRPD