12/02 Briones RP

A gray day with a brisk wind for the 11 of us hiking in Briones RP. We took the Old Briones Rd to the Valley Trail, then up to Crest Trail and that to to Crescent Ridge Trail finally Seaborg Trail back to the parking area. Lunch was on the edge of a steep hill above the archery range. We were back early in spite of walking 5.2 miles!

Pictures at:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/9M52x7

11/18 Fernandez Ranch

A big group hiking today...17 of us! The 3.5 mile walk was just about perfect. There is new grass showing and baby ferns. Buckeye seeds were glowing among the miscellaneous seedlings. There were still leaves with color on oaks and big leaf maples. It was warm in the sun if you were out of the wind. Just a lovely November Wednesday in northern California!

When I first hiked here in Jan. 2012, there was a large spread of bones on a hillside a bit past the Viewpoint bench. Each subsequent visit has shown fewer bones, until now you really have to know where to look. I included a few images from that earlier visit when even Google Earth's photos showed the pile.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/kAZ742

11-04 Marina Bay and Rosie the Riveter

15 of us enjoyed the cool, bright, breezy day walking from Shimada Friendship Park at the end if Marina Bay Parkway to the Rosie the Riveter memorial at Marina Park, then on around the yacht harbor and  to the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park next door to the old Ford Motor Plant (now Craneway Pavilion). We had lunch at Assemble restaurant rather than picnicking. After lunch many of the group visited the Columbia Hard Wear outlet before joining the rest at the Rosie Museum. Distance varied, but about 2.4 miles each way.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/321s39

10/21 Tilden

A big group today - 15 - walked from the Tower Trail trailhead on Grizzly Peak Rd down to South Gate Rd and then up Vollmer Peak Tr to Seaview Tr. We detoured out the ridge for a while and ended up at the picnic tables across from the Steam Train parking lot for lunch. Some of us walked the half mile back to the cars; other drivers were ferried back. Distance was about 2.5 miles for most.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/De7Gy5

10/14 Huckleberry Preserve

Ten of us enjoyed the shade of Huckleberry Preserve on another very warm October Wednesday. We started from the Pinehurst trailhead and walked a counter-clockwise loop up to the ridge and back. The walk was shorter than Shirley intended as we omitted a loop of about .7 miles by cutting down a short trail just after the second lookout spur...even so the 2.7 miles felt like plenty on such a muggy day.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/03dw01

For your reference there is an EBRPD plant checklist for Huckleberry available at:
http://www.ebparks.org/Assets/_Nav_Categories/Stewardship_Resources/Wild+Plant+Checklists/HUCKLEBE.pdf
The online version of the map includes the numbered posts and the plants to be found at those locations

Catching up!

10/7: Mt. Diablo-Amphitheater

13 of us hiked a "lollipop" route from the red corral trailhead on Morgan Territory Rd to the Amphitheater and back via Crestview, Highland Ridge and Morgan Creek Rd. It was almost too warm, but the hike is an interesting one which we should repeat in the spring. The Indian grinding holes in the Amphitheater were everywhere. No wonder as there were huge oaks in the area. We were very surprised by the number of galls on the leaves of many of the live oaks; there were places where the broken bits on the ground looked almost like flower petals. Delia identified the galls as andricus crystallinus.

A side note: we talked to a horseman at the red corral as we began the hike and met him again at the intersection of the Amphitheater Tr and Old Finley Rd. Close to the end of our chat it was discovered that he is the husband of the acquaintance of Shirley's who had recommended this hike!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/27KE9q

9/30:  Garin/Dry Creek

13 of us walked from the main entrance to the park (end of Garin Rd) to the May St. entrance and back. About half way back the group split with 7 of us going up the steps to the ridge and then to the Ridge View Trail. The other six stuck to the valley, returning the way we had hiked earlier. The Valley group walked about 4 miles, the Ridge group about 4.25.

It was a gray day with off and on showers which left everything smelling good and refreshed all our spirits.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/70jYY8

9-23 Briones Res. South shore

Ten of us did the hike along the south shore of Briones Reservoir, beginning at the Bear Creek parking lot and ending at the lot by the dam. The day was reasonably warm and we were glad of the shade. Even tho we know everything is dry, the shriveled Mimulus and Baccharis, leafless gooseberries and drooping ferns made a big impression. Maples and oaks were beginning to loose their leaves; there were berries on the honeysuckle and Madrones. We did see some healthy flower buds on Manzanitas, tho. EBMUD has pumped in water for extra storage, so the reservoir was much fuller than when we hiked the trail in Oct of 2013.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/imgn2q

9-2 Tilden

There was concern as we started up Wildcat Canyon Road to Inspiration Point as a huge truck loaded with hay turned up just ahead of us. Luckily it pulled off at the old El Toyonal junction. Some of those curves are very sharp; definitely not made for trucks that size! 

12 of us started from Inspiration point and walked out Nimitz Way and down Laurel Canyon Trail to Jewel Lake and the Environmental Education Center. Monique shuttled Shirley and Juanita back to the cars, while 6 of us walked up Meadow Canyon. Shirley picked up the other 3. Sounds more complicated than it was. 3.4 miles for the shorter hike; 5.25+ for the longer one.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/o09o16

Apologies for failing to post the last few weeks...the Photo Archive does contain the details of  those hikes and links to the photos.

07/12 - 07/17 Caples

Caples! A wonderful tradition continued last week as we gathered at Caples Lake Resort for our annual Sierra fix.

07/12 - Old Hwy 88
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/J7E682
Lee, Ulla and Karen did a reconnaissance hike.
Lots of flowers and thus very slow progress; a little over 1 1/2 mile up and back.

07/13 - Winnemucca and Round Top Lakes etc.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/r0Cp9u
Ulla, Lee and Karen started from Woods Lake. At Winnemucca, Debbie joined them and they went up to Round Top Lake, explored the moraine on the south shore and took the Lost Mine Trail back to Woods Lake. About 6 miles.
Susan, Monique, Juanita, Ron, Polly, Jeanne, Debbie (and Debbie's son-in-law and grandson) started at the pass and went to Frog Lake. From there Susan and Monique headed up the slopes of Elephant's Back. The others came on to Winnemucca where all paused for lunch. All but Debbie returned to the Pass.
Arriving later, Phred and Elaine went as far as Frog Lake.

07/14 - Emigrant Lake
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/Mwp41H
Debbie, Phred, Elaine, Lee, Ulla and Karen hiked from the dam to Emigrant Lake and then took the trail labeled "Kirkwood Mdw" hoping to find an easy/direct route over the saddle to Kirkwood. The result was a hike that felt much longer than it actually was...somewhere around 7.75 miles as it is hard to judge just how we zigzagged up the ski run. Once on top of the saddle we were a bit lost and ended up taking a longer than necessary route down to the village.
Jeanne, Ron and Sylvia did some car-based exploring; Juanita went to Reno; Susan, Dan and Bridget, Monique and Polly walked up the Meiss Crest and then headed over to Grover Hot Springs.

07/15 - Diminished numbers
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/5W546r
Juanita stayed at Caples and went kayacking; Phred, Elaine, Monique and Jeanne walked the Old Highway section before heading home. Susan and Polly did a similar hike, starting later. They continued up the road and went as far as the historic area just below the pass.
Ulla, Lee and Karen drove over the pass and down the Blue Lakes Road. There were several objectives: document the Charity Valley Trailhead (done), find the start of the Thornburg Canyon Trail (unsuccessful on the ground, easy on Google Earth once home), explore some of the lakes near FS Rd 204 and along that section of the PCT. Their main walk was from a parking spot above Lower Sunset Lake, along the PCT, lunch at Lily Pad Lake and on to an unnamed lake and back; just under 4 miles

07/16 - Meiss Crest
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/w8J4G5
There were only 5 of us as Juanita decided to head home. Ulla was ahead on the trail up from the parking area and when she found she had passed the trail we intended to take, decided to walk on down into the meadow. Susan, Polly, Lee and Karen meandered up the hill toward the crest, roughly following the old fence posts, We found a wonderful garden at the edges of a swale nestled between two dark rock ridges. We made it to the first peak on the ridge for lunch, but didn't linger as the clouds were building in and thunderstorms were predicted. We got a bit of rain as we started down to the main trail, but not enough to really matter. We met Ulla at the trailhead. Our mileage (again approximate since we wandered a great deal) was about 4.5 miles with an elevation difference of +525' from the parking lot to the peak.

7/17 - departure
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/1P2939
Susan and Polly went on to Bishop; Lee, Ulla and Karen drove back home.
Along Mormon Emigrant Rd we saw a trailer with wooden carts. I'm fairly sure they were for a re-enactment of the Mormon Battalion trek in the summer of 1848 which established this route. An article on such a re-enactment can be found at:
http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/article/about-300-folsom-el-dorado-hills-area-mormons-retrace-steps-pioneers
 Altho the article is from several years ago, it is still relevant.

07-08 Chabot RP

A dozen of us (plus Meadow!) walked from Chabot Park at the end of Estudillo Ave. up to the Lake Chabot dam. Then we followed Bass Cove trail to the junction with Columbine and Hawk Ridge trails. We went a short distance up each before returning to the bench near the junction for lunch. Total distance was about 4 2/3 miles

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/67B3HG

6-24 Redwood Regional Park

There were 14 of us today for a 3.8 mile walk in the comfortable shade of the redwoods. We went up Orchard Trail, 300' in about 1/3 mile, but after that everything was quite gentle. Lunch was at the tables where Fern Trail meets the main Stream Trail - the clearing where the foxgloves grow.

There was still a little water in the creek and the forest understory was pleasantly green.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/m6Z030

06/03 Suisun

There were 20 of us today, celebrating another year of wonderful walks and excellent companionship. We started the day with a visit to the Suisun Wildlife Center and then wandered a mile and a half +/- at Patonia Slough Reserve. Then we headed into town for great food at the Athenian Grill. After lunch random groups wandered about town enjoying the views and the wonderful public art.

Suisun is the Patwin Indian word for "West Wind" and altho it blew today it was a pleasant wind. The sky was blue, a great change from our month of gloom, and the temperatures moderate. It was a very good day!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/24CB8j

05/27 Mt Diablo

11 Wednesday Walkers explored the south side of Mt Diablo. We started from Blue Oak Picnic Area and took Green Ranch Road to the old Green Ranch home site for lunch. 5 hikers returned to the cars via the Oak Knoll Trail (distance 2.6 miles). The other six continued on Green Ranch Rd to Frog Pond Rd, Curry Canyon Rd and Knobcone Rd to Curry Point (5.85 miles; elevation loss  ~1500' followed by a gain of 550').

The genus of the day was Calochortus! Everyone saw masses of C. venustus, the white Mariposa. The group of six also saw a few of the Mt Diablo fairy lanterns and fields!!! of the yellow Mariposa (C. luteus). If you have a chance, drive up the mountain, park at Curry Point and go just past the gate which bars Knobcone Pt Rd. From there to the junction with Curry Canyon Rd, a matter of about 500 level feet, you will see more of these lovely flowers than you can count.

We also saw the second bloom of the fire-followers whispering bells and golden ear drops...not just a few, but lots of them!

For some history of the Green Ranch see: http://www.mdia.org/site/history/green-ranch

For pictures of today's hike: https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/i0u1F6

5-20 Old San Pablo Dam Road

13 of us started from the large parking lot at the south entrance to the Reservoir. We mostly followed the old road with various detours thru the woods and along the shore. The map is deceptive; the imagery is from last June when the reservoir was much fuller. We did not "walk on water". Distance was 4.25 mi +/- Lots of non-native flowering things, today.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/E61342

05-13 Sibley

There were just 7 of us on the hike today. We walked CCW from the Old Tunnel Rd trailhead, up the canyon to Sibley RP, then went to the west of Round Top and picked up the Volcanic Loop Trail. After reaching the end of the trail we took a little deer path down the northwest side of the hill and regained the road which returned us to the cars. 3.5 miles with a bitterly cold wind. It was nice enough when the wind wasn't blowing tho and we saw many more flowers than we expected. Lots of rose family things in bloom: Ninebark, blackberries, thimbleberries, and even a rose!

Flickr has changed again; they call it improvements/updates. In any case, the images seem slightly larger. Remember to mouse over the images to see the id's.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/169J41

05-06 Morgan Territory Regional Preserve

There were just five of us today, as many were on a garden club outing to the Presidio. We made a CCW loop along Condor, Volvon, Stone Corral and Coyote trails in Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. Our hike was 5.4 miles. It is getting very dry, but there were quite a few flowers, including so many yellow globe lilies that we quit being excited about them. Also large swaths of blow wives, lots of Triteleia laxa, both blue and pinky-white delphineum, etc. We ate lunch out at the far north end of the Volvon loop around Bob Walker Ridge.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/398261/

04/29 WC Open Space

Fourteen of us started from the Whitecliff Way trail head and walked in a CCW loop. Things are drying fast and there were few flowers left. We had an early lunch at Borges Ranch. Distance was about 3.9 miles, but feel free to add on as we wandered about at the ranch!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/C3127Z/

04/22 Mitchell Rock/Twin Peak

It was only 3.9 miles, but it certainly felt longer! possibly because of the 1700' gain/loss, perhaps because the trail down after lunch was so slippery. 15 of us made the loop from the Mitchell Canyon parking lot, up to Mitchell Rocks, further up to the saddle between the Twin Peaks and then down, down, down and back to the cars. Lots of flowers, but things are drying fast.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/SY76tT/

4-15-2015 Black Diamond

14 of us enjoyed a bright, windy, 4 mile hike in the grassy hills on the east side of Black Diamond Regional Preserve. We walked the Old Homestead Loop trail in the counter clockwise direction (which we all agreed was THE way to go). Lunch was under an old oak just a short ways up Acorn trail at the top of the day's elevation gain.  This was a good time for this hike as the grass was still mostly green and there were flowers, at least on the first half of the hike.

No one got lost or separated once we were on the trail, but one car was subject to the "curse of Black Diamond" and missed the turn onto Golf Course Rd. Cell phone contact was eventually established and the lost ones caught up with the rest of us.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/k9QBi6/

4-8-2015 McGuire Peaks Loop, Sunol

It was a beautiful day in Sunol! We were treated to a hike along the McGuire Peaks Loop with Heath Bartosh. Jeanne had bid on his services at last years "Midnight on the Mountain". The lower McGuire Peaks trail was closed due to storm damage, so we went to plan B and started from trailhead 6. The 5.5 mile hike (elevation gain/loss of 1556') was filled with flowers, green hills, picturesque clouds and lots of learning opportunities.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/HcmtCr/

4/1 Round Valley

No fooling! This was a fantastic outing.

Eleven of us were treated to an exceptional display of Triteleia laxa (Ithuriel's spear) as well as some beautiful lupine, and plenty of Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla), etc. along with fantastic views on this 4.75 mile hike. On our last visit in April 2012 we walked this loop counter-clockwise. Today we all agreed that it is better to go up Hardy Canyon and come down the open slopes after lunch.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/m1q3YL/

3/25 Sycamore Canyon from Blackhawk

15 of us were the lucky participants in a hike made possible by the generosity of Pat Krock's son, Alan. We met at his home in Blackhawk and proceeded to the end of Deer Meadow Drive where the Sycamore Canyon road begins. We had lunch along the north side of Blackhawk Ridge where we enjoyed views of the rock formations across the canyon. The distances on the trail posts were misleading; we hiked just a bit over 4 miles. Elevation gain/loss was 1076'

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/RFza9M/

3-18 North Sonoma Mt

18 of us made the trip to North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. The day couldn't have been more perfect and we all agreed that the experience was well worth the 60+ mile drive. The hike was approximately 4 miles on an exceedingly well engineered trail. The elevation gain/loss of just over 700 feet was not really very noticeable until the last section toward the overlook. Plenty of flowers and wonderful views!

For information on the park and a downloadable map follow this link.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/Q8DFE6/

03-04-2015 Cascade Canyon

The last time our group hiked this trail was Feb. 2012 (check the archive for those pictures). This time there were an abundance of Fritillaria, but the shooting stars were about finished blooming. 9 of the 15 hikers went on above the falls for perhaps another half mile.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/33287R/

2-25-2015 Highland Ridge, Morgan Territory Regional Preserve

A dozen of us walked the grassy hills of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve beginning where The Highland Ridge Trail crosses Morgan Territory Road. We took Highland Ridge Trail up to the ridge, then returned via Raven and Fox Trails. Adding numbers on the map gives the length as 3.8 miles, while the route on Google Earth totals 4.2 miles. Either way, it felt longer with an elevation gain/loss of 1662 feet. A truly beautiful day!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/NwbyRf/

2-18-2015 Diablo (Pine Canyon)

A dozen of us walked a 3.7 mile loop with driver shuttle. We began where Burma Road crosses Northgate Rd., taking Buckeye Trail to Stage Rd, then picking up Burma Rd at Pine Pond and returning to Northgate Road via Little Pine Creek. Mary shuttled the drivers back up the hill to get their cars. It was very green and there was running water in the various creeks (and along and across the road!) for the first time in several years. More flowers than we expected, too. We missed Jeanne and Karoline...everyone sends best wished!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/Z9uWf7/

2-11-2015 Dutra & Sky Ranch

A dozen of us enjoyed the green hills of the Dutra and Sky Ranch properties of Muir Heritage Land Trust. The mud was only bad in spots and the day couldn't have been nicer. Early flowers included ranunculus, ribes and oso berry. 3.8 miles.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/xqrXw6/

2-4-2015 Rossmore East Ridge

Fog, fog and more fog! Ten of us braved a day of pea soup fog to hike the east ridge of Rossmoor. We started at the top of Cactus Ct and returned to the valley via Autumnwood Drive. No views today, just fog. It was so damp out that we adjourned to Jeanne's house to eat our lunches, socialize and watch the birds and squirrels at Jeanne's feeders. Polly's husband, Bob, ferried drivers. Walking the entire circuit added up to 4.5 miles.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/a24t50/

1-28-15 Mt Diablo: Knobcone Pt to Madrone Canyon

From Curry Point out along Manzanita Row, and early lunch at a sheltered picnic table; back to the trail junction and down into the canyon; the Trail Through Time back up Madrone Canyon to the Lower Rock City Picnic Area. Manzanitas in full bloom, lots of Indian Warrior and Milkmaids; green grass, new leaves, ferns: polypody, maidenhair, goldback, sword, wood, coffee and bracken, etc. etc. A little over 4 miles.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/0cS90X/