11/30 - Walnut Creek Open Space

A baker's dozen of us started from the end of Snyder Lane on a gray, overcast morning and walked up the Sulpher Creek Tr. and  down to Borges Ranch for lunch. We returned via Costanoan Trail. 4 miles with lots of up and down, but no rain.

The highlight of the day was our encounter with a master dog walker. He had perfect control over 22 dogs of almost that many breeds. Lots of hand gestures and subtle commands and they all behaved beautifully.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/fsRK7t

11/23 - Mulholland Ridge

Starting from the Hall Dr. end we walked the ridge which separates Moraga Valley from Orinda and Rheem. We made a loop of just over a mile and a half, first along the ridge and then down the slope on a single track trail to meet Alice Lane before returning to the cars.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/6UX98X

11/16 So Shore Briones Reservoir

Our very big group (16 to start, but Ron and Sylvia turned back early) started from both the parking area at the dam and also the trailhead at Bear Creek Rd and Happy Valley Rd. We met at the benches on the point for an early lunch and all went back to the dam overlook parking lot. The"through" hikers walked 3.56 miles; the out and return group 2.8. It was cool in the shade, but we were mostly sheltered from the wind which had quite a nip to it. It was a lovely day to be out and there was lots to see! We needed someone (Delia???) to help with fungus id as we saw lots and many were ones we hadn't seen before.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/340XgZ

11/9 - Mitchell Canyon and Olofson Ridge

Today was one of those days when we really needed the healing of nature and the consolation of like-minded friends. Thank goodness for the Wednesday Walkers!

There were 14 of us today. It was more like summer than November, warm, bright and lovely. New grass contrasting with brilliant grape leaves. We took the Mitchell Canyon Rd as far as White Canyon, then Red Rd up to the junction with Olofson Ridge Rd. From the junction to the park boundary is .8 mile. Half the group went the entire way, the remainder stopped before the last climb. This was an out and back hike (5 or 5.25 miles).

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

FYI...The Mount Diablo Review, Spring 2004, says:
MITCHELL CANYON TRAIL Isaac Mitchell (1829-1921) was a native of Kentucky. He came to Contra Costa County in 1849 with the gold rush, and initially engaged in farming in the San Ramon Valley. He later purchased a large tract of land in the canyon where he lived until his death. He and his wife had six children. 
OLOFSON RIDGE ROAD The Olofson family, John Peter Olofson (1834-1903) and his wife Clarissa Olofson (1840-1913) and their seven children homesteaded 138-acres in the vicinity of Mitchell Canyon beginning in 1886. John emigrated from his native Stockholm, Sweden at the age of 14. He arrived in San Francisco in 1848, and initially was a dockworker. He married his wife in 1857. She emigrated from Liverpool, England. 

11/2 - Old San Pablo Dam Rd

It was a very nice walk for our large (14) group. It was lovely after our October rain with lots of green showing, plenty of toyon berries glowing red, burnished buckeye fruit, red of PO. Birds were plentiful, juncos and sparrows, flickers calling and greebs, ducks, gulls and white pelicans on the reservoir. Really a nice day to be out. 4.6 miles give or take as groups explored sections of the Lakeview Tr.

But it was nearly a very bad day.. We car-pooled over because of the $7 parking/entrance fee and as we were getting ready to hike I couldn't find the camera. Well, I must have left it in the trunk of my car. Back to the cars after the hike and no camera. Looked at home. No camera anywhere. Gloom. Then the phone rang; Ron with whom I had ridden had found the camera. It had rolled into a back corner of the rear area of the SUV and was hidden from plain view. Whew.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/73qZdV will show the map of the hike.