4/20 Mitchell Canyon

15 of us walked from the Mitchell Canyon entrance in various groupings. Everyone went as far as where Red Rd up White Canyon meets the Mitchell Canyon Fire Rd. Then things got scrambled. Jeanne and Karen stayed in the canyon and had lunch on a log a bit over 3/4 of a mile further on. John, Susan, Delia and Monique went furthest (to the edge of the park up on Olofson Ridge). Of the remaining 9, Sylvia turned around part way to the ridge and the others went as far as the junction of Olofson Ridge Rd and Red Rd. The return was complex, too, as a big group took the Globe Lily trail and others stayed on the fire road. All agreed that there were plenty of flowers and that it was a great outing. Distances ranged from 3 1/4 miles to nearly 6.

4-5 Tilden To Sibley

This is the segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail that includes the "Skyline Gardens", an amazingly rich area of natives which Glen Schneider has been weeding and nurturing for a number of years.  Skyline Gardens is the section of EBMUD land between Tilden’s Steam Trains and the Caldecott Tunnel (Hwy 24).  This is the most botanically diverse area of its size (about 250 acres) in the entire East Bay.  237 native species have been identified so far.  There are more native species here than at Huckleberry Preserve (166 species), Claremont Canyon Preserve (177 species), Mitchell Canyon (127 species), and even the Mt. Diablo Summit zone (125 species).  170 native plant species are found along a mile-and-a-quarter of trail.

Thirteen started from the parking lot for the Tilden Steam Train and followed the trail south to Sibley. Karen, Jeanne and Donna only went as far as Fish Ranch Rd where my car had been left. Lunch was scheduled for Sibley and a driver shuttle was arranged so that the return only went as far as the south end of Fish Ranch, About 4 1/4 miles for the full distance; only a mile and a half for the three. It was wonderful to be back on the trail!

Obviously my pictures only cover the first segment, you will have to wait for Phred's posting to see the Fish Ranch to Sibley part.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/vq1281