01/03 - Tilden: Nimitz from Inspiration Pt
For our first walk of the new year 5 of us walked from Inspiration Pt to the Peace Grove trail junction and back; 3.6 miles. It was beautiful after the rain: wonderful clouds, lots of green and new growing things!
For our first walk of the new year 5 of us walked from Inspiration Pt to the Peace Grove trail junction and back; 3.6 miles. It was beautiful after the rain: wonderful clouds, lots of green and new growing things!
There were just 6 of us on an off and on rainy morning. There were several rainbows, but not bright enough to show in photos. And there were views and plenty of growing things. Not too cold. Elaine brought cookies to celebrate Phred's upcoming birthday. An out and back of about 3.25 miles
There were 11 of us this morning. We all felt the need to get out and move, but not for too long or on a slippy, muddy trail. The Mulholland Ridge out and back with a circle around the knoll by the EBMUD tank fit the bill. Still too many clouds for great views but satisfying, with plenty of green and a very loud frog chorus in the valley with the ponds. Under 2 miles
Lee was our docent for the 15th Anniversary Plants Illustrated exhibit (Edible California Native Plants) at Julia Morgan Hall. There were 11 of us on a very drippy morning. The real rain stopped and it was good to be able to wander in the garden for a while after looking at the art exhibit. There is no map as few of us walked the same way.
01/31 - no hike (rain)
02/07 - no hike (rain)
It was 9:33 when 9 of us left the parking lot. The sky was gray, but the forecast insisted it would start to rain after noon. We found the Dirca in the usual spot and several patches of osoberry. And fungi...all sorts and everywhere. As we hit the parking area on our return, just a few minutes before noon, fat rain drops started peppering the pavement. Excellent timing! A bit over 2 1/4 miles.
We started from the parking lot by the King Fisher picnic area and most walked as far as the art installation at Zhone Way. Returns were staggered with some of us taking the long way around the New Marsh area, some returning as we had started, some waling along the road from the furthest in parking area...Lots of clouds and there was definitely rain on the west side of the Bay, but we were dry.
Distances varied from under 3 to almost 4 miles.
02/28 - Mt Diablo, Manzanita row
There are no pictures from me (I forgot the phone) of what was a glorious hiking day on "our" mountain. We walked from the Curry Point trailhead out Knobcone Pt road, along "manzanita row". Eight of us went as far as the gate that leads into the Curry Canyon Ranch property The others turned around at the picnic table hidden in the manzanitas. The longer walk was 4.2 miles, the shorter, closer to 3.
There were 11 of us today on a glorious hiking day. This was a clockwise loop up the Stewartsville Tr, across via Lee's hidden trail and down Manhattan Canyon. We walked more or less together until we reached the Manhattan Canyon bridge on the return. Then most headed down the east side of the canyon; Linda, Lee and Karen went up the hill after crossing the bridge and then followed the west side of the canyon. Neither was a long hike: 2.5 for the shorter loop and not quite 3 for the longer.
15 of us today!!! Another absolutely beautiful day to be out on the trails. We made a clockwise loop starting from the parking lot on Rockville Rd.; up the hill to the restrooms near the small pond, then NW to Gray Goose Lake where we stopped for a snack. We took May-December Trail north to join the Rock Garden Tr. A single track led us east to join the Bay Area Ridge Tr. The last leg was Lower Quarry Tr. Lots of flowers including one lonely Red Fritillary. Under 3 miles.
We took a chance on finishing a hike before it rained. Lime Ridge was the close to home choice. We did the familiar CW loop from the Montecito Drive entrance (out Paradise Valley Tr to the 5-point junction, down Lime ridge Tr to Buckeye Tr and back via Oursan ) It was gray, but no rain for the walk. The loop is almost exactly 3 miles thru a variety of habitats.
We started from the end of Mountaire Pkwy and walked a CCW loop: the single track up the hill to the right after the entrance gate, then Back Creek Tr up the canyon to Tickwood Trail, we stopped for a snack at the junction with Donner Canyon Rd. Then the group split with some taking the Heatherington Trail down and the rest going directly down Donner Canyon Rd. Distances ranged from just under 3 miles to almost 3 1/2 miles.
There were 11 of us walking the Skyline Gardens trail today. With the trail from Fish Ranch to the Sibley parking area at the end of Old Tunnel Rd still closed, we made it an out and back from the Steam Trains parking area to the picnic table near the EBMUD water tank. That short 2 miles took us nearly 3 hours there was so much to see.
We had a good walk among the flowers of the Ring Mt Preserve. We started from the Westward Dr trailhead, went up the Phyllis Ellman Trail, made the loop around petroglyph rock, went up the steep trail to Turtle Rock, then up the fire road, past the water tank, to the area where we sometimes see the red silene (no luck this time). The return went down the fire road, along a bit of the Ellman trail and then off across the meadow and down along the trees to the small creek crossing. Under 3 miles.
It was a mild, gray day, perfect for walking. The clouds gave the light a special quality which intensified the green of the hills and the many colors in the flowers. We went CCW up Windmill Tr to the top of the steep hill, then SE along Woodrat to Whipsnake, east to Black Phebe and then NW back to the start. 3.5 miles
Crossing the first creek was rather messy, but all the other crossings were easy in comparison. The flower of the day was the Diablo fairy lantern followed closely by Triteleia laxa. The excitement was a large rattler which had been sunning in the middle of the fire road. He left without showing any interest in the humans, thank goodness. Under 2 miles
On a day which promised to get very warm, eleven of us walked at Mt Wanda. It was the first time the group had visited since 2019 (the JMLT hike to introduce the Almond Ranch property). We walked up the fire road, then returned via the Nature Trail. There were LOTS of birds. After returning to the parking area we went the short distance to the John Muir Historic Site to enjoy the native garden at the visitor center where Elaine has spent so much time and effort. About 2.5 miles.
05/15 - no hike - Jeanne's birthday lunch at High Hand
We started from the Atlas Rd entrance and made a CW loop of 2.6 to miles (3 mi or so for those who walked out the pier). There was still green grass and there were the hoped for Calochortus and Brodiaea along the Bay View Trail just before starting down to the pier.
We started together from the Fish Ladder but soon separated into smaller groups, botonizers, bird watchers and just plain walkers. We walked west on Bridle Tr and joined Stream Tr at Chown, going further up the canyon to the picnic tables by the Fern Tr junction for snacks and birthday time for Ulla. Return was via Stream Tr. Just under 3 miles
6/5 - no walk HOT
We took advantage of cooler weather and walked from the Alhambra Valley Rd entrance up Toyon Canyon and back. It included more up than we remembered. At least there was shade and an occasional breeze. Things are drying fast, tho there was still a bit of water in the creek. Under 2.5 miles.
Ever since the East Bay Regional Park District celebrated the grand opening of the Alder Creek and Leatherwood Creek Restoration Project at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in late May we have been anxious to explore the area. We walked there in January 2018 shortly after it was first opened to the public. But is quite different now with about a half a mile of previously culverted creek opened and restored to more natural conditions. The weather was great as a baker's dozen of us walked clockwise starting from the Pinehurst/Eastport Staging Area. Ninebark Tr, Alder Creek Nature Tr, then Gudde Ridge Tr up to the ridge to join the McCosker Loop Tr. This was the reverse of the loop we walked in 2018. Only 2.5 miles, but a good up and down workout.
After a week of hot weather, the fog was back this morning and hikers were digging for extra layers. Nine of us walked an out and back route of about 4.5 miles starting from the Valle Vista staging area and heading south along the Kings Canyon Tr. The water level is still high in the reservoir and things are surprisingly green in spite of the heat wave.
7/3 - no hike (temperature over 100°)
Caples Week
We took nearly 4 hours to walk the 2 miles. There was so much to see!!
Because we had only one high clearance vehicle, we parked before the last downhill section to the trailhead and walked that extra quarter mile. Other wise it was very much as we have done in previous years. Up to the ridge and then north so we got a view of Tahoe and (this time) Showers Lake. About 3.5 miles
This was the usual walk plus wander; mileage was at least 4 trail miles but add more for wandering.
Up to Winnemucca, then just a bit further to find the Marsh marigolds, heather and Sierra primrose. Right! We ended up at Roundtop Lake and then went down Lost Cabin Mine Tr. 4 1/2 miles by trail, but, again, LOTS of wandering.
All these pictures appear in the album for individual hikes from this year's visit; these are duplicates so they can be accessed without hunting.
We met at the Bull Valley staging area on Carquinez Scenic Dr west of Port Costa and walked a CW loop to the town and back. It has been almost exactly 5 years (7/31/19) since we walked this loop, altho we tried last September but the area was closed then. There was a fire (6-23-22) which burned over 120 acres including a large portion of the eucalyptus on the water side of the hills. They were clearing those burned trees when we came last year. It was a good, if short, walk of under 2.5 miles and the weather was about perfect!
07/24 - no hike (party at McDougall's
07/31 - Marina Bay
I did not hike so no pictures. Susan led 10 walkers from the Friendship park along the Bay Trail to the Rosie the Riveter museum and back. About 4 miles
Flexibility is important when the weather doesn't match the forecast. It was already over 80 by the time 10 of us assembled at the Old Tunnel Rd parking area. The long up hill in the open grasslands really held no appeal. So we decided to make this an up and back along the shady Round Top Creek trail. That was a good choice! We met at the picnic tables by the main parking lot for snacks and group chatter and then headed back down. We were back to the cars shortly after 11:30. My car thermometer reached 90 on the drive home. 3.5 miles
12 of us walked from the Bear Creek staging area to the dam overlook parking lot. It was a warm day and we were glad of the shade. This is such a botanically rich area that it took us about 2 1/2 hours to go a bit over 3.5 miles. There was a driver shuttle back to the start.
08/21 - End of Springhill
I didn't walk, no pictures
The shade was welcome as 8 of us made the clockwise loop at Huckleberry Preserve starting from the Skyline entrance. The hike is under 2 miles, but certainly seemed longer.
The original plan was to walk from Redwood to the Chabot observatory and back, but Pine Canyon was a fine alternative. There was a pleasant breeze with a cool undercurrent and the trailis mostly shaded, too. It is definitely feeling like fall with gold hills and lots of acorns on the trail; the grape vines are mostly green, but here and there a few leaves are showing color. 10 of us enjoyed the short, under 3 miles, walk.
We walked from the Redwood Regional Park Skyline Gate to the
Chabot Space and Science Center and back on a very foggy morning. Just over 3.5 miles
09/25 - no walk, hikers busy
10/2 - extreme heat
10/2 - extreme heat
After way too many days of
100°+ weather, the fog was finally back on the Bay side of the
hills!! Eight of us walked the usual route from the old Giant Hwy
parking lot to the spit and back (under 2.5 miles) and were very
glad to be out and moving in the fresh air.
Even tho most of us had a few drops of rain at home, the hike was dry. The sky was gray but it didn't rain; a very good day to be out walking. We went out Windmill Tr, getting the nasty hill out of the way to start with. Then WNW on the segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and finally circling back on the aptly named Woodland Tr to rejoin Windmill Tr. about 3.5 miles
We started NE up Costanoan Tr as far as the bench where we stop when coming S from Ginder Gap. There we went thru the gate and took the single track Ridge Tr back toward the south. Ridge Tr joins the Briones/Mt Diablo Tr about 2/10 of a mile before the junction with the Borges Ranch Tr. We turned slightly west at that junction and followed the road south, past the ponds, and back up hill as far as Stonegate Tr. where we rejoined the Briones/Mt Diablo Tr for the return to Borges Ranch. About 3.4 miles
It was chilly at the start and we didn't see any tarantulas. The grapes were not yet in full color, but beautiful none the less. We got our wildlife "fix" near the end of the hike as we watched a bobcat. 4 miles.
We walked from the far parking lot at the Bear Creek entrance, out to the archery range, up and over the crest and down Yerba Buena Tr. to Valley Tr, then Old Briones Rd back to the cars. just under 3.5 miles.
We started with the exhibit of the Florigeum being created for the garden; this is the 3rd exhibit and includes 75 illustrations both new and from the previous exhibits. Lee gave an overview of the project and the displayed art work. Then some of us walked in the garden including the newly reopened Tropical house.
11/20 - no hike, rain
This was the perfect day to walk along the Bay. We went, for the first time, to Cesar Chavez park near the Berkeley Marina at the foot of University Ave. It was clear and bright after our storms, and the main trails are paved or gravel and not muddy. We enjoyed snooping in one of the areas undergoing ecological restoration. Elaine and Delia know people involved with the project. Only a bit over 1.5 miles but just right for the day before Thanksgiving.
There were a dozen of us today, taking advantage of dry sunny weather as we walked from the EBRPD parking lot on Alhambra Valley Rd up the Vaca Creek Tr to the Ridge Tr and the Almond Ranch property. It was hazy, but green is starting to show and it was a good morning to be out and moving. The highlight was the spotting of what we decided was a golden eagle sitting in the top of a tree. 3.5 miles
Counting our hosts,
there were 20 Wednesday Walkers today as we celebrated another
year of friendship. Eight of us took a brief 1 mile walk along
Turtle Creek before returning to stuff ourselves with all sorts
of goodies.
For our final hike of 2024, 9 of us hiked from the end of Coach Dr up and around to the Sobrante Ridge Preserve manzanita grove and back. We started in dense fog and the hike ended in sunshine. 2.6 miles
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