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I’ve been to Sam McDonald County Park in La Honda, CA a few times, my most recent was Tues. 11/11/08.
It’s a little more than 1hr from Hayward. We took the San Mateo bridge over & since it was a weekday we got to use the Carpool lane & saved the $4 bridge toll. Over the bridge, then took 280 South to Hwy 35. lots of windy parts in the road, finally get to La Honda, turn on Pescadero Rd. When you see the sign for 1/2 mi be prepared to turn Rt Immediately at the Giant sign for Sam McDonald.
Nobody at the Ranger Station so it’s Self Service for Parking. It’s $5 for the day. Senior Citizens are 65 yrs+ but FREE for them M-F! Not fair.
We did a long day hike about 10 miles. We went to the Modoc Camp, Chinook, & had lunch at the Horse Camp. Onwards to the Overlook where views are ok of the Santa Cruz Mtns. Nice bench to sit at.
Then we went to the Heritage Grove - there’s an Upper Loop & Lower Loop. Do both. Very nice & calming.
Things we saw:
Tons of banana slugs
fungus
bats in a sign post under glass (I saw 3 tiny bats) - how do they get in there? “Don’t disturb–If they can get in, they can get OUT!” - It’s by the Horse Camp
flock of quails running over the trail
Redwood Trees
Water Tanks
Heritage Grove plaque
Nice park to visit.
Permalink | Posted November 14th, 2008 | Add a hike
Went to Jack London SHP on Mon 10/13/08 because I had a Holiday and my friends had time to hike with me. We left San Leandro at 8:05am and arrived at the park by 9:30am. We started hiking by 9:55am.
Friend had a state parks pass, but regular entrance per car is $6 or $5 senior rate. Ask for trail map and you get a page of useful info.
I recommend you park at the Museum parking lot. There is separate flushed toilets nearby - just below the museum near the parking lot.
We then drove to the Beauty Ranch/Mountain trail parking lot just above the museum parking lot. Hiked to the Sherry barn, manure pit, stallion barn, distillery, Londons’ cottage - saw the kitchen, laundry room, winery ruins, pig palace, smoke house, silos.
The Lake is DRY so not recommended. There’s an old building called Bathhouse that’s by the lake - can’t see anything there.
We also hiked to the Park’s summit which had nice views. Trail isn’t that great to the top & steep in parts. You’ll know you’re at the summit by the antennas up there & the view - weather permitting.
Hiking back down was pretty quick. We had time to see the Museum, Wolf House, & the grave sites.
Returned to the car by 4:40pm. It was a good day.
Permalink | Posted October 14th, 2008 | Add a hike
Chalk Mountain, Big Basin
I’m hiking solo today with Sue (my wife) away all weekend at a retreat. Not my thing, so why not do one of my old favorites hikes. Chalk Mountain has always had some strange attraction for me. I enjoy having a good probability that I won’t see many other people all day. There are lots of south bay trails that are under utilized by the general public, even though they may offer unique beauty, great challenging hiking, and inviting solitude. Chalk Mountain is a destination that certainly fits those criteria.
Of the many routes that can get you there, my favorite has always been the hike up from Waddell Beach, either out-and-back on the Westridge Trail, or doing a big loop around using Henry Creek Trail and the Westridge. These “horse trails” are more challenging than most of the trails designed for hiking. You get a lot of roller coaster action as the trails climb up and down continuously, and sometimes steeply, with sometimes slippery, rocky, terrain. Like many of the hikes at Henry Coe, this type of a hike can kick your butt, and would not be a good choice for a casual hike. Whitehouse Ridge Trail offers a short and easy route to get to Chalk Mountain for anyone interested in checking it out painlessly. There’s also the fire roads for a bike route too.
I decided to use a different route today. There are a few trails in Big Basin which are older trails that still exist today, but are no longer maintained. They do not appear on the current hiking maps. One of these old trails connects the end of the Sunset Trail with the Henry Creek horse trail by climbing straight up the ridge using switchbacks. A few people still use this trail as is evidenced by the crude markings seen along the way. Using this type of trail is recommended for novices. I decided to use this trail as a connection to get to Chalk Mountain from park headquarters.
In the morning, while driving through Saratoga, I had to use a slight detour because there was a street festival in town this weekend. Ok, no problem. Then, when got to Big Basin and saw a sign posted indicating that a trail running group was using the park that day. The main section of the park is popular for this kind of activity. Oh well, I was early enough I thought I could get enough of a head start not to see any runners. Since they would use the Sunset Trail, I used the Skyline to the Sea Trail, transitioning over to the Sunset at Timms Creek Trail. From past experience I figured the fast runners would be past there by then, and I would beat the slow ones up to my cutoff. I guess it worked because I never saw any runners. Sometimes I amaze myself.
Overcast early on, the sun partially broke through for an appearance in the afternoon. Great ocean smells, and the sun showed itself just in time to get fairly good views from the summit. Chalks road is a little better graded than the horse trails, but still a roller coaster, if a kinder, gentler, one. Also nice views all along down into the surrounding conifer habitat. Mostly exposed, it wouldn’t be a good choice in hot weather. There are sections that pass through redwood groves and stands of Douglas fir. Lots of scrubby pine trees, Manzanita, and other short, resilient, vegetation. In spring this area is thick with bush poppies and chaparral pea.
On the way back, my previous luck turned. When I got to the junction of Sunset and Timms Creek there was a big mass of humanity there blocking the trail. About 15 or 20 people on a group hike, and wouldn’t let me by. I wound up getting caught up amongst them and had to listen to their talking all the way along to the next junction. What ever happened to trail etiquette? The Sunset and Skyline to the Sea are very popular trails and you have to expect this kind of thing during the peak season. An almost perfect day was kind of spoiled at the end. I guess the detour in Saratoga was an omen after all.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85908626@N00/sets/72157607406089406/
Permalink | Posted September 21st, 2008 | Add a hike
Sad news, the Schulman Visitor Center where the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is has Burned to the Ground on Sept 4, 2008. We were just there on Labor Day Weekend.
http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1257/48/
Permalink | Posted September 18th, 2008 | Add a hike
Wanted to correct my previous post:
White Mtn is 14,246 ft. It’s the 3rd tallest peak in Calif.
A few pics on Flickr:
http://flickr.com/photos/bubbletea/?saved=1
Permalink | Posted September 3rd, 2008 | Add a hike
Four of us hiked up to White Mountain on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008. We left our campground at 6:10am or so, used the bathroom at the normally closed gated area (the normal trailhead.) It was my first 14er, at 10,246 ft, it’s the 3rd tallest peak in the lower 48 states.
Lucky for us they had a special Open Gate Day. We were so happy when we found out a few days before the trip. 2-miles each way really matters a lot when hiking. I think we saved at least 4-hrs of hiking or more.
We then were able to drive to the Barcroft Station. They have a pen of sheep - we guess they eat them. Then hiking began gradual, then dip down where we saw a dome-shaped thing, then another longer dip, then switchbacks. Then up, up, up. Winds were CRAZY when we went. Maybe 50-miles per hr. Cold & miserable hike, total miles we did 10.4 mi, took me 10-hrs to do.
One pit-toilet on the start & end of hike. On the trail no trees because you’re above tree-line. Just squat behind some rocks & have a partner or just have no shame since you’ll probably never see those people ever again.
Views were just ok, seen them at lower elevation too.
Permalink | Posted September 3rd, 2008 | Add a hike
We hiked the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in Bishop to get acclimated for our White Mountain hike. It’s located at 10,000 ft so if you get altitude sickness take some aspirin or prescribed medication.
We started hiking on the 1-mi Bristlecone Cabin Trail to see some old Mexican mine sites. Don’t go in the cabins or mines, just look & take some pics.
Then we continued onward on the Methuselah Trail 4.2 mi RT to see the oldest living tree in the world at 4,000 yrs old, the Methuselah Tree, but the rangers won’t tell you which one it is because someone might try to cut it down.
There’s a 1-mile Discovery Trail for people that don’t have time to do 4.2 miles and you’ll still see Ancient Brislecone Pines, but I didn’t do that trail.
Nice visitor center where you can buy books, t-shirts, watch a 18-min film, helpful rangers. Two pit-toilets outside on the right.
Worth checking out if you’re ever in Bishop, CA.
Permalink | Posted September 3rd, 2008 | Add a hike
Black Point, near Mono Lake in Lee Vining, CA
My co-worker kept telling me to check out the lava fissures at Black Point in Lee Vining, CA. I finally did.
Go to the Mono Lake Visitor’s Center to find out how to get there. You head to the Mono Lake County Park, pass the Mono Lake Cemetery, then follow the sign to Black Point. When you get to a split in the road, take it to the Right (it’s Unmarked). Keep driving until you get to a black dirt parking lot w/ a bulletin board that says Black Point.
There is No Trail, so just keep climbing up, but head West. Keep going up & Left. When you get to the top you’ll soon see Lava Fissures.
Take lots of pictures on top, then slowly walk down to the bottom where you can walk through the lava fissures that look like slot canyons.
My friends really liked it & wanted to explore more, but we had to eat lunch & do the long drive back to the Bay Area.
Recommended. Allow 3-hrs at least to hike, take pics, & explore the fissures.
Permalink | Posted September 2nd, 2008 | Add a hike
Sorry, forgot to add the link to the photos of the Mt Healy hike. Need to add an edit function to this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85908626@N00/sets/72157607068214687/
Permalink | Posted September 1st, 2008 | Add a hike
Mt Healy Trail
Denali National Park
John Muir was once asked a question something to the effect; If you had only one day to spend in Yosemite, what would you do? His first response, only half jokingly, was that he might consider how to do himself in. Only after being pressed for a serious answer did he then conclude that a hike up to the top of the falls of the Merced River would be his choice. I am reminded of this after having to choose what to do with only 2 days to spend in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Denali is managed very differently than most national parks. Despite its vast area, there is still only one unpaved road into the interior of the preserve, and very few marked hiking trails or facilities. This park system and preserve exists largely because of the efforts of naturalist, hunter, and conversationalist Charles Sheldon, who traveled here with packer and guide Harry Karstens between 1906 and 1908. It was Sheldon who first discovered that the Dall sheep that inhabit the high peaks of this region were in fact a unique species, although a close relative of the bighorn sheep. The park was first commissioned as Mt McKinley National Park in 1917 primarily as a wildlife preserve. The total area was more than tripled in 1980, and was renamed Denali. In 1972, due to the increasing visitation, the national park service created a bus system. This was done both to protect visitors, and to reduce threats to wildlife and the ecosystem. There are a limited number of permits which are granted by lottery to drive on the park road, mostly for camping reservations. If you are lucky enough to have a camping reservation you can hike in the interior at will, on your own recognizance, but there are no trails, and lots of wildlife. But for all others, you must utilize the park’s own eco-friendly tour bus system. Our “Taiga and Tundra Tour” was great, but because it was not a hike, it’s not the subject here. I’ll have some photos up soon though. We saw lots of wildlife including grizzly bears, moose, Dall sheep, and golden eagle.
The Mt Healy Trail begins in the taiga near the park visitor center and climbs up into the rocky ridges looming above. We had another nice day; very chilly in the morning, but mostly clear with marauding misty clouds of fog drifting through. The lower trail passes through very typical taiga, with lots of stunted black spruce, quaking aspen, dwarf willow, and some birch. The growing season is very short, and only trees having very shallow roots can survive here because of the permafrost. The lower trail is graded very well with a lot of switchbacks, but the higher you get, the steeper and rougher the trail becomes. Above the tree line is mostly just rock and short dense vegetation, the diversity of which I could not even begin to properly identify without the help of a real naturalist. See the pictures. The fall season is just beginning in Denali and the color is everywhere.
When we got to the overlook we could see the trail continues on, so we followed it up climbing higher among the crags and rocks. As we looked up above our position there was a white dot that appeared to be moving. With binoculars we could see it was a Dall sheep grazing amongst the crags. We continued up trying to be quiet and non-threatening, and got to within about 30 feet of the sheep. We could see at least one more Dall sheep up further where we could not go. The sheep appeared to be a sub-adult male, and was not too concerned with us, but would not let us get too close before moving off, but continued to graze. The wonder of seeing the dall sheep up close was a bonus I did not expect on this hike. On our interior tour, they were literally just white dots high on the mountains.
The views were spectacular, and the fall colors were dazzling. I can assure you that my pictures will not do justice to it. We headed down about 11:00 am in order to be on time to catch a train to Fairbanks. I was not using my GPS, but I would estimate the hike was about a 7 to 8 mile round trip with roughly 3000 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead. Other wildlife sighted included, arctic ground squirrel, spruce grouse, and arctic hare (still brown this time of year). We found no evidence of larger mammals, although on the same morning, two young grizzlies were spotted foraging along the river very near the lodge.
Permalink | Posted September 1st, 2008 | Add a hike
Mt. Roberts Trail
Juneau, Alaska
So many Peaks – so little time. This was our lament upon leaving Juneau, Alaska. My wife and I could have easily lingered here for a week or more doing little more than hiking trails and drinking in the landscape. But alas, this was only a one-day port of call on our packaged tour. Thirteen of us on a family vacation to tour the inside passage, and two national parks. Sue and I love to hike most of all, but we got very little opportunity to do so while on this combined cruise and land tour. This hike was only a sampling of the offerings available should we decide to return to Juneau sometime without an itinerary, which I would be thrilled to do.
The city and borough of Juneau, situated on Alaska’s panhandle, has a total area larger than the states of Rhode Island, or Delaware, and nearly as large of both of them combined, with a population of only 30,711 by the last census. Juneau is the capital city of Alaska despite the fact that there are no roads or rail system leading there. The only access being by sea or air, the area is dominated by steep peaks ranging up to 4000 feet above the harbor.
The Mt. Roberts Trail normally begins by climbing a flight of stairs on a city street. Some of the areas on the outskirts of the city center are so steep that there are stairs leading between streets. A section of the lower trail was damaged by a recent rockslide, so there was a slight detour around using the unpaved Basin Road. This road provides access to the historic Perseverance Trail, and the Mt Juneau Trail, which climbs 3500 feet in only 2 miles, and links with many other tempting backcountry trails.
The lower trail begins within rainforest terrain, primarily spruce with some aspen and cottonwoods. They measure rainfall here in feet, not inches. The understory is dominated by the very leafy and thorny devil’s club, and lots of small fern species, moss and lichen. The trail is in good shape, and graded with switchbacks so it’s not wicked steep. Actually this entire section could be skipped by taking the tram up to a restaurant, bar, and gift shop located at 1760 feet. The round trip is 25$, but there is also a hiker option to ride the tram down only for 5 bucks. The summit is 4.5 miles and 3819 feet in elevation gain.
Once above the tree line, the views are simply breathtaking. Our ship docked very early in the morning and all aboard was at 8:00 PM. It was pure luck that we got a mostly clear day. It was foggy in the morning but later on it cleared, with intermittent patches of misty fog drifting through. The clearing pockets revealing snowy peaks in all directions, panoramic vistas, and a stunning view down to Gastineau channel and the city of Juneau. I wish I could bottle the smell of the crystal clean air. We were at the very end of the wildflower season, but there were still plenty enough around to complement the experience nicely. There are black bears in this area, but we never observed any evidence of them. We did see a lot of Grey marmots, Spruce grouse, and forest birds. There were still a few patches of snow on the highest trail sections, but nothing requiring special gear. We chose the option to take the tram down to save time because Sue really wanted to attend a presentation and book signing by Libby Riddles, the first female to win the Iditarod dogsled race. But it was hard not to linger longer at the peak. This whole area is gorgeous and doesn’t get oppressively cold, but does get copious amounts of rain.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85908626@N00/sets/72157607028824727/
Permalink | Posted August 30th, 2008 | Add a hike
The Overland Track Tasmania - How an Aussie and a Yank hooked up to walk the Overland Track
This is a post on my blog by an American guy I “escorted” into the Tasmanian Wilderness. We both survived and had a ball, even though the weather was awful, the time tight and we did not see a mountain for 3 of the 5 days due to rain and cloud.
http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/2008/05/backpacking-overland-track-view-from.html
There are several links on the post footer to more trip reports and stories about the Overland Track
Frank
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
The Great Ocean Walk
Ok, an Aussie one, near where we live and well worth the time to do the walk if you are ever in Southern Australia (yes I know it is a long way from the Bay Area!)
The link is to one section of this coastal hike but there are several more posts that cover the complete walk. One advantage of the Great Ocean Walk is the ability to either camp on along the trail OR stay off track in some great accommodation. Hope you all enjoy it.
http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/2007/05/day-4-aire-river-to-joanna.html
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
http://gambolinman.blogspot.com
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
Flickr pics from Yosemite National Park, summer 2005.
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
Tafoni Monolith and the last remains of a mid-century plane crash … stuff worth seeing at El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
Las Trampas Wilderness: A great East Bay park (though best in the spring).
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
An overnighter in the Emigrant Wilderness (great shots of waking up with the sunrise next to a lake of glass).
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
Travels with 4WheelBob:
Tenacity, Thy Name is Bob (memoir of his White Mountain triumph).
Carrizo Plain National Monument
Favorite images from our White Mountain adventure
White Mountain Summit, at a Glance
Portola Redwoods State Park, the first of many memorable outings.
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
My first-ever rattlesnake encounter, at Joseph D. Grant County Park
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
The hottest hike I ever did: The notorious Henry Coe Short Cut in late August.
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
A memorable overnighter: I went camping at Big Basin but forgot my tent poles.
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
A nice one from the archives: Meadow Hiking at Wilder Ranch State Park.
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike
My latest hike: Montebello Open Space Preserve with the FOMFOK folks.
Sunny, gorgeous views, good people. The whole package.
Permalink | Posted August 13th, 2008 | Add a hike