You have to check out the Washburn Trail at Joseph D. Grant County Park (AKA Grant Ranch). It’s the meanest trail in a park that has an abundance of leg-burners. I saw a bunch of California poppies blooming on the…
Joseph D. Grant County Park
Feedback on Grant Ranch article
by tom • April 4, 2008 • 0 Comments
This one arrived in today’s e-mail at work in regards to my profile of Joseph D. Grant County Park: Tom – Just a quick note to say that you did a good job on the Grant Ranch piece — I…
Latest Hikes column: Joseph D. Grant County Park
by tom • April 3, 2008 • 0 Comments
I focused on the park’s ranching heritage. Often called Grant Ranch in honor of Joseph Grant, who once owned this vast, mountainous tract east of San Jose, the park still has plentiful reminders of its ranching heritage: old windmills, rusty…
Rattlesnake roundup
by tom • March 10, 2008 • 14 Comments
It’s good to know the rattlesnakes are out of hibernation. The best way to learn this is from your friendly neighborhood hiking blogger. The worst way is from the tips of their hypodermic fangs. My way was in the middle:…
Latest hike: Joseph D. Grant County Park
by tom • February 17, 2008 • 2 Comments
Grant Ranch wasn’t much to look at when I got there Sunday morning. All the better because it gave me an excuse to listen. The bird calls are remarkable when there’s no other distractions beyond the sound of the breeze…
Back in the hills nearby
by tmangan • October 2, 2006 • 1 Comment
Summer flew the coop while we were wandering around in southern Utah. The weather was cool all week; it was overcast all day Saturday and Sunday dawned much the same. The breeze felt like October, which was convenient, given that…
Mother’s Day at Grant County Park
by tmangan • May 14, 2006 • 0 Comments
So it’s Mother’s Day and how’s this for luck: My mom lives 2000 miles away so I’m free to spend the day on the trail. The Diablo Range (official title of the hills east of San Jose) is still mostly…
Pausing among petals
by tmangan • March 7, 2005 • 1 Comment
It’s the beginning of wildflower season, which draws hikers to the hillsides to gawk at blooms that sprout by happenstance. I joined Mike, Kathy, Joanne & Peggy on Saturday at Joseph D. Grant County Park — soon to be Wildflower…
A Sunday at Grant County Park
by tmangan • October 11, 2004 • 1 Comment
My reward for spending two chilly days at an outdoor music festival was seven days of sniffles and sneezing. The worst of it was over by Sunday so I went for a little 11-mile solo hike at Joseph D. Grant…