Fieldtrips on March 27 & 28

The weather was ideal for my College of San Mateo fieldtrip to Sam McDonald County Park on Saturday and for my De Anza/Foothill College fieldtrip to Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sunday. The emphasis for both outings was redwood ecology.

On Saturday we met at the Sam McDonald parking lot and ascended Towne Trail to the Sierra Club hikers hut. On the way we observed a lone coyote hunting in a grassy meadow. Then we descended the Heritage Grove Trail to see old-growth redwoods in the Heritage Grove. There were lots of trilliums in bloom (see photo).

On Sunday we started at Big Basin Redwoods park headquarters and looped around the nature trail, stopping at the Mother of the Forest, which is probably the tallest tree in the Bay Area, and the Father of the Forest, which is probably the biggest tree in the Bay Area. We then charged uphill via the Skyline-to-the-Sea and Howard King Trail and Hihn Hammond Road to the Mount McAbee Overlook, where we enjoyed lunch with spectacular views of the Waddell Canyon, Waddell Beach, and the Pacific Ocean. We then descended by way of the Hihn Hammond Road for a look at one of my favorite swimming holes on Opal Creek on the way back to the parking lot.

For those of you who can handle a longer hike, I suggest taking the 11-mile Skyline-to-the-Sea/Berry Creek/Sunset Trail loop. It is one of the Bay Area's best hikes, with lots of old-growth redwoods, a beautiful series of waterfalls on Berry Creek, and ridgetop views from Sunset Trail. Early Spring is the perfect time to do this hike, when lots of water is still surging over the falls.

Santa Teresa County Park

This is shaping up to become an outstanding wildflower Spring. The blossoms first appear in the lower elevation parks such as Santa Teresa County Park, which is at the south end of San Jose. This is one of the first parks to display wildflowers and among the first to lose the main display in May. In late Spring and Summer the hills turn brown and the weather can be hot.

The main reason for Santa Teresa's spectacular wildflower gardens is the presence of serpentine grasslands. Don't miss the Rocky Ridge Trail, which travels a serpentine ridgetop with lots of wildflowers and good views of the Santa Clara Valley, the Diablo Range, including Mount Hamilton, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Serpentine, associated with fault zones, provides poor soil for non-native plants because of its high toxicity and low water-holding capacity, but encourages the growth of indigenous flowering plants in great abundance.

This 1,688-acre park has more than 14 miles of trails for hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists. Leashed dogs are allowed on all trails. From the Pueblo Day Use Area you can enjoy a liesurely 3-mile loop by combining the Rocky Ridge, Coyote Peak, and Hidden Springs Trails. The ascent of Coyote Peak, the highest point in the park, will reward you with views of the entire park and surrounding area. You can add another 2 miles to this loop by continuing on the Coyote Peak Trail and then taking the Ohlone and Hidden Springs Trails.

TO GET THERE... from Highway 85 or 101 take the Bernal Road exit and follow Bernal Road west into the park.