Castle Rock Fieldtrip, April 25

The weather was perfect for my De Anza/Foothill College fieldtrip to Castle Rock State Park, in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Spectacular views in all directions, rock outcroppings ideal for climbing, shallow caves, wildflowers, and groves of oak, madrone, and Douglas fir make Castle Rock one of my favorite parks. It is also one of the Bay Area's most popular rock climbing destinations because its sandstone formations offer challenging overhangs and an impressive posture on the crest of the range.

An ideal loop begins at the parking lot on Skyline Boulevard. You can avoid paying the $8.00 parking fee by parking along Skyline instead of entering the parking lot. Combine the Ridge Trail with the Saratoga Gap Trail and then take the side trail up to Castle Rock itself, and then a short downhill to the parking lot. Don't miss Goat Rock, which is only accessible with technical rock climbing equipment on the downhill side, but is a fairly easy and safe ascent on the uphill side.

Because the trails on this route are rocky and uneven, sturdy footwear and a hiking stick are recommended.

TO GET THERE... take Skyline Boulevard about 2.5 miles south from its intersection with Highway 9 (Saratoga Gap).

Edgewood Wildflowers

The wildflowers at Edgewood Park are now at their peak. The serpentine grasslands of this 467-acre park are famous for some of the Bay Area's most spectacular displays of springtime wildflowers. Because of its easy access to the Redwood City area, this is a wonderful place for picnics and short walks that take only a couple of hours out of the day.

The serpentine grasslands, which make up about a third of the park, support seven rare and endangered plant species and the endangered Bay Checkerspot butterfly. 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. You can now enjoy dazzling displays of goldfields, blue-eyed grass, tidy tips, larkspur, and many more.

Edgewood has about 8 miles of clearly-marked trails. The Serpentine Loop Trail gently circles the central ridge, offering some of the best exhibitions of wildflowers.

Wet Sunday Fieldtrip

When I arrived at the Almaden Quicksilver County Park Hacienda parking lot the sky was dark, but the ground was dry. Seven students from my De Anza/Foothill hiking class arrived by the 10 AM start time and we discussed the weather. Would it rain, or would the storm pass us by?

The answer to this question came almost exactly as we headed up the Mine Hill Trail. A light rain at first, then heavier, and then heavier again. We enjoyed many beautiful wildflowers along the trail. As the rain grew stronger we found refuge in the San Cristobal Mine, built in 1866, for lunch. It is warm and humid deeper in the mine, but quite pleasant near the entrance. After lunch the rain pelted us in a torrent and the wind gusts convinced me that we should return to the parking lot as quickly as possible.

Because the conditions were not ideal for a fieldtrip, and because most of the students in this class chose to ride out the storm in a warm and dry place, I have decided to conduct a makeup fieldtrip on Saturday, May 8. I will contact the students of the location soon.