portola Valley Trails

Portola Valley is an affluent community with a wonderful trail system that combines residential and wild land areas. On and near the San Andreas Fault, this land is a pleasant patchwork of woodlands and grassy meadows. It is particularly enticing in the Spring when the grasses are green and the wildflowers are in bloom. This land is forested mainly with oak, madrone, and bay.

On Saturday, May 21, I lead my CSM class on a field trip that started at the parking lot along Alpine Road at the intersection of Willowbrook. We combined the Old Spanish Trail with the Toyon Trail. We stopped for lunch at the large sag pond, on a main fracture of the San Andreas Fault, at the intersection of the Old Spanish Trail and the Lake Trail. Because of the cool, moist Spring, we saw many wildflowers, including columbine, flax, blue dick, globe lilly, winecup clarkia, and one beautiful spotted coral root orchid (see photo). Our route covered about 5.5 miles.

TO GET THERE... From Highway 280 take Alpine Road south and park near its intersection with Willowbrook Drive.

Early May on Russian Ridge

I hiked twice in the past week in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. The first two weeks of May is the perfect time to visit this ridge top preserve because of the extraordinary abundance of wildflowers. On Monday, May 2 I hiked with some friends on a warm and sunny day. The next Saturday, May 7, the weather had turned cool and foggy for my College of San Mateo field trip. On my May 2 hike we saw a long-tailed weasel running through the grass (see attached photo).

From the parking lot on Alpine Road just west of Skyline Boulevard you can take a scenic 4.8-mile loop by combining the Ridge Trail, Hawk Trail, and Ancient Oaks Trail. This route combines spectacular views (on a clear day) with oak woodlands. Be sure to ascend Borel Hill, the highest point in San Mateo County, for the view. You can expand this route by entering Coal Creek, Skyline Ridge, and Monte Bello Open Space Preserves.

TO GET THERE... from Skyline Boulevard park at the parking lot at the intersection of Skyline and Alpine Road. You can also park at the vista point along Skyline Boulevard about 1.5 miles north of Alpine Road.

Pescadero Creek County Park

Pescadero Creek County Park has so many hiking opportunities it is necessary to make numerous excursions to really get to know this park. The park itself covers 6,486 acres of forest and mountains. You can also take trails into adjacent Sam McDonald County Park, San Mateo County Memorial Park, and Portola State Park. There is also a trail that links this park to Big Basin State Park.

On Saturday, April 30 I lead my Foothill-De Anza College class on a 4.8-mile outing from the Tarwater Trailhead on Camp Pomponio Road. We headed downhill on the Tarwater Trail, pausing at a huge old fire-scarred redwood, and then continued to the remains of the Moore, Fisher, & Troupe lumber mill, built in 1915, where we examined an iron boiler that was left behind. We then checked out the Tarwater Trail Camp and then enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the banks of Pescadero Creek. After lunch we continued on the Tarwater Trail Loop and stopped to see where tar is seeping out of the earth in Tarwater Creek. We also stopped at the site of a pioneer homestead, where one building and a row of pear trees remain. We saw lots of beautiful Douglas iris and mule ear flowers along the way.

TO GET THERE...From Highway 280 take Page Mill Road west (uphill) to Skyline Boulevard, where it turns into Alpine Road. Continue on Alpine Road and turn left (south) on Camp Pomponio Road, which takes you to the trail head parking lot. To find Camp Pomponio Road look for a sign to the County Correctional Facility and to Pescadero Creek County Park.