A Perfect One-Way Hike at Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve, west of Skyline Boulevard, is one of the most beautiful places to hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is also one of the steepest.  Because there are no loop routes that are appropriate for my De Anza College and College of San Mateo class field trips, I have devised a one-way route that involves a car shuttle.

First, we met at 10 am at the main parking lot on the west side of Skyline Boulevard, about 4.5 miles south of where it intersects Highway 92.  Then we carpooled a couple of miles south on Skyline Boulevard to a small parking lot at the southern end of the preserve. We then headed downhill on the Purisima Creek Trail, which is actually a dirt road, for 1.6 miles.  On the way down we encountered a giant Pacific coast salamander, which is the largest amphibian on the west coast. They are one of the few creatures that can eat banana slugs.

We then turned right (north) on the the Craig Britton Trail, which winds through redwood forests and then climbs up through chaparral to the where it intersects the Harkins Ridge Trail. We ate lunch at a bridge over a creek. The Craig Britton Trail reveals that this is a very diverse park. It climbs above the second-growth redwoods, and passes through chaparral and groves of Douglas fir and oak

From the Craig Britton Trail we charged uphill on the Harkins Ridge Trail, which is the steepest part of the hike. The day started out drizzly and overcast, but then the sky cleared and the sun came out just in time for us to enjoy beautiful views of Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, and the Pacific Ocean from a great lookout where the trail intersects a private road which leaves the preserve.

Along the Harkins Ridge Trail some of us took a faint use trail to view an enormous gnarly old-growth redwood which is known as the Ohlone Whisper Tree. According to legend, if you touch the tree and listen carefully it will whisper to you the words you most need to hear.  Loggers left it standing because its fire scars made it not worth cutting. From there we continued to the intersection with the North Ridge Trail and then continued uphill to the parking lot.

TO GET THERE... The main parking lot is on the west side of Skyline Boulevard about 4.5 miles south of Highway 92.

Monte Bello Open Space Preserve has one big fault

The weather was perfect today for a ramble through two open space preserves and two continental plates. My College of San Mateo Class met at the main Monte Bello Open Space Preserve parking lot along Page Mill Road.

We started out by inspecting some conglomerate boulders at the trailhead. These rocks were moved northward about 23 miles in more than a million years from the west flanks of Loma Prieta. We then proceeded to a spectacular view southward along the San Andreas Fault to Mount Umunhum and Loma Prieta, which is the highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. From there we turned right and downhill on the Stevens Creek Nature Trail, where we descended into a shady forest of oak, Douglas fir, and Bay. Where the trail crosses Stevens Creek we paused to watch newts swimming in the creek.

We continued on the nature trail to where it ascends into a grassy meadow at its intersection with the Canyon Trail. From there we headed north, crossing the San Andreas Fault, which separates the Pacific Plate from the North America Plate. This trail climbs through a bay and oak forest and crosses back over to the west side of the fault just before we stopped for lunch at a large sag pond. Linear pressure ridges, valleys, springs, and a large sag pond are among the many geological features associated with movement on the San Andreas fault. The sag pond, which is filled with cattails, is a good place to stop for lunch. This is where a curve in the fault created a gap that sank and filled with ground water that flows off the ridge and then hits an impermeable layer of rock at the fault. There were many bright red honeysuckle berries on vines growing in

a bush.

After lunch we continued north, stopping to examine an abandoned orchard of English walnut trees. We then crossed Page Mill Road and entered Los Trancos Open Space Preserve. We then followed the Fault Trail, which has a series of posts that mark where the Earth ruptured during the 1906 earthquake. There is a self guided nature trail with stations explaining features associated with fault movement, especially during the big 1906 quake. We posed for photos at a fence that was offset by that quake. From there we continued on to the Los Trancos parking lot and then crossed Page Mill Road to return to the Monte Bello parking lot.

TO GET THERE... The main parking lot is on the south side of Page Mill Road about 7 miles west from Highway 280 and 1.4 miles east from Skyline Boulevard.

A Drizzly Hike at Pescadero Creek County Park

My De Anza College class lucked out with the weather yesterday. The first significant rain of the season fell on Friday. Saturday was comfortably drizzly; and then heavy rain fell again today. It is amazing how quickly the mostly second-growth redwood forest at Pescadero Creek County Park responded to rain in just one day.

This 6.5 mile hike is ideal for summer and fall, because it involves two bridge less crossings of Pescadero Creek, which could be impassable as the water rises with the winter storms. We started at the Hoffman Flat Trailhead on Wurr Road, which is off Pescadero Road between Pescadero Creek County Park and San Mateo County Memorial Park. Heading west on Pescadero Road it is easy to miss the Wurr Road turnoff. It is just beyond the Camp Loma Mar sign.

From the trail head we hiked .6 miles east on the Old Haul Road Trail. This route was constructed as  a railroad bed in 1903 to haul redwood logs to a mill. In the 1950's the tracks were removed so it could be used by trucks. We saw two flocks of wild turkeys. From there we took the Pomponio Trail north for the first of our two creek crossings. Some of the students put on water shoes to wade across the creek. The rest of us walked carefully on rocks and a log without changing our shoes. Trekking poles are very helpful.  Passing a grassy meadow called Worley Flat we continued east on the Pomponio Trail and then took the Parke Gulch Trail to pose inside a large old-growth redwood that was burned out by fire centuries ago. A short distance farther down the trail we stopped for lunch.

After lunch we got back on the Pomponio Trail, which passes through the Shaw Flat Trail Camp and then took the Shaw Flat Trail downhill to our second bridge less crossing of Pescadero Creek. After crossing the creek we headed uphill to connect with the Old Haul Road Trail, which took us west 1.8 miles back to where we began.

Though the rainy season only began one day before, the forest was moist and there were lots of banana slugs and mushrooms.

TO GET THERE... From Skyline Boulevard take La Honda Road west past the town of La Honda, turn left on Pescadero Road, and left on Wurr Road to the parking lot on the left side of the road.

A One Way Downhill Hike at Wunderlich County Park

My College of San Mateo class enjoyed a 5.6 mile one-way hike from Skyline Boulevard to Woodside Road in Wunderlich County Park in Woodside. We descended approximately 1,500 feet. This route will take you through the entire 940 acre park from top to bottom.

First, we met at the main parking lot on Woodside Road at 9:15 am. Because this is a very popular park on weekends it is advisable to arrive early. There is parking along Woodside Road if the parking lot is full.

We then carpooled about seven miles to a small parking area on the west side of the road near where Bear Gulch Road East intersects Skyline Boulevard. From there we carefully crossed Skyline and proceeded downhill on the Alambique Trail. We then turned north on the Bear Gulch Trail and paused for lunch at The Meadows. After lunch we continued down the Bear Gulch Trail and turned left on the Redwood Trail, which took us to a reservoir at Salamander Flat. This reservoir, which gets its water from Alambique Creek, was developed in 1904 to provide hydroelectric power for the Folger estate.  There is so much duck weed covering the water that we couldn't see any newts.

From there we continued downhill on the Madrone Trail and turned right on the Bear Gulch Trail, which took us to the historic Folger stable (1905), which has been restored and contains a small museum. From there we car shuttled the drivers back to their cars at the starting point on Skyline Boulevard.

Along the way we saw red honeysuckle berries, yerba buena, rose hips, bay nuts, stinging nettle, second-growth redwoods, Douglas fir, and many other plants.

TO GET THERE... From Highway 280 take Woodside Road west and south. The

park entrance is about 2 miles beyond the town of Woodside.

A Fall Hike at Castle Rock State Park

Castle Rock State Park is so popular that on weekends you need to get there by 9:30 am at the latest to find a parking place. A ranger informed me that they will put a new 100 car parking lot at the new entrance, which will be at the Christmas tree farm just north of the current entrance. Hopefully it will still be possible to park along the road in order to avoid paying the parking fee.

I lead my De Anza College class on a delightful and adventurous 4.5 mile hike today. The sun was shining and the temperature was ideal. From the main entrance we hiked downhill through a forest on the Saratoga Gap Trail and then headed uphill on the Ridge Trail to Goat Rock. Using a thick rope, I helped most of the class up the backside of the rock to enjoy spectacular views of the San Lorenzo River Valley, Monterey Bay, and all the way south to the Santa Lucia Mountains.  From there we took a short side trip to a hollowed out sandstone rock that is a perfect example of the process of cavernous weathering.

Continuing north and west on the Ridge Trail, we climbed into a cave at Hole-in-the-Wall Rock and then proceeded a short distance to our lunch stop at a magnificent canyon live oak. After lunch we took the Interconnector Trail to the Saratoga Gap Trail and then headed east to complete our loop. We enjoyed the sight of wild fuchsia in bloom. After briefly pausing at the little trickle of water that passes for Castle Rock Falls we hiked uphill to the intersection with the Castle Rock Trail. While waiting for everyone to catch up some of us watched a baby rattlesnake cross the trail.

Some of the students opted to take the short cut back to the parking lot. The rest of us charged uphill on the Castle Rock Trail to the namesake rock of the park. If you were going to make a fun rock to climb around on you couldn't design one better than Castle Rock. It has shallow caves, overhangs, cracks, ledges, and lots of stone appendages to make it interesting. Some of us climbed into a cave. From there we completed the route back to the parking lot.

TO GET THERE... Take Skyline Boulevard about 2.5 miles south from where it intersects Highway 9 (Saratoga Gap).