A Rainy Day Hike on Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

My De Anza College class took a 4.5 mile one way hike through Long Ridge Open Space Preserve today. The day started out rainy and ended up with cloudy weather and a bit of sun. Unfortunately,  the great views which are one of the joys of this route were obscured by clouds. For that reason I have posted a photo of what it would have looked like if the weather had cooperated, along with a photo from near that same spot as it actually appeared.

We met at Grizzly Flat, which is along Skyline Boulevard, about 3 miles south of Page Mill Road. From there we carpooled south to the parking lot at Saratoga Gap, where Skyline Boulevard intersects Highway 9. We then crossed Skyline Boulevard and proceeded west and downhill on the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail on the Old Toll Road, which was built in 1871 to haul lumber. We then took the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail to the right and across Highway 9 to connect with the Achistaca Trail in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve. From there we hiked north 1.7 miles to where it intersects the Hickory Oaks Trail, and then on to the Long Ridge Road. From there we headed downhill on the Peters Creek Trail to our lunch stop beside a beautiful little pond, which is actually on Jokoji Zen Center property. We then continued on the Peters Creek Trail and on to Grizzly Flat.

Though we missed the magnificent views due to cloud cover, we saw lots of beautiful oaks, Douglas fir trees, madrone, manzanita, and big-leaf maples as their fall leaves turn bright yellow. We also saw a few banana slugs.

TO GET THERE.... The Grizzly Flat trail head is along Skyline Boulevard between Page Mill Road and Highway 9.