Butano State Park Loop Hike

It is hard to overstate the charm of this cool, green canyon park nestled into a steep coastal canyon. It is one of the most remote parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Yesterday my College of San Mateo class hiked a seven mile loop that took us through the canyon bottom, up to the south ridge top for lunch and views of the next canyon to the south.

We started at the picnic area just beyond the entrance station. Take advantage of the outhouse since it is the last one you will see on this route.  We then walked up the main road, past the campground turnoff  and then took the first trail to the right, which goes to the campground. At the next intersection we turned left on the Goat Hill Trail. We then turned left on the Doe Ridge Trail, which makes a long and steady climb uphill to the Olmo Fire Trail on the ridge. From that intersection we climbed a short distance farther uphill to the east where there is a great lunch spot among a stand of knob cone pines. This spot has the best views on the hike.

After lunch we headed west on the Olmo Fire Road, which has a lot of ups and downs. We took the next right turn onto the Goat Hill Trail, and then a steep downhill  to the main park road.

This park is forested mainly with second-growth redwoods, though there are a few big old-growth trees. We came

across an ensatina salamander and newt along the way. We saw lots of wild flowers, including thimbleberries, solomons seal, trillium, redwood sorrel, clintonia, wild rose, hounds tongue, bush poppies, ceanothus, red elderberry bushes, redwood violets, and Douglas iris.

TO GET THERE... From Highway 1 take Pescadero Road east for about 3 miles and turn right on Cloverdale Road. The park entrance is about 5 miles from Pescadero.

Edgewood County Park & Preserve Wildflower Walk

With plenty of rain in March and April, Edgewood County Park & Preserve is bursting with wildflowers this year. Though wildflowers can be seen from February through May, April is the peak of the season.

This preserve is so popular in April that it can be hard to find a parking space near the main entrance on Edgewood Road on weekends. For that reason my De Anza College class met at the parking area along Canada Road just east of Highway 280 at the Clarkia Trailhead. We hiked the Clarkia Trail through oak woodland and chaparral to where it intersects the Serpentine Loop Trail on the serpentine grassland where most of the spectacular wildflower displays are found.

Serpentine is a metamorphic rock associated with earthquake faults. It weathers into a soil that is low in calcium, nitrogen and potassium, and high in nickel and chromium. This means that the soil is not beneficial to the non-native grasses that have taken over many of our hillsides, but ideal for native plants that are adapted to these unique conditions. We saw lots of tidy tips, linanthus, owl clover, goldfield, blue-eyed grass, golden poppies. flax, royal larkspur, mule ear, lupine, sun cups, and many other beautiful flowers.

We followed the Serpentine Loop to the east side of the ridge, with beautiful views of the bay. From there we took the Franciscan Trail to the Edgewood Trail, which goes through a shady oak woodland before emerging back onto the serpentine grassland. Because it was a warm day we decided to seek out a shady place for lunch. We found that place in an abandoned grove of olive trees. Unfortunately, there are no picnic tables and we had to watch out for poison oak. There is a dusky-footed wood

rat nest nearby.

After lunch we continued south on the Serpentine Loop and then retraced out steps on the Clarkia Trail. Our total route was about 4.1 miles.

TO GET THERE... from Highway 280 take Edgewood Road west and then turn south (left) on Canada Road. Look for parking along Canada Road a short distance after crossing to the east side of Highway 280.

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve

Because Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preseve is only366 acres, it is not difficult to explore all the trails in one hike. That's pretty close to what my College of San Mateo class did today.  Because dogs are allowed on leash on all trails, and are allowed off-leash in a 17.5 acre designated area, you will encounter many canines and their masters in this preserve.

From the preserve entrance on Edmonds Road we hiked uphill on the Blue Oak Trail and then turned left on the Dick Bishop Trail through an oak woodland. We then turned left on the Hassler Trail, which is actually a gravel road. From there we took the Dusky-footed Woodrat Trail, which ascends through the chaparral for impressive views of the mountains to the west and Edgewood Park to the south. Because good group lunch spots are hard to find we took a short side trip to a clearing with a bench along Cordilleras Creek. After lunch we took the Polly Geraci Trail to the Hassler Trail and then hiked downhill to the Blue Oak Trail, which returned us back to our starting point. Our total distance was about 5.7 miles.

Because this preserve is in the foothills on the dry east side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, wildflowers come early. February, March, and April are the best months to see plants blossom. On our field trip we saw chaparral pea, buttercups, checker lilly, blue witch, hounds tongue, sticky monkey flower,  Indian warrior, fat Solomons seal,  star lilly, bush poppies, fetid adders tongue, Indian paintbrush, vetch, blue eyed grass, pitcher sage, blue elderberry, and golden poppies among others.

TO GET THERE... from Highway 280 take Edgewood Road east, turn left on Crestview Road, and then turn left on Edmonds Road. If the main parking lot is full there is additional parking across the road and along Edmonds Road.

A Wildflowery Loop Through Stevens Creek County Park & Fremont Older Open Space Preserve

My De Anza College class lucked out with the weather for our field trip yesterday at Stevens Creek County Park and adjoining Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. The rain ended just in time as we gathered at the Stevens Creek County Park parking lot just off Stevens Canyon Road near Cupertino. There is a parking fee.

From the parking lot we began our 6.6 mile hike by walking the paved road to the gate that begins the Stevens Creek/Tony Look Trail. This route takes you past the dam, which was built in 1935 to create the 80 acre Stevens Creek Reservoir. This route took us beyond the reservoir to our lunch stop at a picnic area with two picnic tables and a restroom. Along the way we saw lots of wildflowers, including blue larkspur, vetch, globe gilia, lupine, Douglas iris, blue elderberry, climati

s, star lilly, golden yarrow, poppies, yerba santa, Indian paintbrush, Solomons seal, sticky monkey flower, and checker lilly. There is also lots of maidenhair and gold back ferns and flowering poison oak.

After lunch we charged uphill for the most strenuous part of the route, which took us into Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. From there we left the forest behind and hiked the Vista Loop Trail to the Fern Trail and on to the Coyote Ridge Trail, with spectacular views of the Santa Clara Valley, including the new Apple "spaceship" campus. The Coyote Ridge Trail took us downhill and back into Stevens Creek County Park.

Spring is the perfect time to do this hike. It can be dry and hot during the summer.

TO GET THERE... From Highway 280 take Foothill Boulevard south. It turns into Stevens Canyon Road. Look for the park entrance sign on the left.

Summit Loop Hike on San Bruno Mountain

Just south of San Francisco, San Bruno Mountain is an island of nature, with an extraordinary variety of plants. March, April, & May is the perfect time to see lots of wildflowers along the 3-mile Summit Loop Trail, which begins just south of the Guadalupe Canyon Parkway at the park entrance, and climbs about 750 feet to near the 1,314 foot summit of the mountain.

The weather can be tricky any time of year. Because it is within sight of the ocean, fog and wind are common. Fog accounts for about a third of precipitation, which is why wildflowers persist long after more inland parks have dried out in the Spring. Be sure to dress in layers to be prepared for changing conditions.

I lead my College of San Mateo class for a hike yesterday that consisted mainly of the Summit Loop Trail, plus a section of the Ridge Trail, which continues for miles along the ridge crest to the east. We experienced a mixture of sun and fog, with downtown San Francisco appearing and disappearing as the fog shifted. At times only the Salesforce Tower stuck out above the fog. On a clear day the views from the top of the mountain are spectacular. I caught a rubber boa along the trail on the way back.

Among the wildflowers we saw were star zygadine, blue violets, red rock cress, yellow Indian paintbrush, red Indian paintbrush,  phacelia, checker bloom, lomatium, Douglas iris, wallflower, seaside daisy, Oregon grape, hummingbird sage, blue blossom ceanothus, buttercups, red elderberry, and twin berry

. Because of the unique conditions, there are species of plants and butterflies found nowhere else.

TO GET THERE... coming from the south, take Highway 101 north, take the Bayshore Boulevard exit and continue north. Turn left onto Guadalupe Canyon Parkway to the park entrance on the right. There is a $6.00 entrance fee. Seniors over 65 are admitted free on weekdays.