Discovering A Local Pleasure: Hiking the Sabercat Creek Trail in Fremont

 

Sabercat Creek Trail

 

 

Date: July 5, 2025

Place: Sabercat Creek Trail, Fremont, California

Coordinates: 37.528288, -121.931523

Length: 2.2 miles

Level: easy  

 

 

 

On a warm Saturday, early in July, Pappa Quail and me were doing nothing in particular. In the afternoon I was getting a bit restless, but before I could think of something to do Pappa Quail came to me and suggested we go for a walk. At the same breath he asked me to come up with a destination. It was too late to drive anywhere out of town and I didn't feel like going to the same old places we both know all too well. In short, I opened up the map app and found Sabercat Creek Trail - a small preserve in the south of Fremont. I've seen it before on the map but I never got the chance to check it out, so now we had that chance.  

Our hike as captured by my GPS

 

There's no designated parking area for Sabercat Creek Trail so we parked at the nearest street and walked a minute to the gate in the fence that separated that area from the neighborhood's houses. A single lane asphalt road curved downhill toward the creek and we started walking down that road. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

Other than the trees and bushes, everything else looked very dry. I didn't expect to see much bloom, it any, but right in the beginning, near the road, bloomed a few morning glory vines. 

Field Bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis

The slope leading to the creek was being restored with native vegetation, including buckeye and toyon plants, both of which were blooming at the time. The buckeye was already past its peak bloom but still emitted nice fragrance. 

California Buckeye, Aesculus californica

The toyon hasn't reached its peak bloom yet, The bush had a mixture of lovely white open flowers and light green immature floral buds. In a few months it'll be covered with bright red berries. 

Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia

A few birds were flying around and while Pappa Quail tried focusing on them I looked at the view. On the southeast loomed Mission Peak which, from this angle, didn't show much of its signature pyramid top. 

Mission Peak

One of the birds that Pappa Quail looked at was sitting on top of a supporting pole of one of the newly planted saplings. It was a bluebird - either female or juvenile. 

Western Bluebird

The asphalt road leveled parallel to the creek. I didn't hear any water and I couldn't see any because of the dense vegetation, comprised mainly of live oaks with a few other broad-leaf trees. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

We got close enough to the trees to see that the understory vegetation was mainly poison oak. There was movement in the poison oak bushes: a young deer, still wearing its fawn dots, was moving slowly between the poison oak.

Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Juvenile

At a close distance I could see that not all the trees along the creek were oaks. I pointed out an elderberry tree that was blooming at the edge of the trail. 

Blue Elderberry, Sambucus cerulea

The same tree had also nearly ripe berries on a different branch. I couldn't resist trying one, that's how I know it wasn't fully ripe.

Blue Elderberry, Sambucus cerulea

A bit further down the trail the trees opened up a bit and revealed the Sabercat Creek. The creek was flowing, although the flow was pretty soft and didn't make much sound. 

Sabercat Creek

A small bridge took us to the other side of Sabercat Creek, where we continued walking under a dark canopies of many large live oak trees. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

Some of these live oaks were quite tall and had an intricate branching pattern. Little birds were active in the oaks' canopies but they were very difficult to see or focus the camera on. 

In places where the trail was exposed we got a reminder that we were in July - it was a pretty warm day, although thankfully not too hot. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

The creek wasn't accessible and the water didn't look like it was moving at all. I kept expecting to hear and feel mosquitos but there weren't any, so I guessed the water wasn't stagnant.

Sabercat Creek

There were plenty of other insects in the air however, and the black Phoebe we saw near the creek was busy grabbing them from the air then returning to its ambush point atop a dry stem. 

Black Phoebe

For a while it was just Pappa Quail and me on the trail. Then another narrow asphalt path came down from the neighborhood to meet the Sabercat Creek Trail. At that point we started seeing a few other hikers, including families with kids. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

Sabercat Trail ends with a small loop on the west side of the preserve. There used to be a quarry where during the digging skeletons from the ice age were found. One of the animal skeletons found there was the now extinct sabercat after which the creek and trail were named. The quarry had made a large hole in the hill and the scar was slowly being covered with vegetation. 

From the west end of the trail we had a nice view to the northwest. Ignoring the unpleasant sight of I-680 below us we gazed across Fremont and Newark to Coyote Hills. 

Coyote Hills View

The other arm of the little loop at the end of the trail was on higher ground. When we started walking back east we were level with the neighborhood where we parked. My eyes kept focusing on the neat row of European cypress that lined one of the neighborhood yards. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

The neighborhood south of the trail wasn't visible, but there was a narrow trail leading up to it. I guess that the residents there have their shortcut into the main trail there. 

I made a comment to Pappa Quail that is was strange that we didn't see any reptiles on such a warm day. A few minutes after that we saw a quick movement in the brush by the trail. A pretty fence lizard run up a dead branch, opened his throat crest and started doing push-ups, showing his blue underbelly. That was his way to tell us that he knew we were there and that we couldn't get him by surprise. Not that we wanted to. Pappa Quail did get him on camera, though. 

Western Fence Lizard

A few steps later we encountered an eastern fox squirrel, one of a several of that species that we saw on the hike that day. Eastern fox squirrels are an invasive species in our area, brought here by someone who deemed them prettier than the resident western squirrels. The eastern fox squirrel thrives here, competing with and displacing the native squirrel species.

Eastern Fox Squirrel

On the trail we were once again alone. Most of the people we saw earlier didn't come all the way down to the quarry area. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

The relative quiet on this part of the trail enabled us to see a few more animals. One of these animals was a solitary acorn woodpecker - a bird that is usually in a family group and is usually quite vocal. Perhaps that individual needed some time off from its relatives.  

Acorn Woodpecker

Another bird that popped into the open was a chestnut-backed chickadee. We watched it for a while doing its acrobatics, hanging from the tip of a small branch, pecking at something there, possibly bugs. 

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Most f the oak trees along the creek were live oaks, but there were also valley oaks here and there. Many of the valley oaks were laden with large oak galls, which were already used and dry.  

Valley oak with galls

Some of these old oaks were very large and their canopy very wide, carried by an a large number of twisted, complex-shaped branches. These trees sure look like they have personalities. 

The heat was slowly easing up a bit, now that it was getting later in the afternoon. Still, it was pretty warm outside of the tree shade. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

A few lonely poppies bloomed in the very dry grass on the south-facing slope near the trail. every summer when the big poppy bloom is over there are those stragglers which keep blooming through fall. 

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

Our way back was quicker now. When we got to the place where there was an access to the creek I went over there to see what I could find there. I didn't see animals in the water or anything special, but it was nice to look at the flow and appreciate the reflection in the calmer places. 

Sabercat Creek 

It certainly wasn't fall yet, not even close, but some poison oak was already turning red, possibly in response to some stress. 

Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum

The most common squirrel species in this area was the California ground squirrel. These squirrels do climb trees but they live in underground colonies (they aren't affected by the invasion of the eastern fox squirrel). We've seen plenty of the ground squirrels on this hike but most of them were camera shy. It was good to see that they weren't habituated as the city parks squirrels were. 

California Ground Squirrel

We reached the road that was leading up to the park's exit but the trail continues under the bridge more east. We followed it a but to see what was on the other side and found that it went too close to the neighborhood's houses. 

Sabercat Creek Trail

We turned around and walked back up to the exit. I looked up at Mission Peak again. It has been  while since the last time I went up there. Perhaps I'd go up there again once the weather cools down some. 

Mission Peak View

We went back home, pleased with this little hike we did, discovering a new, local trail and spending nice time together. About a month later Pappa Quail joined a birding walk of the local birders group and they went to that very same trail ... apparently it is considered a good birding spot. I guess we'll be going there again soon, now that the fall migration has begun. 

 

 

 

 

A Beautiful Finish of a Beautiful Trip: Hiking Down the Kearsarge Pass Trail to Onion Valley

 

 

 

Date: June 23, 2025

Place: John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, Independence, California 

Coordinates: 36.771848, -118.365168

Length: 3.7 miles 

Level: strenuous

 

 

Link to the previous day's blog post  

 

The forth and last night of my June 2025 backpacking trip in the High Sierra wasn't all that great. There was nothing bothering my on the outside, but inside my brain kept me awake with everything I wanted to have a break from when I entered the wilderness five days ago, in the shape of worries and random thoughts. After a long time of tossing and turning I finally fell into a fitful sleep for a few of hours from which I emerged at first light, instantly wide awake. 

Dawn

I gave up on trying to get more sleep and went outside into the early morning chill. The first thing I did was to walk to the water and take a look at my surroundings, something that I didn't do last evening when I arrived at this place. The little body near the campsite was part pond part creek and it was so calm that the reflection off its surface was like the perfect mirror. Only at the closest distance I could see that this water was actually flowing, very softly and gently, below the surface. This little creek was part of the headwaters of Independence Creek along which I'd make my way down today. 

Dawn Reflection

I made myself some tea and breakfast and ate slowly, watching the line of daylight descending down the slope. When the line eventually reached me I turned around in time to see the sun rising from behind the ridge line. 

Sunrise over my campsite

Once the sin was out the temperatures started rising quickly. I broke camp and packed my gear. Meanwhile a solitary nutcracker was moving down on the ground nearby, searching for food below the mat of dry needles.  

Clark's Nutcracker

Today's hike was expected to be an easy one: short of four miles and all of it downhill. 

My hike as captured by my GPS

The trail was a good one, without expected obstacles or unusual challenges. Even taking it slowly, I expected to be at the Onion Valley parking area before noon. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

A gorgeous, emerald-colored lake became visible after few curves down the trail. It was far below where I was at the time, which meant a steep descend was coming up. 

Flower Lake

About 500 ft lower I was level with the lake. There wasn't any trail leading to it and it didn't look like there was a good sitting place by the shore. Besides, I was still too energetic to have a break so early on my hike so I moved on. 

Flower Lake

Independence Creek was hidden in the woods for most of my hike along its path, but when I did get a glimpse I could see that it grew into quite a lively water flow sporting a fast, whitewater current.  

Independence Creek

My luck with rodents didn't change for the better on my last day of this backpacking trip. There were chipmunks and squirrels all over the place but none of them cooperated with my camera. The best I could do was a golden-mantled ground squirrel on a far away rock. 

Golden-mantle Ground Squirrel

As the morning progressed I was getting hotter and soon started sweating. I realized that I was wearing my base layers still. There were already numerous backpackers and day hikers that were going up the trail so I started looking for a place where I could discretely remove this extra layer. I came upon Gilbert Lake which was easily accessible from the trail, and slipped behind a large boulder that blocked me from the trail. I liked the location a lot so I stayed there for a little bit longer after changing.

Gilbert Lake

The trail descended on a fairly mild slope for some distance past Gilbert Lake. Then, all of a sudden, I was standing at the top of a great drop, and the terrain the trail cut through was scree. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

I braced myself for a very slow and painful descend. Thankfully though, the scree field wasn't too large and soon the trail was back on stable ground where the rocks were safely embedded in real soil. 

Alpine Shootingstar, Primula tetrandra

A small section of the trail was very damp, even flooded in places. As expected, riparian, wetland plants were thriving in that place. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

I didn't think I'd see any more new wildflowers on this trip but there they were - tiny, white Macloskie's violet. I've seen them only few times before, the last time being  last year at Ridge Lakes, in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  

Macloskie's Violet, Viola macloskeyi

The western Labrador tea however, is a very common riparian bush in California's mountains, and I wasn't surprised at all to see it blooming there too. 

Western Labrador Tea, Rhododendron columbianum

At a bit higher than 9000 ft, there was a nice mixture of conifer species, including the whiteback pine. This pine was just beginning its bloom season at the time, its pollen still held within the young, and very red male cones. 

Whitebark Pine, Pinus albicaulis

I followed the trail down the very steep slope on a long series of tight switchbacks. The twists and turns of the trail allowed me viewpoints in all directions.  

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

ON one of these switchback turns a beautiful cascading waterfall came into view and remained there with each switchback turn in that direction for a long part of my way down.

Independence Creek

The switchbacks seemed to be endless. I could see now the Onion Valley Road and make out the area where the campground was. There was a lot of descending to do still. 

The seemingly endless way down was littered with beautiful wildflowers so I didn't mind it at all. I did think that at some point I should probably have a snack break, but I wasn't ready to stop just yet. 

Wavyleaf Paintbrush, Castilleja applegatei

Quite a lot of people were climbing up the trail now, and each time we approached each other, one of us would politely step aside (assuming that there was a place to step to) and motion the other to go on. Sometime both of us would do it at the same time, then smile. When that happened it was usually me who would resume hiking first - the uphill hikers liked taking a short breather. 

Prickly Hawkweed, Hieracium horridum

About half of the uphill hikers were backpackers that were either resuming their long trail hike after a resupply break, or that like me, they were going on a shorter trip. The others were day hikers. They were carrying a small day pack and looked fresh and energetic, even those who were children. Some of them were carrying long fishing poles and I assumed that they'd stop at one of the lakes I had left behind and won't be going over the pass.

Spreading Phlox, Phlox diffusa

Down and down and down I went. The descend reminded me a bit of the way down from Mount Whitney which I summited back in 2022. Thank goodness, this was much shorter, and my physical condition was much better than it was them. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

A little bird flew across my path and settled atop a chinquapin bush near the trail. It was a fox sparrow, one of many I've seen on my trip, most of them on the eastern slopes of the mountains. 

Fox Sparrow

There were more wildflowers that I didn't recognize down the trail. Some I had to wait until I got home and analyzed the photos to identify their species. 

Sierra Mousetail, Ivesia santolinoides

The scenery was changing around me as I dropped in elevation. For one thing, there were no more of the foxtail or whitebark pines around. The trees near the trail were taller species of pines, probably Lodgepole, and might be others that I didn't identify.

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

The big drop with the long series of switchbacks ended with a longer, much milder stretch of trail, which was a very welcomed ease for my joints. I was now almost level with the pool at the bottom of the waterfall that I saw from above. The water body below the waterfall was labeled on the map as Little Pothole Lake. I didn't get a good view of the entire thing but to me it looked mire like a waterhole than an actual lake.

Little Pothole Lake

Then I saw off to the right another beautiful cascade, one that was hidden from my view when I was descending down the switchbacks. It too was pooling into Little Pothole Lake. 

I was ready to have some food now so I was keeping my eyes out for a nice place to take a short break. Knowing this is my last day here I didn't want to sit just by the trail. 

Nuttall's Sandwort, Sabulina nuttallii

The trail stretched ahead before and below me. There was still a lot of altitude to lose before reaching the parking area where my car waited. I couldn't see and particularly special place to stop at though. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

Then the trail got close to Independence Creek again and curved right at the top of another cascading waterfall - the one I saw from Onion Valley Campground at the eve of this trip. It was the perfect place to take my break, and I could also refill my water bottle there. 

Independence Creek

Just as I finished my snack break a group of backpackers on their way uphill came to look at the cascading creek. I suggested taking a group photo of them by the water and they accepted my offer happily. I was impressed at how energetic they looked - they were at the very beginning of their trip. 

Independence Creek

From that point onward there weren't any serious switchbacks anymore. The slope was much milder now, and the turns much wider as well. Ahead of me I saw a large patch of white-blooming bushes. I recognized them even without the smell - these were Ceanothus bushes. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

The Ceanothus sweet fragrance was quite intense. I didn't need to inhale deeply to have it enter all of my pores. 

Mountain Whitethorn, Ceanothus cordulatus

I don't remember when it occurred to me that I haven't seen a single onion in Onion Valley. Then, on the side of the trail I saw the only plant that looked like it might be an onion of some sort. It wasn't blooming though, and I didn't identify it. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

Well below the Alpine zone now, I was seeing the familiar desert plants of the Eastern Sierra now all around. Most of these plants I saw already on the first day of my trip near the Baxter Pass Trailhead. 

Naked Buckwheat, Eriogonum nudum 

Then all of a sudden I was once again walking through a different habitat: a side tributary flowed across the trail, irrigating a lovely meadow of grasses and rushes, and many wetland wildflowers. 

Elephant's-Head Lousewort, Pedicularis groenlandica

Among these wetland wildflowers was the first (and last) orchid that I saw on this trip - a white bog orchid.. 

White Bog Orchid, Platanthera dilatata

A few mule-ears plants were blooming at the outskirts of the meadow. Mule-ears are not considered wetland plants, but these looked very happy and healthy, growing close to the water.  

Mule Ears, Wyethia sp. 

There were also lots of cornily plants, none of which were blooming at the time. Among the cornlilies however, bloomed the familiar crimson columbine. 

Crimson Columbine, Aquilegia formosa

Right over the water bobbed the blossom heads of the American bistort, a common mountain wetland plant. 

American Bistort, Bistorta bistortoides

The trail curved again and I was facing west, taking a long, goodbye look at the mountains I was descending from. It isn't likely I'll be there again this year but perhaps next summer? Who knows. I sure would like to go exploring the Kearsarge area again. 

View West

I was getting close to the end of the trail now. In a direct line it wasn't more than half a mile away. The trail however, didn't cut directly downhill but took a wide curve to the north. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

The curve of the trail had me facing north, where I got to admire those mountain ridges and what looked like a deep gorge in between them. Within that gorge were the Golden Trout Lakes, a relatively short hike from the trailhead.

It was at this part of the trip where I saw the largest number of mountain pride penstemons in bloom. I associate these mostly with Yosemite National Park but they are common throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. 

Mountain Pride, Penstemon newberryi

An elegant wooden sign of Inyo National Forest announced the boundary of John Muir Wilderness which I was now leaving. I felt a pang of remorse for leaving when I knew I had another day and a half before driving home. That time however, I meant to use well - I was planning to summit the White Mountain Peak. 

A funny looking rock

I felt a bit hungry again but I didn't stop. As much as I longed to stay longer in the wilderness, I was also eager to get me some real food in the town below. I yearned especially for fresh produce. 

Kearsarge Pass Trail, east

I passed the trail junction to the Golden Trout Lakes. Perhaps on my next visit in the area I would go hike to those lakes. 

Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifolius

The trail curved again to the south and now I was seeing trees that were not conifers for a change - quaking aspens are also high altitude trees. They also love water, and are common near creeks and lakes. 

Pando of Quaking Aspen, Populus tremuloides

The parking area of Onion Valley was within my view now, and I was glad to see my vehicle waiting for me there. I assumed it would be very hot inside. 

Onion Valley

The last bit of trail I literally galloped, my backpack bouncing on my shoulders. I had to weave my way between the hikers that chose mid-day to start their ascend up the mountain. There were also tired looking backpackers that had just descended and reached the trail end before me.

Buckwheat, Eriogonum sp. 

I reached the trail end and regarded the trailhead sign for a minute, then went to my car. As I opened the trunk and took off my load a couple of weary-looking backpackers approached me and asked if I could give them a ride down to the town. It wasn't a trouble for me so I agreed and made room for them and their gear in my car. We chatted on the way down and I found out that they were Swiss. I asked, but they didn't know who were the three other Swiss backpackers that I met near Rae Lakes two days before, who gave me the micro spikes I used on Glen Pass. I found it interesting that five of the backpackers I've had the longest interaction with on this trip were Swiss. Now I have a desire to go on a backpacking trip in the Swiss Alps. Perhaps that too will happen one day. 

I went on this backpacking trip officially to acclimate myself to the high altitude so I could have an easier time summiting the White Mountain Peak, which is a 14ner, but really, I do not need any excuses why to go backpacking in the mountains - this trip was great even without serving any other purpose. It started with a tough challenge but all and all it was a very good experience, and a heavenly beautiful place. I'd do it again without hesitation.    

 

 

 Link to the White Mountains drive blog post