A Sunrise Hike at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Here comes the sun

Date: January 25, 2019
Place: Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, Menlo Park, California
Coordinates: 37.375695, -122.223361
Length: 2.5 miles
Level: moderate

I have a friend who is a docent at the Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserve agency. One day he sent out an invitation for an Friday early morning hike at Windy Hill Open Space. I took a second to check my calendar and another to reply with yes. Then I told papa Quail that he's in charge of taking both chikas to school on that day to which he answered with a resigned nod.
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve was a new place for me and I didn't know where it was. Our meeting time was set for 6:45 am and a quick check showed that I'd have to get up at 5:40 am to get there on time At first I wondered the wisdom of my speedy commitment to this hike but then realized that it has been a very long time since I went on a sunrise hike. Moreover, it has been a very long time since I went on any hike in which I wasn't the one in charge. So on Thursday evening I set the phone's alarm app, prepared my backpack with water and some snack, filled the kettle, and went to bed earlier than usual.
It was dark when my phone started shaking. I turned if of and rolled out of bed before being tempted into staying there. I dressed up quietly, filled my thermos with tea and sneaked out of home without waking any of the quails.
It was still very dark when I arrived at the Windy Hill parking area. My friend was there already, rubbing his palms and pouring his hot tea from a thermos into a cup. He said there should be about ten people in the group but when time came to get on the trail we were only five.
At 7:00 am it was still dark and most of my photos didn't come out right. Still, my eyes were quickly used to the low illumination and I spotted some interesting things along the way, some of them came out all right on camera at a close up, with the flash on.

Bracket Fungus

We started uphill on the Betsy Crowder Trail at a fast pace. Much faster than I usually go when alone, unless in a hurry for some reason. The brisk pace warmed me up. Then another one of our group stopped and called us to see something on the ground: it was a solitary California newt moving along the side of the trail.

California Newt

We ket ascending on a mild, yet steady slope. Then the trail leveled and the view opened up. The hill was illuminated with a soft, pre-dawn light.

Pre-dawn Moon

Far away the eastern horizon began to glow in soft orange and yellow.

A Bright Horizon

We turned onto the Spring Ridge Trail, which sloped up and plunged into the woods again. Once more we were in relative darkness.

It wasn't as dark as when we started, and I could see better and farther between the trees. Already keelung and eye out for wood rat nests, I was thrilled to see one, perfectly shaped, a pyramid of sticks on the ground. The rest of the group showed a mild interest, then moved on up the trail. I snapped a few shots and hastened to catch up with them.

Wood Rat Nest

My friend didn't plan to take us all the way up the hill. he lead us to the trail intersection with the Meadow Trail onto we'd turn to go down hill. There, at the highest spot of the hike, we stood silently and waited for the sunrise.

Any moment now ...

A clicking sound came from the top of one of the trees below us. It was a sole dark-eyed junco perched on the very top of a tree and chirping loudly.

Junco at Dawn

Then the sun popped out in the east (see header photo). Then, just as we were about to start our way down, another hiker came up the trail. She also was a docent. She paused and offered to take a group photos of us all, then continued to chat with us for a few moments longer, giving us information about other nice places to see in the area.
Eventually we started downhill on the Meadow Trail. The light was getting stronger each minute and I could see the line of sunlight getting closer and closer until we met.

Meadow Trail

More birds were active now. I could hear them all around us. Sparrows, towhees, jays. A spotted towhee perched close enough to us so than even with my broad lens I could get a decent photo of this pretty bird.

Spotted Towhee

It was easier taking photos of the fungi now that the daylight reached the forest floor.

I saw many mushrooms on that hike. Not as many as I've seen on hikes in previous years, but still a good number. The forest smelled heavily of fungi.

Mushroom 

We reached the meadow and crossed a wide dirt road leading to private land. I was very impressed by the large trees that grew on the side of the meadow. We didn't get near them, however, and I didn't identify them.

The trail leveled off and once again we were out in the open, now walking in full sunlight.

But we turned on the lower part of the Spring Ridge Trail, heading north in the direction of the parking area.

To the west of us lay a pond, its water very calm. A single bench stood by the trail, overlooking the pond. We went down to look at the water, then u to the bench were we sat down.

Sausal Pond

One of the hikers pulled out a large thermos, poured tea into paper cups and passed it around. I pulled out my own thermos and we sat down, chatting and sharing an early morning tea time.

Reflection

There were a few ducks in the pond, all of them mallards. They glided silently on the water surface, hardly rippling it.

Mallards 

We finished our tea and hiked over to the parking area. There I found some mushrooms that I missed when we headed out in the darkness.

Mushrooms 

We completed the hike much earlier than my friend had expected. He suggested we do this (a sunrise hike) on a regular basis and, seeing our pace, suggested going on longer trails. I'm all for it!

In the Regenerating Kingdom of Trees: Hiking at El Corte de Madera Preserve

View Southwest from Manzanita Trail

Date: October 13, 2018
Place: El Corte de Madera Preserve, Redwood City, California
Coordinates: 37.406016, -122.304327
Length: 4.5 miles
Level: moderate to strenuous

A new school year has begun and with it a new hiking season for our Redwood 4-H Hiking Project. My selection for the season opener was a park that I've never hiked before - El Corte de Madera Preserve west of Redwood City. I went there for a prep hike with a friend but sadly I forgot to take my camera along. I did bring it for the 4H hike and snapped a few shots whenever I had the chance to divert my attention from the project members for a moment.

At the Trailhead

Pappa Quail came along too. He an the elder chika soon found an attraction - a Red Admiral butterfly clinging to a tree.

Red Admiral Butterfly

Shortly after they found the only bird that cooperated with the camera - a brown creeper. All the other birds we saw on the hike hid away quickly, leaving us to enjoy their songs only.

Brown Creeper

We started at the middle parking area which is merely a large pullout off Skyline Blvd. and started on the Sierra Morena Trail which follows the road for about half a mile before  turning onto Fir Trail.

Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii

It was a busy Saturday at that park. Every few minutes we had to squeeze ourselves to the side of the trail to allow bikers to pass by.
Less than half a mile into the Fir Trail we turned left and connected with the Manzanita Trail. We were already descending by now we were walking downward on a much steeper slope. The trail sure lived up to its name - we were walking through high chaparral of mostly manzanita bushes.

Brittle leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos crustacea 

The terrain in that park is sandstone of special formation called, Tafoni. I read that on the map and trailhead sign. I could tell we were treading on sandstone but I have not the knowledge to tell that formation from any other. Still I mentioned that bit to the children. One can never tell what bits of information will stick in their minds.

Tafony Sandstone

Down, down, and down we went. We lost much altitude in a very short time. Another parent who went along wondered aloud about having to go all of that back up ... I merely smiled. If any of the children thought about that, they kept it to themselves.
The trail we did was nearly completely shaded. Whenever we were not walking in the high chaparral, we were in the forest. Whenever it was not manzanita, it was the madrone - it's relative. The madrone has a very thin bark. The new bark is green and photosynthetically active. It ages throughout the year and then it peels off to reveal the new green bark underneath.

Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii

We came upon a large patch of spiny fruit on the trail. I didn't know what plant it came from (I could only see manzanita around), and of course the project members asked me what it was ... they had to settle for, "I'll look it up and tell you later".
Back at home I uploaded the photo to the California Native Plants Society page, and within seconds I had the answer - that is the fruit of chinquapin plant, another chaparral bush that I simply didn't pay much attention to before.

Fruit of Giant Chinquapin, Chrysolepis chrysopylla

We kept going on on the Manzanita Trail. In places the manzanita boughs closed over us to form a tunnel.

Tunnel View

In oter places the vegetation opened up and standing on our toes we could see the view to the southwest. We would have been able to see the ocean if not for the blanket of fog that covered it.

View South from the Manzanita Trail

The Manzanita Trail loops around the hill side, making a sharp turn eastward. For a short distance we were walking on the south facing slope and enjoying full sunshine. Accordingly, the vegetation was much lower and less lush.

Manzanita Trail

We connected with the Timberview trail and immediately plunged into dark forest. It could have been darker - this used to be old growth redwood forest, but it was heavily logged. The park's name (El Corte de Madera - tree cutting), indicates that past. All the trees there now are young growth, but the stumps of the old, venerable redwood trees that used to dominate the forest there are still there - silent evidence of the massive destruction of the old California forest.

Logged and regenerated Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens

When we arrived at the Timberview trail a debate started among the youth project members. Some wished to turn right and extend our hike a bit more. Others wanted to turn left and head right away toward the trailhead. Because we've hiked a a very good pace so far (no surprise - we were going mostly downhill) I sided with the kids who wished to extend the hike and so we turned right all the way to Crosscut Trail. After an extension of 0.9 mile and one wrong turn which was corrected after some unnecessary sweat was perspired on an unnecessary upslope we turned back north on Timberview Trail and finally started our way uphill.

Timberview Trail

The forest was much denser and darker along Timberview Trail than we've seen earlier on the hike. The canyon was much deeper too but the creek was dry. We were hearing creaking sounds all around and I remembered that on my prep hike there with my friend I though I was hearing a tree breaking down above us and I made us run uphill a little bit because I feared that a tree might fall on us. Maybe I was exaggerating a bit but trees do collapse in the forest every now and then.

Collapsed Trees

No we were going p and up. The slope of Timberview Trail didn't feel steeper than that of the Manzanita Trail upon which we came down. There were less level itervals, however, leaving the uphill walk continuous and without a break.
We did take it easy, though. stopping every now and then to look at things, like the waterhole in the creek that had a little water left in it still.

Water Hole

This part of the creek appeared to be recently eroded. A sign on the other side announced that 'This is not a trail," making me think that maybe once it actually was. I thing that this would be a nice little waterfall in winter, when the creek will be running.

The hike uphill spread our group. The eager to finish kids made it uphill quickly. perhaps the others were just as eager but didn't wish to spend up. I found myself at the rear, helping my young chika along - she had a blister forming on her heel and was hurting with each step. She was one of the kids who wanted to extend the hike and now she moped about that choice. I supported her the best I could,  which was mainly staying by her side and listening to her runts all the way up. I consoled myself with the sight of a perfect, lush fern by the trailside.

When we finished the hike we decided to meet together at a restaurant in Redwood City for lunch. Pappa Quail treated the chika's blister and taking a long goodby look at the forest we said goodby and drove off. 

El Corte de Madera park has a complex trail system and we had sampled only a little but of it. There is much more to explore in that park and I hope to get back there soon. Perhaps after the rains begin and the banana slugs come out. 

Many thanks to members of the California Native Plants Society for their help in identifying plants!
Thank you Anenet for identifying the butterfly! 

A Dessert Hike: To Bald Mountain and Back

Up to the Bald

Date: February 19, 2018
Place: Bald Mountain, Mount Umunhum Open Space, San Jose, California
Coordinates: 37.159630, -121.875483
Length: 1.4 miles round trip
Level: easy


At the end of our hike down Mount Umunhum I pulled my family from the parking lot, urging them to go on one additional hike: a short in and out trail to the nearby Balt Mountain.

Our additional hike to Bald Mountain and back as captured by Pappa Quail's GPS

The chikas made some faces but Pappa Quail urged them on after me. Before long they were running ahead. This trail was nearly flat up until the short ascend at the end. Up until that point it was also considerably warmer than the trail we hiked earlier.

Bald Mountain Trail

Trees were scarce along that trail and the mountainside was covered with thick chaparral. Most of the shrubs were still in their winter slumber but some were already waking to an early spring.

Manzanita, Arctostaphylos sp. 

In fact, there were some lovely blooms along that trail that I haven't seen earlier on the Mount Umunhum trail.

Blue Witch, Solanum umbelliferum

The entire Bald Mountain trail is exposed and as such, the views from the way are wide and sweeping. It gave as a nice, different angle of some of the sights we've seen from the summit of Mount Umunhum.

Loma Prieta

As I mentioned above, we didn't see many trees along that path. Occasionally however, some chaparral members pretended to be trees, growing to a good tree height.

Manzanita

At the far end of the trail the chaparral is replaced by open grass savannah. The winds blow strong there. Or at least on the day we were there it was blowing very strong. So strong that we had to take off our hats. The elder chika rebelled and started to walk back. I called after her and she found a protected corner to sit down and wait for us.
We didn't linger mush on the Bald Mountain summit. The views were terrific, but the wind was intolerable.

South Bay

The younger chika turned around too and run down the trail to join her sister. Papa Quail looked around then started down as well. I tried to give the views more than a few seconds of appreciation but it wasn't long before I couldn't feel my nose anymore.

Imaden Reservoir

I headed back down the trail and joined m family on the bay back to the parking area. In the backdrop loomed Mount Umunhum, looking down on us, reminding me that I didn't really summit it. Driving u and hiking down doesn't count.

We came down all the way from up there ...

We walked quickly. The chikas were already discussing where we should stop for dinner but I chose to linger behind and enjoy the last few minutes in this newly opened Open Space.

Sticky Monkeyflower, Mimulus aurantiacus

Just before reaching the parking lot the hillside is cut and the soil exposed. There I saw some very yellow poison oak plants. I've seen them in every shade of red and green but the yellow is new to me.. I wonder if that's lack of iron or the effects of the cold spell that the area was experiencing. Or ma be it's a mutation ... who knows?

Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum

Hiking to Bald Mountain was a nice dessert after hiking down the Mount Umunhum trail. But it can be a nice stand-alone trail for people who don't wish or don't have the time to hike Mount Umunhum, but still want to enjoy the views and the interesting vegetation of the area. Just hold on to your hats!