Mount Diablo Knobcone Point Road

Summary: This is a beautiful ridge hike about 3 miles total in and out on Knobcone Point Road with amazing views. This was a beautiful day, and we even saw a coyote near the Rock City parking lot.

Map: Go to the Mount Diablo State Park website for the location and driving directions. There is a trail map in the park brochure.

Pictures: (To see bigger pics at your own pace, and to read the captions, just click on the slideshow once it's playing. The Picasa album will open in a new tab/window)

Story: It was a beautiful Spring day, and we wanted to get out of the house. Mount Diablo is an easy choice for us, because it is huge and beautiful. This time of year, the hikes are cool, the hills are green, and there are wildflowers. We saw Indian Paintbrush and Baby Blue Eyes.

There is a $10 per car entrance fee, and it includes a brochure with the map. If you want to visit the park without paying, you can park outside of the entrance, and hike in. Just get the trail map from the web. We entered the park via the South Gate, and the best place to park for this hike is at Curry Point (see the link to the brochure under maps above). We parked at Rock City because we didn't know any better. But I'm glad we did because that's where we say a coyote as we were leaving.

The reason for choosing this hike was because we were in the mood for a short hike, without a lot of hills, and the attraction of Balancing Rock. We decided it should be renamed, Rock Outcrop. It is a non-event, and if it weren't signposted you'd never recognize it. But it is a beautiful hike, with amazing views.

A couple of times mountain bikers blasted by us way to fast, and one skidding nearly out of control. It's a consideration. They are allowed on this trail, and none of the mountain bikers we saw observed any courtesies such as calling out their presence, or slowing down as they pass hikers. Keep an eye on your little ones. You can hear the bikes coming. They sound like a car.

Samuel P Taylor - Devil's Gulch Hike

Summary: This is a nice hike with lots of gorgeous scenery in Marin's Samuel P. Taylor State Park, and we saw a bobcat.

Map: (Click on the map to interact with it.)

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Story: This hike was organized by a friend and I'm grateful to have been turned on to a new place. In the first mile of the hike, there were calls from the front of the pack that they spotted a mountain lion. Halfway up the hill from us, there appeared to be a crouching cat. I've never seen a mountain lion in the wild, and I was pretty excited. It appeared to me that it might be a log, but someone in our group said that they saw it move, so... I took a few steps closer to it to get a look, still more than 100 feet away, while my friends told me I was on my own. I could clearly make out the eye markings of a bobcat. Without disturbing the cat, I returned to the fire road. After I reported my findings, it was not a log, not a mountain lion, but a bobcat, a bicyclist ran up the hill at the cat, and chased it off. Our group was very critical of the cyclist. His motive might have been to protect his small children who were with him.

We reached the end of Devils Gulch Road which ends in a barbed wire fence. Someone said the property owner is known for shooting trespassers with Rock Salt. That's good enough for me. :) For a trail map, click on the park link in the summary, then click on brochure. The trail map is in the brochure (pdf).

We took a parallel trail back to the bridge, and crossed the river. After a short way, Bill's trail branches to the falls. Half our group headed for the falls, and the rest of us headed uphill to Barnabe's Peak. This is a very nice trail with views of the hills through the trees, nice mushrooms and fungus this time of year (Winter), and mossy switchbacks. Please don't cut trails, it is not cool.

At the top of Bill's Trail is Barnabe Road. This is where our gang stopped for lunch. I hoofed it alone up the road to Barnabe Peak where there is an old fire lookout tower. It's a nice view over the other side toward Kent Lake.

We hiked on down, and back to the cars, with lots of nice views and fresh air. I would definitely recommend this easy hike.

Pictures: (To see bigger pics at your own pace, and to read the captions, just click on the slideshow once it's playing. The Picasa album will open in a new tab/window)

Black Diamond Mines Winter Hike

Summary: A friend of mine arranged this hike to Black Diamond Mines and several of us parked at the second lot, climbed the Stewartville Trail and headed via Corcoran Mine Trail to the Prospect Tunnel. You can go into the tunnel for 200 feet, and it gets very dark. We returned via the Stewartville Trail, making a partial loop. It was a beautiful day. We took a lot of pictures.


Map: (Click on the map to interact with it.)

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Pictures: (To see bigger pics at your own pace, and to read the captions, just click on the slideshow once it's playing. The Picasa album will open in a new tab/window)


The Story: This was a beautiful crisp Winter day after weeks of rain. The hills were green and lush. We know in a couple of months, we will come back for the wildflowers. We plan to do a mine tour at the same time as that next visit. You should be warned that if you come soon after a rain, you should expect lots of mud to slog through. Cattle graze freely in this park and they are no trouble, but they trample the trails when they're muddy, and it becomes quite messy.

We hiked up Stewartville Trail, to the Ridge Trail. Along the Ridge Trail there are rocks that stick up out of the grass, and make a great place to take pictures and have lunch. That's where we had our lunch. Then we hiked down Corcoran Mine Trail and made a left at the bottom where it meets up again with the

Stewartville Trail.

To get to the Prospect Tunnel, keep your eye out for a small trail that branches to the left after a rock quarry. It's a short distance to the tunnel. I was expecting it to be cold in there, but it felt very warm in the tunnel. It is dark in there, and there is a low ceiling. If you bring a flashlight, you will be able to see the crystals that grow from the ceiling in the tunnel.

Then we took the Stewartville Trail, which takes us all the way back to the start. At the parking lot, there was a ranger showing people a gopher snake. The kids were allowed to hold it, and it was a great learning experience.

There's a lot to see in this park, and all I can say is check out the pictures then plan your own hike out there.

Anthony Chabot Regional Park - MacDonald Trail

Summary: This hike is 6.6 miles with minor elevation gain, and many gorgeous views from a wide dog friendly trail. There is no fee to pay, and plenty of shade on a sunny day. It will make you want to explore the rest of the park, and those adjacent.

Pictures: (Once the slideshow is playing, click on it again to go to the Picasa album for higher quality pictures and more control.)


Details: You access this hike by Redwood Road from Oakland. I downloaded the PDF map from the park's website, and with a good navigator, it was easy to find the MacDonald Staging Area. We headed southeast on the MacDonald trail and took the Brittleleaf offshoot for a short one way hike to a great view. There are plenty of views from the trail, but the lookout at the end of Brittleleaf is a little special. There is a rocky outcrop there, and a bench. We retraced our steps back to MacDonald Trail, and continued to the end at Bort Meadow Staging Area. We then turned around and returned to the car. This makes a total of 6.6 miles. There is an extensive network of trails here. So, I know I will be back. I'm especially interested in hiking around Lake Chabot now that I have the brochure map in my hands.

How did I find this hike? I was looking for a dog friendly hike in the Bay Area, so I found this website that listed a few. I chose Anthony Chabot Regional Park, not just because it's first on the list, but because it is near the San Leandro Reservoir. Turns out this hike doesn't afford hoped for views of the reservoir, but it was rewarding in other ways. It's a great hike for vistas, and seeing other people with dogs. It's very accessible by road, and it isn't exactly getting away from it all. There are always homes within view on the parallel Skyline Drive. There are also quite a few Mountain Bikers, but the trail is wide and it wasn't a problem. The trail is partly shaded, so it was nice on a very sunny day.

Another reason I want to return is to try the hike recommended on the dog friendly trail guide. Apparently, we started at the wrong staging area. We wanted the Bort Meadow Staging Area, which I figured out after reading the hike description. There is a lot to see here, and it has the advantage of being close to home.

Mitchell Canyon Nature Trail

Summary: This is a hot hike in the Summer, but the Nature Trail is well shaded, and if you bring water you will be fine. There are signposted points of interest, and a guide available from the Visitor Center (and a wooden box at the trailhead) to educate yourself along the way. The trail is a wide fire road, and is easy until you get to the climb that starts after the Nature Trail, but we were tempted up the hill by the views and tolerable grade. It's 4 miles in and out, but you can make it longer.





Details: We were in the mood for a short hike in a new place, and it was cool in Vallejo. So, we dressed for cool. It's always a good idea to check the weather where you're going on the internet. I found it by searching Google for: "mount diablo hikes". That turned up a list of 7 popular Mt. Diablo hikes. We hit the trail head at 3pm, and it was a scorcher. Luckily, there is plenty of shade along the way from the Oaks that surround the trail/fire road.


Location: We partly chose this hike because we like going to Walnut Creek's beautiful downtown area either before or after our hike. This time we went to Pomegranate for a lunch out on the sidewalk. Actually, we often go there because the food is excellent, and so is the service. The hike begins at the end of Mitchell Canyon Rd. There are restrooms, water and a staffed visitor center where you can pick up maps, and advice. There is a $6 parking fee.


Pictures:
The Nature Trail meanders right up the floor of the valley between two rocky ridges that afford beautiful rocky views.






















At the end of the Nature Trail, there isn't a sign, but you can tell when the fire road starts to switchback up the end of the canyon. If you do go up about halfway, you will be rewarded with beautiful views. This looks back toward the beginning of the trail.








The pictures on the right gives you a good idea of how big the trail is. You don't have to worry about poison oak, unless you go off of the fire road. We did see a fair number of Mountain Bikers, and it looked like they were having a good time, at least on the downhill part. The trail is wide enough that there's plenty of room for everyone.




















Finally, some other vistas from the trail.

Sunset Beach in Point Reyes in August

Summary: This is an amazing hike to the estuaries of Point Reyes National Seashore. We caught it on a cold foggy day, but it was hot at home. If you go, be prepared to find it cold. Only four miles in, and an easy hike. Very rewarding in views. It's great to see the changes in tide.

Pictures:
Once the slideshow is playing, click on it again to go to the Picasa album for higher quality pictures and more control.

Black Diamond Mines in Late July

Summary: This East Bay hike is hot in July, but the mines provide natural air conditioning, and many of the trails are shaded in parts by Oak, Pine, and Manzanita. There is a lot of history here, and signs placed throughout the park to help you enjoy it. There is an intricate web of interesting trails to explore covering a variety of fascinating topography. Don't miss the cemetery, and take the time to read some of the touching inscriptions. You will have to hunt for them.

We chose Black Diamond Mines because it's only about 35 minutes from Vallejo, and though we've been once before, we wanted to go back because there is more than you can see in one visit. Much more. I first discovered this East Bay Regional Preserve using Google Maps. I just put it in Map mode and searched for my home town of Vallejo, then zoomed out far enough to see the green patches around us that represent parks. When I saw the large green patch south of Antioch I zoomed in and discovered Black Diamond Mines. There is a reasonable $5 fee, and a map is provided.

This time, we headed up the Nortonville trail to Rose Hill Cemetary pictured above. We read a very moving inscription on the headstone of a man who died at the age of 42 on July 25, the same day as our visit. We did see at least one determined mountain biker here, and I'd recommend biking earlier in the day. We were there around 1pm. A couple of notes for bicyclists. Wear a helmet, and slow down when passing pedestrians.

From the cemetery we continued on the Nortonville Trail, then took a left on the Black Diamond Mine Trail. The rocky outcrops in the picture show the kind of views you will see. There are also spectacular views of the hills, and off into the distance to the north and you can see all the way to the bay. Then we took another left down the Manhatten Canyon Trail. We crossed the footbridge to the Chaparral Trail, then you guessed it, another left that led us to the Eureka Slope.

This is a tunnel that bores down into the ground at a 45 degree angle. This is a cool spot to hang out. There is a wind blowing up out of the tunnel, and it is like standing in the open door of a refrigerator. On a hot day, this is just the thing. We then headed down the steps to the visitor center, which is closed until sometime in 2011 (when we hope it will reopen). The visitor center is down a mine shaft! You can stand in front of the gated entrance, and enjoy the cool breezes that blast out of the mine shaft opening. We enjoyed standing in the sun in the cool wind from the mine. It was air conditioning for the outdoors.