Aborted trail at Garin Park

Despite flawless weather, I did not have the best day today at Garin Park, one of the two parks in the complex of Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Parks. I made the most of it, but I was really off my game.

The plan, EBRPD map

This map shows the route that I wanted to take today. I have been choosing some of my hikes lately from the list of hikes for the EBRPD's 2019 Trails Challenge, and I have found almost all of their descriptions of the the trails to be excellent. My choice to do this route, instead of this easier variation (link) was based solely on their recommendation (link). But Garin's signage along High Ridge Loop is not well maintained, and I got lost.

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I missed the turn-off to the Newt Pond Trail not once but twice. The first time was because the sign pointing to the trail head had fallen, and I didn't even see the intersection at all. I did not realize that I had missed the trail until I was all the way to the Meyers Ranch Trail. I actually wanted to see Newt Pond after my amazing experience with seeing the newts yesterday, so I turned back.

Route I actually took

To be honest, I am not upset that I trekked all the way to the top of the high ridge that gives the trail its name. That seemed like a happy mistake to me, because I saw a really cool (and really large snake) and also an outcropping of Mariposa lilies, which are one of my all time favorite flowers. The views of San Francisco Bay and the low hills of Garin were gorgeous. But the trail to Newt Pond is so unclear, that even when I turned around and found the sign pointing to it, I still got mixed up and then hiked all the way back down to the Garin Barn Visitors Center. In hindsight, the route I took must be an unofficial trail that's been cut by mountain bikers, but I thought I was taking the trail I wanted. When I turned the corner of the hill and saw that I was back where I started and not on my way to Newt Pond I was so discouraged that I gave up my original hike and just made the easy loop around Jordan Pond.

At least the trail to Jordan Pond offered something nice: there were lots of wildflowers and a fine grove of Sycamores. This place seems like it might be nice for a picnic, although I do have my reservations about it. I don't know if I was just grumpy because of the disappointment of my thwarted hike, or if it really was as bad as it seems, but there seemed to me to be a lot of trash and litter. When I saw a second snake along the trail, it seemed less like a cool feature of the hike and more like an omen warning me to leave.

I am not anxious to return here. The drive back to Livermore through heavy Friday-afternoon traffic really made me think that it was not worth it to hike only about 3 miles. I will say--giving the park its due--that it seems like a place that would be cool to bring young kids, especially near the barn. There is an apple harvest festival in the fall, so maybe if I do go back then I will go for that event.