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I am kicking myself that I never discovered Baylands Nature Preserve back when we lived in Palo Alto (map here). This park used to be so close to where we lived, but we never noticed it because it is not labeled as a green space on Google Maps. Alas!
After dreaming about this hike for a while, I finally made it deep into Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park to explore Kilkare Canyon. This 7-mile hike is a variation of the hike to Turtle Pond that inspired me. I originally planned to do that longer hike, but the temperature in Pleasanton exceeded the forecast, and I adapted the hike to maximize shade and minimize direct sun exposure. The route I did was very nice, and I was mostly successful in turning what could have been too hot of a hike into something fun. One of the features of the hike (for me) was the explosion of Mariposa lilies, which are one of my all-time favorite flowers. It was worth it for me to brave the heat to see these flowers blooming in such abundance. With that said, I think that I will make sure to repeat this hike (or a variation of it) when it's earlier in the year--and therefore cooler--next spring.
Most of the land around Sunol is owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which manages reservoirs and water in the area. Although it seems like this place would be loaded with hiking trails, most of it is actually off limits to the public to protect the water running through Alameda Creek. Although you can drive through the canyon, the train gets you closer to some of the area's natural beauty. It was such a pleasure to finally do this, especially because this year is the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad, and this line was originally the westernmost portion of the transcontinental railroad. It's a bit of living history.
Click "read more" to see more photos of the ride. This past week I went to Livermore's Arroyo Mocho Trail on two separate occasions. It's a paved, multi-use path through a greenbelt along the banks of the creek ("creek" is the English translation of arroyo). On Memorial Day, my daughter and I stopped there on a spur-of-the-moment hike, because as we were driving across the trail at Arroyo Rd., I saw literally hundreds of goats. Apparently, the city of Livermore contracts with a goat herder to have the herd brought for weed control and fire prevention ahead of the Livermore Rodeo (a historic rodeo held every year on the second weekend in June). We went back today to look for the goats again, but they were already gone. Nonetheless, we very much enjoyed our walk along the creek as we listened to birds singing and watched butterflies flitting among the blossoms of California buckeye.
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