Yesterday was the first day of March, and it was a great day to visit a favorite place: Picchetti Ranch Open Space in Cupertino!
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Last Saturday was a particularly mild January day, so I went out to a park that I've long wanted to visit: Ohlone Regional Park. Part of the appeal of this park is that it is so remote. Here is a blurb from the EBRPD website:
You have to hike or ride horseback to see this magnificent 9,737-acre parkland, accessible only by way of the Ohlone Wilderness Trail. Its centerpiece is 3,817-foot Rose Peak, just 32 feet lower than Mount Diablo. Surrounding Rose Peak are grassy ridges, profusely flowered in season. The abundance of wildlife includes golden eagles, mountain lions, and tule elk. Murrietta Falls, the tallest waterfall in the Bay Area can be found at this park, but the hike to get there is a real butt-kicker, and the waterfall is only seasonal--there is no guarantee that you will actually see it once you've gone all the way out there. On my hike on Saturday, I only went about halfway to Murrietta falls, to the scenic Williams Gulch. It was such a pleasure! Today I took a vacation day from work to take advantage of something that doesn't happen all that often: snow in the East Bay! I had planned originally to go back to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, like I did last January; however, when I was driving my daughter to her school I could see that the summit of Mount Diablo was covered with snow. I love Mount Diablo, but until today I had never visited it with snow. It was wonderful!
Not this weekend, but last, I went on a really interesting 6.5-mile loop (with 1,200 ft of elevation gain!) through Las Trampas Regional Park in San Ramon. This hike offered stunning views of the entire Bay Area, wind caves, and a "box canyon" called Devil's Hole. I was surprised to see that golden poppies and sky lupine were still blooming late into October. I am glad to have done it while the skies were still clear. We are experiencing a historic wind event that is spreading wildfire in Santa Rosa and bringing smoke down to the Bay Area.
I don't know why exactly, but I was expecting this park to be lame. I guessed from looking on the map at how close it is to both interstates 580 and 680 that it was going to be nothing but exposed ridgetop hikes with deafening traffic noise. While there was some hiking along the exposed Calaveras Ridge, the hike I took descended into a canyon and I could neither hear nor see the busy freeways nearby. It was unexpectedly tranquil!
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in San Ramon is a sprawling wilderness area. Today, I only dipped my toe into the park in this very easy introductory hike of only 1.5 miles and minimal elevation gain. I was by myself today, but this would be a great hike to do with my little one in the toddler backpack carrier.
The last time I went to Uvas Canyon County Park was in the spring when the waterfalls were at their peak. In late summer, there is less water in the falls, but it is still really lovely and it is way less crowded. Although this hike is very short in terms of distance, there is plenty of elevation change, so it feels harder that it should--especially if you are carrying a toddler in a carrying pack! Nonetheless, this was a great hike for bringing our daughter, and we saw lots of other families too with little ones. Definitely a great place to bring children of all ages.
Lake Chabot Regional Park is part of the complex of parks that forms a greenbelt from the Berkeley hills to Castro Valley. It's on the southern end of this greenbelt, near San Leandro and Castro Valley, and it abuts Anthony Chabot Regional Park. The park has a marina (where you can either rent a boat or sign up for a one-hour excursion on the tour boat, the Chabot Queen) and a Cafe/Grill. I had heard good things about the grill, but they were closed today. The park is also a midway point for a paved trail along the shore of the lake that goes about half way around. This is perfect for anyone who is bringing their young kids for a walk in the stroller!
I hiked the northernmost part of this segment of Crystal Springs with two other mothers who have very young children. Because the trail is paved, it is perfect for people who use strollers. We didn't make as far as I would have liked, but we had a lot of fun nonetheless.
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