It rained quite a bit last night, so I headed out at the tail end of the showers to check out the creek levels. Only 8 feet at the Pope/Chaucer bridge, far below the flood levels of 24 feet that we saw 3 years ago. The sun came out at the end, so it turned into a very nice day for a walk.
New Years Day was a bust as far as riding was concerned, but today was forecast to be a break in the rain, so I wanted to get out.
The “traditional” start to the New Year is Mt Hamilton, and some of my friends were planning on doing that. I wasn’t in the mood, plus I woke up late and knew that I wouldn’t make it to the meeting spot in San Jose.
So I decided to head north. The initial plan was San Bruno Mountain, which would count as a climb of some kind. However, as I rode north I changed my mind and continued into San Francisco.
I did a bike ride that looped around the South Bay, via the Dumbarton Bridge. It ended up being a late start, but it turned out to be a very nice day. It was clear enough to see to San Francisco, and beyond.
Some pictures of my trip back from Canada, where it had been cold and snowy
I went to Canada to visit my brother and his family for the Christmas break. They live near Edmonton and the forecast was snow and cold. And the forecast delivered exactly that.
I had an enjoyable time, albeit with most of it spent indoors, where it was warm and cozy. I enjoyed some tasty turkey for our Christmas dinner and then spending time playing games (Exploding Kittens!!!), solving puzzles and hanging out. A very relaxing and merry Christmas.
I enjoy listening to jazz, especially on KCSM radio. They are one of the only 24 hour a day stations in the country and have an extensive collection and a crew of knowledgeable hosts.
So I was delighted to hear about their open house and quickly signed up. It was a fine event, with food and drinks and a live jazz band. I got to peek into the studios where the hosts chose and play the music. It’s a great operation and one that I happily support.
It was another foggy day down low, but exceedingly pleasant up on Skyline. I decided to take advantage of the warm weather up there, and did another long hike. I’m enjoying exploring trails I haven’t done before, although in an area that I’m very familiar with, at least as far as the roads around the trails are concerned. With some rain predicted in the next day or two, I enjoyed being able to get some warm and sun before then.
Continue reading Monday Hike: Monte Bello/Skyline/Russian Ridge
The ride for Saturday was set to journey out to Zayante. We started at Lexington Dam, where it was still a bit chilly. However, the temperature starting rising as we climbed up to Summit Road. It was really quite nice up on the ridge, and that continued even down to the Laurel Glen climb. We stopped in Scotts Valley for the usual lunch, and then over to Felton to start our journey up Zayante. I decided to go for the “KOM” points, and took off when the steep section started. I back tracked to the rest of the group and got some extra miles and climbing. All in all, it was an excellent day for a ride.
I did a shortish hike this morning, and it was pleasant, as the fog had dissipated, but still cool on the trail. The trail was reasonably close to my house, so it made for an easy day out, as compared to the epic hike I did on Monday. Some folks with the holiday spirit had even put ornaments on a couple of trees along the trail. I also found a fun swing to play on.
It was foggy down low this morning, so I decided to head up to Skyline, where it was likely to be sunny and warmer.
The starting point was the Hickory Oaks trailhead at the southern edge of Long Ridge Preserve. The trail was sparsely wooded so I warmed up quickly and was able to take off my outer layers and enjoy the sun.
I crossed Skyline at Grizzly Flat. I saw no grizzlies. The trail had much more shade, and I had to carefully pick my way along some slippery rocks to cross Stevens Creek, twice actually. I didn’t get wet, so yay me.
I took the trail to Table Mountain, which was flattish like a table at the top. However, it did not any good views. I did see a red-tailed hawk circling around, so that was cool.
The trail back to my van was narrow and well shaded, so I had to mind the poison oak. I think I did okay with that. When I finished, I saw that the hike was longer than I had expected, but I felt pretty good and it was a very enjoyable and fun day out.
