In Memory of Sunny

No amount of time would have been enough……

Mavericks 2013

2013-01-20 We haven’t been to Mavericks since 2010.

This year we knew we would run into trouble. So we parked at Moss Beach and decided to hike in.

Pillar Point Bluff trail map

There was so much police presence that we missed the turn for the trail. What a shame too, for the big waves were in the morning with the high tide.

Last time we came there were 50 foot waves that crushed some bystanders. Literally bone crushing waves.

I know the law was trying to protect us, but this is not the Mavericks of 2010.

So with being turned away at every point by the law to view this event live, we decided to grab a bite to eat.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Company
390 Capistrano Rd Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 728-2739

Their New England Claim Chowder is out of this world!

The law thought it would save us by (get this) letting us purchase tickets to go into this fenced off area. To do what?

That would be to watch Mavericks from the big screen. Really?

I wandered around a bit taking pictures of the flowers, but that is not why I came.

Dude, go out there and tell me what is going on.

Human they won’t even let us go out there. See how bad it is people!

All the action is going on right passed that breaker, that we USE to be able to watch Mavericks from, LIVE and in person.

The police is at every turn, but there are more of us than there are of them.

YES, we made it to the Bluffs!

We could all hang out for a little bit until the law would ride by telling us to “move on”.

Hello, it’s a calm sea. There is no way the waves are going to get us up here. Idiots.

Now I wouldn’t get too close to the edge mind you, but this is a hiking area. People come here all the time and they seem to live.

Again we missed the big morning waves, due to missing the trail head.

But we still had fun walking around, and had the best chowder ever.

Now if you have time hop onto HWY 92

Spanish Town

and you can’t miss it.

These dinosaurs are really cool to check out.

This is something both kids and adults will like.

And just a little bit further up the street is

Sun Studios
12001 San Mateo Rd Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 712-7731

This is where all the great metal sculptures come from.

I love all this artists metal work.

It’s a wonderful garden shop to poke around in.

But the metal work is outstanding!

Home again home again, jiggity jog.

Round Valley Regional Preserve

2012-11-24 Sunny, highs in the low 70’s

Today we hiked on the Miwok Trail

This east of the bay can get really hot during the summer, so if you are going to enjoy the hike go during the cooler months.

I just love living here

We were suppose to do a loop hike, but we missed the trail

I’m kind of glad we did

However it turned it into a much longer hike than we planned

Here is where we should have taken a left if we had been paying attention

So thanks to our bad eye sight you can enjoy all of these photos instead

It was suppose to be a 4 mile loop

Coyote

Instead it was 3 1/2 miles in

and 3 1/2 miles out

But what a day for it

Saw lots of abandoned farm equipment along the trail

When people ask me why I live in California, well it certainly isn’t the taxes that keep me here

It’s parks like these

19450 Marsh Creek Rd
Brentwood, CA 94513
(888) 327-2757

No dogs allowed

Dish Hill

2012-10-06 Today we started our hike in a park, Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, but that is not where we will end up.

We parked in the parking lot, and walked across the road to the Clyma trail.

We are hiking up to the dishes I see every morning as I drive my daughter to school.

Those would be them from the back side of the mountain

That is the mountain straight ahead as I see it every day on my drive.

I love the parks, but this time of year we are in HIGH fire danger. A spark could make this a very bad day.

At a certain point the road will fork. Stay to the left which is still Clyma trail.

If you look back from where you came you can see the parking lot.

Mount Diablo

As you climb you will begin to see Mount Diablo

Dish Hill

Now it looks like this road will take you to Dish Hill, but it won’t. By the way, I named Dish Hill since when I got there no one else had ever been there on facebook. I have no idea what it’s official name could be.

It’s here (looking back mind you) where there is a sign saying “No trespassing. Restricted area” that you know you are in the right place.

The fire road will take a sharp right turn. Keep following the road. Trust me, you don’t want to break the law. The road will take you into dark woods.

Looking back again, you will have hiked in from the right. Where the fire trail almost turns back on itself there is a cow path, take it. Notice how there is no sign saying keep out. We are in the clear people, lol.

Now at this point the cow trail, WHICH IS NOT MARKED, splits in two. GO BACK NOW if you are not a woodsman. If you know how to survive in the wild stay to your left.

I don’t want to be responsible for idiot people getting lost in the desert

Now when you are on top of the mountain you do get wonderful reception. However hike down a little and you will have NO reception.

You need to KNOW what you are doing, because AGAIN these are only cow trails. No one is here to save you.

You have got to love restricted areas for the views. The Bay.

The Dishes

The Dishes

Have no idea what those are for.

Dish Hill with Mount Diablo in the background

Altamont Pass Wind Farm

Altamont Pass Wind Farm

I think it’s absolutely beautiful up here, with a wonderful panoramic view

Getting up and enjoying the views wouldn’t be the problem. It would be getting back down and getting on the right cow path to get you back to the parks Clyma trail.

I just don’t want anyone getting lost up here. It’s not forgiving.

Leaving you go back down on this private fire road, but……..

at one point you will have to go through about 30 feet of grass to catch this one small cow trail

Then at this tricky junction if you don’t take the right path….well I don’t know where you will end up. There are many cow paths. If you are not a woodsman don’t do this. There are rattlesnakes and wild boar.

but oh what a view from up there. How I love life’s path

Tech Trek

We decided to do something fun last weekend, since we live around the Bay area, and we wanted to include out daughter. So we took her on a tour of her technology she uses everyday.

ebay headquarters San Jose, CA

First stop ebay. Ebay 2211 North First Street San Jose, CA 95131 Just grab your kids and go. They will love you.

HP Cupertino Campus, CA

Next stop HP Cupertino Campus, CA. Now as a special treat I will bring you inside before it’s demolished. HP Cupertino Campus 19055 Pruneridge Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014

HP quad

Each building has it’s own inside quad for the employees. All these buildings will be destroyed to build the new Apple Mothership.

A lounge. It’s a shame. Most of this stuff is new.

A cafe

Apple headquarters 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, 95014

Oh the places you’ll go

Need a chip? Intel 2200 Mission College Boulevard Santa Clara, CA

Yahoooooooo Yahoo! Inc. 701 First Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Google Maps

Now where are we? Google maps

Google Headquarters Mountain View, CA

Google Headquarters 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043 I think everyone one of us use this every day.

The campus is huge. Poke around.

Facebook is a must stop. 1601 Willow Road Menlo Park, CA

And let’s not forget Oracle 500 Oracle Parkway Redwood Shores, CA 94065

This city of glass is very impressive

There is so much to do in the Bay area. Get out there and enjoy!

Sycamore Grove Park – The Wagon Road Trail

This first picture is from a hike we did in the end of May 2012. It is the view you will have when entering the park from the Sycamore Grove Park.

We have only done summer hikes here so far. Bring water.

Parks Residence

We started on the winery loop trail, and keep to your right when selecting a trail. The trails here are not as well marked as in other parks we have hiked. On the Winery Loop trail you will pass by the parks residence.

Wagon Road Trail

You will get to a hill, take this trail to the right. It is Wagon Road Trail. It is a loop, and it will bring you right back to this same spot but to the left. Immediately behind you is Walnut trail.

Make sure you turn around as you are going up to see the view.

We have hiked in a lot of places with high tension wires, but none that were actually buzzing before. Very odd sound, and worrisome too.

If you keep to the right the trail will turn into Cattail pond Trail. The end of this trail loops around and will bring you back to Wagon Road trail to continue the loop.

Cattail Pond

There is a small dock/platform on the pond.

While standing on the dock, if you look to your right you will see a tree. There is a bench up there to enjoy the view. Skinny cow trail goes from trail up the side of hill to tree. Be warned if you are wearing shorts the trail is full of foxtail.

Then to get back we just followed Wagon Road Trail until it looped back to Winery Loop.

We must come back in the spring and check out the flowers.

Walnut Trail

Then when Wagon Road trail comes to Winery Loop we went straight on Walnut trail to cut across the flat, and take a left on Winery Loop, so to get a different view on the way back.

There are rattlesnakes. It’s wise to keep all dogs on leash. Also the foxtail causes problems with pets too.

Max Starship

Here is my other trail dog. Hope everyone is having fun with life!

Sunol – Cave Rocks

2011-11-13 Sunny, highs in the 60’s.

Here we are on the Indian Joe Trail again

If you all remember we tried to do this a year ago…..but someone (the man) got separated, then took the wrong trail.

Yeah, needless to say I have both my eyes on the male this time.

This place never disappoints when I come.

I had made it all the way up to the Cave Rocks before.

But since we were separated I doubled timed it down hill to find him.

Which means I didn’t get to check this place out last time.

This place was crawling with people. Lots of kids crawling around and under, and adults scaling the rock face.

Which means even if you didn’t bring climbing gear there is still lots to be able to do and poke around here. You can even climb on top without ropes.

To go back we retraced our steps briefly on Indian Joe trail, then took a right onto a path that takes you to Hayfield Rd. Trail is marked.

How I love this park.

No matter where I am in the park I almost always see people horseback riding. If you have dogs make sure you can keep them under control for everyone’s safety.

And cows too.

It’s so cool to watch them checking us out too. Have not found a trail here yet that I have not liked.

Priest Rock

2012-02-23 Sunny, highs in the 70’s

There is no parking lot where the trail begins. You can either find very limited parking on the side of the road, or hoof it from a somewhat near by parking lot. Hey you are hiking anyway, just be careful walking on the road.

It’s pretty scary how quickly the water disappears when there is no rain in the winter.

The first part of the hike is covered as you climb.

If you do this in the summer remember to bring your sunscreen, for the shade will soon be gone.

The only thing I really have to complain about were the large steel electrical poles.

It marred the view going up.

Eventually you do get away from it.

And once you do get away from it there won’t be any shade to be had.

These things are mammoth, with razor blades attached to the bottom so that people don’t try and climb them.

Now if we had gone straight here we would have gotten to Priest Rock. However we went during the week, so we have to take a left to do a loop and get back to town to pick up our child from school. Damn responsibilities, lol.

The back side of the mountain is very dark and shaded. Bring some layered clothes if hiking in the winter, an bug repellant.

Such a drastic change between sides of the mountain.

You can see Lexington Quarry from here. It’s huge.

Unfortunately when we went it was during a very long drought, so not many flowers. This was an ok hike. If you live around here do it, but if you are visiting don’t waste your time.

We went up on Priest Rock Trail, and came back on Limekiln Trail, which is off of Alma Bridge Road in Los Gatos.

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

Unless you live in these mountains prepare yourself for a bit of travel time. Only a few roads go up from the valley, and they are all narrow and very twisty turny roads. Meaning there is no easy way to get here. Beginning of trail near RTE 35.

2012-01-29 Sunny, highs in the 60’s

This is a mixed hike of sun and shade.

We are following the Sunny Jim Trail to get to Alpine Pond, and look at what we found. A basketball court. You can ride your horse here, tie them up, and have a game. LOL, only in California people.

Alpine Pond

We only hiked about 3 miles or so, and to get to the pond is only about 1 mile.

After we walked around the pond we headed back to the road and took the IPIWA trail to do the loop back to the parking lot. There ARE rattlesnakes on this part of the trail. They aren’t a problem as long as you and your pets leave them alone, and give them a wide berth.

The views of the mountains as always are amazing.

This is a moderate hike. Even though you start off at the top of the mountain there are still hills to climb.

I love being in these mountains near the end of the day. The light is truly magical.

Welcome to heaven people.

Again my pictures do very little to explain how grand this place is. You really must come here to experience all the sights, smells and feelings of this place. The way the mountain absorbs the sun and radiates it back towards you must be felt. No picture can help you with that. Come and enjoy.

Driving home along RTE 35 has it’s advantages also. Looking towards the West towards the ocean.

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

We stopped at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve to get these photos. No hiking required, lol.

You can get anything you want.....

And a little further down the road, you can get anything you want…….

To top it all off we found the BEST ice cream in all the world! AMAZING! Try the honey lavender, you won’t be disappointed.

435 Emerson St
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 327-1317
http://www.caffeclassicofoods.com

GPS to Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
Latitude 37°18’55.54″N
Longitude 122°11’18.95″W