EveryTrail Feed

The Barbary Coast Trail®

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:58:02 -0500

With an extra hour of sunlight today I decided to walk along the Barbary Coast trail, a historic walk through downtown San Francisco, starting by Union Square and ending at Fisherman's Wharf.

I walked through Chinatown, up to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, and then along Embarcadero up to Aquatic Park before getting a delicious breadbowl of crab chowder.

Coit Tower and Golden Gate Bridge

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:57:16 -0500

The weather was supposed to be great today and I was going to see the Banff Mountain Film festival at the Palace of the fine arts so I decided to shift my schedule around a bit and work late the night before and wake up early so that I could have a few extra hours free while the sun was still out.

I met David at caltrain and we road down embarcadero to Coit tower. We walked up the stairs and saw the parrots, then continued to Crissy Field. We locked up our bikes and walked up to the Golden Gate bridge to the first tower before heading back to the Palace of Fine Arts.

The ride back was a bit tough because we had to go up some of the steeper hills in San Francisco, but it was good exercise.

Canada Del Oro - Bald Peaks

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:26:25 -0500

Rebecca, Laurent and I had a super hike at the Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve ... openspaceauthority.org and Calero County park ... parkhere.org. We hiked the Mayfair, Longwall Canyon, Bald Peaks and Serpentine Loop trails.

Flowers were out in force ... including the first Indian Paintbrush I've seen this season.

The air was quite clear, and we got some fantastic shots of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge and even what I claim is a tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Really!

Toro County Park: Ollason Peak Loop

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:41:49 -0500

Toro County Park (near Salinas) seems like an interesting place. It feels to me much like a less-popular Alum Rock; there are playgrounds and "fitness trails" near the parking areas, which are all clustered near the park entrance, but beyond that there are about twenty miles of apparently rarely-used hiking trails that head uphill quickly.

Heading into last Saturday, I knew I was going to have a chance to hike but had no idea where to head. Friday evening I went through my list of hikes I've half-planned to do someday, and picked this one out: A loop hike up to Ollason Peak, apparently eight-ish miles long with an optional extension to Simas Peak beyond that would add roughly four-miles on an out-and-back spur. I knew very little about the park aside from its location (close to Highway 101 -- the reason it was on my half-planned hikes list was because it's an easy drop-off if the rest of the family is headed to Monterey), but the weather report looked beautiful, so I was on my way.

The hike itself was a pleasant, quiet stroll through scrub-oak and along former ranchland that then got a bit steep as it approached the peaks. I saw a grand total of four people on the entire trip -- two joggers that passed me, and two other people along a distant ridge as I descended along Toyon Ridge. The park was closed to bikes due to the recent rains; I wonder if it's normally a mountain bikers' haven and this was an unusual day.

I ended up skipping the spur to Simas Peak due to a combination of factors (lingering chest-cold, needing to get home for evening plans, etc), so I'll definitely have to get back at some point. I also left a lot of geocaches unfound -- there are over a hundred caches within the park boundaries, and I only bothered to locate and sign one register, at the top of Ollason Peak. For both those reasons, I'll likely head back in the fall or next spring.

Stickle and Caw 'figure of eight'

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:40:16 -0500

A trip to the south west of the Cumbrian Lakes to climb two minor peaks.

Despite their size, they are deserving of praise as the walking through undulating countryside and rough crags is of top quality.

Full pictures and report @
http://www.loweswatercam.co.uk/100313_Stickle_and_Caw.htm

Bald Peaks Trail - Rancho Canadalero

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:26:32 -0500

A great hike wildflowers hike with Rebecca and Sam to celebrate the first day of DST 2010.

We hiked along a nice loop: Mayfair Ranch Trail starting from the staging area in Canada del Oro, up and down the ridge, Longwall Canyon Trail up the hill and continued along Bald Peaks Trail all the way down to our starting point.

It was a gorgeous day. The air was so clear that we had good views of San Francisco and beyond. The wildflowers were aplenty. Shooting stars, baby-blue-eyes, indian warriors, paintbrushes, larkspurs, johnny-jump-up, checkerblooms, etc...

We had such an enjoyable time that we didn't really notice all the climbing (about 2000 feet over less than 9 miles). I don't remember anyone needed a break to catch their breath, or even any of us talking about steepness. I call this hike the first hike of Spring.

Dumbarton Bridge 2nd Ride Logged

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:59:01 -0500

Well we wanted to make it Bridge Week and go over another bridge. Since we only logged Dumbarton Bridge once before, we decided to try it again. This time going OVER the Hwy 84 Toll Booth overpass just to see where it took us. Well we discoverd another gorgous place to ride. Much to our surprise the dirt trails where smooth and easy to ride.

We took our time and made lots of short breaks and stopped to talk to a few folks. Thanks for the tip guys. This ride would be a wonderful family outing for just about anyone.

Have a great day folks.
TTFN
Love ya all.

Peak District: Kinder Scout

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:45:28 -0500

Rila-Elesnica-Rizvanica

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:15:41 -0500

Kaena Point Nature Trail

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:06:31 -0500

The family and I went on another hike today, this time on the leeward side of the island at Kaena Point. Kaʻena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oʻahu. On the south side, at Kaʻena State Park, a paved road passes a beach before terminating into an unpaved road. It continues for a few miles, after which the road is washed out, and further travel must be on foot. It is not possible to travel around the point in a vehicle as the route is better described as a "path" in most places, and is lined on one side with a cliff and on the other with basalt rocks which are quite capable of damaging vehicles. The path is completely washed out in one place on the South side of the point and a rope helps hikers traverse the gap.On the way driving there traffic was stopped multiple times due to the filming of the television show LOST. But once we were past the area where they were filming, it was easy going. There's plenty of parking once you get there and plenty of beaches to visit along the way. Like always, we took our time and took many pictures and enjoyed sight seeing with our binoculars. We saw many whales and neat blow holes along the way. At the end of the trail (the point) we saw the almost extinct Nene birds (the hawaiian state bird) and even a sleeping Monk Seal. SO AWESOME!

Vraona - Hamolia

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:06:25 -0500

Ξεκινήσαμε με τον Βαγγέλη από τις αλυκές της Βραώνας κατά τις 10.30 με σκοπό να πάμε προς Χαμολιά και να εξερευνήσουμε τα εκεί παράλια. Ο άνεμος ήταν ΒΔ 2BF με λίγο κύμα. Περάσαμε το ακρωτήριο προς Πόρτο Ράφτη και κρυφτήκαμε γιά λίγο από τον αέρα που δυνάμωνε σε ένα υπήνεμο λιμανακι. Ηταν 12.00 και έπρεπε να είμαστε στις 13.30 πίσω. Έτσι δεν συνεχίσαμε μέχρι το Πόρτο Ράφτη. Θα το κάνουμε όμως την ερχόμενη εβδομάδα.

Hopalong Cassidy Trail

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:43:27 -0500

Opened in 2006 as a connector trail to the Art Smith and Bump and Grind trails, the Hopalong Cassidy trail (named for famed American movie and television cowboy icon of the same name), is one of my favorite 1/2 day hikes of the Lower Santa Rosa complex. It features a lot of variety, beginning with the short meadow trek to the trailhead that we began at 12:31 p.m.. To get there, drive south on Highway 74 from Palm Desert. The parking area (1,039 ft.) is located on the right hand side about 1/4 mile after you pass Bighorn Country Club. After parking, follow the signs to the Art Smith trailhead (yes - you are starting up Artty Smit).

After reaching the trailhead, you will soon see what I mean by variety. The trail begins with a pretty standard ascent for these low desert treks. You get an increasingly nice view of Dead Indian Creek (I know) to the south as you meander up. We hit this at the perfect time of the season, just at the tip beginning (or, perhaps, a week or two early actually) of the blooming season. There were a great deal of flowers out, but lots of blooms almost ready to give way. This is the time to hit this trail folks. Anyway, once up this first climb, you will begin to see a lot of reddish and often rounded rocks. Boulders really. Some "stacked" in mounds quite high and just amazing to see geologically. Upon getting to this top (1,327 feet), you will come to the beginning of the Hopalong Cassidy Trail, parting to the right and visibly continuing north; while the Art Smith continues trucking west toward the wonders of the Indian Canyons. The trail has officially begun and you are afforded your first glimpse of the city of Palm Desert to your north-northeast.
You will also come upon your first sight of the one part of this trail that will later become a damned annoyance of trail design, but I digress: a golf course. This one more a view and never an encumbrance (like it's offensive brother to the north, but I digress) is the The Canyons at Bighorn Course, an 18-hole course that you play on when you are too old, tired or lazy to hike in NATURE, so fine - it was pretty to look at, but is a rapist to our environment, and it was green. It will continue to be the dominant immediate feature for the next couple miles, so you gotta deal with it. I think that, getting to a higher elevation here? Would be preferred for the nature enthusiast. I donno, maybe I just hate golf somehow? Hmmm.

The trail now works it's way north, looking and behaving much like sister trails in the North and South Lykken's. The view continues to be the golf course, but it is a new surrounding from the red rocks that promised the Art Smith assent-ion earlier. Good elevation flirts up and down and really a nice plateau from the ascent. You will get to a highpoint for this section at 1,435 ft. and set your view of the later rise you will have to switchback out of Cat Creek ahead. A large mass shoots up ahead of you at 1,549 feet, but it's not that it's just over 100 feet above you that makes you scratch your head ... it's the GAIN. Looks like you will be chuggin' some switchbacks in a bit. You work your way down into Cat Canyon, then you get lost.

Hard to see the trail from a distance...

Seriously, you may just get lost in terms of where to go next. Oh you can turn back, or simply walk out the canyon to nearby civilization ... but finding the path ahead was difficult. Even from a distance, it looked quite blurred against the rocks of the hill ahead (see above) and yeah - when you are in the canyon looking up? We spent 10 minutes looking at it from different angels (seriously) until we found it. Even then it was, at times, difficult to follow (as you can see below). No doubt due to recent rain water, but I still feel that some agency other than the B.L.M. (who represent the only signs posted with the exception of the end-most trailheads) should make an effort here. That agency would probably be the city of Palm Desert. Come on.

... Hard to see up-close!

You're gonna work for it up this thing. You will be getting above and over 100 feet beyond the height you just witnessed this leg from, but you are doing it over a much shorter distance. So switchbacks and incline here. Upon reaching the top? More views. Eisenhower peak is clearly visible to the east. The trek through this area is a real treat with stunning flora and beautiful blooms (huge barrel cacti), not to mention a good variety of rock as well. Now, getting down from this section? Not so simple. I recorded as much as a 32% down-slope through there, and personally I think that's fun.

Once down, you will be afforded your first view of another golf course, this time the Mountains at Bighorn. Pretty from a distance, but we get way the hell too close for comfort in my personal opinion. I mean, it was interesting if golf course water run-off and irrigation application is interesting to you. Otherwise? You want to go hiking in NATURE. OK. /rant.

Out you go, from the hills behind you, to a walk between new development (on your right), and this behemoth golf course (on your left). There's a gate that was unlocked when we went by, affording one access to the course... You continue around this until you reach where you cross a cart entrance along the S.E. border of the course. There, you see a sign welcoming you to the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument and indicating that, the monument, is just through that privatly owned, locked, iron gate. I bet the Peninsular Bighorn Sheep digg it.

Now you wind your way up to the cross over Palm Desert. I don't know who owns it, maintains it, pays it's electric bills. There were only leaflets about the energy system governing it's usage. Many have hiked to it via other routes. I wonder if they know of it's origins. We found a geocache near it's base and saw new views for the first time to the north. We could now see to the Palm Desert Mall. Heading practically north (for the duration of the hike), we passed a number of unmarked trail junctions, first with Homestead Trail trail, then a poorly marked juncture with the Gabby Hayes Trail and then a trail labeled by the City of Palm Desert as the Connector trail. It's practically all downhill from the cross to the terminus of the Hopalong Cassidy. There are lovely "desert meadows" in the stretch from the Connector to the junction with the Herb Jeffries and we noted a few joggers in here, now just at dusk. Lovely cool down in both serenity and blue-green color at this hour. I recommend hiking this toward dusk quite highly for the effect (also practically, the sun sets behind the range above you early so you can avoid too much intense sunlight).

You will come to the Herb Jeffries Trail here. Toward the west and up, it works toward the Mirage (a.k.a. "Bump-n-Grind" trail). Toward the east, it empties toward the wash below, just as the trails you encountered since departing the cross. This trail junction represents the mother of confusion due to 1. no signage whatsoever, 2. a couple goat trails confusing the juncture, and 3. did I mention no signs? This area is frequented by out-of-town visitors (a.k.a. "Snow-birds") so one would think that this would be the perfect spot in the entire northern half of Palm Desert trail complexes ... for a sign. But nope. Look to your north, down the cliff. See the trail beneath you, working west? You want that. So as you approach the junction from the south, turn right, ignore the goat trail to your immediate right, and you will see that while good 'ol Herb keeps east, you can now switchback west and toward home. Down you go on a gradual 10% slope downward (a 151 ft. drop over 0.3 mi.), until you are behind Target® and back where - oh yeah, did I mention? ... you had better brought a second car.

Great trail, great day, a must hike despite my meandering over the hindrance (and in some ways, existence) of, the gold courses. Do it in the spring. Be glad you did.

Solly's to Steveston

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:00:51 -0500

Escampobar

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:40:54 -0500

14 mars 2010 12:17:06

Telecharger avec EasyTrails v3.30

Escampobar en famille, par un beau dimanche d'hiver

Aubel

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:32:44 -0500

Buddhanilkanta to Shivapuri and return to Gokarna Mahdev

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:11:08 -0500

Agreed to meet Richard and Billi at the Shivapuri park entrance gate above Buddhanilkanta around 7AM. Bhimsen and Rajman joined me in the car from Patan to the gate, Richard and Billi arrived in proper form on mountain bikes from Lazimpat. After tea we bought our tickets and started on the jeep road. My clueless expectation was that the first bit on the road would be runnable but everything after a steep climb on a small trail. How wrong can one be. We climbed through the nunnery Nage Gomba (great valley views) and the first bit after that is indeed quite steep, but after not too long the climb levels off, turns into a well maintained trail through beautiful forest and is often runnable. Flowering Rhodondendrons, the source of the Bagmati, a hermitage and finally the Summit and some great mountain views on the way. All of that in less than 1:30 hours from the gate. On the way down we stopped for tea at the hermitage (two saddhus in residence) and then rolled down the mountain back to Nage Gomba - with so much of the trail being not very steep, very level and soft forest floor rather than rocks, the downhill was easy.

At Nage Gomba the Nepalis joined me in the decision to not return to the gate but try the South running spur which at the end splits into a Westward (Kopan Monastery) and an Eastward ridge (to Gokarna Mahadev). That again turned out to be a great trail, with us ending up in Gokarna, an hour after Nage Gomba. Good company, great trails, hope for many follow ups!

Trilho dos Carris

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:48:17 -0500

Trilho dos Currais

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:43:23 -0500

dunoon to colintraive return

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:22:45 -0500

Walk around Jusai Pond

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:35:07 -0500