<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content"><channel><title>EveryTrail Feed</title><description/><link>http://www.everytrail.com</link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 12:21:51 -0200</lastBuildDate><pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 12:21:51 -0200</pubDate><image><url>http://www.everytrail.com/images/everytrail-logo.png</url><title>EveryTrail</title><link>http://www.everytrail.com</link><description>GPS travel community, geotagging, geotagged photos, Google Maps, GPS tracks, waypoints, coordinates</description><width>144</width><height>41</height></image><item><title><![CDATA[Yo]]></title><description><![CDATA[<br>]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1899719</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1899719</link><pubDate>Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:59:56 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hiking the San Jose Turkey Trot]]></title><description><![CDATA[While 22,000 people ran the race ... I hiked it.  :)  <br>]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1899707</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1899707</link><pubDate>Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:43:40 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Calero in Fall]]></title><description><![CDATA[Just a quick hike on a warm fall day. <br><img src="http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7112/8157183673_15239b59d4_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7258/8157220162_722de1b79a_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1866394</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1866394</link><pubDate>Mon, 5 Nov 2012 03:25:46 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sizer Version 4]]></title><description><![CDATA[I visit Mt. Sizer every year.  The best time to go is in the late Spring, when the wildflowers are at their peak.  But this year I didn't make it.  However, this late Fall weekend I had nothing planned on the calendar, and the weather forecast was fantastic ... 70s to low 80s and clear.  OK, sounds like a good time to sneak in a Sizer run.  Laurent and Karl quickly joined in the fun.On the long drive from Morgan Hill up to HQ it was fun to watch the rising sun illuminate the valley.  We met at Coe HQ at 8, and were on the trail by 8:30.  It was windy and a little warm already when we started out.  All of us had been to Sizer before, so we knew what to expect.  Both Karl and Laurent have been there more than I.  For readers who haven't been there, you should know ... this is one of the hardest day hikes you can do in the Bay Area, and takes you a very long way from any help.  Take this seriously ... make sure someone knows where you're going.   Take all the water you can ... I went through 4 liters on a relatively cool day, and still weighed 4 pounds less when I got home than I had when I started (all from water loss).  The vertical change alone - over 4000 feet - puts this hike in Epic category.  It's nearly the same in miles and elevation change as a Rim-To-Rim hike in the Grand Canyon.Since I'd been there before and didn't expect any surprises I just took a small point-and-shoot camera, and took relatively few photos.  Even on a dry fall day the views are incredible; I wish I had brought my better camera.Oh yes, times.  The 'done thing' is to see how long it takes you to climb the Shortcut ... from the creek crossing at the bottom to the ridiculously tall bench at the top.  This year my time was 71 minutes ... right in line with the 65 and 75 I've logged before, and much better than the 105 I did when I was very out of shape.  I also measured the creek-to-HQ time ... from the Poverty Flat creek crossing back to my car.  This year it was 2 hours and 30 min ... the same as last year.  The three highlights of the hike were:1.  Seeing snow in the Sierra.  I commented to the others, &quot;I wish it was a little bit clearer, so we could see snow in the Sierra&quot;.  Then we all looked a bit closer and we all said, &quot;oh, there it is!&quot;  It was easy to see but not easy to photograph.  2.  A really cool King Snake lying in the trail, pretending to be dead.  We really couldn't quite tell if he was alive or dead ... until Laurent got just a little too close when taking a photo.  Alive.  (And fast...)3.  Surviving the trip!As an annual benchmark, I feel pretty good about this hike.  It's a killer, but I can still do it at 52 so I'm happy.  Can't wait to go back in the Spring to see the flowers! <br><img src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8048/8132202268_62d57716e6_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8052/8132204712_62a45b0da6_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8056/8132186877_65320d8632_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8191/8132193481_4b0dbab5d9_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1851829</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1851829</link><pubDate>Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:39:32 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sizer Version 3]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have been to Mount Sizer twice before.  The first visit changed my life; I performed so poorly on the hike that it frightened me into changing my life dramatically.  I dropped 40 pounds, and started hiking a LOT to exercise. (See EveryTrail trip 233107).The second visit - a year later - was a test.  Would I perform better on this (long, challenging) hike?  The good news was that I did.  I was still the slowest member of our group, but I was happy about my progress.  (See EveryTrail trip 582071).So now, it has to be an annual event.  Am I improving or just getting old? So when Rich organized a visit to Sizer, I had to go.  I was a little worried about it, though.  A cold had knocked me out a while back, and I'd gone almost a month without any serious hiking.  The &quot;Shortcut&quot; to Sizer is one of the steepest hike in the Bay Area.  (Don't believe me?  See the list here: http://sammydee.net/blog/steep-hikes)  The &quot;done thing&quot; is to keep track of your time from the creek at the bottom to the Ridiculously Tall Bench at the top.  The first year it took me 105 minutes.  Last year just 65!   This year ... 75.  Hmm.  The hike down Blue Ridge has some great views, but is pretty uneventful.  The most striking photo-ops of the trip are along the Jackass Trail, where the skeletons of thousands of trees destroyed in the 2007 fire remain.  Finally we had to ascend back up to park headquarters - a 1500 foot climb at the end of a long hike.  The climb along Poverty Flats Road was a killer for me.  I lagged badly behind and felt very bad about my progress.  Despite my attempts to monitor my heartrate, I had to stop numerous times to rest.  Still, we eventually made it.  SO ... was this test a Pass or a Fail?  I actually felt good about my time going up the Shortcut, so I was quite surprised to discover that I was slower this year than last year.  On the other hand, I was quite depressed while climbing up Poverty Flats, and had convinced myself that I was failing badly.  But comparing times for the total trip from last year to this year, we finished the trip in an hour and 15 minutes less time than a year before.  By comparing timestamps on my photos from last year and this year it seems that last year it took us 2 hours 32 minutes to get from the Poverty Flats creek crossing back to HQ, while this year it took just 2 hours and 1 minute.  So ... I don't know.  Apparently I was a little slower on the Shortcut but a little faster on the Poverty Flat climb.  Mixed results ... I guess I'll have to do it again next year! <br><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5607272388_cb37771889_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5607273498_2a47ee6555_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5606689903_7259e8b60c_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5607275630_4bde8876d6_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1036651</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1036651</link><pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 17:35:43 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bay Area Ridge Trail: Don Castro]]></title><description><![CDATA[Joel wanted to go see a new section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail south of Don Castro Regional Park .. just dedicated last August.  So new that the maps on the Ridge Trail website haven't been updated to include it yet!  http://ridgetrail.org/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;view=article&amp;amp;id=106:independent-school-to-five-canyons&amp;amp;catid=43:east-bay&amp;amp;Itemid=124So ... a plan was hatched.  Joel, Joe, Raj and I met at Don Castro and headed out.  The trip starts out in a developed local park, then heads up the hill.  It's a bit hard to follow, but the signage is pretty good along the way.  After a little bit we were up in typical East Bay hills ... green, grassy, cows, etc.  But this turned out to be a much more varied and interesting hike than that.  As the photos show, we there were beautiful ridgelines, interesting creek crossings, and everything between.Most interesting to me was the Five Canyons Trail, which was the last area we hiked in.  The flowers and plants there were simply amazing!  There were Trillium everywhere - beautiful purple flowers.  More amazing were the Equisetum ... a prehistoric plant which I had never seen before.  See the photos ... it looks like a cross between asparagus, a hairbrush and an alien.  Sort of.  :)While not  a life-changing event, this hike was far more interesting than I had expected - making it a win!  Go see!   <br><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5521259115_9593e0f789_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5521849394_922e6a42d4_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5521260009_041cc7f52a_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5521850410_fc88ea7211_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1000242</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1000242</link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:10:46 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hiker's Hut and Tarwater Creek]]></title><description><![CDATA[Anne has organized several group hikes to the Sierra Club's &quot;Hiker's Hut&quot; at Sam McDonald County Park.  This year Elaine and I finally got to go!  We started Saturday morning and hiked up to the Hut.  We quickly moved in and made ourselves at home.  After some snacks and a little rest we headed out for a hike.  Our goal was to see Tarwater Creek, where naturally occurring tar oozes out of the ground and into the creek.  Sure enough, &quot;up from the ground comes a bubblin' crude&quot; ... just like Beverly Hillbillies!The woods are really beautiful.  Sunday we packed up and hiked out through the Heritage Grove, a great bunch of old growth redwoods.  A little light rain just made the forest seem more magical.Thanks again to Anne for organizing this super trip! <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5090812435_673d525875_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5090812997_95f0990194_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5091412282_5d8126d096_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5091413176_3e16b7eceb_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=853958</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=853958</link><pubDate>Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:08:25 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wood Road ... Sierra Azul and AQ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mike and Judy wanted to go for a nice hike, so I suggested Wood Road at Almaden Quicksilver.  It's relatively flat and leads directly into some of the most historic parts of the Park.When we got to the trailhead, some other hikers reported that the Wood Road trail was hot.  I had been worried about that - the temps were a bit high for October, and there isn't really any shade on the trail.  So we changed plans and headed to the other side of the road, to the &quot;Wood Trail&quot; in the Sierra Azul Openspace Preserve.  While both trails are along the same old road - used by the miners at Almaden to haul wood in for the mines - they are completely different experiences. The trail in Almaden Quicksilver County Park is dusty and mostly exposed, with little shade.  The trail in Sierra Azul is mostly shaded, and much wetter ... there are dozens of water crossings along the trail as it meanders in and out of little valleys.  So for a hot day, the Sierra Azul side is best.  In the spring it also has some of the best wildflowers you'll find anywhere in the south bay.  But this wasn't spring.  And both trails were pretty flowerless.  There were a few here and there, but gosh I can't wait until the rains begin and the cycle of life reboots.  I was curious to see what the wall of Pacific Stonecrop looked like.  In the Spring this hillside is an amazing sight to see, with beautiful deciduous leaves and crazy bright yellow and pink flowers.  In the fall the flowers are gone, and the leaves are all still there but seem shrunken.  Fun to see, but I had trouble explaining to Mike and Judy why it was exciting.  OK, guys ... here's what the same hike looked like in May.  Pretty cool, huh?After a bit we got tired and turned around.  We had parked on the AQ side, so for fun we hiked in a bit, hoping to see a tarantula or two.  No such luck.   <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5070447709_182fc64ed1_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/5071053926_fe1f900a2b_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5071054346_7f294bb1e0_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/5070449017_499c8fd892_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=845245</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=845245</link><pubDate>Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:29:32 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coe in October ... the Willson Story]]></title><description><![CDATA[A great hike with Laurent, Rebecca, Dave and Karl. I've been to Willson Camp twice before this year ...  http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=689846 and http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=590755 ... but I wanted to go again.  I'm fascinated by that water spigot at the camp, and wondered if it still had water even this late in the year.I randomly tweeted that I wanted to go, and a plan was born.  I arrived a little later than the others to the trailhead.  By the time I had finished paying the parking fee everyone had agreed on a route.  By coincidence it was the same route I had done in July.  That's ok ... it's a fun loop.  So...up we went.  And up.  And up.  It had been 3 weeks since my last good climb, and my body let me know about it. I was quite a bit slower than the others to Willson Peak.  Great views up there!  From there it was a slow descent to Willson Camp, which was just as decrepit and fun as before.  The spigot had plenty of water pressure.  I didn't use it, but it's good to know it's there.  The other &quot;managed&quot; springs near Camp were still running; their buckets full and the inflow pipes still dripping.  So there are still plenty of water options up there.  The ponds ... not so much.  Mudholes at best. We had timed our trip to return to the trailhead around sunset to maximize our chance of seeing some tarantulas.  They didn't disappoint.  I think we saw 4 or 5 ... plus a bonus one that came out from under my car just as I was about to drive away.   <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5049967838_7b4ceaf7e2_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5049969196_87b29acfeb_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5049970052_c621513e92_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5049974522_505710e1de_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=836846</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=836846</link><pubDate>Mon, 4 Oct 2010 12:56:50 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Presidio and Bridge ... the Bay Area Ridge Trail]]></title><description><![CDATA[I would love to hike the entire Bay Area Ridge Trail (ridgetrail.org).  I had some time on a rare trip to San Francisco, and decided to knock off two segments of the trail.The Ridge Trail is divided into segments.  These correspond to hikes listed in the &quot;bible&quot; of the Trail, &quot;Bay Area Ridge Trail: The Official Guide for Hikers, Mountain Bikers, and Equestrians&quot; by Jean Rusmore.  See http://www.ridgetrail.org/interactive_map/&amp;amp;Itemid=99/ for a great way to check out the trail and its segments.  This hike covers two segments ... the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge.  I started at the south side of the Presidio and followed the Ridge Trail through it to the Golden Gate.  The presidio is beautiful ... a fascinating mix of military history, forested parkland and residential neighborhoods.  I was quite happy to discover that most of the trail was in fact dirt, not pavement.  After the peaceful Presidio I then went to the tourist mecca that is the Golden Gate Bridge.  On a weekend day it was crowded, with lots of happy tourists enjoying the sights.  Crossing the bridge on foot made me think of the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where someone keeps running and running but never gets any closer to the camera.  That's what it felt like crossing the bridge ... the next tower always stayed in the distance, never seeming to get closer.  But sure enough, eventually I got to them all.  Late for a meeting, I turned back at the northern anchorage in Marin County, just a little shy of the parking lot.  I had already hiked the next Ridge Trail segment, which has beautiful views along well groomed fire roads.  Even though I was carrying the Rusmore book, and referring to it constantly, I still couldn't follow the official Ridge Trail route, either northbound or southbound.  While there are plenty of Ridge Trail signs, a few spots that need them don't have them, so I wound up on other trails.  This was especially problematic around the parade ground, where the instructions in the Rusmore book are particularly byzantine.  I never felt LOST, mind you ... but I had hoped to follow the exact route of the Ridge Trail and simply could not do so.  One or two more signs might be useful.   <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5019658802_9f4c9f5783_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4104/5019659902_8e0a3d62ba_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5019055803_092ab25e12_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5019664576_a2a7d7696d_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=822380</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=822380</link><pubDate>Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:58:47 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Yosemite!  Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls]]></title><description><![CDATA[OK, so it's been done before.  By thousands of people.  On the same day that Elaine and I did it.  :)  Too bad ... it's popular because it's very cool!  Elaine and I started our round trip to Nevada Falls a little late in the afternoon, and hurried a little bit to be sure we made it back down before dark.  (We did, no problem.)  This late in the season the falls are running, but the &quot;Mist Trail&quot; isn't misty.  The trail was dry, which personally I was happy about.  The views were still super!  Oddly the only wet spot on the trail was actually on the Muir Trail, where a seep was dripping down onto the trail.  <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/4989507128_0c8198b3f5_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4989507370_d77cd59ebe_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/4989507798_7052aba6df_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/4989508288_ee072a06fd_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=808017</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=808017</link><pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:34:03 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Boccardo!]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Boccardo Trail is adjacent to Alum Rock Park, but not part of it.  The land just North of Alum Rock is owned by the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, who put in the Boccardo Trail in 2007.  You access it from the Todd Quick Trail in Alum Rock - and you access THAT from the parking at the bottom of the canyon.  :)Boccardo is steep and exposed.  It was in the lower 80s when I was hiking - I would hate to do it on a really hot day.  When you're about halfway up there's a great tree which is a nice shady rest stop, and when you're almost to the top there is a really shady stretch - enjoy!The views from the top are great.  Unfortunately it was hazy when I went, so the photos aren't much to speak of.  But I could easily see across the Bay to the Peninsula, and all the way South to Morgan Hill, where El Toro could easily be seen.   <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4961987850_196a263ce5_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/4961988536_96b73e6b6b_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4961989038_21fbf4b578_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4961394113_fe145a178e_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=794786</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=794786</link><pubDate>Sun, 5 Sep 2010 19:09:31 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coyote Lake County Park - Geocaching Adventure]]></title><description><![CDATA[A nice geocaching hike with Elaine, hotshoe, airsax and dragonswest.  Fun time!  It was an unseasonably cool 72 degree August day.   <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4936481054_fbe83d5e31_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4936481412_7e1950abef_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4936482146_4cde5c929c_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4936482744_028b94fd79_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=781487</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=781487</link><pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:08:27 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pescadero Creek County Park Deathmarch]]></title><description><![CDATA[Deathmarch.  In local geocaching circles, it means a hike of at least 12 miles, with at least 1500 feet of vertical gain.  This hike, my friends, is a deathmarch.  But...everyone made it back in one piece, and we enjoyed the forest - so how bad can it be?  :)We drove to the trailhead on China Grade, on the north edge of Big Basin ... and then headed to Pescadero Creek County Park. A trail crossing private property through a public easement connects the two parks.  We made a wrong turn at one point and strayed from the easement ... don't make the same mistake we did!  Once in the County Park, we followed the Butano Ridge Trail along the top of, uh, Butano Ridge.  The entire route was in deep forest cover, with only a few spots with good views.  At the end of the ridge was one such spot, where we could see the ocean in the distance.  We then descended steeply to the Old Haul Road, which follows along a valley 1200+ feet below the ridgeline.  Then ... sigh ... we climbed all the way back up, to the ridge, the easement and our cars.The steep descent from the ridge was painful for some in our group, and the steep ascent back up was painful for others.  Hiking poles help take the pounding out of the downhill portion ... pacing yourself and not overdoing it help with the uphill. I did pretty well both ways, I thought, until the last quarter mile.  The last bit is really a fairly steep climb, and my heart and my legs both had decided that enough was enough.  I had to slow WAY down on the last little bit, but soon enough the cars popped into view. <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4896857264_35fd51639d_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4896262255_e61b5fcff8_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4896859362_da0ee477f7_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4896264827_a1e8f91731_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=759020</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=759020</link><pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 01:05:06 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sanborn to the Skyline?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I wanted to go for a fairly short hike with a lot of vertical ... but also with a lot of shade.  As I pondered options, I thought of this hike.  I've visited Sanborn County Park quite often, usually to do volunteer trail work there.  But on those occasions I've only seen the trails at the top of the park, near Skyline Boulevard.  I had never seen the trails at the bottom, and had certainly never hiked from the bottom to the top.  Perfect. Sanborn is just a few miles above Saratoga on Highway 9.  There's a fee to park at the bottom (which I didn't have to pay ... one benefit of doing volunteer work for the County Parks).  I parked in the main parking lot, near the walk-in campground parking, and headed up.The first part of the Sanborn Trail is paved, and goes to and through the walk-in campground.  There are 30-odd sites and several restrooms.  It looks like a nice spot for those who like such - shady relatively peaceful.  Just a little bit above the campground was a stream crossing that still had an impressive amount of water for late July.And then...up.  And up.  And up.  There were a few grassy areas with full sun, but mostly the trail is in beautiful forest.  After a while the trail passes through the Todd Creek Redwoods ... very impressive.  The climb is 1800 feet in 3 miles.  Not the steepest ... the &quot;shortcut&quot; at Mt. Sizer is about the same vertical, but in just 1.2 brutal miles ... but it was steep enough.    On paper the Sanborn Trail is rated for horses and hikers .. no bikes.  I strongly doubt that equestrians would feel safe on the trail ... in some spots it's quite narrow, and the hillside very steep.  Footing is dodgy ... I was nervous in a few spots, even just little old me.  I can't imagine how a hiker would pass an equestrian going the other way.  At the top I headed towards what the park map calls the &quot;Biddles Stairway&quot; ... a short flight of stairs leading up to a parking area on Skyline, CA 35. From here I could have easily added a little more distance to the hike by heading along the Skyline Trail north to Indian Rock, and could have crossed the road and headed into Castle Rock State Park or gone north all the way to Emigrant Gap (the junction of 35 and 9).  But instead I just watched some cars drive by, and headed back down the way I came.  No photos....forgot my camera.  Drat. <br>]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=722530</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=722530</link><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:47:46 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sword Lake]]></title><description><![CDATA[Laurent organized a super overnight backpacking trip to Sword Lake.  I've only backpacked one other time (to Henry Coe State Park's Wasno Pond), I was excited to go visit the Sierra.  The drive up to the parking lot was dusty, rocky and slow.  We were in Laurent's high clearance vehicle, which was a GOOD thing.  I suspect the Prius could make it, but it would NOT be pleasant.  The rocks are pretty impressive. Once there, we quickly headed up the trail.  The first little bit is quite steep, and the pack and altitude made my heart race.  But after summiting the steep part, it was a long gentle downhill to the lake.  Wow, what a beautiful place!  When I arrived, others had already picked out an incredible campsite, atop a ridge above the lake.  And there was a private swimming beach nearby, from which we could paddle around, cannonball into the lake, and watch the floor show ... the never ending stream of folks who jumped off the cliff on the other side of the lake.  :)  I paddled around a bit, then retreated into the shade to avoid a sunburn.  I'm glad I did ... several others were rather pink by the end of the day.We went for a hike to see the other nearby small lake (Lost Lake), then the huge Spicer Reservoir nearby.  This is incredible country.  Next morning we ate, packed, and headed out.  The hike out was harder than I expected (and harder than it should have been) ... it was a relentless climb.  Never steep, but between my pack, the elevation and some dehydration it seemed really tough at the time.  But it's short, and soon we were at the car.  On the drive out we stopped to see the most amazing waterfall.  Right where the paved road ends and the dirt road begins, it was this thunderous roaring beauty.  What an unexpected surprise!  Having never backpacked in the Sierras before, I think this hike may have set my expectations too high.  I can't think of anything negative to say about this ... perfect setting, beautiful lake, fantastic swimming ... 5 out of 5 stars in every way! <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4807829082_4d143e250b_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4807208807_b887a9afbd_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4807832562_16bcddbfc2_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4807210887_5eb2475198_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=713554</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=713554</link><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:33:46 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[McNee Ranch State Park]]></title><description><![CDATA[Joe, Joel and I went on a coastal adventure.  South Bay temps were forecast for the high 80s, but the coast was foggy and cool.  I was astonished by the variety of flowers and butterflies we saw along the hike ... fantastic by South Bay standards for July, where everything is already scorched and most flowers long gone.  The trail was steep in spots, but no big deal.  The views and flowers at the top made it well worth the trip! <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4785948880_6722fb0e1f_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4785949276_d5b20728fe_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4785316087_2b0043e705_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4785949886_6f5dd0c38d_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=701550</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=701550</link><pubDate>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:55:05 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[COE in JULY?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last weekend I did a 9 mile hike at Calero in 97 degree heat.  Not having learned my lesson from that, THIS weekend I wanted to go to Coe.&quot;Coe in July?&quot;, you say.  &quot;Are you crazy?&quot;Well ... probably.  :)Back in April I did a 2 day backpacking trip up here.  I want to do another one!  But I had questions.  In particular, I wonder if any of the springs that were available as water sources in April were still usable later in the year.  Rather than calling Park HQ and asking the rangers, I wanted to see for myself.  I also wanted to go to Tule Pond again, which in April had the most amazing flower displays I'd ever seen.  Would there be any sign of them in July?Besides...it was only supposed to get to 90.  (Wait, that's what they said last weekend too...)SO, I loaded up the backpack with 100 oz of water and 68 oz of Gatorade, and brought along my water filter, and headed off.  I figured with all that I could certainly survive.The Hunting Hollow Road is the first stage of this journey.  It follows the creek, and crosses it many, many times.  In April those crossings were wet and challenging.  In July not so much.  There was still water flowing, but at many crossings it was below ground level, deep in the gravel bed.  Some crossings had visible water, but it was easy to pass.  Then...you head up.  WAY up.  I went up Middle Steer Ridge.  VERY steep; I'm glad I wasn't going down it.  It's much steeper than Lyman Willson Ridge Trail, the only other one I've been on here.  The grass is high, stickers are everywhere.  Note to self: gaitors.I eventually made it to Willson Peak, and enjoyed the wonderful views.  There's an area of serpentine rock near the peak, which let me see the remains of what must have been an incredible flower display.  The ground was covered with dried flower petals - not much to look at now, but it must have been incredible a month or two ago.  Having seen that, I didn't really want to make the trek down to Tule Pond any longer, so I headed to Willson Camp.  Willson Camp was much as it had been in April ... funky buildings, tall grass, and several great water spots.  I didn't need any today, but it's good to know they were all still functional.  Not much to say about the return trip...it was getting hot, no flowers to see, and I was happy to be heading home.    <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4759003855_a41b6a4fa3_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4759004119_2c9e275ac0_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4759004547_f41b02f1a4_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4759640244_76a356b897_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=689846</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=689846</link><pubDate>Sun, 4 Jul 2010 01:16:12 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Calero - Cherry Cove]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had never been on the Cherry Cove Trail at Calero, so I went.  The forecast called for a high of 92 ... warm but do-able.  I got to the trailhead at 10, and headed off.  Calero is a popular park with equestrians, and somewhat less so with hikers.  The trails tend to lots of up-and-downs which can be somewhat demoralizing.  I only saw three other hikers all day.  I headed down the Pena and Javalina trails to the Cherry Cove trail, and headed to the end.  The trail goes by the Cherry Cove and Miners Cove areas of the lake, which was really nice to see.  At the end of the trail is a gate, leading to a cattle ranch next door.  The ranch was recently purchased by the Parks, so eventually perhaps this will be opened up for public use!  But not just yet, so I turned around and headed back out.So much for a high of 92 ... when I got back to the car it said the temp was 97.  No wonder I was so wiped out!  When I got home I weighed 5 pounds less than when I had left ... I drank about 90 ounces of water and Gatorade, but it still wasn't enough.  The late season flowers were nice.  You have to look for them a bit, but they're still there and still very pretty.  I saw a couple that I've never seen before.   <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4740262337_d54a02d209_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4740262929_a95c0728f5_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4740263551_9627bb643e_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4740264295_e07c026324_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=682072</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=682072</link><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:51:43 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rocky Mountain NP: Lakes, lakes, lakes!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I still remember my first trip to Bear Lake ... 42 years ago.  It made a big impression on a kid from Kansas.  I was really happy to make a return visit!When planning this trip, I didn't know how much time we would have, and how we would react to hiking at this elevation.  So my Plan A objective was to make it up to Dream and Emerald Lakes. I am sure we hiked around Bear Lake back then, and I believe we hiked up to Emerald Lake as well.  So repeating that hike from when I was 8 was my Plan A for this visit.  We parked at the &quot;Park &amp;amp; Ride&quot; lot and took a free bus up to the Bear Lake trailhead.  From there we headed up to Nymph Lake and Dream Lake.  There wasn't any snow at Bear Lake, but by the time we got up to Dream Lake snow cover was everywhere.  It was a beautiful clear day; the views were amazing. At Dream Lake we realized we had plenty of time and energy, so we wanted to do a longer hike.  We decided that Plan B would be to make a loop, going to Lake Haiyaha and Alberta Falls, then back to Bear Lake.  Unfortunately about 100 feet past Dream Lake the trail to Lake Haiyaha disappeared into a huge snowdrift, so we turned around.  Time for Plan C.  We hiked back down to the Bear Lake trailhead, planning to go around Bear Lake then down to Bierstadt Lake ... and from there back to the car.  I chatted with a super volunteer at the trailhead about options.  She noted that we made the right choice on aborting the trip to Lake Haiyaha (&quot;we can't find that trail yet&quot;), and agreed that we could make it to Bierstadt.  She recommended that we take the trail to the &quot;Bierstadt Lake Trailhead&quot;, then make it down to the Park &amp;amp; Ride either by hiking via Sprague Lake or by taking the bus.  So we hiked around Bear Lake in a veritable sea of humanity.  Every family in the park was walking around Bear Lake.  It was like being at the mall!  The lake's beautiful.  When we got to the trail to Bierstadt we eagerly headed up ... leaving all but a 3 or 4 others behind.  The first bit of the hike is a bit steep.  The altitude makes it seem worse than it is.  But it's not too bad, and we easily made it to the ridge.  Heading down the other side to Bierstadt Lake the trail turned soupy, as snowmelt was following the trail in places.  We decided NOT to follow the volunteer's recommendation, and instead took the hiking only trail from the Lake directly down to the Park &amp;amp; Ride.  This was probably a mistake.  The trail was in pretty poor shape ... steep, covered with slippery rocks, deeply entrenched in spots.  Not all that interesting.  But we made it down to the parking lot, having had an amazing day in an incredible park. <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4720330102_e71e803ed9_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4720330458_10fdce9154_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4719680839_9b5ba302c0_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4719681319_ba12488eb9_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=673148</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=673148</link><pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:27:21 -0500</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
	