Winter, 2012 activities of the SCMTA

Henry Coe State Park— This will be the easier-than-usual Coe hike. We take the Fish Trail, climb Middle Ridge, then down to Frog Lake for lunch, returning on the Flat Frog Trail: perhaps leaving time for a visit to El Toro brew pub. Distance is only 8 miles. Meet at park HQ at 9:30 or at Rengstorff and Middlefield at 8:00 or Cottle and 85 at 8:30. Call Martin Donald (650) 966-1984.

Trail Maintenance - Skyline to the Sea Trail— Al Lisin, (408) 252-8106, leads a group that maintains the Skyline to the Sea Trail. This group now meets on the first Saturday of the month. The group meets at 9:00 AM. Please call Al for meeting place (which changes).

Hike the Stanford Campus— Meet across from the Red Barn on Quarry Road by the Stanford Shopping Center at 9:30, parking lot is close to the Cactus Garden. Hike ten miles seeing some of the sites on the campus including the Dish Trail. Lunch is available at Tresidder Union, we can also make a quick optional trip to the Cantor Museum Nancy Davidson 650 575-5889. walkernan1 at gmail.com

Big Basin Trail Maintenance— Meet Jeff Bleam at park headquarters at 9:00 AM for some hands-on trail work. This group meets the second Saturday of each month. Call (831) 338-0774.

Fremont Older Open Space Preserve and Stevens Creek Co. Park— Begin winter with a 10-mile, 1,900- foot gain hike from the lowest point to the highest along most of the trails in the Preserve, followed by a loop through neighboring Stevens Creek County Park. Ranjana Sharma 408-252-0393 will guide you through a variety of plant communities, from the canyons to the hilltops, including panoramic views from San Francisco to south San Jose. Please carpool (9:15) from Argonaut shopping center (Sunnyvale-Saratoga Rd./Pierce Rd.) near CitiBank since parking at the preserve is limited.

Castle Rock State Park Trail Maintenance— The third Saturday of every month Martin Donald leads trail work in the Castle Rock area. Meet at Saratoga Gap parking lot at 9:00 AM. Call Martin at (650) 966-1984. Bring boots and gloves, lunch and liquid. Tools are supplied but bring your own favorites if you prefer.

Big Basin Redwoods State park— Hike to Berry creek falls from HQ, route will be decided at the start of the hike. Car-pool from the parking lot behind "La Fondue" in Saratoga at 8.45am or meet at HQ 9:30 to start. Heavy/stormy rain cancel. Vivian Jung (408) 238-3388.

Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP— Meet at 9.30 am, Whittemore Gulch entrance on Skyline Blvd for the 10 mile loop hike along the creek, Craig Britton, Harkins Ridge and Whittemore Gulch trails. Heavy rain cancels the hike. Carpool at 9:00 from Page Mill / 280 Park and Ride. Leader Esther Ludena cell  650 508 8372.

Trail Maintenance - Skyline to the Sea Trail— Call Al Lisin at (408) 252-8106 for more information.

Baylands and Stevens Creek Trail—This will be a true flatlander's hike, the highest elevation being the pedestrian bridge over Central Expressway and the Caltrain tracks. Meet behind the Tied House pub in Mountain View at 9:15 for a car shuttle to Byxbee Park by the old Palo Alto dump. We will hike Palo Alto Baylands, Mountain View Shoreline Park and the Stevens Creek Trail. The distance is about 10 miles and the leader is Martin Donald (650) 966-1984. Rain will cancel. *After the hike we will plan next quarter's hikes over lunch at the Tied House, so please bring your calendar for April/May/June and your ideas for hikes you would like to lead.

Big Basin Trail Maintenance— Join Jeff Bleam again for some more enjoyable trail maintenance at Big Basin. See January 14 entry for details.

Hidden Villa - Rancho San Antonio— 9:30 ----12 miles, 1400ft. moderately strenuous hike out and back. We will take the Ewing Hill Trail in Hidden Villa up to Black Mountain Trail and continue on the Chamise Trail to the Rancho San Antonio farm, where we will stop for lunch. We will then retrace our route back, but instead of Ewing Hill, we will return via the Hostel Trail. No-host carpool from Page Mill/280 at 9:10 or meet at Hidden Villa parking ($5 fee) at 9:30 HEAVY RAIN CANCELS. Leader Mike Abeles (408) 257-3783.

Castle Rock State Park Trail Maintenance— Meet at Saratoga Gap parking lot at 9:00 AM. Call Martin Donald at (650) 966-1984. See January 21 entry.

Skyline Loop / 4 Preserves— Meet (no host, 9:00) at Page Mill/I280 or behind La Fondue at Saratoga for car-pooling to the hike start from the Russian Ridge OSP parking lot (Page Mill/Skyline Blvd). We visit Borel Hill (2572') then cross Skyline Blvd to Coal Creek Preserve taking Meadow Trail and (abandoned) Alpine Road and crossing Page Mill Road to White Oak and Skid Road trails to Skyline Ridge OSP and back to the cars. Rich Rowland (650) 965-0938 rich_alice107 at sbcglobal.net

Hidden San Francisco— A moderate 6-8 mile stairway walk including an unspoiled canyon, quaint neighborhoods, steep steets and plenty of stairs. Carpool from Page Mill at 8:51 or meet in SF at the corner of Diamond Heights Blvd. and Gold Mine Drive at 9:30. Park on the street next to Safeway or in next block. Heavy rain cancels. Contact Steve Braley (408) 981-9753.

Trail Maintenance - Skyline to the Sea Trail— Call Al Lisin (408) 252-8106 for more information.

Butano Redwoods State Park— This moderate loop of about 11 miles is mostly through the redwoods on Jackson Flats, Canyon, and Indian trails. It is a bit early, but we may see some trillium or Calypso orchids if we are lucky. We may stop afterwards for Artichoke Garlic Bread in Pescadero. Meet at Page Mill and 280 at 8:15 to carpool, or at the entrance kiosk at 9:30. Leader is Mary Ellen Quinn (408) 885-0184. Heavy rain cancels.

Big Basin Trail Maintenance— Meet Jeff Bleam (831) 338-0774 at park headquarters at 9:00 AM. See January 14 entry.

Uvas Canyon— A moderate10 mile hike. Meet at the main parking lot at the park at 9:30 or carpool from the Park and Ride at Highway 85 and Cottle Road at 8:40. Heavy rain cancels. Call Mark Bowden at (408) 735-8736.

Castle Rock State Park Trail Maintenance— Meet at Saratoga Gap parking lot at 9:00. Call Martin Donald at (650) 966-1984. See January 21 entry.

Mission Peak— A strenuous loop hike that ascends Mission Peak. It is approximately 7 miles in length with an elevation gain of 2200 feet. Lunch at the top. Meet at 9:00 at Middlefield and Rengstorff, or at the Stanford Ave trailhead at 9:30. *Directions from San Jose. From Interstate 680 in the Warm Springs District of Alameda County, exit Mission Boulevard (exit 12). Drive northeast on Mission Boulevard to Stanford Avenue, and turn right. Drive about 0.5 mile to the trailhead at the end of the street. Howard Morris (408) 378-1638.

Pleasanton Ridge Regional park— Climb 1200' past giant oak, bay and sycamore groves to the ridge, viewing Livermore Valley and Altamont Pass to the east, Diablo and Sunol Parks to north and south, and a hidden canyon to the west. Continue north on the ridge and loop back for 10 miles total. Meet at 9:30 at the parking lot west of Fwy 680: Go 1/2 mi. W. from Castlewood Dr. exit, then 1/2 mi. S. on Foothill Rd or meet for carpooling at Rengstorff & Middlefield at 8:45. Led by Martin Donald, (650) 966-1984.