Moments in Dirt and Ink

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Click for map. I had been hoping the clouds would burn off before I crossed over to Los Trancos to hike a bit of it. I wanted to do the San Andreas Fault Trail, which is an interpretive trail about that largest of faults in California. It is one with traditional numbers and the handouts to go with them are tucked in beside the maps. They are well stocked and I expect they can be found online if there's been a run on the physical ones. Information signs and the interpretive trail brochure, but don't start here. The brochure says to actually start off to the left of the main trail. It climbs up onto a hill with a bench and the first couple numbers so that you can look out over the fault including the emergency water storage that has been built directly on it. It is no coincidence that this happened. The fault creates narrow, deep holes that looked attractive for water storage by engineers who didn't know how they formed. I have...

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Click for map. The morning is a little foggy and mostly overcast, bringing a whole new light to the area just across the highway (CA-35) from Skyline Ridge . The sun keeps peeking out, showing it is clearing quickly, but then another thick batch of cloud wells up from the unseen source on the other side of the ridge. Mostly, the clouds are winning. I have selected a short loop along Stevens Creek. The Bay to Ridge Trail that I bumped into yesterday crosses through here for its final climb and happens to follow one side of this loop. There are larger loops possible, including one that passes the only backpacking camp in the MROSD. (A permit is required to camp here plus a fee of $2 per night per person.) The gates on the lot open at sunrise, but there is a little parking outside legal after 6AM if one wants to start a half hour before sunrise when the preserve is open. There are no dogs allowed and bikes and horses are limited to certain trails,...

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Click for map. I was trying to wander my way along the ridge line, but I failed to notice where I needed to turn to go over the big freeway from Summit Road to CA-35 and was unceremoniously dumped onto CA-17, but I found this nice park because of it. Like the East Bay Regional Park system, the Midpeninsula Regional Parks have plenty of signs that include a map with more paper maps in a box to take with you. If they do happen to be out, it's online too. They also have gates on the parking that get locked. Generally it is half an hour after sunset to sunrise, but this one opens a half hour before sunrise. There's almost no one here, although it says the lot can fill quickly on the weekend and there is no nearby overflow space. It might be because dogs are not allowed, so there are no dog walkers keeping it busy in the early morning. The map shows a pair of trails that join again on their way to Madrone Knoll, one passing a spot marked ...