Happy Valentines day

Valentines day, celebrated with another hike. We have managed to do what I call the "grand slam" of Bay area hikes.. of the 4 tallest peaks (Umunhum, Hamilton, Tamalpais and Diablo). 

We started at the State Park entrance parking lot (don't forget to take 10$ cash for the parking!)  and hiked up 2500 feet, 8 miles round trip over 3.5 hours. There was plenty of photo stops and a good 15 minutes spent at the summit tower. We got beautiful views of the area. Given the hour drive each way, the entire day has gone for this hike. 

There was a quick packed lunch in picnic tables right at the parking lot before driving back. 

Those were the Valentines photos.. She got a good hike with her hubby in tow.. I got some amazing photos.. win win situation!

This is a 300 degree Pano shot from the center of the summit tower.. 

Got a few panorama shots today that were pleasing 

One of my favorite photos from the day

Today was perfect. It was cold but not very windy. The sun was behind clouds and we were walking in a mist for the most part. It was not a strenous hike given we took 4 or 5 breaks of 5 minutes each after every steep section to take pictures. 

The rest of the pictures are in this slide show..

Could not have asked for a better way to spend the day!

Once again, wishing everyone a happy Valentines day! 

Three additional miles

The most recent hike was to Saratoga gap trail and on to the long ridge loop trail. 

The plan, as explained to me by my darling wife, much along the lines of a squadron leader explaining the simple plan to attack the death star and return.. was to go through the gap trail and then to a point along the long ridge trail and return. Total miles approximately 7 and total elevation 1400 feet. 

I played along like a true rebel soldier and went along.. then the plan changed to doing the loop on the long ridge trail through a creekside walk and for a good 2 hours I kept hearing we were only 3 miles from the parking lot. 

At one point all I wanted was to see the car. We left before sunrise to start the hike and given my 60 day challenge and my inability to hydrate while being asleep, the extra three miles became quite a challenge. 

To top things off, had to come home and do a yoga class, which actually went better than my expectations. 

The gap and long ridge trail are actually beautiful and there is a turtle rock point with amazing views. However, there is a however.. there is a long stretch of the trail with no tree cover and if you are walking under the sun after having walked 8 miles, it can get to you. So if you are like me, take a water bottle on this one, wear a proper cap and pace yourself. 

This is one hike I feel would be better for late afternoon so that the return is in the shade!

Here are the pictures..

Usually I dont do stuff like this.. but with some encouragement I decided to do a small jump off that rock..

The trails alternate between shade and sun throughout..

The rolling hills have a view that is great in the earlier part of the day

by the time we were coming back on the loop through the creek, the sun was reflecting off the water trickles. this part of the trail is vibrant!

the trickles all add up to a lake.. there is a Zen budhist center inside the park. We walked along the lake and took pictures..

That was my last smile for another hour or so when I realized that there was still 3 miles to go.. 

In any case, all is well that ends well and after two days of enough hydration and yoga, I was back to my normal self.  My gums have also recovered resonably well now. 

Have also come to the realization that if I walk every day for 30 minutes at least, these weekend hikes are more bearable. If I skip walking because of the rainy weather for a few days, these things become ordeals. 

Practice makes perfect.. 

Here's to more hikes!

Forest of Nisene Marks State park

Went to another state park, this time in Aptos. The Forest of Nisene Marks, is beautiful. This is our first time visiting this state park in Aptos.

The trails were not too steep and we covered a lot of distance fast. The path got a little too slippery and muddy at one point and we decided to turn back. We were very very close to a falls view point but safety first and that was that..

The tall trees in this park everywhere are the first things I noticed. Nothing matches the majestic redwoods towering over us!

We will definitely be making multiple visits to this one to cover the range of trails we missed! 

Here are the pictures.. 

and we also got a great photo of the two of us as a bonus..

Outside the park was bright and sunny, but the entire hike felt cold because not much sunlight filtered in. Given the cold we didn't sweat much either and it made the hike pleasant. Perfect conditions inside the park for hiking!

There was water trickling through the park but not enough to make falls.. should be amazing to revisit when there is a lot more water going through the creeks.

Loved it!