Community Corner
Weekly Walker: May Hikes Focus on Wildflower Viewing
San Carlos hiking enthusiast Tom Davids invites you to join him on his weekly walks. Here are two upcoming local hikes.
Greetings Hikers:
When I selected these hikes last December, I figured we would find an abundance of wild flowers in May. Well, as you know, we had a dry spring so the flowers are all but gone but the trails are in great shape and ready to entertain us.
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May 8 (Wednesday) is our Pathfinder Hike at Edgewood County Park. Edgewood is well known for large exposed formations of serpentine rock, home to magnificent spring wild flower displays. We will miss much of the flower display but enjoy areas of cool oak woodland, open grass land and the 800 ft summit with broad views in all directions.
This hike is about 5 miles and will take 3 hours. It is rated moderate. There is a restroom at the trail head. Dogs are not permitted. We will hike from the the main parking lot on Edgewood Rd. across from Crestview Dr. No fee for this hike.
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We will carpool from the Adult Community Center, leaving at 9am and returning by 1pm.
May 11 (Saturday) our Challenge Hike roams through the Russian Ridge OSP. This 3,138 acre Preserve has been identified as one of the best places in the Bay Area to see wildflowers. It is also an outstanding habitat for wildlife. Raptors soar overhead while coyotes, fox,and bob cats search through the tall grass for their next meal of gophers, field mice, snakes and other rodents. Views are great in all directions, especially west to the Pacific Oceam.
This hike is 9.5 miles and is rated strenuous for distance. The hiking time is about 5 hours. The ups and downs are moderate but much of the hike is quite level. There is a pit toilet at the trail head but no water. If you are driving direct, you will find Russian Ridge at the intersection of Skyline Blvd.and Alpine Rd. Please be at the parking lot by 8:45am. There is a $5 Park and Rec fee for this hike. Dogs are not permitted.
For this hike we will carpool from the SamTrans garage (500 block) of Laurel, leaving at 8am and returning by 3pm.
Please email me if you plan to join either of these hikes or if you have any questions
Bonus Challange Hike...Skyline to the Sea Trail... This is a call for anyone interested in hiking the best long walk in the Bay Area. The 27 mile Skyline to the Sea Trail runs through Big Basin State Park starting at Skyline Blvd. and ending at Waddell Beach or vice-versa. I am looking at July 20 or 27; or August 3 or 24. The hike is 27 miles and takes about 12 hours. We will start hiking at 6am which gives us plenty of time to finish before dark. I have found that the best process is for a group of four or more to start at Skyline (hiking mostly down) and an equal size group to start at Waddell beach (hiking mostly up). We would meet at mid-point on the trail, swap car keys and join at Mountian House for dinner.
Let me know if your interested and I will be in touch.
Tom Davids
650-703-4827
More Weekly Walker columns:
Introducing the Weekly Walker: Hit the Trail With Tom Davids
Weekly Walker: Doesn't Salamander Flat Sound Like a Magical Place?
Weekly Walker Hike # 1 Leads to Soda Gulch Trail
Weekly Walker: Are You Ready for a 'Challenge' Hike?
