Two dayhikes, a week apart, took me through four parks and preserves at the intersection of California Highway 9 and Skyline Boulevard. The next weekend I returned for a dramatic sunset.
Trails at Skyline and Nine
August 2019
Tag: Locale: Santa Clara
The Thatching Ants
July 2019
I didn’t expect this newly-opened preserve, an easy drive from San Jose, to have up to 40,000 hikers.
The Camera, the Pack, and the River
February 2019
After weeks of rain, I took a through a city park that was decidedly un-urban. I brought a GoPro camera, with mixed results.
Big Sky in the South Bay
December 2018
An easy walk to a radio telescope made for a pleasant evening in Palo Alto. The most impressive sight turned out to be all around.
A NaNoWriMo Half-way Party Under Smoky Skies
November 2018
NaNoWriMo 2018 coincided with some of the worst fires in California’s history. But writing enthusiasts congregated at a home in the hills. Views at sunset didn’t require a hike.
A Sacred Site and a Cold War Relic
October 2018
On a warm October morning, I made the scenic — and surprisingly mild — hike up Mt. Umunhum. This sacred mountain is also the home of an enormous Cold War-era radar tower visible from San Jose and beyond.
Grass, Water, and Diablo Dust
September 2018
East of the valley, I found Grant Ranch as a dusty, grassy county park whose pond fared better than its roses.
An Unexpected Trickle
September 2018
During a dry spell I went looking for vanished waterfalls, and found a babbling brook instead.
Strolling the Dry Marshes of Silicon Valley
August 2018
Civilized marshlands make for an easy walk in Sunnyvale. Wild country, this was not.
Fences Divide Civilization and Wilderness
August 2018
The southern end of the Bay Area Ridge Trail is a decent park that balances civilization with wilderness. But I couldn’t help thinking that its white fallow deer weren’t the only ones fenced off.