At the Ridge

California poppies appearing on rocks!

Last weekend, we wanted to do as much as we could to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, even if it was completely weird for the season, and even if it means these gorgeous green hills will turn a sad brown in a couple months, and even if it means we will be rationing water again this summer, more than likely.

 

My favorite local place to hike is Pleasanton Ridge.  Long live the East Bay!  I like Don Edwards/Coyote Hills too, but for a strenuous (for me at least) hike, I like P-town.  You can keep your Mission Peak nonsense, with its weird curfews and angry rich neighborhood residents (look, rich folk--sorry you didn't buy in a gated community.  But for now, even though City of Fremont would love to kowtow to your needs and make the park accessible to only you...  For now, the park is EAST BAY, YO!  I OWN IT, along with my fellow residents, because we pay taxes, FOOL!).  Sorry.  I could go on in my rant against rich people limiting access to public lands!

 



This is one of the trails off the main fire road--that is darn steep, but beautiful.

Pleasanton Ridge is typical East Bay hills, with cows everywhere, and oaks, too.  After the rains in December, we were treated to many, many NEWTS trying to cross the road (and I almost stepped on several--wait, I wonder how many I didn't realize I stepped on??).  When it was very dry in November and we went for a night hike, I kept on feeling like I was being watched, turning around, and seeing little frogs everywhere!  Owls, hawks, ground squirrels, and more can be seen.  Don't you love wildlife?

This is a tiny tiny flower, but pretty, no?  That grass is thin grass; flower is about half an inch wide.

Our walk on this particularly sunny day was refreshing with a spring breeze, and easier than usual because of my new, now-broken-in hiking boots.  However, going up the "shortcut" offshoot from the main fire road was steep, and for part of it I sort of wished I had brought my walking stick.  We went past the "saddle" or main gate, and did the long loop since we had time.  Five miles total.  Since there are a few offshoots from the main trail, even on a crowded day some peace and quiet can be found.

And, all that hiking means I can have a beer afterward!  Woohoo!

Another tiny wildflower.  Isn't Mother Nature awesome?