Blake Gardens

Yesterday we stayed in our own neighborhood and explored Blake Gardens. The Blake Estate was the home of Anson and Edwin Blake - streets in our neighborhood are named after them. Edwin's house is now the Carmelite Monastery. Anson's property became the home for the U.C. President. It has seismic issues and needs renovation so it's currently empty. The Blakes deeded the gardens to U.C. as a teaching laboratory. The gardens are open from 8:00 am to 4:30 on weekdays. I suspect that part of the abbreviated hours are due to U.C. Presidents actually living in the house until just over 10 years ago.

There are garden "rooms" and paths everywhere. Benches are placed to maximize the views and you often find people reading or drawing. It's well-worth exploring!

Blake Gardens web site here.


Complete photo set here.

Point Pinole: Cook's Point Trail

After several days of 90 degree weather where I barely left the house (yeah, I'm a heat wimp) we were able to get out for a real hike today. Pt. Pinole is one of our favorite parks - not too far away, right on the SF Bay, and most of it allows dogs off leash. We usually head along the Bay Trail and then branch off from there. Today we headed to the east side of the park, a place we'd never explored. The park is mostly level with what seems like endless trails. Most of it is multi-use and we usually encounter people on bikes and often horses. Almost any trail you pick ends at the water and today we spent some time enjoying the view from Cook's Point. This park is built on the site of an old gunpowder and dynamite company and there are remnants of the buildings scattered through the park. This trail leads you to the black powder press where there's an interesting description of the old manufacturing, including statements that workers left "because we never knew when it was going to blow up." With all of our exploring we ended up hiking about 3.5 miles today!

Park information is here.

Complete photo set is here.

Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve

Yesterday we took a hike in the Sobrante Ridge, starting at the Heavenly Trail. I've been in this park 3 times now and will post later about my other visits. It's a hidden gem, tucked away in suburbia. My sister-in-law lives just 4 or 5 blocks from the Heavenly trail entrance and one of my best friends can stand in her front yard and see the Morningside entrance. You go from the flats up to the ridge, so there are substantial uphill grades at the beginning - it's worth it! On this hike, we went to the Manzanita Loop to check out the endangered Alameda manzanitas. You'd never know you were about a block from civilization until you go around the bend and look down to see a guy washing his car (which he should NOT have been doing in the drought) just below you. After the loop, we hiked up to the ridge where the Manzanita and Ridge trails intersect. There are picnic tables in a few choice spots in the park, mostly where there are great views. This time we only hiked about a mile and a half but the hills gave me a workout.

Park map here.

Complete photo set here.

Briones - Old Briones Road Trail

On Mother's Day I forced my family to go hiking with me. This was my first visit to Briones and I'll be back! We had a map but no real plan, just wanted to go explore. We headed out on the Old Briones Road trail for about a mile before we headed back. This was an easy hike through the grasslands with lots of hawks. This is a really popular park, judging by the number of cars in the parking lots, and there were lots of families out hiking but it didn't feel crowded.

Park map here.

Complete image set here.

East Bay Skyline National Ridge Trail - Huckleberry

In early July we hiked part of the East Bay Skyline Ridge Trail at Huckleberry Botanic Preserve. The Skyline Trail is 32 miles long and goes from Wildcat to Chabot, through 5 regional parks. There are people who do the trail in one day - hats off to them! Most people do it in 5 to 6 mile chunks. Completing all 32 miles might be one of my long-term goals. We did about 2 miles, up and back, in the section that intersects Huckleberry, starting at the Upper Pinehurst trailhead. The trail is beautiful and the views are incredible! There's a lot of hiking down into the valley and back up to the ridge so this wasn't an easy hike for me, but I did fine! Although dogs aren't allowed in Huckleberry, they are allowed on the Skyline trail that goes through the park.

Here's a description of the Skyline trail.

Complete photo set on Imgur.

Huckleberry Botanic Preserve

I hiked in Huckleberry in mid-May on an adult Girl Scout hike (thanks Libro!) and it was spectacular! This hike was definitely at the upper edge of my current ability but it was well worth it. We hiked about 2.5 miles down into the canyon and along the stream, up and down the hills. There's a guide to the diverse and sometimes rare plant life - well worth doing. The trail is lovely and there are amazing views of the surrounding hills. This was a push for me because of the up and down and up and down. I was also with a group of women who are in way better shape than I am and our pace was on the fast side for me. But I kept up and had a great time, even if I was wiped when we finished. I definitely want to do this hike again soon! Note: because it's a preserve there are no dogs. Sorry, Isis!

Map is here.

Complete photo set is here. 

Lake Temescal

We hiked Temescal in April. Since I had started my Trails Challenge in Tilden, one of the original regional parks, I decided to end it at Temescal, another original. This lovely lake is tucked away in the Oakland hills, surrounded by the 13/24 freeway intersection. The approximately mile-long hike around the lake is level and easy with lots of families enjoying the park. We took the Oak Bay trail around the western edge where a very short part is steep, ending in stairs.

Park map is here.

Complete photo set on Imgur.

Tilden Park: Wildcat Gorge Trail

Today we hiked a part of the Gorge Trail in Tilden, around 2 miles round trip. I've been on this trail several times, each time going farther, but had never made it all the way to Lake Anza. Today I did! We started at the Lone Oak picnic area - lots of parking and a bathroom. The trail winds up the hill along the creek and ends at Lake Anza, a favorite swimming area for kids. It was gradually up hill all the way, with a steep and slippery part at the very end. It's a beautiful trail and I'm glad I can make it all the way to the top now!

Here's a map of the entire trail.
Complete photo set on Imgur

Lake Anza

Point Isabel

Yesterday we took the dog to Pt. Isabel - our fallback dog walking spot. We walk here several times a week and are always thankful we have this beautiful off-leash park next to SF Bay. Some days, like yesterday, we have lots to do and only walk one side of the park - just over a mile. Sometimes we cross the bridge to the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park and do the second loop. There are benches and picnic tables, though I don't think I'd want to picnic among all those hungry dogs, and a fabulous view of the bay.

When we first got the dog,  I was taking a break halfway through the first loop. Now I can do both loops, 2 miles plus, without thinking about it. Yay!

Click for a trail map.

brown is the new green

Ye Olde School Trail

This trail in Kensington is literally 30 seconds from where I work. It's popular with dog-walkers and bikers and kids walking to and from school. It's a gradual elevation change (except for the dip in the middle) with lovely views of Wildcat Canyon. The round trip is just over a mile. Lots of street parking at the Kenyon/Grizzly Peak intersection. If you start at the other end, please don't park in the school lot or walk your dog through school while kids are there.

 Here's a map.

Note: the first time I did this trail I had to stop a couple of times. Not anymore! 

squirrels! + poison oak = usually on leash

Wildcat Canyon

Motivation

After a "come to Jesus" meeting with my doctor about my blood pressure, where she really wanted to double my meds, I promised to start walking. Even though I only did it sporadically, and not very far, 3 months later she decided to leave things as they were. I promised to keep walking.

Then I remembered that we live 5 minutes from Tilden Park and my daughter started hiking with me - slowly, with lots of breaks. With her encouragement (and a lot of trepidation), I signed up for the East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge. It took me all year, but I finished! Lots of mile and mile and a half hikes, but I manged to hike 26.2 miles. Yay! Three years later, I'm on half my blood pressure meds, continuing to trend in the right direction. I did the Trails Challenge in 3 months with lots of 2 and 3 mile hikes.

My New Year's present to myself of a FitBit and access to 10 years of Trails Challenge guide books have made me just a little bit obsessed. In a good way. Here's my attempt to keep track of my hikes.