Stevens Creek Reservoir

Date: 02/26/06
Park: Stevens Creek Reservoir, Cupertino, CA
Condition: Warm and Sunny with Haze
Start time: About 12PM
Length: About 6.1 Miles
Hikers: Noelle, Maria, Sarah, JC
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/stevenscreek.html
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1234681/1/57827851
Views: The reservoir was pretty as usual, I forgot to bring the description print out. We have been there a few times so we did not get lost. I thought we made the wrong but in fact we didn't. Thank God. We saw quite a lot of new plants growing after the pouring rains. The place is so full of life. We went up to the vista point and the bay area is the view. It was a little bit hazy though. I was kinda sick that day so walking and resting on the way up. I was walking soooooooooooo sssssssllllllllooooooooowwwwwwwlllllllyyyyyy. Anyway it is nice to breathe cleaner air. There are a few kayaks on the water which makes the pictures more interesting around the green trees, green water and the green hills. There were a few blue Jays and other birds. We also saw 2 rangers with a radar gun to catch speeding bikers.

Mission Peak

Date: 02/20/06
Park: Mission Peak, Fremont, CA
Condition: Windy and Sunny
Start time: About 12:45 PM
Length: About 4 hours
Hikers: JC
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/missionpeak.html
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1225321/1/57381141
Views: I was planning to see snow covered Mt Diablo and Mt Hamalton, neither was snow covered. San Francisco is not visible either, too hazy. But the view is still awesome. A lot of noisy cows and calves calling, running and eating. Very green hills. A few eagles/hawks. A perichute jumper. An insect that looks like bees without wings. Wild flowers are not abundant yet. Just a tree with flowers.

Los Trancos

Date: 02/11/06
Park: Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, Woodside, CA
Condition: A warm spring day.
Start time: About 3:00 PM
Length: About 3 hours
Hikers: Maria and JC
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/lostrancos.html
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1197187/1/56004650
Views: This is on the San Andreas Fault and it is a nature trail which explains the geological features. We saw a fence split by the American Plate and Pacific Plate. Ground water generate source of the creek. A few water falls. There are trees that had almost fall but still have little bit of soil attached to the roots, branchs grows vertically. We still couldn't figure out what is roadlike bench. This is a short walk but plenty of elevation drops and climbs.

Rancho San Antonio

Date: 02/05/06
Park: Rancho San Antonio, Los Altos, CA
Condition: A very nice day.
Start time: About 3:45 PM
Length: About 2 hours
Hikers: Maria, Ceci, Hillary, Rachel, JC
Trail: The usual Wildcat Loop Trail
Condition: Nice and warm.
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1183387/1/55343059
Views: A very clear day with views of SF at the vista point. The whole peninsular is in sight also. We went there after church, the farm is still open when we got there. We seldom got there when it is still open but there were only a few chickens and cocks. All other farm animals are hiding. Oh well, may be next time. Hillary and Rachel seemed to enjoy the hiking a lot. We should take them along for hiking more. It is near dusk so the wild animals came out. We saw several quails, a rabbit, a few deers and a bob cat. We even saw a domestic cat which ignores us.

Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge

Date:02/04/06
Park: Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, Alviso, CA
Condition: Nice with some clouds
Start time: About 4:30PM
Length: Approximately 1 hours
Trail: ad hoc, started at Gold Street Marina, Alviso
Hikers: Me, Maria
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1183296/1/55339191
Views: Sunset is nice, the clouds are colorful. We even saw a patch of clouds with rainbow color. Normal winter wind. We saw a lot of birds and an Amtrak. After the Amtrak passed by, most of the birds evacuated the water. May be it is the noise or may be it is the shaking. The view consisted of the East Bay with sunset green hills. Sunset over the Western Hills, too bad the reflection on the water was not too great. The trail was a little bit wet but it was manageable. We started late because we started after Fr Andrew's liturgy retreat. Overall, a short stroll with very nice views.

Shoreline Park

Date:01/28/06
Park: Shoreline Park, Mountain View, CA
Condition: Cloudy and the sky looks like falling
Start time: About 3:30PM
Length: Approximately 2 hours
Trail: ad hoc
Hikers: Me, Maria, Potato
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1168622/1/54587941
Views: Too cloudy for any sunset, the sun does not peek out at all. Luckily it did not rain like the forecast said. We saw plants that have flowers looking like bottle cleaner. A crane, a duck. Our trail pass by Rangstroff house, shoreline ampitheatre, the kite area also. Originally I was thinking of going at Steven's Creek Trail, because I saw the sign to the trailhead. But we got lost finding the trail head so finally we just went to a familar place. The famous Shoreline Park!!! Hahaha...

Los Alamitos Creek

Date:01/21/06
Park: Almaden Lake Park, Los Alamitos Creek Trail, San Jose, CA
Condition: Cloudy
Start time: About 2:30PM
Length: Approximately 4 miles
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/alamitoscreek.html
Hikers: Me, Maria, Sarah, Margret
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1145058/1/53372873
Specifics Views: It was a flat one. Not much of a paranomic view. But we caught the sunset and a few deer sightings. There were naked trees and birds singing. There are few birds flying too. I wonder how birds live in bare trees. May be they are camping??? Hahaha.... The trail is a jogging trail and we did the exercise on the side of the trail. It has a swimming beach for the summer crowd and jogging, biking trail. There is a playground also. Sarah gets cold after the sun sets and was jogging which is the trail intended for.

Death Valley Christmas Trip

Date: Christmas 12/23-27 2005
Park: Mohave Preserve and Death Valley, CA
Condition: Sun and Clouds, no rain
Trail: No specific record
Hikers: Me, Mug, Sarah, Pak
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/1079516/1/51490384
Day 0 Travel to Mohave
Day 1 Mohave Hole in the Wall trail, LV Christmas Eve Buffet and Mass
Day 2 Travel to DV, DV Sand Dunes
Day 3 DV Zabriskie Point Sunrise, DV Fall Canyon, DV Ubehebe Crater
Day 4 DV Wildrose Peak, Travel home
Highlights: Drive by plenty of plants; Spent plenty of time looking for hole in the rock trail; Almost ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere; 2 hour long wait for the buffet; Longer than expected 45 minutes walk to Church to attend mass; Watch plenty of sunrise and sunsets; No Rain; Slide down the Sand Dunes; Watches sunrises; See a rainbow; Yell for long delay echoes in the canyons; Fell down on my knees in front of Maria at Dry Fall; Camera ran out of battery at Ubehebe Crater; Cloudy at Wildrose; Take plenty of pictures overall; We had climb high mountains and go beneath the sea. We had argued and stop arguments. We had fight and made up. We were enjoying ourselves overall.

Stevens Creek Reservoir

Date:11/12/05
Park: Stevens Creek Reservoir/Fremont Older, Cupertino, CA
Condition: Warm and Sunny
Start time: About 2:00PM
Length: 6.1 miles
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/stevenscreek.html
Hikers: Me and Maria
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/961953/1/44258764
Specifics Views: San Francisco, Fremont, Silicon Valley. A very clear day.
Animals include: A very tiny snake (6in??), a rabbit, some quail??
Plants include: Fall colors, some cotton like balls hanging on tress, 蒲公英 type trees.
We saved $5 by parking out of the suggested trail head. We started from Rim Trail. There are some Fall Colors but not really extensive. A nice long walk. I took plenty of pictures. I was quite slow uphill. I am too out of shape. I need to exercise more.

Rancho San Antonio

Date:10/15/05
Park: Rancho San Antonio, Los Altos, CA
Condition: Cool and cloudy day
Start time: 2:15PM
Length: About 2.5 hrs
Hikers: Me and Maria
Pictures: http://jc-studios.smugmug.com/gallery/999901/1/46250821
Specifics Views: Usual San Antonio View, Mountain View, Moffett etc.
Animals include: Tarantula
Plants include: Some yellow leaves but not enough fall colors
We took the same trail we usually takes but in the reverse direction. There is a Ohlone days fair but it was $10 per person so we did not go. Parts of the trail is covered by fallen brown and yellow leaves. It was quite pretty. A creek with very little water flows by the trail. Maria said the bystanders tell a horror story about the Tarantula crawling on my back and poison me.

Castle Rock

Date:10/08/05
Park: Castle Rock State Park, Saratoga, CA
Condition: Quite Cool
Start time: 3:00PM
Length: About 3 hrs
Hikers: Me and Maria
Pictures: Did not take any this time
Specifics Views: Sunny day but quite foggy. Can't tell what we saw far away. We are above the fog
Animals include: Not much, may be approaching fall?
Plants include: Plenty of flowers and plants. I was expecting to see some fall colors but I didn't. Parts of the trail is covered by fallen leaves which are yellow. The rocks seems not easy to scramble over either. There is hope for a better view next time.

Huckleberry

Date:07/16/05
Park: Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Oakland, CA
Condition: Sunny and Hot day but the trail is cool
Start time: Around 5:00PM
Length: About 1.5 hrs
Hiker: Just me
Pictures: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2123655726&code=17281859&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Specifics Views: Mt Diablo and Contra Costa County. San Francisco and Alameda on the drive there.
Animals include: I just see a few birds
Plants include: Plenty of flowers and plants. It is a botanic reserve with nature trails, I was to lazy to learn all those =P. But the trees and shades are extremely good on a hot day. I think usually this place is foggy but today it is real sunny and nice.

Don Edwards

Date:06/18/05
Park:Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, Alviso, CA
Condition: Sunny and Windy
Start time: Around 6:30PM
Length: About 2 hrs
Hikers: Me and Maria
Pictures: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2124910630&code=16724418&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Specifics Views: Bay Area views of Eastbay. Sunset views, sparkling waters, reflections.
Animals include: bunny and family, long legged bird that does not swim, long legged bird that swims. Black bird with red dot.
Plants include: The tasty Pickleweed.
The wind is gusty and it got so cold that we did not wait till the sun is fully set before we leave.

Hidden Villa Farm

Date: 06/04/2005
Place: Hidden Villa Farm, Woodside, CA
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/hiddenvilla.html
Condition: Sunny and not too hot
Start Time: 11:00 AM
Duration: 3 hrs
Length: > 4 miles
Hikers: Maria, JC, Noelle, Sarah, Beaky, Eric, Pak, Kenny, Anthony, Anthony, Isabel, Raymond, Maria, Simon, Rocky, Justin, Scott
Pictures: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2125733459&code=16405883&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Specific Views: Mountain View, Palo Alto, East Bay.

We parked at Los Altos downtown and carpool there. The trail is more difficult than we expected and we got lost a few times. There are pretty wild flowers, wild wheat and a creek next to the trail. We saw a few lizard, flying insects (may be flies) and butterfly. I like to spend more time taking pictures but it is quite difficult with 17 hikers in our group. I manage to get a few good ones. We had a good tea lunch afterwards at around 2:00 and ate plenty of food. All in all, a very nice hike and a very good day.

Thank God for all the good times we had. Maria to organize it. All members that had made it fun.

Pleasanton Ridge

Date: 05/07/05
Park: Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, Pleasanton, CA
Condition: Sunny with some clouds
Start Time: Around 2:00PM
Length:5.9 miles about 3:45hrs
Trail: http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/pleasanton.html
Hikers: JC, Maria, Vincent and Paul
Pictures: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2127001999&code=15913782&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Specific Views: Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, Mt Diablo. There are still plenty of wild flowers and we saw a lot of squirrels and plenty of cows. There are a lot of nice looking birds too. The breeze on the "Harvest of Love" looks like a waves, shut up and hear 風吹麥作聲！ Towards the end of the hike, weather changed drastically... Clouds rolled in and the blue skies quickly became cloudy. The skies grew dark. The nice breeze became strong gusts. We quickly decent the hill since we are wearing just T-shirts. Thank God the rain didn't catch us.

San Antonio

Date:04/16/05
Park:Rancho San Antonio, Los Altos, CA
Condition:Sunny and Dry
Start time: After 3:00PM
Length: 3.5 hrs
Pictures:http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2127866765&code=15600352&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Specifics Views: Bay Area views of Mtn View, San Jose and the East Bay. Animals include: big ant, black shell bug, banana slug, egret, bunny, deer, blue bird, 18" snake. Plants include: Blue flower, white flower, yellow flower and trees with yellow flower. Siu Ma Gum has not learn how to distinguish plants yet.