Parking is $6 (you can pay either at the entrance or at the parking lot), although there are two lots that are free. Apparently, you could see a mountain lion, but I was not that lucky. Lots of prey birds, smaller animals and deer. Drive slowly!
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Alum Rock Park - San Jose, CA
Right before Christmas week I decided to do another hike in San Jose organized by a Meetup group. With only 25 people attending, I thought it would be a nice way to complete this year's San Jose journey. Alum Rock Park only has 13 miles of hiking trails, and we were planning to hike a bit over half of them. We hiked both North and South Rim Trails to equal a bit over 7 miles with 1,200 ft elevation gain. There is quite a bit of shade, but some exposed areas as well, so I would recommend dressing in layers in the winter.
Parking is $6 (you can pay either at the entrance or at the parking lot), although there are two lots that are free. Apparently, you could see a mountain lion, but I was not that lucky. Lots of prey birds, smaller animals and deer. Drive slowly!
Parking is $6 (you can pay either at the entrance or at the parking lot), although there are two lots that are free. Apparently, you could see a mountain lion, but I was not that lucky. Lots of prey birds, smaller animals and deer. Drive slowly!
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Nellie Lake Trail - Kaiser Wilderness - Huntington Lake
Not sure how popular Nellie Lake Trail is during the busy season, but in the off-season there is nobody... Literally, boarded up cottages, covered up signs and silence... My friend and I decided we needed a challenging hike. Boy, did we get what we wanted. Whether it is from high starting elevation or cooler weather, the hike was very very hard. Alltrails tracked 8.6 miles (+1 mile since I did not start tracking until 1 mile into) with quite a bit of elevation. The hike starts next to Huntington Lake. We parked right by it and hiked to the trail head. Apparently, you could also drive up to the trail (maybe 0.25 miles).
The views were good, but not amazing. The lake was completely empty. We stayed there maybe 15 min to eat lunch and headed back. It was a bit too chilly (close to freezing at that point + the wind). Regardless, if you want a challenge, go for it! If you want solitude, hike the trail during the off-season.
The views were good, but not amazing. The lake was completely empty. We stayed there maybe 15 min to eat lunch and headed back. It was a bit too chilly (close to freezing at that point + the wind). Regardless, if you want a challenge, go for it! If you want solitude, hike the trail during the off-season.
Four Mile Trail - Yosemite National Park
Another beautiful hike I completed a few weeks ago. Four Mile Trail is one of the top rated trails in Yosemite National Park. It goes from Yosemite Valley all the way to Glacier Point. In the summer, it is packed, but in October - November the number of people vacationing in the park thankfully decreases allowing us, locals, enjoy the peace and solitude of the trail. I am probably exaggerating solitude, because even in late October there are quite a few people attempting this hike.
It is a difficult hike because of the elevation gain and overall mileage. Don't be fooled by the name of the trail, it is certainly not a four mile hike. Alltrails clocked 9.4 miles total. With elevation gain of 3500 feet, it kick your butt. Acrophobe Factor: I am afraid of heights, really! But this hike did not make me feel scared at all. The views are worth every lost calorie to get to the top:
It is a difficult hike because of the elevation gain and overall mileage. Don't be fooled by the name of the trail, it is certainly not a four mile hike. Alltrails clocked 9.4 miles total. With elevation gain of 3500 feet, it kick your butt. Acrophobe Factor: I am afraid of heights, really! But this hike did not make me feel scared at all. The views are worth every lost calorie to get to the top:
 |
| The view at the top - Glacier Point |
 |
| A bit foggy and slightly smoky in Yosemite Valley |
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Sacramento Dining Out Trip
The original purpose of this trip was to take a look at the bike I found on Craigslist. I have been looking for a Raleigh mountain bike with 26" wheels for myself and have not been able to find anything used locally. In reality, it was another reason to get out of town. This time I invited my colleague Jenn who late was not only the witness of me getting a traffic ticket, but also became a partner in eating competition after we discovered that the bike was not good enough for me.
Speaking of eating, Sacramento is a great place to find reasonably prices restaurants and dessert shops. One of the places we visited was Mikuni Japanese Restaurant.
Read Christy W.'s review of Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar on Yelp
For coffee we went to The Mill, a hipster-like coffee shop with nice "woody" atmosphere.
Read Christy W.'s review of The Mill on Yelp
Dessert was a must! And in two parts. First dessert place we stopped by was Ginger Elisabeth Chocolates where I acquired a delicious piece of chocolate mousse cake.
Read Christy W.'s review of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates on Yelp
We did not stop there, we needed gelato! Devine Gelateria & Cafe fit the bill.
Read Christy W.'s review of Devine Gelateria & Cafe on Yelp
Speaking of eating, Sacramento is a great place to find reasonably prices restaurants and dessert shops. One of the places we visited was Mikuni Japanese Restaurant.
Read Christy W.'s review of Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar on Yelp
For coffee we went to The Mill, a hipster-like coffee shop with nice "woody" atmosphere.
Read Christy W.'s review of The Mill on Yelp
Dessert was a must! And in two parts. First dessert place we stopped by was Ginger Elisabeth Chocolates where I acquired a delicious piece of chocolate mousse cake.
Read Christy W.'s review of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates on Yelp
 |
| Gianduja is what I tried, AMAZING! |
Friday, October 27, 2017
Fort Ord National Monument Badger Hills Trail Head - Salinas, CA
I haven't hiked in Salinas before. I didn't even know that there were any trails, like Fort Ord National Monument Badger Hills Trail, to hike in Salinas. It was a nice surprise. Interesting, that this trail could be as short or as long as you'd like. It is not shaded, so it's best completed in the fall or spring. Very open and offers lovely views.
I ended up hiking 8 miles total with about 1200 feet of elevation, which was theoretically not a difficult hike, but in the sun makes you feel more tired than you really are. There were a lot of people in the beginning, but pretty much nobody after the first 2 miles.
I ended up hiking 8 miles total with about 1200 feet of elevation, which was theoretically not a difficult hike, but in the sun makes you feel more tired than you really are. There were a lot of people in the beginning, but pretty much nobody after the first 2 miles.
 |
| Love this goat! |
Marble Fork Trail to Marble Falls in Sequoia National Park - Incomplete
This does not happen very often. When I start hiking a trail, it is my honest intention to complete it successfully, which is why I always research the difficulty of the hike, elevation gain, length and other factors (for example, a trail might state "elevation 900 ft", but in reality it could consist of constant switchbacks making it more difficult). I even check the air quality, which is what I did on the day I hiked Marble Fork Trail to Marble Falls in Sequoia National Park in mid-October. One thing, I knew the air quality was bad because of the fires, but hoped that in the mountains it would be a bit better. Wrong!
As I approached the entrance to Sequoia National Park, I could smell the smoke, I could see the smoke; the air was so heavy that the sun had a halo around it. I decided to give it a shot and at least start the hike. Parking was relatively easy and was located in the depth of the campground. I ended up just parking near the front entrance sign instead of the small dirt-road parking lot. The trail is well-marked once you find the trail head.
As I started hiking, flying insects thought I was a meal. There were so many of them in the first mile that I wanted to give up just from that. Nevertheless, I continued. But not for long... The further up I went, the denser the air became to the point when I had a hard time catching my breath. This was the turning point of my hike. I knew I did not want to suffocate to death, at least not yet, so I turned around. Sad, but ultimately the right choice. I will have to come back...
As I approached the entrance to Sequoia National Park, I could smell the smoke, I could see the smoke; the air was so heavy that the sun had a halo around it. I decided to give it a shot and at least start the hike. Parking was relatively easy and was located in the depth of the campground. I ended up just parking near the front entrance sign instead of the small dirt-road parking lot. The trail is well-marked once you find the trail head.
As I started hiking, flying insects thought I was a meal. There were so many of them in the first mile that I wanted to give up just from that. Nevertheless, I continued. But not for long... The further up I went, the denser the air became to the point when I had a hard time catching my breath. This was the turning point of my hike. I knew I did not want to suffocate to death, at least not yet, so I turned around. Sad, but ultimately the right choice. I will have to come back...
