Jack London Mountain Trail

I didn't even realize I lived within 30 minutes from Jack London's residence! Now part of Jack London State Historic Park, the cottage where this famous writer lived is accessible to public. I didn't get a chance to visit it on my first try, but hopefully when I come back I will get to walk where Jack London walked years ago. 

The park is filled with history and is very well marked. Some buildings are intact and could be visited from inside and outside. My main goal for today was to have a nice hike. Jack London Mountain Trail is one of the most popular ones, although I hardly saw anyone complete it today. I wonder if people now started to travel more beyond their state, so parks are not as overwhelmed as they were in the midst of the pandemic.

The parking lot is pretty large, and the park requires a $10 entry fee at the booth. There was lots of parking when I got there in the morning at 9 am (this is when the park opens) and when I left later in the early afternoon. The hike started out with some history as I visited a few buildings that belonged to the writer.

This was a destroyed winery area

The hike continued along the working winery and was initially pretty flat, but as soon as I got deeper into the forest, the elevation gain started to increase.

I enjoyed being in the forest again, walking on soft soil covered by pine needles combined with fallen leaves.

Pretty soon I saw several deer right by the train chowing down some tasty leaves from trees. They were cautious, but not really afraid. Clearly, I was not the first human they have seen.

I continued to the last part of the incline, exposed to the sun. The trail narrowed to almost nothing making me doubt myself whether I wanted to brush against tall grass fearing acquisition of ticks. I decided to take a chance given my long pants and high socks protection, but was also very careful looking out for snakes. The trail became really steep, but the destination was so close, it motivated me to push forward.

The end of the trail lacked culmination. While there was a bench and a nice view, I guess I expected something more significant.

Nevertheless, I sat on the bench enjoying the warmth of the sun and headed back. 

I knew that a reward was waiting for me - I preordered sushi and seaweed salad at Aji Sushi & Grill - both turned out delicious!

Hunters Camp to Creekside Connector Loop

On a Tuesday morning, I was eager to go on a hike. I was not supposed to be at work until 3 pm, so I had some time to experiment and see if I can handle being active for a full day. The hike was about an hour and a half away. On the way back I was planning to stop by a restaurant to pick up my Yelp treat - a Mexican taco!

The hike was Hunters Camp to Creekside Connector Loop. The reviews said that there was very limited parking available, but on a weekday there were only two other cars at the trailhead. There was really no parking lot at all, just a pull off on a residential street. The hike started out with views of deep forest with little sun shining through.

Being alone felt a bit strange... It's like being part of a mysterious movie where something most likely was waiting right at the end of this trail or hiding behind a tree. Instead, there were pretty wildflowers, buzzing bees and weirdly colored banana slugs.

The trail continued downhill, a pleasant walk in the woods.

Soon enough there was an intersection, and I continued straight instead of turning left as the sign said. The GPS finally showed that I was off route.

I continued down Willow Creek Rd a bit longer hoping that it would eventually merge with the Hunters Camp Rd, but I was just getting further and further away from my track. I decided to turn around.

After making the correct turn, I started climbing back uphill. The elevation gain was consistent and quite physically challenging. That was probably because I was on my 3rd day of intermittent fasting, something that I will not try again days in a row. 

I was back on track and on the way back to my car. The shade has become pleasant shielding me from the warmth of the sun. After reaching my car, I drove to Sebastopol and treated myself to a taco, stopped at a Russian grocery store and took a shower at the gym before heading to work. What a wonderful day!

Taco with mushrooms and potatoes

Mount Saint Helena Trail

There are some days when you just need to get out and absorb the energy from the forest. Today was one of those days.

I left my apartment early in the morning and arrived at the trailhead to hike Mount Saint Helena Trail around 7.30 AM. There are two small parking lots on both sides of the road, and I was one of the first 5 people to park there. The hike started in the depth of the forest with some traffic noise - a strange combination.

I wore my brand new hiking shoes that my mother got me for my birthday. I got the same pair that I have been wearing since 2016, Merrell Women's Moab 2 Vent Mid Hiking Boot. They felt comfortable from the first moment I put them on.

The day was starting out really nice and warm, and I quickly took my jacket off. Finally, the summer is coming! Since moving from Southern California to the Bay area, I've been cold a lot more than what I have become used to in SoCal.

The first mile or so of the hike was fully shaded in the woods, but right after Silverado Mine, the trail became fully exposed to the sun. The views were amazing from there on.

On the way up there were very few people - one of the benefits of getting up and starting hiking early. I got to the top with 360 views of Calistoga and the valleys.

I spent 20 minutes enjoying the cool breeze and recorded these short videos:

The way down was easy (duh!), but the number of people hiking up increased significantly. I was glad to be on the way down. Another wonderful hike in NorCal!

Muir Beach to Hill 88

Ah, coastal views... You can never go wrong with a hike with coastal views. This particular one started at Muir Beach and was supposed to lead all the way to Rodeo Beach, part of Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

The parking lot is of moderate size, but fills up quickly, so I would recommend getting there before 8 am. Because it is the parking lot for the beach, the afternoon crowd dragging their coolers and stereos together with 15 children might not be your cup of tea (=avoid at all costs).

The trail I ended up taking was somewhere in between Muir Beach to Hill 88 and Muir Beach to Rodeo Beach. For the most part, both trails coincide and only split up at the last few miles going in opposite direction. The trail is not very difficult, but strenuous in that you have to climb 3 peaks. The first hill is very doable, maybe 400 ft elevation gain, the second peak is close to 600 and the last one is around 850. That means that you have to go up and down quite a bit.

I personally prefer one-peak hikes where you endure the misery of gaining elevation and then on the way back peacefully enjoy the downhill. With that said, it is not as good on your muscles and knees, but your mind is happy. 

The views were pretty incredible from the very beginning. The day started out cloudy and cool, and this is what Muir Beach from above looked like around 8.30 am.

As I hiked the first hill, I realized that even after a week of hiking at the end of March, I am still out of shape. 

The day evolved and the clouds started to become sparser. 

Soon enough I was able to see the sun peeking through. The views really did not disappoint.

As I approached the junction to continue to Rodeo Beach, I noticed more and more people hiking from that direction and decided to stop at the top and head back. You know, "avoid people at all cost" mentality.

There were still lots of wildflowers. This one was the most memorable.

I was pretty tired after hiking 10 miles and after a granola bar headed back home, which took be about an hour and a half. I'd like to return and actually visit Muir Park next time. Maybe when I make a reservation...

Oat Hill Mine Trail

Robert Louis Stevenson State Park is one of the areas in California that was affected by wildfires in 2020. Oat Hill Mine trail starts out with rapid elevation gain and continues like that pretty much the whole way up. There is no real destination so I turned around at Holm's Place "an old homestead property of Karl Gustov Holm who built a log cabin in 1893. Parts of the stone wall from the barn remain in the area." (1) 

The elevation gain is close to 2,000 ft (to Holm's Place). In the summer, this hike would be pretty hot since there is little shade due to recent wildfires. It was sad seeing trees and bushes so affected by fires.

You can see that the trees are completely destroyed, but maybe not? Some are sprouting again. Resilience of nature...

Other sections of the hike were not as damaged as if fire just decided to stop at a certain boundary. 

While I would not say this was my favorite hike of the season, it offered great exercise and nice views.

Moore Creek Trail

Today I wanted to hike somewhere locally. About 30 minutes away is Moore Creek Park with Moore Creek Trail reviewed by hikers on Alltrails app pretty frequently. The last few reviews mentioned wildflowers, so I wanted to see what's it like for myself. 

I got to the parking lot pretty early around 8 am. The parking lot is pretty small, and by the time I was leaving there were no spots left. The trail is partially a loop and in and out. I started out taking the fire road that transitioned to a normal single lane hiking trail right next to the creek.

It was nice and cool, the shade made it even cold at times this early in the morning. I had to keep moving. I felt like there was no one around me, it was nice and peaceful. I reached what was supposed to be the end of the trail (although the trail continued further) and went down to what was called "Pool". Maybe at some point the water reached higher, but today it was just a spot by the creek. I almost felt obligated to take a picture.

I turned back and hiked to another fork where the sign "Vista Andrea" was guiding me to the bench overlooking a nice view. I sat there for a few minutes, it was really pleasant.

I continued my hike back and reached another fork where I was returning to the parking spot by taking the second "leg" of the loop. It was truly spectacular. The trail continued along the side of the mountain covered by wildflowers. It was by far the most incredible sight of the spring emerging from the ground I have seen.

A hidden spot from tourists!

I finished the hike in awe of nature, yet again. These are the moments that I go back to when I peceive life not as enjoyable as it could be.