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.

Homestead to Blue Ridge Loop

I decided to explore a bit further north from where I live. The Homestead to Blue Ridge Loop trail was picturesque with a view of Lake Berryessa and within an hour away.

The drive on the winding road was a bit exhausting, but soon enough I was at the trail head where there were only a few cars parked. I started the hike and was a bit hesitant to continue after seeing the tunnels with heavy graffiti and not a soul nearby. I decided to continue and see what's on the other side, you know, that light at the end of the tunnel...

I quickly saw a board with some directions. The trail has seen serious fire damage last year during the wildfire season and was no longer a loop. There were two arms to the trail, so I decided to pick the one that was leading uphill. 

The trail was very well marked. UC Davis took great care in starting the restoration process allowing plants to regrow. Indeed, the area was severely burnt out, but nature recovers, and green grass was appearing in patches.

This burnt tree was surrounded by fresh sprouts and patches of green grass - resilience of nature

Even wildflowers started to appear!

The trail was completely exposed to the sun, but the warmth was really pleasant. I found a few people slowly ascending and finally after about a mile and a half I reached the top of the hill allowing views of the lake. It was worth the hike even though the trail was partially closed.

I decided to continue hiking a bit further. The view on the other side of the mountain got better as the sun shifted to reveal grass covered hills.

On my way down, I crossed paths with many other people now awake to start their day. I really do enjoy hiking early in the morning when the trails are still somewhat desolate and peaceful.

Great hike overall. I would not necessarily do it in hot weather, but in the spring or the fall it is worth the trip!

Lake Marie via Skyline Trail in Napa, CA

I arrived at Skyline Wilderness Park (can't say where the "wilderness" part came from as the park is next to downtown Napa), paid the $6 entrance fee ($3 for bikes, or $60 annual pass for an individual/$90 for a "family" - not sure how the "family" is defined) and parked in the nearest parking lot, which turned out to be right next to the trailhead to Lake Marie via Skyline Trail.

The trail seemed to be the longest in the park and covered a good perimeter, so I knew I would get a good feel of the park by going on this hike.

It was a windy day, so windy that I was a bit concerned about the branches falling. As the trail gained some elevation, I finally started to warm up. My heavier jacket that usually comes off at some point during the hike was meant to stay on today. Since it was a weekday, very few people were on the trail. In fact, I have only encountered 2 or 3 people and closer to the conclusion of the hike when it was finally warming up around 11 AM.

The views of Napa were pretty spectacular right after the first hill.

As I continued deeper into the park, I got to enjoy a close interaction with a family of deer. Mom was a bit hesitant about my presence, but the younger deer kept on chewing on the grass as if I was just another tree.

I moved on allowing them to enjoy their breakfast without me staring at them non-stop. The trail continued deeper into the wooded areas where I started to see areas of early wildflowers.

As I continued the hike, I found more of these spurts of wildflower growth. Despite the cold and windy weather spring was coming.

I finally reached the lake. I have to say I expected a bit more from it, but the lake seemed to be overgrown with algae near the shores and rather unspectacular. I guess I really should get my expectations re-evaluated...

The second part of the loop was a bit simpler to hike - wider roads and more exposure to sun (hence, warmer!). I enjoyed this park and will definitely be back, but it will not be my first choice. One of the main reasons is potential crowds. With city parks, unless it's the weekday, these trails are filled with people. I enjoy having people around, but not close by.

Big Rock Ridge Trail near San Rafael, CA

Just like that, after a week-long relocation journey, I am in the Bay area. Never would I have thought that I would end up here. In fact, if I were to be asked if I would ever move to the Bay area, I would have said, "Absolutely no! It's too expensive and overrated." I have to say I still think that way, but somehow fate or whatever you believe in brought me here. I am now a resident of Napa, CA.

My first hike was Big Rock Ridge Trail located near San Rafael, about an hour away from where I live now. The hike was scheduled with a Meetup group for 8 AM, but I was planning to pick up an area rug for my new, cold apartment nearby, so I left at 6.30 AM and successfully got my rug by 7.45. Unfortunately, I would not have made it to the hike gathering spot by 8 AM, and I did not want for everyone to wait for me, so I sent the organizer a message saying that I would catch up. Honestly, I did not think I would, but hey, who knows!

I arrived at the trail head and parked on the side of the road. The parking was minimal, but that early in the morning on Sunday there were only a few people, most of them from my group. I started the hike and knew the views would be spectacular. California golden hills were as green as they could get after a few weeks of on and off rain. 

The elevation gain was gradual, but certainly got my cardio going, especially after a long period of several months with almost no exercise. I stopped to take a few pictures, but continued at a higher than my normal pace in hopes to catch up with the group.

In about a mile, I finally saw the group and joined them. I was glad they were hiking at a slower than my pace so that I could catch my breath.

The wildflowers were just emerging on the hills. Only a few here and there poppies and some other white and blue flowers were spotted on south hills. In a few weeks this place would be in full bloom!

Soon enough we reached the top where I could see San Francisco in the fog (one of the pictures above). The way back was much easier (downhill!), and by the time we reached the trail head, there was no parking at all available. I was glad to have had arrived early!

It's one of the best seasons in California - March, April - when everything is stunningly green. I hope to explore more of the area to capture photos of this beauty.

Gaviota Hot Springs and Trespass Trail in Goleta, CA

 I was heading to the Bay area to look for a new rental and decided to stop by Goleta on the way there to hike Gaviota Hot Springs and Trespass Trail. I didn't expect much from the trail. Listed at 6.6 miles as "Hard", I was a bit skeptical about how really "Hard" it was. 

I arrived around 11 AM to the trailhead, paid my $2 to park and started the hike. The day was absolutely beautiful, and the temperatures in mid to high 60's. Based on reviews on Alltrails promising best views on the way up if I went in the counterclockwise direction, I followed the directions of those who were more knowledgeable about the trail. 

The elevation gain was pretty consistent averaging 500 ft per mile. Not an easy hike, for sure. The views were pretty spectacular from the very beginning starting from just hills and evolving into a combination of hills and oceanview sights as far as the eye could see.

Turkey vultures and birds of prey were everywhere just gliding in the sky. I found this very peaceful.

It was getting pretty hot, and most of the hike was completely exposed to the sun. I would definitely recommend doing this hike in cooler temperatures, but the skies have to be clear to fully absorb the nature around. While I tried to take several panoramic pictures, I still don't think they truly represent the beauty I saw on the hike.

I was getting close to the top of the hill and could see the ocean 180 degrees.

I was really tired as I approached the top. I sat on a rock and enjoyed the peaceful ocean for a while.

I started the descent shortly after feeling that my sunscreen was not protecting me anymore. The way down was certainly easier not just because it's not as cardio-intense, but also because the road was wide and open. The views were certainly not as spectacular as on the way up, so I was glad to have followed directions of more experienced with this trail hikers.

I think this was one of the best trails I have hiked. It was moderate in length, intense in elevation gain and amazing with views.

I would definitely come back!