May 19, 2004

We started this hike under partly cloudy skies and pleasantly cool weather. We began our hike on a trail through oaks and large manzanitas. The grass was turning golden and there were few flowers. The mossy rocks and twisted oak limbs were beautiful. What a nice place for a hike.

As we climbed slightly up to the ridge we had open views of Mt Diablo and Marsh Creek Canyon. The contrast between the dried grass and the dark oaks was really pretty. The distant hills stood out against the bright blue skies as the shadows of the clouds passed over the rugged lower hills
.

We enjoyed the manzanita with its picturesque red twisted bark. There were a few birds and squirrels out in the late morning heat. We saw people at the trailhead, but no one was on the trail.

The trail was a loop of 4 miles with gentle climbs. We were surprised to find views of Mt Diablo all along the trail. The last half the trail had views into the delta areas too.