May 22, 2004

We started this mornings hike with a good climb. We both needed jackets in the parking lot, but by the time we reached the ridge they were no longer needed. 

We shared the trail with lots of bicycles, runners, and hikers. The breeze across the tops of the ridges made for comfortable hiking. After the initial climb most of the trail was just rolling up and down. 

We were surprised when we encountered the Chabot Space and Science Center above the trail. After taking this picture I turned around and had a nice view of Oakland and San Francisco Bay.

Of course we saw some nice groves of redwoods along the trail. It is always amazing how much cooler the trail feels under these magnificent trees.

We also hiked through oak and fern covered hillsides, and groves of big eucalyptus trees. 

We got a surprise at the end of the trail. Our map showed that we crossed the creek near our car. That bridge has been removed and the creek is undergoing reclamation. We had an additional half mile to hike to get to our car.

There were still lots of small flowers along the trail. Apparently this trail isn't as affected by the heat as the trails we were on last week.