Hike with Buster

Friday, January 20, 2012.

The rain in San Jose slacked off for the day so decided to hit the trails.

From the Hacienda entrance

• Mine Hill Trail 1.1 miles
• Great Eastern Trail 0.1 miles (this trail is ambitously named)
• Castillero Trail 0.1 miles to English Camp
• English Camp Trail 0.4 miles
• Deep Gulch Trail 1.3 miles back to Hacienda entrance.

That’s only 3 miles but it seemed more like 5.  Maybe it was the ugly grey sky, slightly muddy trails and my heavy pack.

Before starting the hike I spent an hour at the Casa Grande & Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum.  If you have any interest in the history of San Jose or California or mining besure to stop at the Museum.  There are period rooms and rock samples and models of the processing mills.  Did you know there was acid rain in Almaden in the late 1800s?

Are you a reader?  I highly recommend “The Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner.  The book will give you a feel what it was like to be in Almaden during the mining heigh days.

More text and pics to come.

Hike on!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park, California.

No snow in Yosemite.  This is not good news for California.  We are in a drought and need the water.  However; it is somewhat good news for hikers, campers and park visitors for three reasons:

1. The Tioga Pass Road is open
2. The road to Glacier Point is open
3. You can hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls

Normally you cannot do any of those things in January.

I decided to do one of the most famous trails in Yosemite; The Mist Trail.

More on my hike and pics to follow.

Hike on!

http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/parks/parksarticle?path=%252Fv7%252FParks%2520and%2520Recreation%252C%2520Department%2520of%2520%2528DEP%2529&contentId=8ec598ba77784010VgnVCM10000048dc4a92____&cpsextcurrchannel=1

http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%2C%20Department%20of%20%28DEP%29%2FAQGuideMap.pdf

This hike

• Miles: ~ 5 Miles
• Elevation gain:

2012 Cumulative

• Miles: 5
• Elevation gain:

This county park in South San Jose is a good park for hikes and geocaching.  There are 33 miles of trails.  You are in semi-wilderness in the city limits of San Jose.  Most trails are easy with minimal steepness.  On the map “Prospect #3 Trail” is marked “steep.”  Don’t let that deter you.  It’s not so bad.  From my house to Guadalupe Reservoir is more than 6 miles drive one way but the hike through the park seems much shorter

This is a historical park with many POIs from more than a 100 years of mining activities.

This was my first foray into the park and I will return to explore the sites, tunnels and trails.

If you are a hiker or are into geocaching this park is worth your time.

Hike on!

11/11/11

I woke up this morning and it was cold and raining here in San Jose.

I asked myself, “Are you a hiker or are you a sleeper?”

Rolled over and zipped up the sleeping bag.