1-18-13 Pleasanton Ridge

Last winter, I just didn't feel like keeping up this blog. I haven't done anything to publicize it, so I doubt that anyone reads it. I'm not sure how public I want to be. One day I feel like it's a good thing to share information about trails, and another day I feel like who needs another self-absorbed blogger documenting everything they do. Lately, I've been thinking maybe it is worthwhile after all, and I may as well keep doing it, but I don't need to put so much work into it. I liked doing the little maps, but they are a bit superfluous with all the maps available online, so I'm going to drop them*. I've gone back and written up most of the hikes I have done this winter and spring, and I'm going to try harder to keep up with posting stories about future hikes.

* Half a year later I changed my mind and went back and inserted maps on most of my posts.
 

I had hiked Pleasanton Ridge last spring, but at that time I had wanted to go all the way to the beginning of Augustin Bernal Park, but ran out of energy. Today I thought I could make it that far and maybe a bit further. The climb to the ridge was strenuous as usual, and the climbing along the ridge top wasn't easy either. It was a beautiful cool sunny day and I made a number of good photo stops along the way. Finally I reached the point where the trail drops down the steep east slope of the ridge a 100 ft. or so. We soon came to a sign marking the entrance to Augustine Bernal Park, and then to a saddle on the ridge where the trail splits. To continue, we would have to climb the hill ahead. It is not such a big hill, but I was tired enough to decide that this was far enough. We turned left on the Thermalito Trail.

Recent nights had been cold, and next to a water faucet there were inch-thick slabs of ice that someone had broken out of a puddle. Heading west into the canyon, the warm afternoon light coming through the oak trees was really pretty. After a mile or so, we cut across up the hill to the Ridgeline Trail again, avoiding the ups and downs of the rest of the Thermalito Trail.



I was glad that I had accomplished my goal, but I was still curious about the miles of trails through Augustine Bernal Park and beyond. I looked online and found out that there is trail access to Augustine Bernal, but the staging area is within a gated community and it is only available to residents of Pleasanton. Non-residents can apply for a one-week pass from the city, and I may do that some day, but it sounds like a lot of hassle. I feel that open space land should be open to anyone, and that limiting access like that is just wrong.

about 5 mi. - 1300 ft.