Mt. Diablo 2-14-15

It sure makes you wonder about climate change when here it is Valentine's Day and we're having sunny weather in the 70's. But I may as well make the best of it and go for a hike. Since it's a Saturday, and I don't like to take Darby out on weekends because there are so many other dogs on the trails, I decide to leave him at home and go to Mt. Diablo where dogs are forbidden on trails. I had been thinking about hiking the Falls Trail for some time, but without rain there wouldn't be any falls. Finally, there was a major storm last weekend, so I figured that today there would be water in the creeks. I saw on the map that there was a park entrance in Clayton at the bottom of Donner Canyon, one that I had never used, but since no parking was indicated, I wasn't sure what to expect.

I got to Regency Drive off from Marsh Creek Road at around 11, and found that the street was parked up for about a quarter mile from the trailhead. I would have plenty of company on the trail. But it was a beautiful day and the sun was sparkling on the water of Donner Creek as I started up the trail. It is really a pretty creek splashing over rocks with green grass and oak trees coming right down to the banks.

Near trailhead on Donner Canyon Road

Soon I noticed up ahead a group of people with a dog. I was mildly annoyed because park rules don't allow dogs on trails, but I wasn't going to say anything to them. Then up the trail comes a ranger on an ATV who stops and gives the people a ticket. It felt like a guilty pleasure to watch that happening.

Donner Canyon Road

I turned left onto the Hetherington Trail, a single-track along the east side of the creek. The trail crossed the creek again and I was able to step across the rocks, but then it crossed back again, and I had the choice of stepping between two big rocks covered with slippery moss, or a long jump. I chose the jump, feeling pretty sure that I could make it. Once again, I found that I am not as agile as I once was and came up about a foot short with my jump and got a wet foot.

Wasserman Trail

Now the trail was climbing the hillside east of the creek through oaks and meadows. On the Wasserman Trail, I kept climbing as the hillside became more rugged. I came upon a group of about 5 people on horseback who managed to get their horses off to the side of the narrow trail to let me pass. I was thinking that this trail was a bit steep and rugged for our horses.

After going down the Cardinet Oaks Road for a short distance, I finally turned off onto the Falls Trail which cuts across the west face of North Peak. As I passed a couple around my age, the woman said "You have to be a mountain goat for this trail". I would have to agree. It is very narrow, steep and rocky in many places, and a slip could mean a long fall and serious injury. As the trail bent into Wild Oat Canyon, the first couple of falls came into view. They are not large falls -- maybe around 20 ft. high -- but their setting is spectacular. All around the head of Donner Canyon, very steep ravines converge far below, a vertical world of rock, brush and trees. I noticed many spring wildflowers that I didn't expect so early in the season, and shady hillsides thick with moss and maidenhair ferns. As the trail dropped down around the head of the canyon, I noticed several picturesque junipers, making it feel like it was much higher in the mountains.

Falls Trail

One of the falls

View from Falls Trail

Descending the west side of the canyon, with views across to where I had just been, I realized that I was pretty tired. This was a harder hike than I expected. Looking at the map beforehand, it didn't look like much. I tried to remember the only other time I hiked the trail, about 25 years ago, but I could't remember much. What I do remember is that it was a while after my first knee surgery, and my knee was hurting during the hike. I was trying to do too much too soon after surgery, and I ended up needing a second arthroscopic surgery a year or so later. Back on the Donner Canyon Road, the walking became easier, and I began thinking about food and drink. I hadn't brought any lunch and it was nearing 2 pm. I would stop and get some fast food on the way home.

Indian Warrior

It had been a really good hike. It was a bit hard, but there were so many beautiful spots to see. Now I understand why the Falls Trail shows up on a lot of lists of best Bay Area hikes. It is really a spectacular place. It could use some trail maintenance, however. On the trail, I passed a guy who commented on that, wondering aloud if there was some kind of volunteer trail crew that he could join to help with it. I just checked, and it appears that the Save Mt. Diablo organization does some of that, and I hope that this trail will get some of their attention.

6.2 miles, 1400 ft. climb

Sunol 1-30-15

on the McCorkle Trail

The day started out foggy, but by noon it was beautifully clear and sunny, so after lunch, Darby and I headed to Sunol. My idea was to hike something like the route I took about 3 years ago when we got soaked by a rainstorm that started halfway through the hike. I've been trying to avoid duplication of trails in this blog, but finding new ones without a long drive is getting harder to do. So, although I've already covered most of this route, I'm just going to do it again because it is one of my favorite places. The part that I especially wanted to see was the eastern area of the park -- the backpacking camps and the McCorkle Trail.

The last time I hiked to the Little Yosemite area, the road along Alameda Creek was closed because of construction work on the Calaveras Dam. As today was a Friday, there was no one at the Visitor Center to ask, so I assumed that the road was still closed and we started out on the Canyon View Trail instead. Looking at the park map, I see that this trail is described as having a "gentle rise in elevation". It is true that it only climbs a few hundred feet, but the first part of the trail is uncomfortably steep before it levels off along the hillside. At the Cerro Este Road which leads down to Little Yosemite, we crossed it and continued on the Canyon View Trail, which joins the Camp Ohlone Road a little further on. It was great weather for hiking -- a little cool but clear and sunny. I noticed lots of woodpeckers flitting about in the oak trees. The hills were still nice and green, but just starting to look a bit dry again after a month of no rain. The creek was still running pretty good from the December rains. Above Little Yosemite, the creekbed is a lovely wide area of gravel and big old sycamores.

We turned left on the Backpack Road which climbs up into a pretty little valley with a large rugged rock jutting out of its center. Then we turned left on the McCorkle Trail which gradually climbs around the head of the valley and across the hillside. I was thinking that this would be a nice area to be spending the night in a backpacking camp. I've never camped here, but maybe someday I could talk my grandkids into it. Finally, I reached the junction with the Cerro Este Road. Last time I came this way, I continued up over the ridge at Cerro Este, but today I felt like I had had enough climbing. Besides, the sun was getting low, and I wanted to head for home.

At this point, I got a bit confused, and wished I had a park map with me. I didn't bring one with me because I figured I knew all of these trails by heart, but sometimes my memory isn't as good as I think it is. I knew that there was an old road that headed down this ridge to the west, but I wasn't sure just where it was. I knew about this road because I remember hiking on it the first time I ever came to Sunol. That was in the mid-50s before there was a park here. My uncle, John Bruce, a biology teacher as San Ramon Valley High School, had heard about the future park, and took our families out here to check it out. We hiked way up this ridge and enjoyed the views. I remember finding a tarantula along the way.

off-trail on the ridge

I probably should have turned left on the Cerro Este Road, but instead I headed cross-country over the brow of the ridge. The hillside became very steep for a long way down, and I had to step carefully to keep from slipping down. It seems that I'm not as agile as I once was. We finally came to the road and from there it was much easier going back to the Canyon View Trail. Later, at home, I was still curious about the road down the ridge that I remembered. The park map doesn't show anything there, but the USGS topo does, and a faint track shows up on satellite photos. I guess my memory is not as bad as I thought, but somehow I lost it. I think it was because there were a few cattle there and we swung wide around to avoid distrubing them.

It was a very good hike -- beautiful place, beautiful weather, and not really too hard.

6.1 miles, 1600 ft. climb