Tag: Hiking

Navigating the Carquinez Bridge on the Ridge Trail

May 1, 2021 – The Bay Area Ridge Trail crosses the Carquinez Strait at Crockett on the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge. The hike across the suspension bridge with its sweeping view of San Pablo Bay is anchored by the California State University Maritime Academy to the north of the span and downtown Crockett to the south. Find the trail map here.

We are hiking the 390-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail. Sign up to follow our progress here.

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Dan and Dawn2 Comments

The Ridge Trail Kicks Our Butts in the Pinole Valley

APRIL 28, 2021 – The trail across the Pinole Valley Watershed from Pereira Creek to Sobrante Ridge undulates steeply through mostly shadeless grasslands. Our side trip through Fernandez Ranch included some welcome shade and a picnic area. We were too exhausted to tackle the Sobrante Ridge Trail, as planned, but returned three days later to enjoy the woods and view of San Pablo Bay.

  • Pinole Valley Watershed trail map here
  • Pinole Valley Watershed West and Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve trail map here
  • Fernandez Ranch trail map here

We are hiking the 390-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail. Sign up to follow our progress here.

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Dan and Dawn4 Comments

Crockett Hills on the Bay Area Ridge Trail

APRIL 21, 2021 – Crockett Hills Regional Park rises into the hills southwest of the confluence of the Napa River and Carquinez Strait at San Pablo Bay. The park features stands of bay laurel and oak amid rolling grasslands with views of Mount Tamalpais, the Phillips 66 San Francisco refinery and the twin bridges that carry Interstate 80 across the strait at Crockett. Watch out for scary tall poison oak. Find the trail map here.

We are hiking the 390-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail. Sign up to follow our progress here.

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Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve on the Bay Area Ridge Trail

APRIL 17, 2021 — Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve on The Coastside of the Santa Cruz Mountains features a second-growth redwood forest and ridgeline trails with views of the forest canopy and the Pacific Ocean. This segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail includes portions of the Purisima Creek, Craig Britton and Harkins Ridge trails. Find the trail map here.

We are hiking the 390-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail. This is our first post. Sign up to follow our progress here.

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Alone time above Estancia Helsingfors at Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia

Part 4 in a series: Everyone needs to be alone sometimes, especially The Geek and even MontaraManDan. In Patagonia we each found a slice of solitude in the steep meadows and forests that rise above Estancia Helsingfors, a remote ranch at the edge of Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park.

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Playing Hide & Seek with Fitz Roy in Patagonia; Beware of Stinging Caterpillars

Part 3 in a series: If you want a selfie with the Patagonian peaks that make up Argentina’s iconic Fitz Roy massif, you have to earn it. Expect wind, rain and steep ascents. Watch out for stinging caterpillars and feral cows. Photo bombs by meandering cloud banks may drive you mad. Continue reading “Playing Hide & Seek with Fitz Roy in Patagonia; Beware of Stinging Caterpillars” →

Thedpages8 Comments

Meandering the Outer Banks with Ghost Crabs, Forest Spiders and Dread Pirate Diane

Part 3 and last in a series: No one visits North Carolina’s Outer Banks to go hiking. The narrow string of sandy barrier islands runs for 200 miles but never measures more than 3 miles between sound and sea. At 91 feet, Kill Devil Hill is the highest peak. Most nature trails stretch for less than a mile. We gave hiking a shot anyway. Continue reading “Meandering the Outer Banks with Ghost Crabs, Forest Spiders and Dread Pirate Diane” →

Thedpages2 Comments

Guided Hike Lifts the Veil on Djerassi, an R&D Lab for Artists in the Santa Cruz Mountains

The innovators at the Djerassi research compound in the mountains above Palo Alto have little need for lab coats or goggles. You won’t find them crafting code in a bean bag chair or doing deals on napkins at Buck’s of Woodside. Djerassi is about innovation in art.

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