Dan's Outside

A quick hike

Today was one of those days when I needed a hike – after an incrediblly busy week at the college and then coming home to wrestle with my recalcitrant server. I still have a ton of work to do before classes this week, but at least I got out long enough to hike up Deep Gulch to the ridge at Almaden Quicksilver.

I investigated one new area on the way back down from the Catherine Mine area on the ridge. Instead of taking the main trail, I followed a faint path downhill through areas that had obviously been mined. After bushwhacking for 15-20 minutes I emerged on the Mine Hill Trail a ways above the slide area and then descended via English Camp and the Deep Gulch trail.

I had earlier thought that the best opportunities to travel cross-country in this terrain had been a month or so ago. However, I now see that in most areas the old grasses have almost disappeared, the new grass is mostly very short, and little poison oak has yet come up. It turns out that cross country travel is actually still pretty good here.

Oh, no pictures today. I did take my camera but it was just one of those days when I felt more like walking than taking pictures.
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February 22, 2004 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary