Dan's Outside

A Good Bike Story

As I started up the Stiles Ranch trail today at Santa Teresa County Park, I found large group of volunteers doing trail repair. It turns out that this effort was sponsored by ROMP (Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers).

ROMP trail maintenance crew. Santa Teresa Park. January 30, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell

I spoke briefly to a fellow who described himself as president of ROMP. Among other things I told him that my very first mountain bike ride (up to the ridge above Lexington Reservoir) was with ROMP many years ago, back when the group had just formed.

It looks like almost all trails – including, perhaps regretably, single-track – are open to cyclists at this park.
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January 30, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on A Good Bike Story

Santa Teresa Park

Rock, lichen, California Poppy. Santa Teresa Park. January 30, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell

I hiked at Santa Teresa County Park for the first time today. (I rode a mountain bike through it on a few occasions in the past.) I ended up there more or less by accident. Once again I arrived at Calero Park to find the trails closed, and Santa Teresa was the closest hiking.

My limited previous experience with this park consisted of cycling from the Fortini Road entrance up the steep hill on the Stiles Ranch Trail and across to the main park facilities at the Pueblo Picnic Area. Today I started up the familiar section of Stiles Ranch Trail and wandered almost to the Pueblo Picnic area.

I was unaware that the park provides access to a high ridge topped by Coyote Peak. I hiked a loop up to Pueblo (?) Peak and across to Coyote Peak. Views from here are expansive, extending across Santa Clara Valley and the San Francisco Bay to the north, and down toward Gilroy to the south. I dropped down from here on a trail to the main parking lot, picking up the Fortini Trail to return to my starting point at the base of the Stiles Ranch Trail.
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January 30, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Santa Teresa Park

Santa Teresa Park Photographs

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Coyote Valley Oaks, Twilight. Santa Clara Valley, California. January 1, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

Oak shadow. Santa Teresa Park. January 30, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell

Coyote Peak. Santa Teresa Park. January 30, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell

Rock, lichen, California Poppy. Santa Teresa Park. January 30, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell

ROMP trail maintenance crew. Santa Teresa Park. January 30, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell

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January 30, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Santa Teresa Park Photographs

Another Calero Photo from Last Week

Tree, pond, and fog. Calero Park. January 23, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell.

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January 29, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Another Calero Photo from Last Week

Plans change

I was going to hike at Calero again today and photograph the impossibly green hillsides. I drove there, got out of the car, loaded up my pack, walked to the trailhead… and found a “trail closed” sign – and more of a lake than a trail on the other side of the gate.

Instead I went to the Mockingbird Hill entrance to Almaden Quicksilver and followed a sort of odd route. I hiked out on the New Almaden Trail and then caught the faint lateral up to Randol. From here I went almost to Prospect #3 and took a short-cut to joint that trail to ascend to Mine Hill Trail. I followed the ridge and then dropped down on Mine Hill. I took a lateral that was supposed to go to Day Tunnel, but I turned right when I should have turned left and ended up on Mine Hill again though a bit lower. I finally followed the Hacienda Trai back to the car.
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January 29, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Plans change

Tree in fog

Tree in fog. Calero Park. January 23, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell.

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January 28, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Tree in fog

Duplicate photos?

Someone (a very important someone) pointed out that a picture I posted on Monday looks very similar to a picture I posted on Sunday. True enough. They are very similar, though not exactly the same – look closely at the fog behind the tree and notice that it is thicker in one than in the other.

I took a lot of photos of this scene on a hike last Sunday. I had been hiking through dense fog when I arrived at this spot just below a small ridge, and I noticed that the sun was starting to break through nearby. I decided to set up my camera gear and wait to see what might evolve. Over the next 10-15 minutes I took a lot of pictures.

At the time I was thinking in terms of the vertical image. When I arrived home that day I played around with that version and posted it a few hours later.

The next day I went back over the photos and began to see more possibilities in the closely cropped image so I posted that one on Monday.

To be honest, neither version is exaclty what I have in mind – I’ll return to them and see what improvements I can make when I have time. For now I think I prefer the close crop over the vertical version but that could change.
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January 28, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Duplicate photos?

Javelina Trail

Oak and clearing fog on the Javelina Trail. Calero Park. January 23, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell.

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January 24, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Javelina Trail

Calero tree

Tree and fog. Calero Park. January 23, 2005. Copyright Dan Mitchell.


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January 23, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Calero tree

Calero Bird

Bird in trees at Calero Park. January 23, 2005. Photo copright Dan Mitchell


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January 23, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Calero Bird