Dan's Outside

Mission Peak

Cattle on Mission Peak. June 27, 2004.

Yes. Cattle.

You’d think I’d come back from a peak climb with photos of something other than livestock, but whatever…

I did a quick hike up Mission Peak this morning. It is a good climb, so it works as preparation for my upcoming Sierra pack trip. (Two weeks from today I should be descending to the west out of Dusy Basin.)
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June 27, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Mission Peak

Summer Grass

Dry grass at Almaden Quicksilver Park. June 26, 2004.
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June 27, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Summer Grass

Almaden Quicksilver Mining Equipment

Abandoned mining equipment. Almaden Quicksilver Park. June 26, 2004.
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June 26, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Almaden Quicksilver Mining Equipment

English Camp buildings

Boards on abandoned building at English Camp. Quicksilver County Park. June 4, 2004.
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June 17, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on English Camp buildings

Wood Road or Woods Road?

Now I’m confused. I originally thought that the trail I wrote about earlier this week was the “Woods Road” trail, but then I saw a reference to “Wood Road” online. Now I see other references to “Wood Road” and I’m confused… ;-)

I’ll leave the references on this site as they are for now.
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June 15, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Wood Road or Woods Road?

Wood Road: A new trail

Yesterday my Almaden Quicksilver Park hike terminated at the start of the Wood Road trail at the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. Today I decided to drive straight up to this trailhead and explore this new (to me, at least) trail.

I hiked out about 3 miles to a small creek where I stopped for a snack before retracing my steps. This trail (a road, really) is wide and not very steep, at least on this first part – it provides very easy hiking. There are great views back towards Almaden Quicksilver Park (one can see the whole ridge), Santa Clara Valley, and back up towards the old radar station on top of Mt. Umunhum.

I’m curious why this road exists. It is fairly wide – in places cars could pass one another – and it is well graded. But why was it built? Was it used for logging at some early point in time? Is it connected in some way to the history of the New Almaden mines?

The next time I do this hike I’ll try to get to at least El Sombroso, the 2,999′ high point on the traverse to Los Gatos. Eventually I’d like to try the whole trail from New Almaden to Los Gatos via this route.

Leaves on the Wood Road trail, Sierra Azul Open Space. June 13, 2004.
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June 13, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Wood Road: A new trail

Sierra Azul Photographs

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Owen and Caroliine descend Limekiln Trail. December 19, 2004.

Owen climbs El Sombroso. December 19, 2004.

Wood Road. December 19, 2004.

Mt. Umunhum. December 19, 2004.

Leaves on the Woods Road trail. June 13, 2004.
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June 13, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Sierra Azul Photographs

PhotographyPagesList

Abstract

Alaska

Antelope Valley

Big Basin

Black & White

Calero

Canada

Castle Rock

Death Valley

Desert

Green World

Mission Peak

Mono Lake

Mount Shasta

Ocean

Owens Valley

Pacific Northwest

People

Point Lobos

Quicksilver (1)

Quicksilver (2)

Sanborn Park

Santa Teresa Park

SF Bay Area

Sierra Azul

Sierra Nevada

Skiing

White Mountains

Wildlife

Yosemite

Snapshots

Photo Archive
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June 13, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on PhotographyPagesList

Another photo of Almaden Quicksilver Mines ruins

I think I like this black and white version better than the color version posted earlier.

Quicksilver mine ruins. June 12, 2004.
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June 12, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Another photo of Almaden Quicksilver Mines ruins

Another Quicksilver Hike

I got out for a morning hike at New Almaden Quicksilver Park today. I need to start increasing the hiking mileage and the amount of climbing in order to prepare for my long Sierra pack trip that starts about four weeks from today.

I climbed up the English Camp Trail to the ridgetop mine ruins and then headed down the Wood Road trail to the Wood Road park entrance. I stepped across the road there to check out the entrance to the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, where I picked up a map. It looks like I could probably string together one of my Almaden Quicksilver hikes with a long traverse through Sierra Azul to Los Gatos and create a 16 mile or so hike.

Mine ruins near the Castillero/Woods Road trail junctions. June 12, 2004.
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June 12, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Another Quicksilver Hike