Hike around Pine Canyon - Mt. Diablo State Park

It's been a long time since I've been to Mt. Diablo State Park.  It's one of my favorite places, but so are all of the other parks around here.  So, I got my trusty map and planned a hike.  I wanted to do a loop hike, and I found a nice route around Pine Canyon.  Most of this route is on fire roads, but Secret Trail is a single track that winds through some nice forest.  This was a busy route, filled with hikers and runners of all ages.  

The trailhead is located at the end of Green Valley Road in Alamo.  There is parking there, and bathrooms, but you'll need to pay the $6 fee in to a little box, and put your receipt on your dash.

Distance: 6.14 miles

Route:

Start out at the Marcedo Ranch Trailhead (End of Green Valley Road in Alamo)

Bathrooms, picnic tables, $6 parking fee

Take Wall Point Road

Bear Right at split between Dusty Road and Wall Point Road

Keep on Wall Point Road past Emmons Canyon Road

Climb to Wall Point at 1600 feet

Keep Left on Wall Point Road toward Secret Trail

Left on to Secret Trail

Left on BBQ Terrace Road

Left on to Stage Road 

Left on to Dusty Road

Right on Well Point Road back to parking lot

Notable Scenes:

Sun hitting the back side of these Oaks on the hill next to Wall Point Road

You'll see this nice cluster of Oaks as you climb Wall Point Road, just past the cow gate

Perching Scrub Jays on a Manzanita - Wall Point Road

Secret Trail - The only single track trail on this hike

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Pine Canyon

Mount Diablo State Park

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The Trails of Glendalough, Ireland

If your travels ever take you to Ireland, then journey up to Glendalough, in County Wicklow. There, you'll find the remains of a 6th century monastic settlement.  The lazy way to wander about is to take the Green Road trail, which passes the lower lake and touches the shoreline of the upper lake.  You'll pass through the old settlement and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the water.  

This is a history experience, along with a hike, and you'll get a true sense of the history of the place as you wander through the cemetery and around the lakes.  There is a visitor center with food and bathrooms. Numerous tours leave from Dublin, so visit Glendalough on your next trip there.  

The Round Tower. The opening is about 3.5 meters above the ground. The monks used to hide in here when threatened.

The main gate to the settlement. You can sense the history that walked through this gate.

Little Irish cottage by the Upper Lake.

Well maintained trails here.

Much of the walk is through beautiful Irish forest

A rare sunny day exposes more of the forest.

Wikipedia Entry

Wicklow Mountains National Park

Trail Map

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Ancient Stones

Glendalough, Ireland

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Hike to Briones Peak

Summer hikes in the East Bay can be challenging if you hike mid-day. Even the birds grow quiet, preferring to hang in the shade and watch weary hikers walk on by.  One way to avoid the fatigue and dust of a hike in the heat is to start out early.  It's also a great way to observe the beautiful morning light. Dawn is when the birds start chattering, and you'll have an opportunity to see them hunting for their breakfast.  

The parking area at the Reliez Valley Station is small, so get there early enough to grab a spot. Start out on the Blue Oak Trail, just past the gate. 

The trail splits, but reconnects later.  I took the single track trail on the left to avoid any bikers.  

The early morning sun gave a golden glow to the hills and Oaks as I climbed up the Blue Oak Trail. 

The trail here opens to a wider fire road.  You'll have views of rolling hills and the local suburbia, and even though this trail gets busier during the day, at this time of the morning it was peaceful and quiet.  In the high grasses, I saw a family of Wild Turkeys, and they scattered as I moved past them.  

Self Portrait on the Blue Oak Trail:

At 1.26 miles - Take a Left on to Spengler Trail.  Spengler splits here, but keep left for this trip to Briones Peak.

1.57 miles - Right on to Table Top Trail - On your climb to Briones Peak

From Table Top Trail, you'll see expansive views of the Carquinez Strait, and the Benicia/Martinez Bridge. You'll see this view again at the top of Briones Peak. 

1.94 miles - Keep Right on to Briones Crest Trail to Briones Peak

2.14 miles - On your Right is an unmarked little path to Briones Peak.  Follow this path for a short bit to a fence. On the other side of the fence is a nice bench with a view of the Carquiniz Strait.  If you're up to it, climb over the bars, sit and have a nice meal/snack/beverage.

Path to Briones Peak

View from Briones Peak

Return back down and head back the way you came.  At the Table Top/Briones Peak intersection, take a right on to Table Top Trail. This will take you on a nice, senic loop, but eventually leads back to the staging area.  Or, you could call it a day and return the way you came.  If you rested at Briones Peak, and had a snack, take the loop. It's great exercise.  

Scenes from the Loop:

Follow Table Top, and keep bearing left as you hike back.  This loop is going to take you back to the Table Top/Spengler split.   You'll follow Table Top on this loop, and eventually take a Left back on to Spengler.

At about 4.72 miles, you'll be back at the Table Top/Spengler split.  Continue Right on to Spengler.  Follow Spengler until you get back to the first split.

Take a Right here, on to Blue Oak Trail.  This will take you back to the Reliez Valley Staging Area.

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Hike to Briones Peak

Briones Regional Park

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Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

What a spectacular trip.  The Elkhorn Slough Reserve is a field laboratory for scientific research and estuarine education.  Its 1700 acres can be accessed via boat or hiking trails.  As you'll see from the photos below, there is an incredible variety of sea and bird life.  California sea lions and playful otters come right up to your boat. Egrets and Herons hunt just a few yards away.  Pelicans come right up to you, looking for handouts.  

This is home to a large colony of sea otters.  They float lazily around, enjoying the sun, but breaking to dive for clams, fish, or whatever else is on the menu.

What, another boat full of photographers?The Sea Lions are loud and energetic.  They are often lying on a pier, enjoying the sun and watching the boats warily.

The Reserve is home to a huge variety of birds.  You'll see Cormorants, Egrets, Pelicans, Herons, Gulls, and quite of few other birds native to the area.  Here is a birding guide to provide you the locations for best viewing. Here are a few of the birds I saw last week.

Cormorants...Like a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds"

Great EgretGreat Blue HeronAmerican White Pelican

Here is how to visit the Slough.    I went via a photography meetup. There are numerous boats that offer tours for photographers and visitors, and places to rent kayaks.  Here is a link to the hiking trails.

Have fun and be safe.

Galleries:

Sea Lions

Cormorants

Sea Otters

Egrets and Herons

Pelicans

Howth, Ireland

I just got back from a great adventure in Ireland, and I probably still have a few pints of Guinness sloshing around in my belly.  Rather than lugging my heavy Nikon d300, I just brought over the much more portable Canon s100.  It takes nice pictures, and incorporates geotagging the images, so you can see them on maps.

The first place we visited was Howth, a beautiful little coastal village outside of Dublin.  It was a easy train ride from Dublin City Center, and in about half an hour, you're dropped in the heart of the village.  Your first stop should be up the West Pier.  At the end of the pier is the tourist office, where you can pick up a trail map.  Of course, you'll pass about 5 restaurants and fish markets. You can start or end your journey with a good meal here.  All the places looked good, but the Salmon at the Brass Monkey was spectacular.  

Howth Harbor

Wander past the harbor, keeping left, and you'll head right up to the coastal trail, called the Cliff Path Loop.  At first you'll be walking up a road to access the trailhead, but you'll pass the little cottage where W.B. Yeats lived from 1880-1883.  He was an Irish Nobel Prize winning poet, who wrote such lines as:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned.

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

W.B. Yeats home

So, you're in a literary mood when you start your hike.  As you climb the road, you pass this beautiful house with the remains of an old, stone wall. 

Keep moving, you're almost there.  You'll find the trailhead, and probably walk past a few smiling locals.  Here the trail starts, over stone steps and up along the steep trail on the hillside.  

The trail is a bit precarious in places, so pay attention, but take time to admire the beauty. 

On this beautiful trail, you'll hike past Balscadden Bay, Puck's Rocks, The Nose of Howth and Casana Rock.  Right about at Lough Leven, and off in the fog shrouded distance, you'll see Baily Lighthouse.  You can actually walk to the lighthouse if you're up to it.  The longest trail, the Bog of the Frogs Loop, takes you about 10 miles throughout the countryside, but away from the edge of the coast.  On the other hand, if you have a bit o' dust on your throat, you can climb the steps up at Lough Leven.  Just at the top is a parking area, and down the little road is a nice pub.  There you can get a meal, shoot pool and warm up.  A pint of Guinness will give you the energy to wander down the road to the train station.  Great hike!

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Howth Trail Map

Howth in Wikipedia

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Howth, Ireland

Irish Coastal Trail

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