Mangini Ranch

June 09, 2014

Mangini Ranch is a property acquired in 2006 by Save Mt. Diablo, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the land around Mt. Diablo. The ranch is 208 acres, and contains the headwaters of Galindo Creek.

One of the many old Buckeyes that dot the property.

The property has been used in the past for ranching, and was a tempting target for developers for quite a while.

Fortunately for us, the Mangini family decided to sell the property to SMD, and now we can hike the property and observe nearly 600 species of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, plants and arthropods.

Grazing cows on the property help mitigate tall, dry grass as a fire hazard.

Save Mt. Diablo likes to donate their properties to the state to be incorporated in to the greater Mt. Diablo State park, but due to budget cutbacks at the state level, the park can not currently maintain any additional properties. As a result, SMD maintains the properties until the state resources open up.

A yawning old oak on a hillside at Mangini Ranch.

Currently, the only way to hike this property is through a guided hike by SMD. I am a hike leader for SMD, and I and other SMD volunteers lead hikes here. For a full calendar of hikes on this property, and other SMD properties, please visit the SMD calendar.

The trail winds through a patch of gnarly Buckeyes.

Cows graze on the rolling hills around the property.

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Cows graze at Round Valley Regional Preserve

Round Valley Regional Preserve - March 2014

April 25, 2014

This is my second photographic visit to Round Valley, and it's turning out to be one of my favorite hikes. The combination of beautiful views, stunning oak groves and a hearty loop hike make this a compelling place to visit.

The land for this park was acquired in 1988, saving it from development or being buried under tons of garbage and waste.

A side trail meanders next to the dry Round Valley creek bed.

This is a simple loop hike. Starting at the trailhead, head off across the bridge and head right, on to the Miwok Trail.

Following the wide Miwok Trail will take you through a valley of oaks, littered with rocks and boulders.

At 1.49 miles, you'll bear left and start your climb up the Hardy Canyon Trail. Cows graze in the valley below, and up along the trailside.

Grazing cows along the Hardy Canyon Trail

As you climb the Hardy Canyon Trail, the views of Round Valley below display a California that existed before development.

A view in to the valley below from the Hardy Canyon Trail

All along the trail, the views become more spectacular as the climb becomes steeper. The elevation change on this hike is about 1500 feet, so you'll feel your heart pounding, reminding you to pause and enjoy the views. Along this trail you may see rattlesnakes. Give them wide berth...

This was going to be a landfill at one point!

Cows along the hillside. Those ridges are called terracettes, occurring when wet soil becomes saturated and heavy, slides down, and then dries. This is further exacerbated by the trampling of cows.

A trail leads to an oak grove, with Mt. Diablo in the background.

The cows in Round Valley become specks at you climb up the Hardy Canyon Trail. Once you reach the top of the hill, consider spending some time resting, hydrating and snacking.

The descent down Hardy Canyon Trail is swift, and you'll pass a muddy, sloppy pond before slipping in to an oak and buckeye grove.

A grove of oaks on the north side of the Hardy Canyon Trail.

More rock formations poke out from the hillside as the trail winds along High Creek.

Hardy Canyon Trail along the north side of the park.

The last part of the hike provides a nice view of an oak hillside above and to your left. The total distance is about 4.66 miles. Much of the hike is in full sun with limited canopy exposure. The climb up Hardy Canyon Trail may be too steep for some. A pair of hiking poles might help with the climb and balance along some of the more precarious sections of the trail.

Between the oak groves and views of the valley, this hike is a gem. Take your time, enjoy yourself, and expect to feel a comfortable exhaustion when you finish.

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Dawn lights up a cluster of bay trees on the Huckleberry Loop Trail

Huckleberry Loop at Dawn

March 26, 2014

Being on the trail as the sun comes up is a beautiful experience. The light just before dawn is a blue gray, and when the sun starts to peak over the horizon, it warms to a gold for just a few moments, and then the day brightens.

Bay Laurel trees along the lower Pinehurst Trail.

I started this hike at the lower Pinehurst trailhead. This is a good place to start if you live in the Lamorinda area, but it doesn't have parking. You'll have to be dropped off here. Just before dawn I took the lower Pinehurst Trail to the Huckleberry Path. This is a short but gentle climb on a wider fire road type trail.

Vines climbing the trees on the lower Pinehurst Trail.

Soon, you'll reach the Huckleberry Path split. I headed to the left, and followed Huckleberry Path as it weaved through the beautiful bay trees and sword ferns. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, and the picture below captures the bay trees stretching just before the dawn light woke them up.

In a moment, the bright golden light filled the area, and the path, trees, vines and plants glowed with a warm vibrance.

One of my favorite clusters of bay trees was lit up just as I approached it. I've seen these trees numerous times, but this was the most spectacular moment.

Soon I reached a place in the trail that was getting full exposure of the breaking dawn glow.

Back in to the shadows for a bit, as the sun climbed, I captured the mix of light and dark as the night transitioned to day.

On the heavily canopied trail, there are moments when the foliage opens up, revealing the foggy hillside across the valley.

The trail continues, offering a diverse and structurally beautiful assortment of coast live oaks, bay trees, manzanitas and madrones. Follow the text guide to observe each tree and shrub species. (Guide part 1, Guide and map, part 2) The Huckleberry Path has markers which point out the nature being observed. Depending on the time of year you are hiking, a number of plants may be in bloom.

Madrone tree reaches out to the hiker...

In the spring, you'll see clusters of blooming pink flowering currant.

One of my favorite sections of this short path is the narrow section on the south side. Here, you'll be in hummingbird territory. You'll hear their clicks and see them fly by as they gather nectar and check you out.

Also in this section are some shapely and twisted manzanitas. The limbs of the manzanita can look very much like arms and legs.

Throughout the 1.7 mile Huckleberry path, moss covered oaks stretch and twist.

As you approach the upper gate, there is a bench that looks out over the valley.

Continue your loop, and finish the hike. This is an easy loop, and if you start at the main trailhead off Skyline, there is a small parking area and a bathroom.

Directions to the main trailhead.

If you get dropped off at the lower Pinehurst gate, your path is as follows:

Hike .33 miles on the lower Pinehurst Trail

Follow the sign to Huckleberry Path

At .47 miles, continue left on the Huckleberry Path

1.06 miles, go right to continue on Huckleberry Path

1.13 continue right

1.98 go right on to Lower Huckleberry path

2.26 keep left

2.64 back at the Pinehurst gate.

This is a simple hike that is accessible and easy, though the trail is quite narrow in places. There are connections to the Skyline National Trail, Bay Area Ridge Trail and Anza Trail, and you can reach Sibley Regional Park from this preserve.

As always, be safe and have fun. This trail is suitable for hiking, but not for running. It's just too narrow in places, and you may run in to people.

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Trail Map: Map Side - Text Side

Mt. Rainier National Park - Kautz Creek Trail, Rampart Ridge Trail

February 04, 2014

It was probably not the best idea to visit Mt. Rainier National Park in the winter, but I got lucky. Lack of snow and rain allowed me to access a few trails in the old-growth forest. Old-growth forests have typically been undisturbed by fire, logging or other types of massive destruction for at least 120 years. In old-growth forests, you'll see the full cycle of nature. Large, dead standing and fallen trees are everywhere, with an abundance of new growth at all stages scattered about.

Life grows upon life, and everything is recycled. Trees grow, weaken and die, and support life and new growth at every stage. Dying and dead trees become the structure for other plants and the home for birds and other creatures.

The old-growth forests thrive at the base of the mountain. Mt. Rainier gets a tremendous amount of precipitation, especially snow. These forests survive at the lower elevations of the mountain, which is actually an active volcano. You'll see beautiful strands of Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock as you hike. Many old trees lie buried under moss and forest debris.

Trees at various stages of being reclaimed by the forest.

Just getting to Mt. Rainier National Park in the winter takes patience. Numerous road closures required a much longer journey than typical, but the beauty more than made up for the inconvenience.

After entering the park, I started out on Kautz Creek Trail. The trail hugs Kautz creek, which was the site of a massive mudflow in 1947. Heavy rains eroded part of the Kautz Glacier, leading to water and mudflow that covered the highway with 30 feet of mud.

The trail is well marked, with a parking area and restroom just across the street. At the start of the trail is a short path to the creek and an interpretive sign. Going the other way gets you on the hiking trail.

As you can see from the sign above, the trail leads to a group of other trails. The trail is a 2 mile round trip that parallels the creek.

Other than occasional patches of snow, the trail was clear, and the hike was easy and beautifully rewarding.

Mosses and lichen covered the trees and rocks, and the trees grew gnarly and twisted from the weather, making the setting even more haunting and mysterious.

I enjoyed the gentle sounds of the creek while hiking, and the solitude that comes from hiking in the winter. This trail is well maintained, and the beauty of the forest will bring you a tremendous sense of peace and relaxation.

After this hike, it was on to Rampart Ridge Trail, further up the road and near the information center and National Park Inn. You'll cross a small bridge to reach the trail.

I was stunned by the immediate beauty of the forest. The mosses were glowing green with vibrancy, and the foggy moisture in the air gave every breath a taste of the forest.

At this point, my light was fading fast, and a storm was approaching. Snow and rain storms can happen any time here, and it's challenging to photograph in the rain. So, I sprinted up the trail, trying to stay "in the moment" and appreciating the beauty, but also cognizant of the darkness above.

As I climbed, every tree seemed to be shouting for me to take its picture. Stunning beauty was in every direction, and so I took my time and clicked away.

Like Kautz Creek Trail, the Rampart Ridge Trail is in an old-growth forest. You can observe the forest floor littered with moss covered trees slowly being recycled by nature, becoming shelter and a source of nutrients for other forms of life.

The trees here don't have a deep root system. They hold on to rocks and the roots of other trees and cling to life as they grow up on the hip of a volcano.

New life grows in, on and through the collapsing structures of the old giants that used to cast shadows.

Take a moment to just observe and reflect in this forest. Everything is in the process of changing, and the light, wind and shadows put on a show for you.