Tag: outdoor

We finally made it to Twin Peaks!

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Trip Date: 14 February, 2016

We finally made it to the much sought-after Twin Peaks in the most unplanned way. We’ve always been very skeptical about a) driving through the San Francisco city and b) finding a parking spot in the city. So Twin Peaks, which are right in the middle of the city, have always been one of those elusive spots that one can only drive to but seemed inaccessible because of the petty parking problems. After all, the satellite map showed only a handful of legit parking spots between the two peaks.

On top of one of the Twin Peaks

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Coyote Point Recreation Area and Seal Point, San Mateo

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Hike Date: Januray 18, 2016

Occasion: MLK National Holiday (Monday)

What better way to celebrate a national holiday than to go for a long walk in the wilderness, not too far from home. After our first year’s experience of living in the Bay Area, we had dismissed the idea of going for a road trip anywhere around because one would invariably be caught up in a traffic load of people trying to do the same. Or of people returning home via road after a long weekend.

Destination: Bay Trail in San Mateo’s “Coyote Point Recreation Area“, just next door to the San Francisco International Airport

Coyote Point Recreation Area

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Alum Rock Park, San Jose (South Rim Trail)

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Hike Date: August 16, 2015

Alum Rock Park is a municipal park in east San Jose; in fact, the first one established in California! The park spans from west to east, snug within the Alum Rock Canyon, and at the foothills of the Diablo Range. One can only imagine how any hike starting from the base of a hill would be like.

The South Rim Trail runs along the southern escarpment of the Alum Rock Canyon. The north and south escarpments of the canyon are characteristically different from each other in foliage – one is almost completely devoid of tree cover (North Rim Trail) and the other provides an excellent cover from the harsh summer sun (South Rim Trail).

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First Hike Ever, Solo, in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve || PG&E Trail

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Hike Date: June 26, 2015

(For my later hikes in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, see “Hike: PG&E – Wildcat – Coyote Loop Trail” and “Hike: Rogue Valley – Wildcat Loop – Upper High Meadow – Upper Wildcat Canyon“.)

I have for long been a member of various outdoor meetup groups but never really participated in any of the activities. But I did take one advantage of the membership without going for a meetup – the constant email notifications from the different groups kept me abreast of the trails people were heading out to from time to time.

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