Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, Portola Valley, CA

Just off I-280 on Alpine road, Windy Hill provides a formidable hike, with an 1100+ foot elevation gain over 2.5 miles (>5-mile round trip). Start at the trail head, then go 0.7 miles along Meadow Trail before turning left when you hit Spring Ridge Trail. Continue for 1.6 miles up the steep rolling hillside paths, then take Anniversary Trail 0.2 miles to the summit. You'll enjoy excellent views of the bay. Be sure to bring water and sunscreen. For those who want to skip the uphill struggle, park at Skyline Boulevard and take the 0.7-mile Anniversary Trail loop.

Trail: Spring Ridge Trail + Meadow Trail, 5.4 miles, 1100ft elev gain
Difficulty: >Moderate (elevation change, steepness, exposure to sun)

Sweeney Ridge, San Bruno/Pacifica, CA

This scenic hike features views of San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Park at the trail head at Sneath Lane, and continue 1.7 miles on foot. Along the way, the trail overlooks the San Francisco Watershed and San Andreas Reservoir (which is situated along the San Andreas Fault). Further into the hike you'll get excellent views of SF bay. Once you hit a crossroads near the top of the ridge, you can continue northwards on Sweeney Ridge trail or go southwards on Baquiano trail for a longer hike and views of the Pacific coast before turning back.


Trail: Sneath Lane trail, 3.3 mile round trip, 540ft elev change
Difficulty: Moderate

Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA

Just north of the Golden Gate bridge, the Marin Headlands offers several trails with excellent coastal views. To get there, exit on Alexander Avenue, turn left on Danes Drive/Bunker Road (stopping at the tunnel until the 5-minute stoplight turns green), and follow the signs to the visitor center, where you can get a trail map. Parking is free everywhere in the park. Visitor center staff and hikers are courteous and helpful. It may be a good idea to check the weather beforehand.

There are several points of interest in this scenic area.

The first, Point Bonita Lighthouse, is accessible via Field Road. Walk 0.5 miles along the Point Bonita trail while taking in pleasant ocean views before hitting a tunnel. Between 12:30 and 3:30pm on weekends and Mondays, one can reach the lighthouse through this tunnel. The surrounding area is also home to several historic military installations including Fort Barry (with several gun batteries), built around 1900, and a Nike Missile Site active during the cold war.


From a hiking standpoint, the main attraction is the Coastal/Miwok trails. Park at the northeastern corner of Rodeo Lagoon and walk 1.6 miles on Miwok Trail, which rises hundreds of feet in elevation. Bear left on Wolf Ridge Trail for 0.7 miles. The journey is somewhat strenuous but worth it. As soon as you hit Coastal Trail you'll be rewarded with stunning views of Rodeo Cove, Bird Island, and the Pacific Ocean. Continue west, then south, descending along the Coastal trail for 1.5 miles. Point Bonita Lighthouse should be visible in the distance (photo #1b). Turn left on Lagoon Trail and continue for another mile or so until you return full circle to the trail head.



Trail: Miwok + Wolf Ridge + Coastal trails, 4.8 miles
Difficulty: >Moderate (elevation change, length)

Del Valle Regional Park, Livermore, CA

Situated just south of Livermore, Del Valle Regional Park offers scenic trails around Lake Del Valle, a reservoir formed in 1968 from a dam of the same name. Both are part of the South Bay Aqueduct. Late winter/ early spring is a good time to visit as heat can be a factor on hotter days, due to the lack of cover from trees. Parking is available at the Arroyo Road staging area on the north side of the lake.

At the start of the hike, we were treated with a stunning
view of the surrounding hillside/cliffs.



After an uphill hike of several hundred feet or so, Lake
Del Valle becomes visible. The East Shore Trail then
winds around the northeastern edge of the lake, providing
different viewing angles.



For a closer view of the lake, we took the Heron Bay trail at about mile 3. After the trail reconnects with the East Shore trail 1.3 miles later, we turned back for the return journey. (The Heron Bay trail also offshoots earlier from the main trail at mile 1, reconnecting at mile 2 but we elected to not take that option). For a much longer hike keep hiking southward on the main trail.

Cows can also be seen resting near the trails and are friendly and unafraid of hikers (Be wary of cow dung though. Also note that it's advisable to keep your distance from such large animals).

"Don't provoke me, I'm a 1500 lb beast."
Photos 1/2/3/5 courtesy of Mike Y.

All in all, this is a good workout for the casual to serious day-hiker.

Trail: East Shore Trail + Heron Bay Trail, 7.5 miles round trip
Difficulty: >Moderate (length, unshaded)

Sign Hill Park, South San Francisco, CA

In late February of 2016 my brother and I took a short hike
at Sign Hill Park. The park is centered around an enormous
sign calling out "SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO THE INDUSTRIAL
CITY", which was created in the 1920s to attract industry to
the city. Street parking is available outside the park entrance.


The short but steep hillside hike (mild scramble) is rewarded with panoramic views of San Francisco bay. Jetliners can also be seen taking off and landing at nearby SF International Airport.


On the way back we took a different route.

Difficulty: Moderate (steep grade)

All photos courtesy of Mike Y.

Castle Rock State Park, Los Gatos, CA

This California state park is located in the south bay, along the Santa Cruz mountains. Its sandstone rock formations and forested trails make for a pleasant, distinctive hiking experience. The trail can be somewhat steep at times, especially on the approach to Castle Rock itself, but is not too strenuous on the whole--good for a weekend family outing.


Castle Rock Falls / Overlook


Castle Rock

Trail: Castle Rock + Saratoga Gap trails (to falls), 2-mile round trip
Difficulty: Moderate (steep in certain areas)

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, WA

Cougar mountain is part of the Issaquah Alps, formed in the Miocene (up to 50 million years ago) by tectonic forces. It features tree-lined trails with a slight to moderate slope. The route we took was a 3.7+ mile loop traversing portions of Cave Hole, Fred's Railroad, Quarry, and Red Town trails. The elevation change was around 550 feet from the lowest to highest point.

Trail: Cave Hole, Fred's RR, Quarry, Red Town trails, 3.7 miles, 550ft elevation change
Difficulty: Moderate to >Moderate

Coal Creek Natural Area & vicinity, WA

Located east of Seattle, this network of trails provides many walking/jogging opportunities. The below trail is of the surrounding area, on the west summit side.

Selections from Hiking Class

In Fall 2014 I took an excellent hiking course at Foothill, instructed by Alana. Below are some of my favorite hikes.

Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont, CA
Located near the Dumbarton Bridge, this hike provides great views of San Francisco bay and marshlands. It is especially beautiful in the late fall when I went.

Note: Can get windy.

Huddart Park, Woodside, CA
This pleasant hike begins at the Zwierlein Picnic area, and goes for about 5 miles along the Crystal Springs and Dean Trails. Tall redwoods provide much of the scenery and the forest creates a damp, cool environment reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, which is a welcome change from the dry, exposed features that one may often expect of trails in California.

The trail itself is not very hilly, and can be completed in 2 or 2 1/2 hours. Expect to pay a $6 fee for parking.



Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Los Gatos, CA
Unlike Huddart Park, this hike is quite hilly. To get there, take Page Mill Road west for 7 miles after the 280 exit until reaching the park entrance on the left. The elevation climbs during the last few miles of Page Mill, and there are some splendid views even before reaching the park itself.

The hike itself starts out at around 2200 feet, descends to 1800 feet along the Stevens Creek trail, then climbs to 2800 feet at the top of Black Mountain in the span of 1.5 miles (if going up the Indian Creek trail). Be prepared for lots of sun exposure on the way up. Descending along the Monte Bello Road/Bella Vista Trail, there is some relief due to the downward slope and the shelter of the trees. An intense workout.

Difficulty: >Moderate (length and lack of shade)

★ Muir Woods National Monument, CA

In July of 2014 I visited Muir Woods National Monument with my family. The monument was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, to preserve the redwoods contained therein, some of which are well over 1000 years old.

Finding parking was somewhat of a task on a holiday weekend; it is advisable to get there early in the day, or be prepared to park on the side of the road a 15-minute walk away from the park entrance. A small admission fee is required (around $8 per person unless you have a senior discount) and the visitor center staff is friendly. Trail maps are available for $1.

The Main Trail is short and level, perfect for the casual tourist/hiker. One can spend about 2 or 3 hours on this leisurely hike.


Other trails, such as the Canopy View Trail, provide more of an elevation change and can be less crowded. All in all, this casual, relaxing day hike is time well spent.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C.

Located in British Columbia, this large park is great for joggers, bikers, and nature enthusiasts, while offering splendid skyline views of the city of Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge.


Note: All photos courtesy of Mike Y.

Half Moon Bay redux, version 3.0

I recently revisited Half Moon Bay and caught the sunset there.

Mission Peak redux, version 3.0

In mid April of 2014, I redid Mission Peak with my brother (Fremont side). A good way to spend a weekend afternoon. View from top, facing northeast and eastward.

Carmel, CA

In mid-2013 I was in Carmel for a family outing with my parents/brother and one of my uncles/aunts who suggested this beautiful location. We started the day with a nice relaxing lunch at Tran's Noodle House, then hiked for a couple hours, soaking in the excellent views.

Discovery Park, Seattle, WA

This is Seattle's largest public park. I first visited this park on a nice summer's day in 2012 (shout-out to my brother for introducing me to this place!). There are multiple trails to choose from. The 2.8-mile Loop Trail is a relaxing forest trail that offers scenic views of Puget Sound, ideal for nature lovers and joggers alike.


There is also a visitor center near the park's entrance where you can park and get information.

Rock Island Trail State Park, Wyoming, IL

This 26+ mile mostly flat & straight trail near Peoria, Illinois is good for weekend jogging. This site used to be a railway between Peoria and Rock Island, active from the late 1800s until around 1950.


Note: Posted on 1/4/15. The "Published on" date is the actual date of the hike.

Hocking Hills State Park, OH

About 1 hour south of Columbus, Ohio, this state park offers nice forest hikes, unique rock formations, and beautiful waterfalls.

Cedar Falls

Deception Pass State Park, Oak Harbor, WA

Located in NW Washington state, this strait is a pleasant hiking and camping destination, especially during the summer months. I hiked this one together with my parents and brother.



Note: Posted on 1/4/15. The "Published on" date is the actual date of the hike.

Sunol Regional Wilderness to Mission Peak Regional Preserve

This is a ~10-mile round trip hike I took in July 2010 from Sunol Regional Wilderness, through the San Francisco Water District land, up the eastern face of Mission Peak to the top, and back. Note: The journey is somewhat strenuous and gets quite isolated in the forested areas. If you choose to attempt this hike, it is a good idea to bring friends and ample food/water, clothing/sunblock, flashlight, and a cell phone.

The hike starts at the Sunol Visitor Center, where hikers
are required to purchase an Ohlone Wilderness Trail per-
mit and trail map. At the trail head, sign in.


The first 3 miles of the climb consist of SF Water District
land, which is forested and isolated.


After exiting this section and signing out on the other side,
the forest gives way to grassy hillside.


For the next 2 miles there is a steady climb until the top of Mission Peak. Time and energy management can become an issue, and my legs cramped up at around the 5-mile mark, forcing me to take a 20-minute break before turning back. After recharging my batteries with granola bars and water, it's time to descend Mission Peak, and cross the SF Water District land again (signing in and out again).

By the end of the hike I was exhausted, and had barely finished before sunset. Time to grab dinner, go home and sleep...

Trail: Ohlone Wilderness Regional Trail -- Sunol Visitor Ctr to Mission Peak, 9.25 mi
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous (length, unshaded, steep grade, isolation)

Stanford Dish, CA

This is a hilly jog near the Stanford campus. A good workout. It was introduced to me by my brother. The dish itself is a radio telescope built in 1966 by what is now SRI International.

Trail: Stanford Dish Loop, 3.8 miles, 500ft elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate

Redoing some hikes/jogs

In mid February 2010 I redid a couple of my earlier hikes/jogs. Below are photo comparisons between summer and winter.

Shoreline Park


Mission Peak

Carson Falls, Fairfax, CA

In the woods of Pine Mountain off of Bolinas Rd. in Fairfax, there is a beautiful waterfall called Carson Falls. The falls are about 1.5 miles from the trail head, along Little Carson Trail.

Sunol Regional Wilderness, Fremont, CA

Nestled in the hills east of Fremont, Sunol Regional Wilderness is quite enjoyable during mid-winter when the hills are lush and green. Great for families, or for a brisk afternoon hike.

The drive to the park (going north on a narrow and winding Calaveras Rd.) provides nice views of Calaveras Reservoir and surrounding area. There are a few opportunities to park and enjoy the scenery, if you're not afraid of heights.


Little Yosemite is one of the park's main attractions. To get there, take the Canyon View Trail going southeast from the visitor center for a little over 1.5 miles. On the way, there's a moderately steep uphill climb and opportunities to get up close and personal with some cows (I kept my distance as a precaution). Then turn right and proceed downhill along the well marked trail to Little Yosemite, and make your return via Camp Ohlone Road.


Note: A trail map is available on entry to the park. Visitor center staff is friendly and helpful.

Montara Mountain, CA

Just south of Pacifica, Montara Mountain overlooks the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. If you hike up to the north peak on a sunny day with no fog, you may be able to catch impressive views of both. One possible option is to start at San Pedro County Park, and take the Brooks Falls trail and Montara Mountain trail for 3.5 miles to the top, for a 7 mile round trip.


Note: The drive to and from the park is almost as scenic as the hike, with Highway 1 hugging the beautiful coastline.

Difficulty: >Moderate (length, elevation change)