2014 – Page 2 – Villages Hiking Club

Almaden Quicksilver Hike

Brad Hinckley led a rambler hike to Almaden Quicksilver Park, north end. It was a moderate loop of five miles and 1,000 vertical feet. It was a scenic hike past mine ruins to the reservoir and back. Lunch was at Olive Garden Restaurant afterwards.

Carmel Fall Outing

Wate Bakker organized a hike for the first day that started right after lunch where we got a little warm up before checking into the hotel.That first night October 22nd we met for light hors d’oeuvres and snacks at the hotel patio at 5:00 pm. Jackie Jones did a wonderful job with help from Jane Ruona organizing this event and supplying the food. Dinner that first night was on your own if you were still hungry.

John Trudeau led hikes on trails in Garrapata state park on Thursday October 23rd. It included hikes for all levels of hikers. Some members hiked at beautiful point Lobos that day also. For those not hiking, the town of Carmel provided many interesting tours and activities. The second night, Thursday October 23rd, we met again at the hotel patio at about 5:00 for light snacks provided by the hiking club. After snacks we all walked to the Bistro 211 restaurant for dinner. Terri Molloy did a wonderful job of selecting and arranging all the details as the meals were delicious.

Botano State Park

Dan Kato led a long hike of about 10 miles at Botano State Park on Saturday,October 18th. We started near the park entrance and first ascend the Ano Neuevo trail, a long and steep climb. A beautiful view awaited at the top. After that, things got a little easier but there were still some up and down climbs. We hiked along one side of the valley and came back on trails and on the fire road on the other side of the valley. The trails were mostly shaded with a few sunny stretches.

Geocatching Event

The Hiking Club Ramblers had its first geocaching trip. Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunt that’s happening right now, all around you. There are 2,478,102 active geocaches and over 6 million geocachers worldwide. While geocaching you hunt for hidden caches that can vary greatly in size and appearance. You may find anything from a large, clear plastic container or a film canister or a fake rock with a secret compartment.

Black Mountain Hike

John Trudeau led a hike on Saturday, October 11th up Black Mountain starting at Hidden Villa in Los Altos. It was about an 8-mile hike with about an 1,100 ft elevation gain. We took the Adobe Creek trail from Hidden Villa (1.0 mi) to intersect the Black Mountain trail, then took that to the first power pylon (1.6 mi). We returned to Hidden Villa via the Hostel trail (1.5 mi). The trail features some very nice woodlands and some of the best views of Silicon Valley of any trail in the Skyline Ridge area. The trail was mostly wooded, with no traffic noise and few trail intersections.

Sierra Vista Hike

Gary and Terry Holmquist led a hike to Sierra Vista Open Space in San Jose. The hike started from the newly opened parking lot/trail head on Sierra Road. We walked approximately 3-1/4 miles on mostly level trails. Most participants participated with an optional lunch at Lee’s Sandwiches on Berryessa Road.

Seascape Beach Resort Event

On Saturday,October 4th all levels of Hikers and Walkers assembled at Jane Ruona’s Seascape condo for a day of fun and viewing on our beach walk. Cameras and binoculars helped reveal shorebirds, dolphins, and whales. We saw many dolphins only a few yards out swimming parallel to the shore and through the incoming waves.

Vasona Park Hike

On Wednesday, October 1st John Trudeau led a hike at Vasona Park in Los Gatos. We started at the southern end of the Park and explored the park as we walked to the Vasona Dam.Then we followed the creek trail north to Los Gatos Creek County Park in Campbell. We then returned to Vasona Park and continued on a short way into Los Gatos and enjoyed lunch at T-Bird’s Pizza. We saw several birds and flowers along the way.

Canada Geese

Two Egrets

Devil’s Slide Trail Hike

Johanna Bakker led a rambler hike along the Devil’s slide trail near Pacifica. It was a fully paved hiking and biking trail along the old highway one, now superseded by a tunnel. The trail is completely new with many look out points and rest stops but has some gradual ups and downs and was a hiking distance of about 3 miles . Wate Bakker led the long hikers to near the top of Montara Mountain, starting at the San Pedro Country park parking lot. The hike turned out to be approximately 6.25 miles long with an altitude difference of 1700 ft. Afterwards we late a late lunch at the Moonraker restaurant on Rockaway Beach in Pacifica. It was another beautiful day for hiking with cool temperatures and light breezes.

Rich Bainbridge,Bonnie Preston,Robyn Siebenthall,
Marie Buck,Johanna Bakker,Katy Peretti,Laura Gelman

Wedding at Moonracker restaurant

Santa Cruz History Hike

Liz Giarratana led a Santa Cruz History Hike on Wednesday, September 24th. We explored Santa Cruz on a 3 mile walk through some of the history of that iconic coastal town. We parked in the downtown area and saw the sights on Pacific Ave and their pedestrian mall. Then there was a 20 minute walk to the beach area where we had lunch. Afterward we explored a historic neighborhood above the beach called Beach Hill. The trolley then took us back to downtown Santa Cruz.