Saturday, September 5, John Trudeau led a hike in the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve near Lexington Reservoir and Los Gatos. We took the Limekiln Trail from Alma Bridge Road to Priest Rock and return via the Priest Rock trail for a distance of 7.8 miles round trip and about 1100 feet elevation gain. Although the beginning of the trail was shaded, most of it was exposed. The Sierra Azul OSP has the beauty and ruggedness of an unspoiled wilderness. There are great views of serpentine grasslands, hard, rocky, and steep chaparral, dense stands of bay trees, or quiet, shaded oak woodland forests.

Johanna Bakker led a rambler hike in Monterey. The group visited the Mirada museum and saw a great exhibition of California Impressionists from 1895-1970 and the works of Pedro de Lemos, an Art teacher of Stanford. He worked in multi media, block printing, etchings and wood and leather work and oil painting watercolor etc. The group walked to the Monterey Mission then to the other museum on Pacific street, with more of the “Impressionists​”.  Then we walked to fisherman’s wharf and ate at  Albalonetti, an excellent restaurant with good seafood and patio with a view.

Gary Holmquist on Saturday, August 29th led a five mile hike with approximately an 800 foot elevation gain in Wunderlich County Park in Woodside. The trail was mostly shaded and not too strenuous. The weather was overcast but very humid making for more of a challenge. There was an optional lunch at Max’s in San Mateo.

Wate and Johanna Bakker led long and rambler hikes along the coast, north of Santa Cruz, from the Gazebo Creek coastal access to the Anno Nueva state Park The hike was mostly flat along beaches, through sand dunes and coastal prairie. There were some rocks and steps to manuver. The ramblers did 3-4 miles and  long hikers did 7-8 miles. The weather was cool and overcast making for an excellent hike day.

Bonnie Preston and Katy Peretti led a rambler hike to the Guadalupe River area in SJ to see the new creative Mammoth Statue which was just installed. It’s a very creative statue located in the area where the skeletal bones were found in 2005. It stands 6 feet tall and weighs 3,000 pounds. These 12,500 year old bones are of the Columbian mammoth that roamed the lands around what is now North San Jose.

Sy Gelman led the ramblers on 4 mile hike in the eastern part of Golden Gate Park that most tourists miss. We visited the Arboretum and walked around Stowe Lake with a stream that flows up, and passed by several museums. Afterwards lunch was at Sy’s favorite “eatery” site on 9th St.

Johanna Bakker led the ramblers on a hike at Wilder Ranch in Santa Cruz and enjoyed cool ocean breezes and mild temperatures. It was a trail that we looped around and some people went partway, rested, and then met up with the group on their return. We had a late lunch at a downtown restaurant Laili in Santa Cruz that had excellent tasty dishes with Silk Road flavors. Afterward eight long hikers returned for an additional four mile hike.