Foothills Park & Open Space Preserve Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County, California 6th Hike: Foothill College Day Hike Instructor: Thomas McCarthy Friday, November 8, 2013 By Peter Y. Chou WisdomPortal.com |
Preface: This is the sixth hike in Thomas McCarthy's Day Hike Class (PHED 23B) at Foothill College. A friend gave me a ride to today's hike at Foothills Park (map, photos) 3300 Page Mill Road, Los Altos Hills. Hiked here on July 4, 1989 and had to bring current PG&E bill to prove Palo Alto residency. Made a wrong turn today on Page Mill Road and arrived at hike at 1:20 pm. Noticed the instructor's sign-up sheet and hike directions on his car's windshield. However, we crossed the wrong bridge at the beautiful Borondo Lake with white-billed coots. Around 2:40 pm, we met an older gentleman (Mark) from our class near Shady Cove. He informed us that we took the wrong turn and can find our way taking the Woodrat Trail. It took 29 minutes hiking on this 0.4 mile trail to the Toyon Trail. A dozen photos on the Woodrat Trail were dark (Arching Bay Tree, Tuning Fork Bay Tree) and need brightening in Photoshop. Hard to find Wildhorse Valley Trail as it was not on official map. Around 3:23 pm, met Emma & later Robin from our class, who told us the wooden bridge is past post #25. Finally found the Five Steps at 3:31 pm and the Wooden Bridge at 3:35 pm. Tom's hike instruction: "Cross bridge start new trail on other side of access road. Follow Costanoan Trail (1.3 miles) through Fern Valley. Cross 2nd bridge (Los Trancos Bridge). Follow to top (view area service road). Turn back at this point. Turn left at Woodrat Trail (starts with 6 stairs). Follow to parking lot (0.4 mile)". Los Trancos Trail Signpost across the service road says the 1.3 miles Costanoan Trail hike takes 50 minutes. Since it was 3:45 pm already, it would be dark around 6 pm getting back. So it was safer to follow the numbered posts from #25 to #1 and 0.4 mile returning to the park entrance. Picked up "Toyon Nature Trail" flyer near a post by the Bridge, and didn't look at its content that the numbered posts refer to plants on the trail. Got back to the park entrance at 4:49 pm. My friend yelled "thousand-legged insect" in the lady restroom, but it was just a centipede. Caught view of a Half Moon at Twilight. Missed photo of a deer stepping in front of the car looking at us on Page Mill Road. Below are 104 photos from today's hike. |
![]() Foothills Park Signpost |
![]() Page Mill Road to Foothills Park |
![]() California Live Oak at Park Entrance |
![]() Maple Tree in Open Field |
![]() Greetings to Old Oak Stump |
![]() Old Hag Tree on Trail |
![]() Approaching Boronda Lake |
![]() View of Boronda Lake |
![]() Virgin Bowers (Clematis virginiana) |
![]() Gnarly Oak by Boronda Lake |
![]() Marsh Reeds by Boronda Lake |
![]() Reeds & Coots in Boronda Lake |
![]() Sunflare through Y-Shape Tree |
![]() Trail to Boronda Lake |
![]() Trail by Boronda Lake |
![]() Trail to Boronda Lake Bridge |
![]() Coots in Boronda Lake |
![]() Needle Reeds Curtain Lake View |
![]() Needle Reeds Window to Lake |
![]() Bending Bay Tree to Boronda Lake |
![]() Boronda Lake Bridge |
![]() Ramp Trail & Boronda Lake View |
![]() Arching Bay Trees |
![]() Crossing Boronda Lake Bridge |
![]() Bench by Boronda Lake |
![]() Trail by Boronda Lake |
![]() Coots Coming to the Shore |
![]() Coot Coming Close to Shore |
![]() Coot Coming Close By |
![]() Vegetation in Boronda Lake |
![]() Bench by Boronda Lake |
![]() Closeup of Coot by Shore |
![]() Closeup of Coot near Shore |
![]() Closeup of Coot near Shore |
![]() Vista View through Bay Tree |
![]() Bench with Lake View |
![]() Coots in Boronda Lake |
![]() Lakeside Picnic Area |
![]() Bay Tree Drinking in Lake |
![]() Rock in Boronda Lake |
![]() Boronda Bridge Across the Lake |
![]() View of Road & Hills |
![]() Shady Cove Picnic Area Signpost |
![]() Woodrat Trail Signpost |
![]() Hiking on Woodrat Trail |
![]() Twisted Bay Tree |
![]() "Tuning Fork" Bay Tree |
![]() Crumbling Old Oak |
![]() Arching Bay Tree |
![]() Six Steps Stair to Woodrat Trail |
![]() Six-Trunks Bay Tree |
![]() Vista View from Woodrat Trail |
![]() View of Lake from Woodrat Trail |
![]() "Wild Wolf" Trunk on Trail |
![]() Wildhorse Valley Trail Signpost |
![]() Six Steps to Woodrat Trail |
![]() Post 17: Mountain Vista |
![]() Found Five Steps at Last! |
![]() Round California Live Oak |
![]() Wooden Bridge & Toyon Trail Signpost |
![]() Los Trancos Trail Signpost |
![]() Wildhorse Valley Trail |
![]() View from Wooden Bridge |
![]() Buckeye Tree (Aesculus glabra) |
![]() Downhill Trail to the Right |
![]() Thicket of Bay Trees |
![]() Post #25 Closest to Wooden Bridge |
![]() Uphill for Scenic View |
![]() Vista View from Uphill |
![]() Another Vista View from Uphill |
![]() Virgin Bowers from Uphill |
![]() Dead Bay Tree "O" Trunk |
![]() Bay Trunk's "O Cry of Pain" |
![]() "Aries Ram Horn" Trunk |
![]() Post #12: "Trident" Trunk |
![]() Post #14 for Shakespearean Sonnets |
![]() Vista View from Toyon Trail |
![]() Another Vista View for Toyon Trail |
![]() Gnarly Bay Trees |
![]() Serpentine Bay Branch |
![]() Post #4: Y-Shape Live Oak |
![]() V-Shape Trunk |
![]() Vista View of Light & Dark |
![]() Serpentine Branch of Bay Tree |
![]() Horizontal Bay Tree on Trail |
![]() "Bird Beak" Image in Trunk |
![]() "Heart Image" in Trunk |
![]() Post #3: Coastal Wood Fern |
![]() Gnarly Bay Tree |
![]() Hilltop View thru Gnarly Bay Tree |
![]() Post #1: Toyon Trailhead |
![]() "Gaussian" Hill from Toyon Trail |
![]() "Gaussian" Hill through Tree Branches |
![]() Toyon Trail Signpost |
![]() Y-Shape California Live Oak |
![]() Maple Tree near Entrance |
![]() Half Moon at Twilight |
![]() Porsche Car Logo |
![]() Centipede in Lady Restroom |
![]() Half Moon above the Trees |
![]() Foothills Open Field at Twilight (1) |
![]() Trees on Hill at Twilight |
![]() Porsche Car Parked Behind Us |
![]() Deer in Front of Car on Page Mill Road |
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