Weekly

Walker

By Tom Davids

A Walker's Paradise

Skyline Ridge

"The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy." Charles Dickens

Directions: Take Page Mill Road west to the intersection with Skyline Boulevard. The parking area, marked for the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, is located just west of the intersection. Or go south on Skyline Boulevard about one mile to the large Skyline Open Space Preserve parking lot. Whole-access trails to lakes are near each trail head.

Grade: Moderate. The overall elevation change is only 200 feet, but the trail is a bit steep on the south end.

Distance: Three miles round trip to Horseshoe Lake.

Time: Two hours.

Special Conditions: Handicapped toilet facilities are at both parking areas mentioned above; no problem with poison oak if you stay on the trail.

The intersection of Page Mill Road and Skyline Boulevard is a cornucopia of fine walking opportunities for the avid walker. Coming together at this junction are four open space preserves operated by the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District: Russian Ridge, Skyline Ridge, Coal Creek, and Monte Bello, with Los Trancos about a mile east. These connect to other preserves and county parks to form a nearly continuous ribbon of public access along Skyline Boulevard. Many of these parks and preserves will host the 400-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail now being developed.

Skyline Ridge is a 1,612-acre paradise with two major features not commonly found together on the Peninsula--great views and lakes--all within easy walking distance from the two parking areas. Each lake--Alpine Pond and Horseshoe Lake--has whole-access trails available from the parking areas noted above. Also, the district has taken special care to designate trails for specific use--hiking and jogging, bicycling, and horseback riding.

We started our walk at the Russian Ridge parking lot, elevation 2,200 feet. The trail immediately goes underground (under Alpine Road) and gradually angles down to Alpine Pond. The new building nearing on its eastern shore appears to be a nature study center dedicated to David C. Daniels on June 29, 1991. The inscription on the plaque doesn't tell us about David C. Daniels, but it does include a meaningful inscription--"With hope for the future for all who pass this way." We continued around the lake on the shady, level trail, stopping to examine the cattails and search for well-camouflaged frogs hidden in the bulrushes. This is one of the two trails at Skyline Ridge accessible to wheelchairs and baby strollers, which makes it a fine gathering place for persons of all ages and abilities. Floating observation platforms are available for close-up viewing.

On the south end of the pond, we connected to the Ridge Trail, which gradually ascends under a canopy of oak, downhill from a private residence and into a grassy slope with wonderful views of the deep Lambert Creek basin and rolling hills to the distant west. the unobstructed view continued as we gradually gained altitude to 2,380 feet. Soon we reached a rock outcropping where the carefully designed trail became a concrete platform complete with a safety rail.

In another half mile, our hiking trail intersected with an old ranch road, also designated for equestrian and bicycle use. We turned right and descended to Horseshoe Lake. Well named, this spring-fed lake looks like a giant horseshoe wrapped around a rocky knoll. The lake is accessible from several parking areas, including one reserved for handicapped parkers at the northwest side of the lake. A short whole-access trail leads from this area to the lake and along the water's edge.

We last visited this park on a rainy day in January. We plan to return in the spring when wildflowers cloth the grassy slopes and the views to the west never end.

For more information on this preserve, call the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District at (415) 949-5500.

Update for Dog Lovers:

The Mid-Peninsula Open Space District recently announced that dogs on leash are now allowed on all trails at Coal Creek, Fremont Older, St. Joseph's Hill, Thornwood, Sierra Azul (Kennedy-Limekiln Area), and Pulgas Ridge. Also, Windy Hill has one dog-friendly trail. Later this spring, the district will allow dogs to run off-leash on 17 acres at Pulgas Ridge. Watch this column for further details.