Summer Fun 2

Summer is the time to spend outside the home, in nature. This year one of friends and I decided to take our kiddos somewhere at least once in a week. So, they can enjoy together without any electronics. After visiting Lindsey museum we decided to go somewhere in nature, might be a little hike.  I found out one little hike little outside of the city bustle. 

Moss Glenn Falls

We started in the morning from north Conway, and we were driving through the green state Vermont to our next destination, Moss Glenn Falls. The green state is the perfect name of Vermont. As long as we drove we only saw beautiful green pastures, fall colored tree with few evergreens peeking  from the bright fall color.

Las Tramps hiking

Rocky Ridge loop trail
We wanted to do a family hike, not any strenuous one. I didn’t want to take my little one on any strenuous hike. Ha can’t walk all those trail, he gets tired, he can take his paining legs. After searching I found out Las Tramps Mountain. In Spanish Las Tramps means “The Traps”. Actually till early 20th century, people used to put traps to catch elks, and big cats. Still there are few mountain lion were left, but there is no elks. 

Mount Olympia hiking

In our hiking group, every time one of the members decide the trail of hiking. This time it was Mr. Man’s responsibility to select that. Mr. Man already hiked with his friends on a different trail of Diablo Mountain. Even last month we three hiked on another trail at Diablo Mountain. This time we decided more strenuous hiking. So, Mr. Man found out North Peak trail in Mount Olympia. The hike was going to be really strenuous, rather impossible to us. Eleven miles round trip with 3000 feet elevation was not possible, specially with a seven years old. Still we wanted to give a try.  In the morning of our hiking day, two of our hiking group members messaged that they wouldn’t be able to join us. So, we three, and another friend decide to carry on.
 

Failed Hiking in Dipsea trail

The lush green mountains of Main County always attract me. So, when we decided to go on a hiking, I first searched for trails in Main County. On the top of that, Mr. Man didn’t want to walk on any bare mountain trail on a hot day. When I searched for trails in Main County, Dipsea trail came in first. The pictures captivated my such a way I couldn’t imagine of searching any other trail. 

Beautiful Marin County 

Walking across Golden Gate Bridge

We were thinking of going hiking somewhere. Mr. Man wanted to go somewhere in San Francisco. Whatever, trail I suggested, he just dismissed all of them stating those are very easy to hike. At last he suggested walking across Golden Gate Bridge. We crossed the bridge numerous times by car, but never on foot. So, Mr. Man wanted to get that experience, though I was not that much kin to do that. 

Walking in Bellvue state park

It was another lazy afternoon, we were sitting on the couch and planning to go somewhere. However, whatever places we wanted to go, all of them were on the verge of closing for the day, even the mall.

 

Visit to Bushkill Falls

It was totally an unplanned visit to my sister’s place in Philadelphia. So, I didn’t have time to research about the places to visit in Philadelphia. Though I’ve found about Pocono Mountains, but, neither I researched in detail nor I took much interest in it.

Redwood Regional Park

We didn’t know about the hidden redwood forest which was very near to the Oakland downtown. Where we hiked in Bay area, we didn’t get such a splendid Redwood forest anywhere. We had been in Oakland downtown many times, but we were completely unaware about that forest. When we were searching for a hiking trail, one of our friends suggested going there. 

Edgewood preserve hiking

Edgewood park was the destination for our January hiking. We hiked on different part San Mateo County before.

Glenn park hiking, San Francisco

Again another family friendly hiking became essential. Some of our teammate willing to take their family with them. Among those member, one was a three year old child. So, for the convenience of all, a park in SFO was selected. It was planned that we would go hiking in a park in SFO, from there we will go Twin Peak hiking, then there would be an ice cream party at one of our teammate’s place. 

Strawberry loop hiking

It was Saturday morning. We had a plan to hike somewhere. According to our plan we left home after a heavy breakfast, around 10 o’clock. Sun was shinning brightly. The weather was warm compare to the month of November of any other years. The weather must be cool, the air must be cold and crisp, in November. However, this year the weather in November, is more like spring weather. Anyway, I decided to hike on a trail in Oakland, but Mr. Man told that was very easy. We should go for at least on a moderate hiking trail. So, he found to Panoramic hill in Berkeley. 

Upper Yosemite Falls hiking

For four months we had been planning to go to Yosemite National Park. This time our plan was not  just go to the Park, but to hike on a difficult trail. Anonymously it was decided  that we would hike on the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. There were many more difficult trails to hike. An avid hiker could find the Yosemite National Park  is very enticing. As the day was coming nearer other hikers in our team were more into lunch and dinner ideas rather than hiking. The Friday evening when we reached there , one by one hikers started withdrawing from the hiking next day. However ,Mr. Man was determined to go. I was little undecided, but Mr. Man didn’t let me stay at  the hotel. 

Diablo park hiking

Hiking is becoming an addiction to us. Currently we are trying to go hiking almost every weekend. If our teammate cannot come with us, we three try to go. We are trying to increase our stamina and in future we have plan to go on difficult trails, not on the easy to moderate ones.

Mission peak hiking

It was going to be the second attempt to reach the peak. I hiked many trails in recent times. Even I hiked almost same elevation of Mission peak. However, in my first attempt I failed to reach the peak. Why so? Yes, it was a real difficult trail. Last year Mr. Man went hiking there with his friends. After coming back he told me that it was impossible for me to hike up to the peak. So, I was eager to go there.I was eager to reach the top. However, in the first time I just able to hike only halfway, and I compelled to come back. I couldn’t take the strain anymore. My knees started painting beyond my endurance. From that very day I wanted to go back again and to give a try to hike to the peak. 

Huddart park hiking

As soon as the alarm went off in the wee hour of morning, Mr. Man jumped out of the bed. 6:30 in the morning of a foggy damp Sunday is really wee hour. I tried to drift off in to slumber, to get some sweet morning dreams. Some great kicks like a pro soccer player from my son made me jumped out of the bed. I didn’t peek out through the curtain after waking up. That was right thing I did in the morning after waking up. I knew, if I saw outside, I would promptly changed my plan of hiking, and would jump into bed again.

Wild berries

Purisima creek hiking

The previous night Mr. Man had been continuously reminding me to set the alarm. We had a long drive to reach the hiking trail head where we should reach before eight o’clock in the morning. I didn’t even know how long and the difficulty level of the hike. I didn’t check the weather. In Bay Area, weather changes every moments, even 15-20 miles from home the whether could be drastically different. 

Joaquin Miller Park hiking

Happy new year !!!

First job after waking up in the morning in the winter is to check the outside temperature. Every morning in this winter I see the snow clad rooftop of every house. Every morning I check whether three is frost or not. The pervious night Mr.Man told about going hiking next day late morning. When I saw the temperature at 8 o’clock  in morning which showed 32 degree Fahrenheit.

At 8 o'clock in the morning

Point Reyes Hiking

Have you ever been in a  situation like us? Let me tell the situation. On a narrow mountain road, with the inclination toward the cliff, sharp turn, without any guarding fence beside the cliff, a child who was throwing tantrums from backseat, a bunch of bicyclists who were climbing the mountain in front of your car, amid all those my husband drove the car towards our destination. When he was driving on Lucas Valley Road, I was just cursing myself for asking him to take us on a hike at Point Reyes Lighthouse. After driving more than ten miles on Lucas Valley Road, when we entered the Nicosia Road, I sighed in relief. At least there was no such cliffs. Rather we were in between two mountains, without any fear, though the cyclists were present through out our journey.

The cyclists on the road

Hiking experience to Sturtevant Falls

One fine day on a Monday morning in the month of March 2010, my friend Sharmistha came to my house and told me her hiking experience to Sturtevant Falls. She vividly described her experience. While she was sharing her experience at that moment I made up my mind to visit the place very soon. I told my husband about my desire. He was not very interested however after seeing my excitement he half-heartedly agreed to go.

We knew that we had to go as early as possible as summer was about to start. For 3-4 weeks we planned but due to some unavoidable circumstances we were unable to go. At last on a Saturday morning in April we went there without any prior plan.

                     Chantry Flat-- The Beginning of the trail