MONTE BELLO and SKYLINE RIDGE PRESERVES
Hike Date: Saturday, May 27, 2023
Leader: Carl Stein
Leader Email: carl@sfhiking.com
Leader Phone: 415 794-2275
Meeting Location (ONLY IF you've arranged for a ride in SF): Whole Foods;
2001 Market St. @ Dolores (on the Dolores St. side); parking on the street or below. Please only show up at Whole Foods if you've arranged to meet your ride or driver there.
Meeting Time: 9:00 AM
Departure Time: Shortly after 9:00 AM
Rating: Level 3.5
Mileage: ~9 miles
Elevation Gain: 1500'
Description: From the entrance to Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, we'll start hiking on the Stevens Creek Nature Trail, which will bring us to the Skid Road Trail, which will lead us out of Monte Bello and into neighboring Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. Before long, we connect to the Ipiwa Trail, which leads us to the Nature Center, our lunch stop. Behind the Nature Center is Alpine Pond. (You may not want to swim at lunchtime.) After lunch we continue on -- can you guess? -- the short Alpine Pond Trail around the pond until we return to the Ipiwa Trail. Hiking along, we come to the Sunny Jim Trail and then the Horseshoe Lake Trail, which takes us around beautiful Horseshoe Lake until we reconnect with the Sunny Jim Trail. After a while, we revisit our old friend the Skid Road Trail, which takes us back into Monte Bello. (Good thing it does because you might have forgotten by now but Monte Bello is where we left the cars.) Not long after we're back in Monte Bello, we turn onto the Lower White Oak Trail until we reach the Upper White Oak Trail, which takes us back to our cars. (Which trail name is most enticing? That's for you to decide.) Let's hope for wildflowers, green hills, clear weather, great views, and no one, including the hike leader, taking a wrong turn and getting lost. To quote club President Gary Weiss, this hike is "gentle and stunning." See the route map at https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-0d1a965--157?p=-1&sh=rcjpmi
Bring / Wear: Please bring plenty of water, lunch, sturdy hiking shoes/boots, hat, layers for weather changes, and sunscreen.
Weather Policy: Rain cancels.
Alternate Meeting Place: We'll meet at the Monte Bello Preserve parking lot entrance to Monte Bello Open Space Preserve on Page Mill Road in Los Altos. From 280, exit onto Page Mill Road and go southwest 7.1 miles. See the map at Google Maps Link
Alternate Meeting Time: 10:00 AM
Alternate Meeting Departure Time: 10:15 AM
Total driving distance, there and back: 88 miles
Passenger Carpool Fees (SF): $11
Passenger Carpool Fees (Rockridge): $15 (including bridge toll). Please leave Rockridge at 8:45 AM.
Level-1
|
Level-2
|
Level-3 |
Level-4 |
Level-5 |
|
easiest
< 5 miles
< 500' gain
|
moderately easy
5-7 miles
< 1000' gain |
moderate
7-9 miles
< 1500' gain
|
strenuous
9-12 miles
< 2000' gain
|
very strenuous
12-15+ miles
>2000' gain |
