Quarrying Biodiversity

I'd been surprised when a friend suggested Saratoga's Quarry Park for a future hike. I've passed it many times, never giving it a closer look. I thought it was just a quirky historic town park.

I had no idea that there we'd find a trailhead for the “Saratoga to the Skyline Trail,” which aligns with the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail: altogether, 36.6 miles to the Pacific Ocean, per the trail marker.

When my hiking companions charged up the hill at a pace I couldn't sustain, I settled into my own pace. A couple said they often hike here, and others were also familiar with the trail. The sights were new to me, and I was in no hurry.

There were explanatory placards along the way, but I skipped them to avoid falling even farther behind. Even then, one friend turned back to scout for me when they realized I'd been out of sight for a while. They likely assumed I was stopping often to take photos of whatever I fancied, playing amateur naturalist. And although that had not been my intent, that was how my trek turned out once I decided that I couldn't keep up with the group.

Consensus was that an open area with a trail fork to private property was a natural turnaound spot, for a total distance of nearly seven miles, with some 1,200 feet of elevation gain.

Alone with my thoughts, and the sights and sounds of the world around me (Was that a rattlesnake I heard?), I concluded that I'd found my limit. I'm more of a contemplative hiker than an aerobic one, and I need to factor that into future group-hike decisions.