April Amblings, Part 2

We explored a section of Santa Teresa County Park that was new to me. Not wanting to stress my injured ankle, but also not wanting to skip the hike, I opted to bypass one section of the route. (5.2 miles was enough, for me.) I also thought that, at my slow pace, I might be reunited with the rest of the group along the way.

That didn't happen. They were still way ahead of me, as it turned out. With a couple of folks training for summer backpacking adventures, the pace would have been uncomfortable for me even if I wasn't focused on studying the spring wildflowers. Or other unexpected discoveries, like a clump of freshly-hatched spiders on some blades of grass.

Next up was a leisurely docent-led tour through the area of Bear Creek Redwoods that had been the site of Alma College (and a private estate, before that). Some newly-opened trails in that area afford a view of Lexington Reservoir, to the east.

The route was so short, though, that I crossed over to the other side of the preserve for more of a challenge, finishing with just under four miles. On the way back, I picked up what was probably an old piece of plastic irrigation pipe alongside the trail, for proper disposal at home.

Dismayed about future outings with my weekly hiking buddies, I headed for a preserve I'd been longing to visit: Coyote Ridge. Curious about what I'd find there, I could spend all the time I wanted. [And I did.]

Having plotted the route in advance, I sought to explore the loop in a counter-clockwise direction (to avoid taxing my ankle climbing a steep hill). After checking in with my butterfly pass, I dutifully swept my boots and followed others up the trail. Clockwise.

The vistas were new, though most of the flowers were familiar.

There was abundant grassland, but occasional meadows were dotted with wildflowers. Woodland tidytips were a bright spot on an otherwise gloomy day.

A ranger was idling in the parking lot when I reached the end of my loop; I hadn't noticed that the preserve would close at 4 p.m. I was able to tack on a quick walk along the Overlook Trail and not be the last visitor to exit.

My last notable hike of the month was a return to the Glenwood Open Space Preserve, this time centered on the eastern section.

The pace was friendlier than my last group hike, as we had unfamiliar terrain to negotiate and I wasn't the only one captivated by the wildflowers.

Looking ahead to my own big adventure a month from now, my focus is on hiking rather than biking. Will I really be ready to hike several (hilly) days in a row? And will my ankle have recovered by then?