LabMeetingsEvents

New Almaden credit: Jesper Rautell Balle

Local escapes

Some of Mark's favorite nearby escapes

• Alpine Pond-Horshoe Pond loop -- 3.5mi great views and two ponds.
  • Drive to intersection of Page Mill and Skyline (rt 35). Park in lot for Alpine pond. Head south toward Horshoe pond, go around it, come back on a parallel trail.
  • Terrific views down to the ocean. Can be hot (exposed west-facing slope) on hot days
• Long Ridge OSP loop -- about 4.5mi total. Nice mix of very different ecosystems and great views at one point to toward the ocean. Good anytime.
  • Drive south ~2mi? from Page Mill/Skyline intersection. Park in small parking areas along route 35 on either side of road.
• Purisma Open Space Preserve -- Fairly big preserve with wide variety of scenery from dense cool redwood canyons to open vistas. You can spend all day here. It's a down and up loop place - start high, descend, climb back.
• New Almaden quicksilver mine & park. Has a museum and trails. At one time among the largest mercury mines in the world, it featured "Spanish Camp, English Camp, and Chinese Camp" with schools, etc. -- now mostly reclaimed by forest. Also featured in Wallace Stegner's classic novel Angle of Repose

Angel Island adventure

This is an easy destination if you don't have a car. You can take Caltrain to SF and then walk (or take Muni) to Ferry Terminal and take Ferry to the island. You can walk or bike the perimeter road (can take bike on Caltrain and ferry) or hike up to the top of the hill for some wonderful views.

We are planning another Angel Island adventure on Friday 26 June. We'll bring picnic materials. You should take a windbreaker, sturdy shoes, a sun hat, and a water bottle. Buy your own Caltrain and ferry tickets (or use Clipper) -- save receipts.

• Ferry leaves from San Francisco Ferry Building.
  • There is a ferry that departs at 10:55 -- We assume we'll meet there, given that people are coming from different locations. The ferry uses Clipper card, like Caltrain.
  • To make this ferry one could catch Caltrain at 09:10 from Palo Alto (see schedule for other locations)
• Mark is thinking to take his bike on Caltrain, bike to Ferry Building, and then take bike to the island to ride around the ring road.
  • We might have a couple of lab bikes (should check tires) available.