Showing posts with label Castle Rock. Show all posts

Castle Rock Hike

On a brisk and calm third day in January, John and Lucy (a three-year old sweet Vizsla) came along on one of our normal 2-hour off- leash hikes. This one was into the Diablo Foothills. These are some of my favorite trails that are just south of our city of Walnut Creek.

We reached this overlook from the Lavorna Staging Area of the East Bay Regional Park and hiked about three miles in from there to the above lookout. Much of the Castle Rock area is still wild and scenic.

With the millions of people living in the Bay Area, these hidden treasures are there for everyone to enjoy. Few do. That's ok with Bailey, Chloe and me. Happy trails in 2016.

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Just a Normal Sunday Morning

The sun came up over the Mount Diablo range hills around 7:30 this morning. We were out before it came up and the dogs enjoyed the upper 30 degree weather running the open spaces. We parked at the Borges Ranch parking lot in Walnut Creek and headed out into the hills.

"Borges Ranch is an historic ranch originally owned by Frank Borges. The ranch includes a blacksmith shop, numerous outbuildings, a fishing pond, and farm equipment displays. It also features a barn and covered trellis available for group reservations. The original Borges house was constructed in 1901 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Borges Ranch offers parking and access to hiking on Shell Ridge. It is located off of Castle Rock Road, about 1/2 mile past Northgate High School."

Bailey looks up one of the many valleys of Shell Ridge that we hiked this morning.

Up this valley this lone tree was catching the first rays of the morning sun. The pictures do not capture the fire yellow color the tree gave off.

Chloe enjoying the fields before we dropped into the Castle Rock canyon.

Bailey enjoying the cool air and the moist earth from a storm that blew through earlier in the week.

The trails got smaller as we entered the canyon that is over looked by the Castle Rocks.

Near the end of the hike, we walked along this ridge that looked out over our city in the distance.

Just a normal Sunday morning twenty minutes away from our front door.

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Hill Run with Vizslas

The hills are wonderful right now. Just spent yesterday driving Interstate 5 down through the Central Valley of California. As I drove hour after hour, you look around a the land is flat like much of the middle of the United States.