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On a sunny mid-April Sunday in 2005, Karen and I took
a hike with our friends Jim and Fran at Sunol Regional Park,
just across the Bay from our Palo Alto homes.
This park is very popular with hikers in the spring for its
radiant green slopes and colorful wildflowers.
Although flowers were scattered everywhere and there were some
nice small fields of sticky monkey flower, poppies, and owl's clover,
they weren't as showy as we have seen in many other years.
I think the regular soaking rains this winter allowed the grasses
to out-compete the flowers.
We made a semi-loop hike of about 4 miles from the park headquarters
using the Canyon View and McCorkle trails.
As usual, the flowers were best along the Canyon View trail because
of the serpentine soils common there.
Owl's clover was the showiest flower.
The technicolor green of the grassy hills was a delight as was
the bright tender green of the blue oaks that were just leafing out.
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Chinese Houses
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Goldfields in foreground; Mission Peak in back
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tiny flowers
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Looking to Flag Hill from McCorkle trail
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Blue oaks just leafing out along McCorkle trail
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Sticky monkey flower
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California poppy
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View up Alameda Cr canyon to Ohlone Regional Wilderness
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Poppies on slope above Alameda Creek
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Owl's clover
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Jim and Fran and Karen on McCorkle trail
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Sycamores along Alameda Creek have not leafed out yet
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Owl's clover
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Alameda Creek was flowing well
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Canyon View trail above Alameda Creek
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Owl's clover
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Sycamore along Canyon View trail
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Returning along Canyon View trail; Flag Hill in back
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