This month’s hike will be in the Palo Alto Foothills Park Nature Preserve starting at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, July 12.  In its entirety the hike covers three separate trails with three separate climbs.  It is very flexible in that each of the trails leads us back close to the starting point so that the hike can be shortened depending on the mood of the group, the temperature, the humidity, and the pace of the hike.  The full hike, if completed, will cover 3.6 miles on the Chamise trail, the Tonyon trail and the Fern Loop trail.  Each of the trails involves a climb followed by a descent with  each climb being less than 250 feet and the descents allowing plenty of time to recover before starting the next climb.  The middle Tonyon Trail provides good views of Boronda  lake.  You can read more about the hike at https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/chamise-toyon-and-fern-loop and if you register for a free account on the site you can see more detailed information on this hike and hundreds of others in the local area.

To get to the park drive up Page Mill Road to the Park entrance, 2.6 miles from the highway 280 interchange.  Stay in the left lane on Page Mill Road as you approach and cross the interchange.  Once in the park take the park road to the first fork in the road and take the left branch down toward the lake.  Continue past the lake and across the face of the dam to the Orchard Glen picnic area where there is parking and where we will start the hike.  Meet in the picnic area across from the restroom.  Be sure to bring water.  There is water available in the picnic area and also water and a restroom at about the midpoint of the hike.  Please let me know if you will be joining the hike.

The hikers will meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 9:30am.  Please arrive 5-10 minutes early.  The hikes will take 1.5 to 2 hours to complete (3-4 miles), with hills to climb and paths that are uneven and unpaved.  It will be moderately fast paced with no easy way to leave the group part-way through.

Make sure you bring water with you and have the appropriate equiment (i.e. sturdy shoes, sun protections, walking sticks if needed).