Castle Ridge Trail

 

Castle Ridge Trail was a beautiful hike with lush green hills all around. The six-mile trail had a mix of steep climbs and easy paths. As we walked, a soft fog rolled in, making the views even more magical. Sometimes, the fog cleared just enough to see the valleys stretching far below.

The air was fresh, and the sounds of birds filled the quiet trail. The cool breeze and earthy smell made the hike feel refreshing. At the top, the view was breathtaking, even with the mist floating through. Walking back down, the scenery kept changing with the shifting fog. The hike was peaceful, yet a good challenge. I already looking forward to coming back.

Tassajara ridge trail

 My friends and I went for a beautiful 4-mile hike on the Tassajara Ridge Trail in San Ramon. We enjoyed the rolling hills, fresh air, and breathtaking views of Mount Diablo. The trail had gentle inclines, making it a refreshing yet energizing walk. We chatted and laughed as we soaked in the peaceful surroundings. A short break at a scenic viewpoint gave us the perfect chance to take photos. After finishing the hike, we headed to a local restaurant for lunch to compensate the lost calories 😀. It was a day filled with fitness, friendship, and fun!

   

Little Yosemite Trail - Sunol Regional park

 The Little Yosemite 6 mile hike in Sunol Regional Park was full of life and beauty. Rolling green hills stretched endlessly, with water streams flowing after recent rains. Wildflowers were starting to bloom, adding bright colors along the trail. Squirrels were everywhere, burrowed along the path and running around busily.

The highlight was the Little Yosemite waterfalls, roaring in full swing. The powerful rush of water over the rocks created a stunning sight. A cool mist filled the air, refreshing after the hike. The sounds of flowing streams and rustling leaves made the trail feel peaceful.

With hills, waterfalls, wildflowers, and playful squirrels, the hike was a perfect nature escape left feeling refreshed and eager to explore other trails in Sunol.

                                      

                             

        

Pinnacle National Park - Condor Gulch trail to High peaks trail 6.5 miles, 1600ft

Condor Gulch trail to High peaks trail 6.5 miles, 1600ft

This park is opened by Obama a few years back. It’s 2 hr drive one way. We started of early around 6.30am. By the time we reach the park it was 8.30am. In any places it was written that parking is not easy to get after 9 am or so. Considering it’s long weekend it’s a chance we took. The park ranger at the entrance said the parking lot most likely to be filled in. We anyway went ahead and luckily there few spots available. The hike moderately easy other than few sections where one need to climb giant steps and no room for any mistakes. The terrain and rock formations were so beautiful. Apparently this park is famous for rock climbing and we have seen many rock climbers in our hike. We could also spot few Condors. It was a nice getaway and was fun going into the caves.

               

Clouds rest Hike, Yosemite 14.5 Miles, 2k elevation gain from 8k to 9.9k, 9hr

 We have been planning to do this hike last 2 years but somehow or the other it was getting cancelled out. Due to COVID pandemic, we all have been working from home since mid Feb 2020. We haven't been able to do hiking for a few months as we were getting used to the situation. During August month onwards, we started going for moderate 5-7mile hike with some amount of difficulty. It definitely showed us we were out of shape in no time. One fine day we decided to get out and finish our yearly ritual of going to Yosemite. All of us are too euphoric as we were going out after 8 months (WOW!!). We loaded the van as if we were taking days and days of vacation :). We stayed in Pine mountain valley and woke up 4.30am in the morning and started driving at 5.30am. We did not realize it was damn dark and can barely see anything. We started the hike at 8am. Most of it was uphill but the crew went with lot of jubilation. It didn't feel that we were hiking some steep uphills. Of course, when someone in the crew takes a picture of us we gain energy. We reached the top as expected and guess what we changed to Indian dresses and had a photo shoot on the top. The 360 views from top are spectacular and felt so accomplished. While coming down we realized how much we climbed :(.  We celebrated the night with Pizza and Beer from family owned brewery in Pine mountain valley.

W-Trek Patagonia

A much awaited hiking trip that we the original hiking team wanted to do. Unfortunately, after all the preparations were made due to personal emergency issues in the family Sridhar couldn't make it. However, was able to convince Sanjana to join us for the hike. It was a great mom-daughter bonding.

Alamere Falls, Point Reyes Park, 10.5 miles, 1000 ft gain

Fun to take a shot of  your shadows