Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, WA

Cougar mountain is part of the Issaquah Alps, formed in the Miocene (up to 50 million years ago) by tectonic forces. It features tree-lined trails with a slight to moderate slope. The route we took was a 3.7+ mile loop traversing portions of Cave Hole, Fred's Railroad, Quarry, and Red Town trails. The elevation change was around 550 feet from the lowest to highest point.

Trail: Cave Hole, Fred's RR, Quarry, Red Town trails, 3.7 miles, 550ft elevation change
Difficulty: Moderate to >Moderate

Coal Creek Natural Area & vicinity, WA

Located east of Seattle, this network of trails provides many walking/jogging opportunities. The below trail is of the surrounding area, on the west summit side.

Selections from Hiking Class

In Fall 2014 I took an excellent hiking course at Foothill, instructed by Alana. Below are some of my favorite hikes.

Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont, CA
Located near the Dumbarton Bridge, this hike provides great views of San Francisco bay and marshlands. It is especially beautiful in the late fall when I went.

Note: Can get windy.

Huddart Park, Woodside, CA
This pleasant hike begins at the Zwierlein Picnic area, and goes for about 5 miles along the Crystal Springs and Dean Trails. Tall redwoods provide much of the scenery and the forest creates a damp, cool environment reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, which is a welcome change from the dry, exposed features that one may often expect of trails in California.

The trail itself is not very hilly, and can be completed in 2 or 2 1/2 hours. Expect to pay a $6 fee for parking.



Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Los Gatos, CA
Unlike Huddart Park, this hike is quite hilly. To get there, take Page Mill Road west for 7 miles after the 280 exit until reaching the park entrance on the left. The elevation climbs during the last few miles of Page Mill, and there are some splendid views even before reaching the park itself.

The hike itself starts out at around 2200 feet, descends to 1800 feet along the Stevens Creek trail, then climbs to 2800 feet at the top of Black Mountain in the span of 1.5 miles (if going up the Indian Creek trail). Be prepared for lots of sun exposure on the way up. Descending along the Monte Bello Road/Bella Vista Trail, there is some relief due to the downward slope and the shelter of the trees. An intense workout.

Difficulty: >Moderate (length and lack of shade)

★ Muir Woods National Monument, CA

In July of 2014 I visited Muir Woods National Monument with my family. The monument was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, to preserve the redwoods contained therein, some of which are well over 1000 years old.

Finding parking was somewhat of a task on a holiday weekend; it is advisable to get there early in the day, or be prepared to park on the side of the road a 15-minute walk away from the park entrance. A small admission fee is required (around $8 per person unless you have a senior discount) and the visitor center staff is friendly. Trail maps are available for $1.

The Main Trail is short and level, perfect for the casual tourist/hiker. One can spend about 2 or 3 hours on this leisurely hike.


Other trails, such as the Canopy View Trail, provide more of an elevation change and can be less crowded. All in all, this casual, relaxing day hike is time well spent.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C.

Located in British Columbia, this large park is great for joggers, bikers, and nature enthusiasts, while offering splendid skyline views of the city of Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge.


Note: All photos courtesy of Mike Y.

Half Moon Bay redux, version 3.0

I recently revisited Half Moon Bay and caught the sunset there.

Mission Peak redux, version 3.0

In mid April of 2014, I redid Mission Peak with my brother (Fremont side). A good way to spend a weekend afternoon. View from top, facing northeast and eastward.