this was the second time that we came to this park to hike. we took the same way up to eagle peak but took a different route down. the first time was actually our first training hike this year that i never got around to writing about, so i'll probably share some of the pics from that time here too. (basically anything sunny was this time and anything cloudy was the first time.)
 |
| at the top of eagle peak! elevation = 2369 ft |
hike description
we got the paper at the visitor center and they have a lot of great maps and other hike suggestions. we followed the hike described here the first time and this time we did the alternate route listed at the bottom, which is a little more than a mile extra.
and here is a link describing the hike we did but in the opposite direction.
route
 |
|
it's a loop
-> mitchell canyon rd
-> oak rd
-> mitchell rock trail
-> twin peaks
-> eagle peak trail
-> right on meridian ridge rd
-> deer flat
-> mitchell canyon rd
|
elevation and distance
took us a little over 4 hours. and may was silly and forgot to change the setting from run to hike. psssha, as if we run. and as you can see from the elevation map, there's a small third hump for this route compared to taking back creek loop.
our experience
our friend jody joined us for the hike this week! may went to play volleyball earlier in the day with jody and her husband, chago, in walnut creek so we decided on doing this hike since it was close by. jody was able to ditch the kids and spend some time with us.
 |
| the three of us at the top of eagle peak |
and lemme tell ya, this lady was booking it! i guess all that trail-running she does keeps her in great shape. it's nice to have other people come with us since it gets us motivated to go a little faster.
on the way up, you get a view of these guys. not really sure what's going on but it totally reminds me of madonna's pointy boobs.
 |
| taken from the first hike |
it's pretty much an uphill climb from the start of the hike to eagle peak, where you get beautiful views on a nice day.
 |
| panorama on my new phone! excited it actually works and doesn't keep crashing |
on a cloudy/rainy day, it's a little bit easier since the way up is pretty much all exposed.
haha so this place is 2 for 2 for me falling on my ass. the first time, it was crazy muddy on the way down and i slipped and got mud all over my butt, the bottom of my bag, the bottom of my jacket, and all over my hands. the second time, it was pretty dry out and dusty so i slipped again. both times, i ended up with a bruised butt.
we spotted a couple of lizards along the way. they were mostly brown so harder to spot until they moved. we even saw some bunnies! but they were too quick so i wasn't able to get a picture of any of them.
 |
| one of the bigger ones we saw |
here are some other nice views we had along the way.
 |
| you can just make out the windmills in the distance |
on the way back, we walked along a mostly dried creek. the trail is covered so it's a lot cooler and we even saw a deer.
when you're about a mile away from the visitor center, there is an interpretive trail with signs labeled from ten to one (since it starts from the visitor center). i'm sad that i forgot to grab the guide that actually explains everything. i think if we go to this park again, i wanna do this hike but in reverse, like the link at the beginning. this way, we can start with the guide and not miss it again.
