The steep ridges and valleys kept us from hiking too fast, but it was a blessing. We enjoyed the the views at the top of the summit looking onto the rolling hills for miles without seeing signs of a suburban sprawl. As we started our decent we could feel waves of micro climates, warm pockets of air to cool breezes making it's way from the East Bay. I thought the short hike through Jackass Trail to Poverty Hill Road was amazing the skeletons of the Manzanita trees from previous fires made a unique silhouette against the blue sky and lower layer of fog… something kind of wicked. We crossed Poverty Hill Road on to a field of tall golden brown dry grasses that was about waist high and with every gust of wind the grasses would sway their tall spears like waves from an ocean relaxing to the mind and soul. From there we made our way up the steep and final incline to the end of the trail and to the end of a amazing hike.
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Responses
Great black and white pic! Once you get this far out, you usually run into no one and the silence just fits the scenery. This is one of my favorite parts of this hike, on one of my favorite hikes, and you really captured how eerie this part of the trail can be.