Chuck Keiper Trail, Pennsylvania

Winter hikes in the East Bay are becoming a yearly tradition for me. We recently hiked a new part of Mount Diablo State Park on the Pine Creek Trail near Alamo. We’ve been having lots of rain so much of Northern California has bright green grass and the trails have a lot of mud. And we went on a day, like most days in the bay area, where there was a heavy fog cover into the late morning that beautifully framed the oak trees along the trail.  

Redwoods are by far my favorite tree. After hiking for so many months in the mountains and foothills, it was such a treat to finally hike among the redwoods again in Muir Woods last December. Along the path in the park the sunlight gleams through the 200-foot tall trees to highlight just how beautiful and majestic they are. And while Muir Woods is not my favorite Redwood park, there is something still so magnificent about this special place in the bay.

This is what mid winter in Gold Country looks like. Trees are starting to get their leaves back, berries are red, and the views are still gorgeous. These photos were taken on my last hike of 2020 on the Monro Ridge Trail in Coloma. It’s a lovely trail that takes you up to the top of a ridge and gives you a view of the South Fork of the American River, roughly the exact spot that gold was first found in California. There’s so much history on these trails that it feels special to get to hike them and see the same views that so many miners once saw too.

It’s mid winter here in Gold Country and the trails are starting to get green again. After a big storm two weeks ago and then lots of sun, spring is just knocking on the door ready to come. It has been so lovely to try out some new and familiar trails the past two months, especially some that are very close to where I live. This trail is in Cronan Ranch Region Park in Pilot Hill just down the road from Coloma. The South Fork of the American River winds through the hills and valleys here creating a gorgeous view.

Hiking in Mount Diablo State Park was one of the goals for last year. So on an early foggy morning we made the drive down to the park and bundled up and hiked the Eagle Peak Trail. While the views along the trail were gorgeous, the view from the top of the peak was a bit hard to see with all the fog. But we did complete the over 2000 foot elevation gain in the seven miles and I was able to check this off my goals list. I loved seeing all the frost on the leaves lining the trail in the early morning and the bits of fog still lingering in the valley.

Morning hikes in winter are my favorite. January in California brings the start of the grass turning green which are the first signs that spring is coming soon. Last weekend I hiked in Rockville Hills Regional Park in Fairfield. There were so many trails here with gorgeous views of the surrounding valleys and was delightful in these cooler winter months. While there isn’t necessarily many places in the Great Valley & The Delta for long hikes this place has them and they do not disappoint.