The East Bay Regional Park District has a hiking challenge each year. I did the 2014 challenge, the challenge is a set number of hikes/walks designed to get people exploring a large cross-section of the district’s parks and enjoy everything that goes along with it. The challenge is free and you get a free T-Shirt and pin when it is completed. The hikes are broken up into difficulties: Easy, Moderate, Challenging. As an avid hiker the Easy ones are basically strolls toddlers and old folks can do, moderate are for an average casual hiker, and the challenging ones are for people who have a decent amount of stamina. To be more specific, even the challenging can be handled by any Boy Scout or weekend backpacker with ease. I will create a separate project page showing the details of the challenge as a guide for people who read these posts later.
The hike I chose this week takes me to one of larger parks in the district: Anthony Chabot Regional Park. This urban oasis spans parts of Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward, and Castro Valley. It has major camping, equestrian, biking, and the its most prominent feature, Lake Chabot. To be more specific, Lake Chabot is a separate park that just happens to be surrounded by Anthony Chabot Park together they form two of the oldest East Bay parks. In the context of the Hiking Challenge Anthony Chabot trail I chose is marked challenging, but in reality ended up being pretty easy.
I was skeptical to begin with, the hike looked to be about four miles, with only one real trail ascent. I still decided to be prepared, by starting early and packing a lunch, if the hike ended up being a breeze I could just relax and enjoy the afternoon sun.
As I got ready to start to my hike, I was reminded about some the negatives hiking Anthony Chabot.
Majority of the park is in ear shot of a shooting range, disturbing much of the atmosphere of the space and adds a bevy of trucks speeding through the park. The noise pollution is made worse as the park also lies in the direct path of many planes flying back and forth from the Oakland International Airport. This makes it extra important to have some good tunes to listen to as you make your way around.
I started the hike by going north, taking the Redtail Trail towards the Grass Valley Trail. Here is a set of pictures I took as I made my way down into the Grass Valley.
I made the trip down to the Grass Valley Trail pretty easily, and was pleasantly surprised to see just how apt the trail name was. First, I was greeted by a Moo gate.
Once through the gate, I got a great look of the green valley and a distant tree that spoke to me for some reason. It was at this point I had to make a strategic decision.
Do I let the tree draw me north or do I complete the challenge and head south into Redwood and Eucalyptus groves? I looked to the animals to help me decide.
These blue bellies weren’t much help, so I decided to stick with designated path, but before I left I had to take one shot of a magnificent eucalyptus tree guarding the valley.
On my trek I had been listening to some high tempo music which wasn’t really fitting the atmosphere of the park or my journey thus far, in fact it was making the whole adventure unenjoyable. Something had to be done and fast, especially if the trail was going to get more challenging. I settled on a band I have recently grown fond of, fitting perfectly with the park and trails I was on.
Real Estate is a wonderful band from of all places New Jersey, their sound though is more at home in the great North West, but honestly they have such a great old school surfer vibe. You can easily picture them jamming on the Monterery Bay dunes. The music change came at a perfect time, as the sun was really started to break though the morning haze. The Grass Valley trail quickly became more wooded as I passed rotting fences being swallowed by shrubs and vines. Eucalyptus and the occasion Redwood would take turns covering the trail in broken light.
Once I got to the stone bridge I began my ascent back to the parking lot. As I left the valley the topography changed again to tons of Eucalyptus groves. The elevation rise was quite gradual and I got first and only human encounter on the trail. It was rather brief, but harrowing, a biker came speeding down the trail and as I he curved around the last bend I heard him coming, moving to one side just avoiding a possible collision. It wasn’t till he past me that I realized I have had the trail all to myself. It is one of my favorite feelings, partly because it makes the whole experience more exclusive and secluded. It also doesn’t hurt to having some alone time away from our highly urban life.
By now I was on Brandon Trail and this is where I got some good shots of spring flowers and the transition out of Eucalyptus groves to Oaks.
Making way on the narrow Deer Canyon Trail back to Redtail Trail I reach the ridge that spans most of the park. I had been looking westward for most of the hike, but I got a glimpse of the east side.
It really takes you aback how much wild is still around in the Bay Area, now of course this is wild much altered by the last few hundred years, but to see it still around and relatively protected should make everyone feel good. I got my last parting shot, a pine tree whose life seems like a many arm mess.
As I alluded to before, this hike was a breeze and didn’t deserve the Challenging stamp, I was never really tested as the elevation gains were very gradual, the hike took two hours including photography and snack breaks. I should have taken the time to make a longer loop, exploring the Grass Valley more hunt for wild flowers. Anthony Chabot Park has a lot to offer and connects to so many other parks, making a great central location, especially for campers. Just be aware of the noise and on weekends expect bikers, horseback riders, and families congesting up much of the park.