Summer in November: Sky Oaks (11/16/10)

Early Fall rains suggested that most of our pre-holiday outings would be wet endeavors, but we had short-sleeve shirt weather and temperatures near 80 when we hiked the Sky Oaks area in mid-November.

This loop hike began and ended at the parking area just beyond the pay station at Sky Oaks.  We began by hiking north past the ranger station, then down the Taylor Trail.  Once we reached the broad Concrete Pipe Fire Road we turned south and walked about three-quarters of a mile to Five Corners, a stopping point when we do the hike from Deer Park to Phoenix Lake and back up the Shaver Grade.

After a short porta-potty and rehydration break, we descended the Concrete Pipe Fire Road, than climbed steeply up the Madrone Trail to the top of Pumpkin Ridge which we followed north until reaching a broad meadow with views of Mount Tam where we took our lunch stop.

Wendy joined us for this outing, but decided to call it a day shortly after lunch and took a rest break along the side of the paved road while the rest of us walked the remaining mile or so back to our waiting cars.

Recent rains caused a “mushroom bloom” and created damp living conditions for banana slugs, a spirobolid millipede, slender salamanders, and a scorpion.  But the warm weather lured a rattlesnake out to the trail for close (but unbitten) encounter with Susan Pearson.

At the end of the day we had traversed a 4.4 mile up and down loop through the forest.



Although the Concrete Pipe Fire Road is fairly level, the last half of the hike involved a significant elevation gain.