Skyline
Ridge Open Space Preserve, Skyline Ridge is one
of
my favorite spots to sit still. The hiking is great, but the two ponds
are what makes this preserve so special to me. They are quiet, tranquil, meditative
places, and usually empty on weekdays. The trails around Alpine
Pond and Horseshoe Lake are all-access
trails very close to parking, so if you want to share the outdoors with a mobility-challenged
person (or are challenged yourself), Skyline Ridge is a great choice.
For the featured hike, start at the northernmost
parking lot and begin hiking on the Bay Area Ridge Trail (follow the signs "to
Alpine Pond"). The trail, open to hikers only, begins in grassland,
climbs slightly, then darts into a woodland comprised of Douglas fir, coast
live oak, big-leaf maple, California bay, and buckeye. Springtime blooms include
Chinese houses, yellow mariposa lily, and an occasional fairy lantern. Deer
are commonly spotted in these woods. Look for
thimbleberries at a dark and damp spot, and gooseberry, wild rose, and hazelnut
on the shaded slopes. At 0.37 mile, the trail reemerges into grassland at a
signed junction with the Ridge Trail Alternate. From this junction the views
to the west are fabulous. Butano Ridge arches its spine, blocking the view of
the ocean. Fog sometimes collects in the southern crook of the hills, hanging
across the mountains like a canopy. Turn right.
Multi-use Ridge Trail Alternate heads
somewhat steeply uphill, with coyote brush, coast live oak, madrone, and some
nonnative conifers on the sides of the wide fire road. When you reach the crest
of the hill, keep going straight past two undersigned junctions (at 0.56
and 0.61 mile) with trails heading to the left. Across the valley to the
east, views are dominated by Monte Bello Open Space
Preserve,
and Black Mountain (2800 feet). The elevation under your feet, at is almost
2500 feet, one of the highest points in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The trail
ushers you under the canopy of coast live oak, tanoak, and California bay as
you descend to the north. At 0.83 mile, at a signed junction, turn right,
toward Alpine Pond, remaining on the Ridge Trail Alternate.
You may catch a glimpse of a small stand of lovely
white poplar trees, their deciduous silvery leaves seeming to sparkle in the
wind. When you reach a paved service road at a signed junction at 1.07
miles, turn left, then after a few feet, at 1.09 miles, turn right at
a signed junction and walk downhill toward Alpine Pond.
Continue straight at a junction with a
trail that sets off to the left at 1.14 miles, marked "not a through trail."
Snowberry and creambush line the understory, where you might see fairy lanterns
and Chinese houses in spring. Go straight at the
signed
junction with the Bay Area Ridge Trail at 1.16 miles, straight again
at a signed junction at 1.19 miles, and walk a few feet more down the paved
road to Alpine Pond. If you are hiking on a weekend day between mid-March and
November, the Daniels Nature Center (visible in photo) may be open. If
not, let Alpine Pond draw you into its busy world. Fish, ducks, and turtles
disrupt the smooth surface of the water as they splash about. Crawfish can sometimes
be seen in the mud. And of course there may be birds and brightly-colored
dragonflies drifting about. There's a tiny platform near the water's edge; a
nice place to sit and bask in the sunshine. When you're ready to continue, walk
back uphill on the paved road to the previously encountered junction with the
Bay Area Ridge Trail at 1.28 miles, and turn right (south).
Take note of the sign warning about rattlesnakes, which
are
active in warm weather on this portion of trail, which is open to hikers only. I
once got myself so worked up and panicky hiking on this trail that I literally
scared myself with my own shadow. Now I try to stay calm, yet attentive to the
trail. It's worth it; this portion, which is open to hikers only, features incredible
views to the west. The trail starts out under cover of live oaks, then crosses
a grassy hillside. Then the trail creeps along the edge of the ridge. The ocean
can be glimpsed, weather permitting. I often spot footprints of bobcat and/or
coyote along this stretch. A bench dedicated to Norbert Eberhardt, a hiker who
died while visiting this preserve in 1999, is a fitting location for a rest
break. Some rocks look inviting to climb, but note the poison oak, and the long
drop off the side of the hill. There is an easy-to-miss junction near the
most prominent rock formation (where a fence and trail have
been
built into and around the rock), at 1.79 miles. The path to the left climbs
up to meet the crest of the hill, but stay to the right, go around the
rock, and continue through chaparral, mostly comprised of chamise, ceanothus,
pitcher sage, monkeyflower, coyote brush, toyon, California sagebrush, holly-leaf
cherry, and manzanita. You might also see silktassel and cercocarpus. Ridge
Trail dips beneath some live oaks, then emerges to a fantastic view south, with
Mount Umunhum visible on a clear day. As the trail curves to follow the contour
of the hill, it cuts through a slope of land that has been overtaken by yellow
star thistle, an invasive, nonnative pest. You might see owl's clover in
early spring, and clarkia, yellow mariposa lily, and brodiaea later in the season.
At a previously encountered junction at 2.13 miles, turn right and head
downhill toward Horseshoe Lake.
The
trail, open to equestrians, hikers, and cyclists, drops easily downhill through
coyote brush and more Christmas tree farm escapees. At 2.54 miles, turn right
at a signed junction, continuing toward Horseshoe Lake. As you descend, the
sounds of the lake will probably drift up to meet you. Blue-eyed grass is common
in early spring. Lambert Creek Trail (not a through path) departs to the right
at a signed junction at 2.66 miles. Continue toward the lake, and at
2.68 miles, you'll reach a signed junction. (There's a bench just past this,
near the water, that makes a good lunch stop.) Turn left onto a full-access
section of the Ridge Trail.
The path is open to hikers (and wheelchair users)
only. It takes a level tack along the shore of the lake, through coyote brush
and willow. I saw a bobcat here once, and often see their tracks in the
soft mud around the water. Shy ducks squawk in alarm at outsiders. Iris
are lovely in early spring on the left. At a bridge crossing, look to the right
for a cloud of snowberries in autumn. The trail switchbacks gently uphill, and
reaches the handicapped parking lot at 2.91 miles (you can take either path
at a split; the trail left is at a wheelchair accessible grade, but the stairs
dump you out into the parking lot immediately). Cross the lot and look for
the signed continuation of the trail at 2.93 miles. This last stretch of
the hiking-only path passes levelly through coyote brush and marshy grassland.
In late summer, the blush of buckwheat in bloom shades the grass a strange pink.
At about 3.08 miles, the path ends back at the trailhead.
Total distance: 3.08 miles
Last hiked: Wednesday May
23, 2001
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