If there is a more efficient hike, I have yet to find it. Here’s the map: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/whittemore-gulch-and-harkins-ridge-loop-trail
7.6 miles per All Trails (7.3, per my phone), 1800+ feet elevation change, 3 hours, down and up, fog, blue skies, ridges, second growth redwoods, creeks, a lonely banana slug, 8 intrepid hikers, lively conversation, on topics ranging from privacy indemnities and liability limitations in technology agreements (yes, you can still talk shop in the woods), songs popular both in my young adulthood and with the cool kids today (apparently, Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush) is popular again, thanks to Stranger Things), books that we have picked up at one time or another and have never been able to finish (Moby Dick, in my case), movies from the 70s and 80s that are resonating with kids today (Stars Wars, to name one), the San Francisco race for District Attorney, Fleet Week, the Blue Angels, San Francisco icons, such as the Royal Oak (RIP), and many others. Time flies, when you’re in good company, and you quickly forget (or perhaps not) about the strenuous ascent. We first hiked Purisima Creek in July 2021. It was unseasonably warm at the top. Same deal today. I’m beginning to think that there’s a microclimate at the top of the trail. Travel a few miles north on 35, and the temperature drops by 15 degrees, as you go below the fog line and become enveloped by a sea of white. As is the custom, our concentrated hike ended with ice-cold beverages. North on 35, then east on 92, to San Mateo, my town, to my favorite taqueria, La Cumbre (translation: the summit), for a deluxe chicken burrito, much needed rest, and an informal planning session for the next adventure. Enjoy.
The Peninsula Hiking Club 