Hiking Adventures in the San Francisco Peninsula and Beyond
What can you tell from a picture? Redwoods (lots of them!), gorgeous and rich canopy, soft and forgiving forest floor, morning, partly sunny, likely not winter, lightly trafficked trail, non-technical terrain, somewhere in Northern California (or possibly even further north), etc. Other aspects are less apparent, if not apparent at all. Is this spring, summer, or fall? Did it … Continue reading Among the Big Trees
Some stats, notes and observations: Duration: 3.5 hours (including a few stops for water, snacks, etc.)Distance: 9.8 miles (8.5 per All Trails)Elevation Gain: 1,745 feetWeather: 53° F at 8am, 34 AQI, partly cloudy Starting Location: South Parking Lot, Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP parking lot (@Skyline Blvd) Route (URL): https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/summit-spring-crystal-spring-bay-tree-and-dean-loopRoute Details: Loop: Summit Spring to Crystal Springs to Bay Tree to … Continue reading Huddart County Park
Early morning on the river It’s 1:30 p.m. Perfect, sunny, warm, early October Monday afternoon, following a classically cool morning until the sun emerged over the river. Thousands of miles, figuratively, from the home office. Cell phone with zero battery power, so no distractions, to be recharged in the car in about an hour. Light breeze. Good company. Competent and … Continue reading Sacramento River
Not quite Paris, but Café La Tartine in Redwood City will do nicely, especially during a pandemic. Functional cappuccino. Absolutely delicious croissant, fresh from the oven, comparable to, if not better than, one I might enjoy from a boulangerie in the 7th arrondissement, close to La Tour Eiffel. Yes, I had to wait ten minutes, but it was pleasant … Continue reading October
Some stats, notes and observations: Duration: 4.5 hours (including a few stops for water, snacks, etc.)Distance: 12 miles (11.2 per All Trails)Elevation Gain: 3,146 feetWeather: 63° F at 8am, 36 AQI; 72° F at 1pm (i.e., perfect Fall weather)Starting Location: Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve (https://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/map_RSA.pdf) parking lots (pick one) Route (URL): https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/black-mountain-via-pge-quarry-and-black-mountain-trailRoute Details: Out-and-back: Coyote, to Stephen … Continue reading Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Sugarloaf Mountain, San Mateo, California For some endeavors or professions, these will be easier to identify than for others. For hikers, these would trail shoes, hiking poles, backpack, cell phone (camera, map, etc.), compass, Swiss army knife, watch, sunblock, sunglasses, insect repellant, backpack, water bottles, etc. More advancer hikers might require carabiners, harnesses, etc. Fitness bootcamp instructors will create … Continue reading Tools of the Trade
NYC Skyline, from Hoboken, NJ I remember 9/11 vividly, the first, fifth, tenth, and fifteen anniversaries, not so much, if at all. My 9/11 story is, thankfully, unremarkable, in the big scheme of things, but instructive nonetheless. I was living in Burlingame, about twenty miles south of San Francisco. Most likely, I had set my radio alarm … Continue reading 9/11/21
Sweeney Ridge Trail, June 2021 The Sweeney Ridge Trail starts at the end of Sneath Lane, in San Bruno, California, about 15 miles south of San Francisco. Due south are San Andreas (yes, same as the fault) Lake and Crystal Springs Reservoir, which is fed by Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, in Yosemite, more than 180 miles … Continue reading Sweeney Ridge Trail
Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco Hmm. In high school, more than thirty years ago, I was a good student, decent in sports (tennis, soccer, and basketball), and reasonably well-rounded. Jack of all trades, probably master of none. Today, I’m a proficient writer, decent soccer player, competent hiker, etc. I am also a father, son, grandson, legal … Continue reading What’s Your Superpower?
Baker Beach, San Francisco In my last post, I wrote about win-win contracting and focused on one of, if not the, most vexing provisions in a technology agreement, the intellectual property (IP) indemnity. Recall that here the customer asks the vendor to cover its costs, expenses, and other losses from any third-party IP infringement claims … Continue reading Contracting, Hiking, and Education
The Peninsula Hiking Club 