Coyote Peak to Rocky Ridge Hike and Views, November 2, 2014, Santa Teresa

It was a clear day on Sunday November 2, 2014. On clear days, I think about the view from Coyote Peak in Santa Teresa County Park. If the air is clear enough, you can see all the way to Marin County. I've been up to Coyote Peak many times this year, but it hasn't been quite clear enough to see that far. I was hoping it would be today, so I headed up there with my new Olympus OMD E-M10 camera and 42-150 mm telephoto zoom lens.

This is the start of the south leg of the Hidden Springs Trail heading towards antenna-topped Coyote Peak. Posts are being installed along the trail for cattle grazing fences. On top of Coyote Peak is a viewing area with benches. Near the benches is a new sign, which was dedicated on 10/25/14 (see the links on the left).

This is the flat part of the Hidden Springs Trail. It won't be this flat for long.

This is looking down the Hidden Springs Trail at the start of the Ridge Trail on the right.

This is looking up the Hidden Springs Trail just above the Ridge Trail junction. Note the heavy posts sunk in concrete, indicating a gate may be here. Construction vehicles have worn tracks up the hill.

Looking back down from the Hidden Springs Trail, Communications Hill and downtown San Jose can be seen.

The trail levels out at the seasonal stock pond. The fence will cut through the pond.

This is looking up the Hidden Springs Trail. The fence will be on both sides of the trail.

This is looking downhill from the Hidden Springs/Coyote Peak Trail junction. It's clear enough that Mt. Tamalpais can be seen in the distance, which means San Francisco should be visible.

This is a view looking down the Coyote Peak Trail, where the cattle fences are on both sides of the trail for a short distance.

From the Coyote Peak Trail, the south end of Tulare Hill can be seen, which marks the north end of the Coyote Valley.

Looking back down at the junction of the Hidden Springs Trail (left) and the Coyote Peak Trail (right). At this point, the trail continuing uphill is the Coyote Peak Trail.

Down below is the junction of the Coyote Peak Trail and the Hidden Springs Trail.

From higher up, the Pueblo Day Use Area's parking lot can be seen on the left. The Muriel Wright Center is on the hill in the center. The Hidden Springs Trail cuts along the hillside below it.

The Coyote Peak Trail wraps around the hill just below the top of Coyote Peak. The green buildings on the left belong to IBM's Almaden Research Center. Bernal Hill is on the right, which is on IBM property.

Looking up towards the top of Coyote Peak, the antenna is on the left. The viewpoint with the new sign is in the center.

This is the new sign on Coyote Peak. It shows and explains the view on an exceptionally clear day. Today is clear, but not quite as clear as on the sign.

People are coming up the Coyote Peak Trail. Behind them is Big Oak Valley. The Rocky Ridge Trail runs along the ridge on the left. The following pictures are views from the peak, starting from the southwest.

These twin peaks are the highest points in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Crystal Peak on the left, Mt. Loma Prieta (the tallest) on the right. The bare hill below them is in Calero County Park.

The radar tower on Mt. Umunhum provides an unmistakable landmark. Mt. Umunhum is the fourth highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Below is the Los Capitancillos Ridge of Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

In the foreground is IBM's Almaden Research Lab. Behind it is the Almaden Valley.

A wide angle view looking northwest shows the Coyote Peak Trail coming up the hill below, the Pueblo Area in the center, Bernal Hill on the upper left, and the west side of the Santa Clara Valley and Peninsula in the background.

In this telephoto view, the Hwy 85 and 87 interchange is at the right of center.

Below is Oakridge Mall. The black buildings are the Pruneyard Towers.

In this extreme telephoto and cropped view is Hoover Tower at Stanford University.

In this view, Martial Cottle Park is the open space in the center. Hwy 87 cuts through the two hills above it. Sunnyvale and Mountain View are in the background.

Hangar One at Moffett Field is at the upper left. Mt. San Bruno and South San Francisco are above it. The other hangars at Moffett Field are near the upper right below the Bay.

At the bottom are the homes in the Palmia neighborhood. Martial Cottle Park is in the middle. Communications Hill is above it.

Zooming in on Communications Hill, the tower of Great America is on the upper right below the Bay. San Francisco Bay, the Dumbarton Bridge, the skyline of San Francisco, and Mt. Tamalpais are in the background.

The hill in the center is above Oak Hill cemetery and is topped with a cross. Above it are SAP Pavilion and Mineta San Jose International Airport. Levi's Stadium is above the airport. Downtown San Jose is on the right. The eastern span of the Bay Bridge is on the upper right. Barely visible on the upper left is the western span of the Bay Bridge.

This is a closer-in view overlooking the Santa Teresa neighborhood. Baldwin School is near the lower right. Bernal Intermediate school is left of center. The HGST plantsite is near the upper right. The Village Oaks development and Kaiser Permanente are to its left.

Kaiser Permanente is at the bottom, Valley Christian School is on the hill on the right center, and downtown San Jose is near the top left.

In this zoom-in view, San Jose City Hall's dome and tower are on the left. The salt piles at Newark are on the upper right, just below the skyline of downtown Oakland.

In the center is the new Village Oaks development on Cottle Road. This view will change significantly in the next few months.

Looking to the east above Metcalf Road, the tracks on the hills are at Motorcycle County Park.

To the south of Motorcycle County Park, at the base of the hills on the lower right is Field Sports County Park.

The following views were taken from the south side of Coyote Peak, some from the Coyote Peak Trail below the peak to get a clear view under the power lines. This is a view looking towards the Coyote Creek Golf Course. Hwy 101 runs below Coyote Ridge.

Above the Coyote Creek Golf Course is the Kirby Canyon Landfill on Coyote Ridge. The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority manages some of the land on Coyote Ridge, which has spectacular spring wildflower displays and has the world's largest population of threatened Bay Checkerspot butterflies.

The hills below belong to IBM, whose Silicon Valley Lab is hidden behind the hills to the right of center. They lease the land out for cattle grazing.

Hwy 101 runs along the base of Coyote Ridge. Below it are the ponds along the Coyote Creek Trail.

Looking over Morgan Hill, the homes on the hills on the left overlook Anderson Reservoir. The taller hills in the background are part of Henry Coe State Park.

Looking south across San Martin and Gilroy, the hills of Coyote Lake/Harvey Ranch County Park are on the right.

This is the west side of the Coyote Valley. Most of the hills are private, but in the middle is Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. The tall peak at the end of the hills is El Toro Mountain in Morgan Hill.

This is a zoom-in at the southwest end of the Coyote Valley. Morgan Hill is beyond. Mummy Mountain in Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear County Park is on the upper left.

This is a zoom-in looking towards El Toro Mountain.

Near the start of the Rocky Ridge Trail, this is a view looking down Big Oak Valley towards IBM's lab and the Almaden Valley.

From the start of the Rocky Ridge Trail, this is a view of the private in-holding in the middle of Rocky Ridge. (The Rocky Ridge Trail does not actually run over Rocky Ridge.)

This is looking back from the Rocky Ridge Trail junction at the Coyote Peak Trail leading to Coyote Peak.

There is a new bench at the Rocky Ridge Trailhead. It is a memorial bench. There's a small plaque on it in memory of Thomas Bryan Pao, Sr., 6-3-1958 ~ 8-6-2013.

Downtown San Jose can be seen from the Rocky Ridge bench.

The following are views of the Rocky Ridge Trail. This part of the trail should be lined with wildflowers in the spring, assuming it rains.

Across Big Oak Valley is the actual Rocky Ridge.

Rock piles by the Rocky Ridge Trail.

What looks like a trail near the Rocky Ridge Trail is actually an old ranch road that leads to a private ranch at the end of Shillingsburg Ave.

The trail runs through an old fence, which follows an even older rock wall.

The South Almaden Valley comes into view. Below the hills on the right is the trailhead for the Stile Ranch and Fortini Trails.

There is a big lone multi-trunked bay laurel tree here.

The Rocky Ridge Trail becomes a very rocky ridgetrail here.

The trail gets even rockier.

Across Big Oak Valley is Rocky Ridge. There's a construction road leading up the hill for fence construction. The old trail runs along the base of the hill, but it is now closed.

Down below, at the end of Rocky Ridge, is the end of the Rocky Ridge Trail. Part of the Mine Trail parallels the Rocky Ridge Trail on the other side of the creek. The Mine Trail starts at the Pueblo Day Use Area in the background.

Looking towards Bernal Hill, the Fortini Trail is running horizontally below. The Mine Trail is going up the hill and continues on the other side of the hill, heading to the right. It meets the Stile Ranch Trail, which runs to the left.

The still-rocky Rocky Ridge Trail heads into Big Oak Valley.

New fence construction on the hill follows an old fence.

These are new fence posts heading downhill.

At this seep on the hill is a coffeeberry tree surrounded by rare hoita strobilina, also called Loma Prieta leatherroot.

The hill runs level along the hillside through clay soils, which tend to get muddy in the rainy season.

The trail switches back and heads out of Big Oak Valley. The trail used to cross the creek on the right over a small wooden bridge. Then it made a steep ascent through serpentine rocks and came downhill again. This route and the bridge have been eliminated. A new section of trail continues level above the creek.

The trail comes down and crosses the creek on a new bridge.

This is the new trail bridge. The old closed trail section is on the right after the bridge.

The Rocky Ridge Trail now runs on the east side of the creek. The new fence is going up above it at the base of Rocky Ridge. The Rocky Ridge Trail ends at the Mine Trail.

The Mine Trail ends here at the Pueblo Area. The new fence cuts through the old corral.

The moon rises over Rocky Ridge.