Pre-Mother's Day Walk, 5/2/10, Fortini, Stile Ranch Trails, Santa Teresa Park

Activities tables.

Robbie Lamons helps with wildflower craft activities.

Kitty Monahan greets and signs in guests. Ron Horii put up photography posters.

The activities tables.

Mike Boulland prepares for the hike, portraying Jose de Los Santos Berryessa, son of the original owner of Rancho San Vicente. Faith Schmidt from the Native Gardeners and Robbie Lamons handle Mother's Day Cards and Children's activities.

Mike gathers the hikers at the Stile Ranch-Fortini Trail junction

Tom Cochrane talks about the wildflowers along the Fortini Trail.

The tiny yellow flowers are hill lotus. The white daisy-like flowers are douglas' silverpuffs.

Most beautiful jewelflowers

Checker mallows.

Poppies along the Fortini Trail

Ithuriel's spears.

Old barn along Fortini Road.

The trail passes by sage and poppies.

Stopping by manzanita trees, Mike talks about the Fortini family and their resort called Club 14-E, located here.

Heading up the Fortini Trail near the Rosetto Ranch.

At the creek crossing.

At the shady spot by the creek, students portray the Bernal sisters and their father. One of the Bernal sisters, Maria Zacarias Bernal, meets and marries Jose de La Reyes Berryessa, who later becomes the owner of Rancho San Vicente. The skit is about Maria meeting Jose at a fandango.

The elder Bernal talks to a Mexican cavalier.

Maria dances with her future husband, Jose.

We pause by the hillside covered with dudleya.

These are the endangered Santa Clara Valley dudleya.

On the Mine Trail, approaching the Stile Ranch Trail.

Heading up the Stile Ranch Trail.

At the first trail bridge.

The hillside above the trail is covered with creamsacs.

Closeup of creamsacs (Castilleja rubincundula)

Heading down the trail.

Hikers heading up the switchbacks.

People pause at the bridge crossing, looking down at the creek.

Tadpoles in the creek.

Heading up the switchbacks.

Looking back at the east switchbacks.

The hillside is covered with California buttercups and small-flowered linanthus.

Heading down the hill, with views of the South Almaden Valley, Calero Reservoir, and Rancho San Vicente.

Dudleya and poppies grown on the rocks.

At the stone wall, heading towards the last set of switchbacks.

View of the switchbacks and the parking area.

Mariposa lilies

Poppies and golden yarrow on the switchbacks.

View of the trailhead.

Looking back up the trail. In the background are the hills of Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.

Purple chia, yellow golden yarrow, and orange poppies.

Poppies and bee plants above the trail.

Seep spring monkeyflowers

Mt. Hamilton thistles

Looking towards the trailheads. The hill in the background is part of Rancho San Vicente.

Shari Sullivan and Art Boudreault portray husband and wife Zacharias and Jose de la Reyes Berryessa, the original owners of Rancho San Vicente. Jose was granted ownership of 4438 acres of land here in 1842. Earlier, Carrie Grisenti, from the County Parks Outdoor Recreation Program, talked about the Healthy Trails program. Kitty Monahan talked about Clementine Fortini.

Thanks to volunteers Mike Boulland, Kitty Monahan, Shari Sullivan, Art Boudreault, Faith Schmidt, Jennifer and Rachael De Ghuee, Audrey and Jerry Wang, Amy Zhang, Jenel Vincze.

Santa Teresa Park

Pre-Mother's Day Walk, May 2, 2010

Fortini-Stile Ranch Trails