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- Rising up the end of Willow Ridge Road away from Mississippi Lake, to meet County Line Road on the ridge.
- Great views across the Orestimba Creek valley from County Line Road at the junction of Hartman Trail
- Ready to pump some water at Board Spring.
- The trail to Board Spring starts out road-like, but it's rather grown-in as it approaches its end at the spring.
- A little further down County Line Road, I reach the short dead-end trail to Board Spring (to the right).
- Back on County Line Road, still riding along the ridge, but descending slowly.
- Still up on the ridge, County Line Road keeps providing great views of the valley.
- County Line Road turns east and starts snaking down the steep hillside to Orestimba Creek.
- That was fun; I'm down in the valley now at Orestimba Creek and it only took 15 minutes to get down the hill.
- Milkweed growing along Orestimba Creek Road (asclepias fascicularis?).
- 3/4 mile down the road, I stop at the old Orestimba Corral for a Clif-bar-and-water break at the semi-shady picnic tables.
- I continue riding down Orestimba Creek Road.
- One of several dry creek crossings on Orestimba Creek Road.
- I stop on Orestimba Creek Road to check my map, thinking that I may have passed the road to Jackrabbit Lake.
- Before I remount the 10-ton bike and turn back, I snap a shot of us with the Rooster Comb in the background.
- After backtracking 1/3 mile, I locate the Long Ridge Road that I missed, my route to Jackrabbit Lake
- I hide in the shade of that oak at the bottom of Long Ridge Road, looking down at the gravel of Orestimba Creek Road.
- A two-prong grey pine on Orestimba Creek Road.
- Stunted oak tree on lower Long Ridge Road.
- More oaks on lower Long Ridge Road.
- Rolling terrain on Long Ridge Road between Orestimba Creek and Jackrabbit Lake.
- I set up camp just beyond Jackrabbit Lake.
- Walking down to Clark Spring, I pass pristine Jackrabbit Lake and take a closer look.
- Clark Spring does not appear to be stagnant after all.
- Clark Spring looks like a slice of key-lime pie. Is it stagnant?
- Gunk on my water filter intake tube from Clark Spring.
- Back at the hot tent, the sun begins to set on my little plateau above Jackrabbit Lake.
- Late-morning breakfast of miso soup and coffee at Jackrabbit Lake.
- The south tip of Jackrabbit Lake shows that the lake is not at its fullest.
- Jackrabbit Lake, looking north.
- Walking past Jackrabbit Lake, looking southeast, as I begin a short day hike to Paradise Lake and back.
- I climb up that crazy short and steep slope on the road on the way out of Jackrabbit Lake.
- On a knoll on lower Long Ridge Road, on the way back to Orestimba Creek Road.
- View from Long Ridge Road across the valley toward Mississippi Ridge.
- In the hot gravel of Orestimba Creek Road again.
- This might be some kind of buckwheat growing on the bank of the Orestimba Creek at Red Creek Road?
- Red Creek Road crosses Paradise Flat.
- Wild pigs on Paradise Flat along Red Creek Road.
- Another shot of the wild pigs on Paradise Flat along Red Creek Road.
- The wild pigs run away once they hear me coming up the road.
- Manzanita tree along Red Creek Road.
- The dead-end road to Paradise Lake veers off to the right (north) from Red Creek Road.
- Paradise Lake sits in a private little valley at the bottom of a steep drop at the end of the road.
- Paradise Lake is small compared to Jackrabbit Lake.
- Grey pine (pinus sabiniana) along Red Creek Road on Paradise Flat.
- Ceanothus along Red Creek Road on Paradise Flat.
- An old State Park boundary sign across the Paradise Flat meadow.
- A view of the Rooster Comb from Paradise Flat.
- Returning to Jackrabbit Lake, I see that steep grade again further up Long Ridge Road that I was looking at this morning.
- Chamise chapparal on one of the knolls that lower Long Ridge Road bounces over.
- Heading down that crazy short, steep hill on the road to Jackrabbit Lake again.
- Arriving home at my Jackrabbit Lake campsite just a little before dark.
- Jackrabbit Lake at sunset.
- Delicious, life-giving, grey water.
- Jackrabbit Lake campsite, morning. Time to get out the iodine tablets.
- The Orestimba Creek Trail veers off the Orestimba Creek Road to the right. I'll stay on the road.
- I walk a few hundred feet up the Kingbird Pond Trail.
- Aha, here's the trail to Kingbird Pond.
- A bit further up Orestimba Creek Road, I notice Will's Pond.
- Taking a breather at the Orestimba Corral to assess our condition after crashing on the way down the hill from Will's Pond.
- Heading up the County Line Road grade toward Mississippi Ridge, stopping by a trap for wild pigs.
- At the top of the County Line Road grade, it's time to begin the short descent down Coit Road into the Mississippi Creek canyon.
- After climbing out of Mississippi Creek canyon to Pacheco Ridge, I look down into the canyon that will be home tonight.
- At the bottom of the canyon, I arrive at Pacheco Camp, at 1689 feet elevation.
- There's even a "shower building" at Pacheco Camp.
- Will I get clean at Pacheco Camp?
- I walk up to the shower building to check it out.
- Sheesh, I was getting excited about standing under a steady stream of water, but the water is so cold!
- The seat in the shower.
- The shower hose can be suspended from a pully and then raised or lowered.
- Pacheco Camp buildings as seen from just above on Coit Road.
- Time to throw out the iodine-tainted Jackrabbit Lake water that I've been drinking all day.
- The sign on Coit Road near the Pacheco Camp cabin says that it's 16 miles to Park Headquarters.
- Pacheco Horse Camp.
- 92 degrees in the shade, according to the thermometer on the side of the shower house.
- The modern, concrete, wheelchair-accessible outhouse just up the hill from the Pacheco Camp buildings.
- The tent hides under one of the huge oak trees at Pacheco Camp.
- An old outbuilding along Pacheco Creek Trail not too far from Pacheco Camp.
- Half a mile up Pacheco Creek Trail, the singletrack Rose Dam Trail veers off and rises eventually to Hoover Lake.
- Gnarled oak on Pacheco Creek Trail at a (dry) creek crossing.
- Almost two miles up Pacheco Creek Trail, I see the sign ahead for the trail to Rose Spring.
- The trail to Rose Spring obviously doesn't get a whole lot of use.
- Looking for Rose Spring, it should be here somewhere.
- The dry creek bed near Rose Spring.
- Further up Pacheco Creek Trail, a grader parked alongside the trail bakes in the hot sun, with nobody inside.
- A yellow-flowered buckwheat-like plant.
- A canteen hangs on the sign indicating Canteen Trail.
- The lower part of Canteen Trail, near the spring.
- Canteen Spring is full but not flowing.
- A downed pine tree blocks the first rise on the Canteen Trail.
- A little higher up Canteen Trail, the basin of the Canteen Spring is still visible in the centre of the photo as a white blotch.
- Canteen Trail keeps heading upward.
- Looking back down the Canteen Trail to take in the view.
- Higher up the Canteen Trail toward the top.
- The top of Canteen Trail ends at Pacheco Ridge Road.
- One of a series of ups and down on Pacheco Ridge Road. Awesome views up here.
- Heading up one of the rollers on Pacheco Ridge Road.
- Heading down the other side of the hill on Pacheco Ridge Road that I just came up.
- Enjoying the views up on Pacheco Ridge Road in the hot sun. My cell phone works here!
- Deer near Pacheco Ridge Road.
- Descending Coit Road back into the canyon to my campsite at Pacheco Camp.
- A family of deer visit Pacheco Camp to get a drink from the "horse spring."
- 95 degrees in the shade at Pacheco Camp at 19h.
- My second and last morning at Pacheco Camp.
- View from the look-off just off Coit Road.
- At the top of the first ridge on Coit Road (around 2400 feet), I note a spur road leading to a look-off that is not on my map.
- A fun short descent down the next hill on Coit Road passes the Fish and Game Pond at the bottom of the canyon.
- Coit Road crosses Willow Ridge Road on top of the next ridge at about 2250 feet.
- The 3/4 mile drop down into the canyon to Kelly Lake, 450 feet below, was fun.
- I stop on this switchback on the way up Coit Road from Kelly Lake to look back on my route.
- Higher up Coit Road heading toward the junction of Wasno Road.
- Regeneration of a previously burned area (perhaps a prescribed burn).
- Dried flowers and burn.
- Standing on the road opposite the burned area, with a steep canyon, then Wasno Ridge, behind me.
- I walk a short distance up the road to check out a buckeye grove.
- I ride up the road a little and stop again to look at the sculptural shadows of the trees on the next ridge (Wasno Ridge).
- Pinus sabiniana (grey pines) along Coit Road heading toward Mahoney Ridge.
- Adjacent to that stand of grey pines, a lone manzanita grows in a field of chamise.
- Coit Road descends toward the Mahoney Meadows area.
- I pause along Mahoney Meadows Road to take in the view across the canyon to Willow Ridge on the other side.
- Mahoney Meadows Road continues its descent along the ridge through the meadow.
- More picturesque rolling down Mahoney Meadows Road.
- The beautiful ride down Mahoney Meadows comes to an end when I reach the intersection of the China Hole Trail.
- A shady area on the upper part of the China Hole Trail.
- China Hole Trail pops out of the shady area and winds its way across an open meadow on the way down into the canyon.
- A few charming manzanitas further on down China Hole Trail.
- The lower part of the China Hole Trail includes a number of switchbacks.
- Another switchback on the lower part of China Hole Trail.
- A better view of that switchback in the previous photo.
- The 10-ton bike waits a few feet above the rocky bottom of China Hole Trail while I look for a campsite.
- China Hole at sunset, looking northeast toward The Narrows.
- Big grasses in the dry creek bed at China Hole, looking southwest down the canyon.
- After choosing a location for the tent, I bring the bike the rest of the way down to China Hole.
- Time to call it a day. The tent is set up at China Hole (looking northeast up the canyon).
- China Hole campsite this morning.
- Stepping out onto a rock that rises above water level in the China Hole pool.
- The tent, as seen from the China Hole Trail rising up the northwest side of the canyon.
- Close-up of the pool at China Hole.
- OK, I'm leaving China Hole. Crap, this is my last day in Coe Park and now I'm leaving and going back home.
- China Hole Trail rises quickly out of the canyon.
- I've just turned around and am looking back down into the canyon.
- China Hole Trail winds across a meadow on its way up.
- A little higher up China Hole Trail, the trail rides along a steep slope. More great views!
- A switchback as China Hole Trail climbs through an area of thick chamise chapparal.
- Beyond the carpet of chamise, manzanitas start appearing along China Hole Trail.
- China Hole Trail levels out a bit and is easier riding for a while.
- Inside the manzanita tunnel, there's more sunlight than I was expecting.
- China Hole Trail enters into a tunnel of manzanitas.
- Still inside the manzanita tunnel.
- Exiting the manzanita tunnel.
- China Hole Trail ends when it reaches Manzanita Point Road.
- Rising up Manzanita Point Road toward Park Headquarters. A small low-flying airplane passes overhead.
- Coming up one of the last hills on Manzanita Point Road on the way back to Park Headquarters.
- I reach a flat area on Manzanita Point Road and see smoke not far away; looks like a brush fire in Henry Coe State Park.
- The Henry Coe brush fire has grown a lot since my last photo four hours ago.
- Cotton-candy smoke from the Henry Coe brush fire at sunset in central San José.
- After a good long sleep, I make two cups of strong coffee as usual to get the day going
- I fetch the clothes that I left overnight hanging near the Pacheco Camp sink
- I leave Pacheco Camp around 12h30 and within 30 minutes I'm on the ridge above riding through a semi-shady stand of burned pines
- Hot and sweaty already, I park the 10-ton bike at the top of Coit Road and walk up the short hill to "Radio-tower Peak"
- Great views from up here
- I try making a cell-phone call here, and it works!
- After a short descent (about a mile), I pass the Fish and Game Pond
- Despite the standard-issue sign on the outhouse at Coit Lake, there is in fact a trash can here
- Apparently, this outhouse at the south end of Coit Lake is closed for repairs right now
- The ramada and picnic table at the south end of Coit Lake
- I go for a brief walk up the trail along the shore of Coit Lake
- Next is the short climb (1/3 mile, 150 feet elevation gain) up Coit Road to the next crest on the way to Kelly Lake
- On the way down the 3/4 mile hill to Kelly Lake
- I park the 10-ton bike on the shady side of the Kelly Lake outhouse and go for a short walk toward the lake
- As I walk up the Kelly Lake dam, I see a tent near the lake in the distance
- Back on the 10-ton bike, I begin the ride up out of Kelly Canyon on Coit Road
- I rise out of the shady section and back into the hot sun at a tight switchback on Coit Road
- Nice view back down into the canyon and Kelly Lake
- A lush mountain mahogany shows off its creamy-white post-bloom seed heads, which are just as nice as flowers
- Coit Road rises along a ledge through chamise chaparral toward the Wasno Ridge area
- Along here are numerous "California everlasting" plants with their dry flowers
- A little more pedalling and I cross the high point of Coit Road with its grove of buckeye trees sporting reddish leaves
- I get the faintest glimpse possible across Silicon Valley while riding down Coit Road toward Mahoney Meadows
- Now that I've passed the 2470-foot summit of Coit Road, it's downhill to China Hole, tonight's campsite at 1150 feet
- Beyond the chamise chapparal, Coit Road crosses grassland and eventually becomes Mahoney Meadows Road
- A few short uphills await me on the way down to China Hole
- Expansive views across to the Willow Ridge area on the right and far beyond as Mahoney Meadows Road descends
- Oh, an outhouse ahead!
- I leave Mahoney Meadows Road and take the left trail fork toward China Hole
- China Hole Trail drops down 700 feet into the canyon over two miles of nice single-track
- China Hole Trail exits the oak woodland on the crest and begins winding its way downhill across grassland
- One of many tight switchbacks on the way down China Hole Trail
- Nice views across the canyon from the parts of China Hole Trail that cross open grassland
- Now I'm on my favourite part of this side of China Hole Trail, where it passes through a manzanita grove
- Getting closer to the bottom of the canyon, which is almost visible through the trees
- Another switchback near the bottom of China Hole Trail
- And here's China Hole, the gravel area to the left, which is actually a fork of Coyote Creek covered by water in the wet season
- Before setting up camp, I check out the water situation at China Hole
- The larger pool at China Hole still has a decent supply of water
- A dead fish rests in the large pool at China Hole
- I set up camp on the flat gravelly spot next to the China Hole Trail crossing of the dry creek
- I go outside the tent for a moment barefoot (which I usually never do) and step on a yellowjacket: instant sting
- I follow the road across the west end of Paradise Flat and then dip down into Red Creek
- Orestimba Creek Road rises a bit above the canyon, which becomes rather narrow after a while