Redwood Nature trail

This trail is only .6 mile and is a relatively easy hike.  The redwood nature trail is in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and its about 22 miles from Saratoga, its an hour drive but its worth it. To get to the hike, the look for a tall redwood post in the parking lot across from the headquarters, follow the trail and then turn on the second left.  For the most part this trail is really flat, it climbs about 10 feet over the whole trail.  The trail is alongside a creek, and there are various amounts of trees you can see on this hike.  This is a pretty popular hike, so there is usually a good amount of people on it. This trail is pretty much all shaded because of all of the huge trees, but there is always some sun shining through.

Clean Up!

Taylor and I have decided, since 20 time is winding down its time to get serious about the clean up. We will evaluate and discuss which trail to clean but plan on preforming the clean up on May 6 sometime after school. We already have some students interested and have reached the amount we planned on (10 people) but anyone is welcome but they have to provide there own transportation. Once we figure out which trail to clean then we will post the location and more information for any interested in helping out. We will be bringing trash bags to pick up the litter that tarnishes the mountains I love so much and I can't wait to actually make a real difference, even if it's only one trail, it's a start! Anyone interested can talk to me at school or leave a comment and I'll fill you in on more details.

Berry Creek Falls

Now this is no hike for beginners. Most of the other hikes and trails on this blog are moderate so that a wide array of people can enjoy them, but the Berry Creek Falls loop is not for just anyone. It takes up an entire day and is about 11 miles round trip. It is beautiful and deep into the forest where great redwoods are abundant. The trail is steep and challenging in areas and the hike over all is very rigorous but the end result is completely worth it. Once you hike about 5 or 6 miles out you can reach the powerful berry creek water falls the run beautiful down the mountain side. It's important for this hike that you bring a map however because it is easy to get set of course and miss your destination. All the shade from the redwoods makes the trail pretty cool but layers are still recommended. The sunset trail lead you to the falls and is a very steep trail but there are areas to turn back and other trails to explore if you don't want to commit to the 11 mile loop. There are obstacles on this trail like small bridges to cross but the views are so beautiful its worth it all. Below is a photo of the farthest fall on the hike and I recommend this hike as a goal for any prospective hikers.

Summit Rock Loop

This 2.5 mile loop is a beautiful scenic hike off skyline boulevard. This trail is one of the more popular and crowded trails, especially on weekends. The deep woods and pretty rock formations make for a relaxing hike that is relatively moderate. Parking is probably the only real challenge of this hike because the space for cars is limited. The park is near a shooting range so it can be loud at times and dogs are welcome but must be on leash. The trail is mostly shaded and can get hilly at parts so its important to bring water in case you get tired on the uphill sections. The trails is very woodsy and has everything a hiker could ask for except a view of the valley. It gets dark quickly under the thickness of the trees so its best to hike this trail earlier in the day1 Great beginners hike and well worth the drive.

Garden of Eden

The Garden of Eden trail is pretty short and easy hike, its a mile there and a mile back.  This trail is almost completely shaded, so you can hike this no matter what the weathers like. On this trail you are surrounded by all sorts of trees and plants.  The trail leads to a big swimming hole where a lot of people like to go swimming and picnic.  This is a good trail to take with your friends or family because its an easy fun trail and you can go swimming. Be careful because this trail does not allow dogs, they can fine you up to $300. Overall this was a really fun hike.

Moving Along: 4th Blog Post

It's been difficult to find time for 20 time. With spring break and these busy school weeks Taylor and I have had little time for 20 time. We have continued to hike and collect data but haven't transferred much new information onto our blog. Overall this hasn't affected us much though and we expect to pick up more steam as we get into the back into things. The next step for us is to continue compiling information and begin preparations for our TED talk. With 20 time winding down its important to finish up strong and continue to work towards our goal of a thorough polished hiking blog. It's a little stressful knowing that the TED talk will act as our final but I believe we have done good enough work to create and solid presentation. We are beginning to organize our clean up and have recruited a few school mates who are interested in helping out. We hope to expand and get more volunteers and promote the clean up more in the upcoming weeks.

Castle Rock State Park

The Castle Rock State Park Loop is approximately 6.5 miles around and could be considered a moderate or medium to high intensity hike depending on your experience. Their are varying types of gorgeous scenery to observe like beautiful trees, lookouts, and rocks. This trail is shaded in many areas and some parts of the trail is open. The trail is lengthy and has swells of hills so proper footwear is recommended. The trail becomes very narrow in some areas so make sure to watch your footing! Many animals can be seen as well as many different kinds of birds. You can climb on many of the rocks and enjoy the view but be careful its not all as easy as it looks. This trail is great in spring because it isn't too hot and the shade makes it very easy to rest and cool off at some of the more challenging parts of the hike. Castle rock itself is a massive state part with many different trails, this is just to Park Loop, so if you wish to go on a shorter excursion then there are countless other trails to explore.

Trash Awareness

Litter on parks and trails is not only unappealing to look at, it is also dangerous for the environment and wildfire. Although almost every trail head has one or two trash cans, lot's of the trails Sophie and I hike are spotted with litter. It's hard to understand why people feel the need to leave there harmful trash on such beautiful trails. Research shows that, "Litter in the streets and parks can travel through storm drains to bays and oceans, where it harms wildlife" (Green Ecoservices). Litter on California trails is particularly harmful because it can act as a fire hazard. Animals consume and get tangled in trash and it can be very detrimental to their digestive tracks. The environment is very negatively effected and so is the economy. According to, Litter It Costs You, "$11.5 billion is spent every year to clean up litter". It is up to us to start finding solutions to this problem and California is on the right track. California is in the process of creating litter and waste laws to help correct to issues humans have created. People need to fight to urge to litter due to its convenience and respect wildlife by throwing trash away in designated trash cans and recycling when possible.

Health Benefits of Hiking!

Not only is hiking a fun way to get away from all the stresses of school or working, it is fantastic exercise. Along with the obvious benefit of burning fat and calories to lose weight, according to the American Hiking Society, hiking can help prevent heart disease by lower cholesterol by increasing the amount of HDL, or "good cholesterol" in the body. It also decreases hypertension by, "lowering plasma norepinephrine which correlates with blood pressure improvement" (AHS). Hiking also helps with stress management, because when you hike, you are exercising. Therefore your body is giving off endorphin's, which help elevate mood and increase happiness, hence lowering stress. Hiking also give you a mental break from all the fast pace stresses of society. Getting away and spending time with nature helps the mind relax and recenter. Hiking is a great way to practice mindfullness, because the rhythmic walking helps the mind relax and unwind. Hiking provides endless social opportunities as well, because I've always found it more fun to hike with friends!

Poison Oak

Poison oak is a very common plant in California and many trails are infested with it. The plant itself has three exensions and has green leaves that turn reddish in the summer. The leaves have oils on them that, when made contact with skin or clothing, attach and absorb onto it's carrier. If the oil touches the skin, it is likely that a red uneven rash will form that is itchy and uncomfortable. If you think you may have come in contact with poison oak, wash all clothes possibly affected. The oil can exist on clothing then later on spread to the skin.Wash hands and preferably shower to avoid the spreading of any excess oils. Try no to itch the rash and apply warm compresses or anti itch ointment to help reduce swelling and irritation. The rash may grow or appear on different areas for up to two weeks before it begins to disappear. It's best to just be aware when hiking of possibly poison oak, and try to remain on the trials to avoid contact.

View from Mission Peak

Mission Peak

The Mission Peak trail is usually seen as a challenge for most hikers, so it's best hiked on a cool day. The trail is in almost constant open sunlight so the heat can be very draining. It's about three miles up, then three miles down and the steepness varies throughout. It's essential to wear sunscreen. sunglasses, and wear hats on this trail because sunburns are very likely. If you make it to the top there is a great view to be seen and a very popular place to take photos. The trail is fun for groups and families because it takes a long time to reach the top so its better to have people around to keep you company, or of course dogs are always welcome. Even though the idea of getting up at the crack of dawn sounds dreadful to some people it is really amazing if u go early enough to make it to the top of the peak by sunrise. It's much cooler and a gorgeous sight to see. Enjoy this hike if you will but bring water and be prepared for some heat!

Progress Check

20 time overall has been going pretty well. Taylor and I have been hiking a lot and have been on several new trails. We started doing some online research on the physiological benefits of hiking and began compiling it onto a google doc that we will transfer to the blog when completed. We are really enjoying all the nature we are observing, we've seen: deer, rabbits, banana slugs, newts, and various insects. Unfortunately we came into contact with poison oak and I (Sophie) seemed to have gotten a little bit of a rash from it but it's nothing too bad. I had to stop hiking for a few days cause I didn't want to risk coming into contact with more irritating oils and make it worse. This has been enlightening however because now Taylor and I are going to dedicate a post to poison oak, describing how to identify it and how to treat it if contact is met. Our next step will be taking a break from hikes so that we can catch up with updating our blog. We will be posting more trail descriptions and photos soon, and hope to begin introducing the trash issue onto our blog soon after. We've learned that hiking is a great workout for the lower body and we will soon be adding some weighted back packs and wrist weights to see how this changes the fitness aspect of the hike.

View of Skline Ridge's Alpine Pond

Progress Check

So far 20 time has been going well. Taylor and I have been able to keep up with our plan for weekly hikes and we've even done more hiking than required. We've posted a few trail descriptions but need to be better about taking pictures, the explanations would be much more accurate with added visual aids. We've learned a lot about the physical benefits of hiking just from our own experience but could better understand the actually facts. So we will definitely be looking more into the hard evidence about the physiological benefits of hiking. We have been monitoring the trash levels of certain trails and are happy to report that many of them aren't too polluted. We are going to try and document more of the trash we see and come up with ways to help prevent this epidemic from continuing. We see the trash on some of these trails and then come back to our own Saratoga high school were the parking lot is also littered with garbage. So what can be done? What can we do to encourage our community to stop littering and start taking care of our community and planet? These are the questions we will be addressing in the upcoming weeks as we continue to hike and collect data.

Taylor holding a newt from Grizzly Flats Trails

Alpine Pond Skyline Ridge

This hike is very scenic, because it laps around a gorgeous pond where turtles and birds can often be seen. This is one of the easier hikes and is only about 1.5 miles round trip, so its great for families or groups of friends. Some of the trail is shaded but much of it is exposed to heavy sunlight so sunglasses and hats are recommended. This trail is always littered with deer, so if you keep your voice down you probably won't scare it away. While on this trail you have the option to just stick to the lap around the pond or you can venture off to another trail that leas you through the christmas tree farms that up in the saratoga- santa cruz mountains. This trail is one of the more popular trail but if you ever go hike it you'll understand why. Its a great spot for relaxing or picnicking and is easy enough for anyone to enjoy! I'll post pictures of this spot soon!

Grizzly Flats Trail

This trail is all the way up the Saratoga-Santa cruz mountains. It's a bit of a drive but completely worth it. You can park on either sides of the road but the trail itself is on the right side. Once you begin walking keeping heading downward and follow the path, there are a few forks in the trail but if u just keep going down you can reach a gorgeous river that actually has water in it now because of all the rain. The hike is heavy downhill but then that means its heavy uphill on the way back. The trail is covered for the most part, and shaded with trees. It is a 1.5 mile hike on the way down to the river and 1.5 miles on the way back up. As you get further down you'll start to hear the rushing and if you keep an eye out you can see tons of multi-colored newts that love on the trail and by the river bed. This hike takes somewhat of a long time so it's best to go earlier in the day so you don't get stuck in the dark. Once you get down to the river there are countless opportunities for exploring and there is much to see. The hike down is lots easier than the hike up so bring lots of water to stay hydrated with. The hike up is almost entire uphill and the trail gets pretty steep so proper hiking boots of exercise shoes are highly recommended. This trail is great for seeing wildlife and a pretty intense workout so I encourage all readers to check it out!

Utilizing and Respecting Our Mountains

20 Time is an assignment given to our class that allows students to investigate their own topics and explore their particular interest, while simultaneously promoting education and making learning more varied. Our class will be given each Monday period to explore an issue, problem or goal and try to come up with some sort of response or answer. For our 20 Time project we, (Sophie and Taylor) plan on confronting issues relating to the litter and pollution that exists in our own mountains of Saratoga, Santa Cruz, and Los Gatos while also promoting others to enjoy the mountains because they are such a great resource for exercise and fun. We chose this topic because the two of us are avid hikers. We love the scenery and nature and appreciate how wonderful it is to have such a great environment right at our finger tips. But we hate the trash. The amounts of trash on certain trails is extreme and we realize that if we don't help, it will stay up cluttering our beautiful mountains forever. Many don't utilize all the opportunities that exist up there because they don't know enough about all the parks, trails, and view points to enjoy. So we will be creating a blog that covers everything from potential trails to check out, to why you SHOULD check them out, all the way to how to help the problem of liter. We will be going on weekly hikes and recording data like trail intensities and distances as well as recording conditions and types of nature that exists on the various trails. We will also be recording the amounts of trash and liter we encounter. We will transfer our data onto a blog and also provide information on the physiological and psychological benefits of hiking, because many people over look hiking when they think of exercise. Once all data has been gathered we will chose the most littered trail and organize a clean up with volunteers and friends who want to help. We will measure our progress by maintain a blog and making sure it is updated regularly and constantly expanding. We want people to appreciate our mountains the way we do, by honoring its beauty and resources with respect, and by taking advantage of everything that the mountains offer!

-T&S