Almaden Quicksilver County Park - Church Hill
MVP
Salomon Running Shorts—When I started the hike, it was 80 degrees, so it was important to stay cool, and the shorts sure helped with that.
Hike Review:
The hike is pretty much an unrelenting steep climb up to Church Hill along a dirt road.
There was very little shade on the way up, but I found Deep Gulch Trail to have full shade almost the whole way down. I think I should have gone up Deep Gulch Trail to take advantage of the shade on the more tiring way up.
Parts of the trail, especially Deep Gulch, are super steep, so good shoes are a must.
At the top of the hill, there are remnants of an abandoned town called English Town, so there are interesting structures to see, like the concrete safe.
What I Learned:
I thought I might still be sore from a tough hike I did on Saturday, but I felt completely fine.
I finished the hike 15 minutes before sunset, and the ranger was already in the parking lot getting ready to lock the gates. I timed this hike perfectly.
Have a pace setter on a hike makes it so much easier to keep going even when my brain tells me that I should take a break because of X (there are a million reasons my creative mind comes up with).
What Happened?
3.8 miles, 1 hr 38 mins, 950 ft of ascent
I arrived at the Hacienda Entrance of Almaden Quicksilver County Park and found the parking lot mostly empty. I started the hike and noticed an older gent following behind me about 50 yards away. I used him as a pace setter, and so, my goal for the hike was to increase the lead I had on him, which I accomplished.
The hike up was hard and there wasn’t much of a view, so there wasn’t much to talk about.
At the top though, seeing the two abandoned buildings was pretty fun. The view from the top of the hill was nice, but nothing that was jaw-dropping. Afterwards, I walked down Deep Gulch Trail to my car, and went home.
