Almaden Quicksilver - Woods Trail
This trail was a treasure. It wasn’t too busy, it had a good variation of different types of plant/animal life, it wasn’t too hard, and it wasn’t boring either. There were times where you walk through a forest of trees and you can’t see too far. And there are times you can see far off to the distance and take in the view of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
When we got to the mine, I was disappointed to see that it was fenced off. I was hoping to get close and really explore the place, but given the popularity and how things get defaced, I understood.
Oh! I do remember one thing. It was really fun saying “Happy New Year!” to all fellow hikers who made eye contact. The kids got into it too, so at the beginning, it was just me, but by the end, my littlest would say “Happy”, I was say “New”, and my eldest would say “Year!”.
What I Learned:
California winters afford the best hiking conditions. It’s warm enough where you don’t have to worry about the cold, and there isn’t too much rain to make the trail too muddy to hike.
I should ask my kids more to take pictures of me. They do a great job, at least when the auto-face-detect feature is on.
3.2 miles, 2 hr 3 min, 385 ft of ascent
Hike Review:
Almaden Quicksilver is a gem of a park and this is probably my favorite trail at Almaden Quicksilver.
The hike starts out shaded, but then becomes exposed around the half way point.
The Mine Hill Rotary Furnace is interesting to see, but is totally fenced off and is off-limits to visitors.
Trail is wide the whole way through, with minimal trash.