Canceled due to rain - Beautiful Waterfall Hike & Potluck Lunch Uvas Canyon Park

Canceled due to rain

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Information Highlights :
Venue: Uvas Canyon Coutry Park, Morgan Hill, CA (see address under park info)
Hike length : approx. 3. 4 miles
Elevation gain : 700 feet (trail head starts at 1100 , we will hiking up to 1800
Total time : 4 hours ( 2 hour hike + 2 hour social)
Social after hike : Potluck lunch or lunch at local restaurant (more details to follow)
Start time : 10.00 am
Hike 10.00 am to 12.00 noon
Lunch : 12.00 noon to 2.00 pm.
End time : 2.00 pm approximate
Type of hike: Easy. Mostly slow moderate gain, expect for one or two spot a little steep
Parking : state parking fee $6 / car
Car pool : Available see attached spreadsheet (soon coming)
Exposure: Completely exposed.

Trail traffic: Light-moderate.

Trail surfaces: Dirt trails and fire roads.

Hike starting point: meet in the picnic area.
From the parking lot walk on the paved park road uphill. When the road forks, bear left. You will see a picnic area wait here for the event host and rest of the group.

What to bring:
Water/snacks
Layers
Camera (and tripod if you have one)
Trail map : print one at home (encouraged) or pick one from sign board in parking lot
Sunscreen
Potluck lunch to share. (sign up on carpool sheet)
You might want to bring along an extra pair of socks, we will be walking through some water while crossing the creek at the top of the waterfall loop.

Hiking poles (optional) if you are new to hiking these help. These will also come in handy when crossing the creek, they will help stabalize when walking on rocks.
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Venue : Information about the park:
Uvas Canyon County Park
8515 Croy Rd
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Phone: (408) 779-9232

Uvas Canyon County Park is a refuge for hikers in the south bay. It's too far from civilization to be used as a neighborhood exercise track, and horses and cyclists are not allowed on any of the trails. The park offers a few loop opportunities, most visitors go no further than the Waterfall Loop. The Park offers a feeling of rugged remoteness with drinking water and restrooms available on site.
This 3.4 mile loop hike is easy, although there are a few short moderately steep sections. Trailhead elevation is about 1100 feet. This hike's highest point is about 1800 feet. Total elevation change is about 700 feet. The loop tracks a gorgeous stretch of Swanson Creek so you can turn back at any time.

Uvas Canyon can be quite cold in the morning: you'll want some insulation at first, dress in layers. Watch for poison oak on narrow sections of trail.
Best season to visit: Nice any time; best in late winter for waterfalls (let us hope we get some rain in the next few weeks)

Getting there :
From Interstate 280 in Santa Clara County, take CA 85 south (exit 12b, toward Gilroy). After about 12 miles, exit at Almaden Expressway (exit 6), make the first left, then the next right onto Almaden Expressway. Drive about 5 miles to the end of Almaden Expressway, and turn right onto Harry. Almost immediately, turn left onto McKean. McKean turns into Uvas Road after about 6.5 miles. Continue on Uvas for another 3.7 miles, then turn right onto Croy (there's a brown county park sign before the turnoff). Drive about 3.8 miles to the park entrance at the end of the road. NOTE: the last 0.4 mile or so of Croy passes through the Swedish private community of Sveadal. That stretch of road is very narrow, so drive slowly.
Attention drivers: The road to Uvas Canyon leads through the small resort of Sveadal -- be very careful here, as you may have to yield to oncoming traffic, while watching for resort visitors.

Carpooling:
Since our group is large and parking is somewhat limited at the starting point of our hike, we urge everyone to attempt to carpool in a full car to the meeting point.
Thank you in advance for carpooling. By reducing the total number of cars, we can reduce our impact on others at the parking lot and start networking with fellow hikers right as we leave home!

Carpool sign up sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtV65yIDHdkjdG1wQk9BZ21nU18zZWZiZnQxVXktTGc

Get driving or public transit directions from Transit and Trails:http://www.transitandtrails.org/trailheads/...
GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude 37° 5'2.95"N
Longitude 121°47'33.99"W
(* based on Google Earth data)

Gas and food:
Gas, stores, and restaurants along Almaden Expressway.

Trailhead details:
$6 entrance fee (self register at automated kiosk). BRING CASH.
Continue past the entrance station to the signed day use parking lot, just up the road and around the corner, on the right. Parking has few designated handicapped spots. Restrooms and drinking water just past the west edge of the lot. Maps at the entrance station, and at the beginning of the waterfall loop. We encourage to print your own map, see link below and bring it along. Pay phone near entrance station. There is no direct public transportation to the park. HIGHLY ENCOURAGE CARPOOLING BECAUSE OF LIMITED PARKING.

Park Rules:
Hikers only. Dogs are permitted, on leash only. Park hours for day use are 8 a.m. to sunset.

FYI : RAIN CANCELS....

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ROUTE DESCRIPTION:
Hike starting point: meet in the picnic area.
From the parking lot walk on the paved park road uphill. When the road forks, bear left. You will see a picnic area wait her from the event host and rest of the group.
Once we start on the hike we will follow the signs to the Waterfall Loop Trail. At about 0.2 mile a gate marks the start of the hiking trail. On the right side you will find maps. At about 0.3 mile, at a signed junction, Waterfall Loop Trail sets out on the right. We will keep going straight, on Alec Canyon Trail.

The wide fire road is often padded with pine needles after winter storms. The trail makes a sharp turn near a water tank, then begins a consistently moderate-steep climb. Some sections are a bit rocky. Through breaks in a woodland of California bay, Douglas fir, tanoak, and madrone, a ridge to the northwest is visible. At a viewpoint, there's a bench right next to a pinkflowering currant bush. In winter the bush's blossoms attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The view from the bench fans out of the canyon to the east. Alec Canyon Trail continues ascending to about 0.7 mile, where at a signed junction, Contour Trail begins. We will hike uphill through California bays and madrones, with ferns and moss-covered rock formations in the understory. The path makes a tight turn at a stream crossing, then you'll climb uphill, cross through a small patch of chaparral, the path curves up and back into the trees, we will hike uphill. Contour Trail is very narrow throughout, and the drop-off on the right side is steep. Other than the sounds of water rushing downhill, it's very quiet. This is definitely a trail where you should concentrate on your footing, and a trekking pole is a good security blanket. The vegetation cover is heavy, with few views of the surrounding hillsides. As you hike on, the sounds of rushing water becomes louder, until, at about 1.9 miles, the trail bends right at a signed junction on the shores of Swanson Creek. It's a wonderful spot for a rest break. Swanson Creek, a year-round stream, flows downhill via a series of small waterfalls (other branches of the creek feed into the main channel further downstream). At this spot, under some redwood trees, water tumbles over sandstone rocks and fallen tree limbs, then pools and collects itself before rushing off again.
We will continue our walk downhill on the side of the stream, carefully descending through some rocks that can be slippery with water and moss. The path crosses through the creek, then widens on the opposite side (there's a trail sign with an arrow that's not obvious unless you're headed in the other direction). At an unmarked junction, a trail to the left visits the Hot House Site (plumbing remnants jut out on the side of the path). Stay to the right.
Some steps stabilize the trail surface as it drops down near the water, then skirts a large landslide. Bigleaf maple and California bay are mixed through Douglas fir along the trail. Upper Falls, the largest drop on the creek, is distinguished by a swath of dramatic black rock. At about 2.2 miles, at a signed junction, the short trail to Basin Falls departs on the left. Trudge uphill on the path for a pretty view of Basin Falls, then return to the main trail and continue to the left.
Just downhill from this junction, there's another junction, with the trail to Knobcone Point. A few picnic tables sit near the edge of the water, and Waterfall Loop Trail reaches the turnaround point here.
We will be seeing both sides of the creek. On our way back we will take a short spur to Black Rock Falls, breaks off on the left side of the trail. We come back and join the the waterfall loop fire road and turn left.
A sturdy set of steps descends to meet up with Waterfall Loop Trail. We will continue straight on Waterfall Fire Road, which crosses the creek one last time. The trail forks; bear right. You'll return to the previously encountered junction with Alec Canyon Trail. We will turn left and retrace our steps back to the parking lot.

More about each fall:http://www.everytrail.com/guide/waterfall-t...

Maps (please print and bring with you to the hike)http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs%2FParks%20an...

More info regarding waterfalls and parkhttp://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs%2FParks%20an...

Release of Liability:

You take all risks when joining this event, including of being of reasonable fitness or experienced to embark on this hike. By signing up for the hike and/or carpooling , you hereby RELEASE and DISCHARGE the owners, principals, affiliates, presenters, organizer, hosts and participants from any and all liability, claims, demands or causes of action that you now have, or may have in the future, for injuries, damages, death and/or economic loss of any kind or nature, arising in whole or in part out of the activities, advice or information contained herein. You further agree that if you or someone under your supervision uses the information on this website you assume all risks of injury, damage, and economic loss, without limitation, and release providers from all liability therefore.