1st-Saturday Hike at Windy Hill (member-organized event)

We will be hiking Windy Hill this Saturday, meeting at 9am, with the hike starting at 9:15am. A 7.2 mile loop starts in Portola Valley and climbs to the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, then drops sharply back through grassland. Very pretty and cool in summer fog. There is NO shade. Steep hill.

For more information about trail go to: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/whsrhg.html

For YELP reviews go to: http://www.yelp.com/biz/windy-hill-open-space-preserve-portola-valley (http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/whsrhg.html)

The park is off of Sand Hill Road from Highway 280 (Sand Hill Road turns into Portola Road) between Portola Valley Town Hall, library, athletic fields and The Sequoias. Our hike will be at an intermediate level. Please consider your physical condition and make sure you are able to handle an intermediate-level hike. More details below.

As there is a small parking lot, if it’s full some people park along Sand Hill/Portola Rd. Self-organizing carpools at Sharon Heights shopping center or other points are encouraged. You will need to take ownership of making this happen. Dogs ARE allowed on this hike, on leashes. We hope you can join us!

MEET: 9:00 AM at Windy Hill Parking Lot. Hike starts at 9:15am

ESTIMATED FINISH TIME: 12:30 PM (back at parking lot)

BRING: sunscreen, lunch, plenty of water, coat (in case it is windy and foggy), hat, all the usual stuff. Suggestions: bananas, salt, drinks with electrolytes, layers, etc.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: http://www.everytrail.com/destination/windy... (http://www.everytrail.com/destination/windy-hill-open-space-preserve) Windy Hill offers sweeping views on the San Francisco Bay from its steep trails. The difference in elevation between its highest and lowest points is about 400 m (1300 ft). Windy Hill's 3 main trails that run roughly in parallel provide equally attractive routes to ascent or descent the park. From this trail network visitors can create various options for loops or out-and-backs: Spring Ridge Trail, mostly straight up through meadows with great views, and Hamms Gulch Trail and Razorback Ridge Trail with both lots of switchbacks mostly through dense forest. At the top of the park these trails are connected by the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and at the bottom by Eagles Trail, connecting to Sequoias Trail and Ridge Trail.The park is a local favorite for hiking, trail running, mountain biking and horse back riding (about 65% of the trails are multi-use).

RAIN BACK-UP PLAN:
Meet at Stanford Dish corner of Stanford Avenue and Junipera http://dish.stanford.edu/ http://www.everytrail.com/guide/the-stanfor... (http://www.everytrail.com/guide/the-stanford-dish-hike)
Difficulty: Moderate Length: 4.0 miles / 6.5 km
Duration: 1.5 hours or less

Check back for updates! Questions? Contact Kristi (https://www.meetup.com/MPPC-Divorce-Recovery/message/?recipientId=12777642).

Your Hike Organizer Core Team: Kristi B., Theresa M.