Valley Water Nostalgia hike, 12.5 miles , 500 ft elev. gain

We meet at 5750 Almaden Expy , San Jose. It is Santa Clara Valley Water District parking, where I worked 18 years. Parking was open to public when I worked there, hope it is still open .
It will be my last hike in 2025, so wish you Happy Holydays and great hiking trips in 2026! ATTENTION!!! as an exception Hike is on Saturday.
All my favorite parks can be very muddy after so much rain this week, so I pick trails that can be wet but not very muddy.
We'll see a lot of waterbirds, percolation ponds, creaks, lakes and posh houses in South San Jose
Our route: Guadalupe creek tr -> various San Jose streets -> T.J Martin park -> Loop in Guadalupe Oak Grove park ( potential our lunch spot) -> Almaden Lake trails - Coyote Alamitos Canal -> Foothill Park -> return by Foothill dr and Coleman rd -> Guadalupe river tr -> loop around Guadalupe ponds -> back to cars by water district trails
Our pace: 2.5 -2.8 per mile. Hike's length and elevation gain is based on AllTrails route estimate. Real one can be longer 1-2 miles.
It is good to have >2.0L water, sturdy hiking shoes , layers clothes ,rain gear, and lunch food.
It is not good idea to join the hike if you don't plan to complete full route.
Contact me using private meetup messages or comments in case you have questions. I may help with carpool options.
Hikers who cancel after RSVP closed will get 'NO SHOW', unless they provide reasonable excuse.