Hiking in the winter months brings a different view to the
trail. The golden sunlit hills of summer are lush and green now covered in the
low-lying morning fog. It’s a winter’s tale on the trail and this weekend’s
trek took me to Morgan Territory and winter walk along Old Finley Road.
I made this hike in early summer and the multitude of trees
and rolling hills made for a pleasant hike in the summer heat. Saturday’s hike was a chillier adventure
marked by muddy trails and a damp mist cloaking the path through the trees.
With a winter hike you have to plan for foul weather and bad
trails. I got both on Saturday. Jumping
off from the Old Finley Road trailhead I had planned on a 9-mile hike that
would loop from Sulfur Springs Trail. In summer a canopy of trees is relief
from the summer heat but it caused some problems for my winter season hike.
A thick fog had settled across the area and covered the
trail as I started out. The fog that had
settled low in the trees had saturated the area so much it dripped continuously
down on me as I head out. It was almost like being in a light rain. The mist
quickly soaked the light sweatshirt I wore.
I hadn’t packed a rain jacket because the forecast was for no clouds
just morning fog. Lesson learned. I made my way down the trail growing wetter
in the morning mist.
Footing on the trail this hike was also turning treacherous.
The recent rains had left section of the Old Finley Road trails a quagmire. The
trail has a good amount of clay and mud quickly built up in layers on my hiking
boots. Every step felt my feet growing
heavier as a layer of mud grew thicker around my boots. I had to stop frequently to try and clean
them off which made for a slow pace on the trail.
But for all the troubles it is the weather that makes a
winter hike special. That same fog that
dampens my day produces quite muted colors. Trees stand starkly in eerie poses.
Water drops cling to tree branches and leaves. The light is subdued, I almost
felt like I was hiking at twilight instead of nearly mid-morning.
When the fog finally lifted the view as it raced along the
hillside through the canyons and valleys was breathtaking. Patches of sunlight
illuminated the hillsides casting a spotlight against the darkness. The
afternoon sunlight rays slant through the trees casting deeps shadows along the
trail on my way back to the trailhead.
I’ll have a few more weeks of winter hikes yet to come. Next
weekend weather permitting I will make a Mount Diablo summit hike to celebrate
the day. Still to come are a hike to the Uvas Canyon waterfalls and a hike to
Donner Falls at Mount Diablo.
It maybe the muddy months on the trail but the cold and mess
are worth it for views of the winter colors. It’s a great time to get out there
and hit the trail to see what sights await.
