Summer colors

This week's hike took us to the Bay Area for cooler temperatures and scenic views as we took in the sight from San Bruno Mountain State Park.

We had tried to do this hike two years ago but a wildfire swept through the park the day before our hike.  We kept this hike on our list of places to go and this morning we arrived at the park with a layer of thin clouds and a steady breeze for our hike.

We picked the Summit Trail which is slated as a 3-mile loop with a gentle grade up the mountain.  We didn't see much evidence of the fire of two years ago but we did find a variety of colorful plants lining the trail even into late July.

It must be the cooler Bay Area temperatures or those brisk ocean breezes but wildflowers still clung to the trail, refusing to surrender to the summer season.  Wild berries mixed alongside monkey head and  collections of ferns.  Eucalyptus trees and their colorful leaves marked our path up the mountainside which gave us stunning views of San Francisco and the bay.

Macro photography was a challenge with the breeze that kept the vegetation moving but it also provided for a cool climb.  We reached the top but a trail closed sign prompted a different route for the return to the parking lot so we left the loop for a service road.

It was a great hike in the cool breezes as we forget about the valley heat for a awhile.  We will continue our coastal excursions until the weather cools and we can return to Mount Diablo and our other valley hiking trails.  Although I do have a doozie of a hike planned for mid September when I plan to tackle a challenging solo hike.