El Corte de Madera

From Jane Huber/bahiker After I finished up at the hospital yesterday I got up in them thar hills on the Peninsula, specifically El Corte de Madera Preserve. Originally I wanted to do Purisima but realized I hadn't spent much time in El C of M, and got the redwoods and forest and dark dirt trails that I needed. The run was an awesome combination of Methuselah, Giant Salamandar, Fir, and then some others that I don't remember. That Fir Trail has some nice little steep jaunts! I wish I could inhale that redwood-and-soil smell and never exhale it. But anyway, I bit off more than I could chew and it got dark on me while I was out there, and a nice ranger was waiting for me at the trailhead when I came back out onto Skyline near Skeggs Point. (Not sarcastic. She actually was very nice.) While I certainly do not recommend breaking park rules, I have to say getting that wind and fresh air and chlorophyll up there was absolutely worth it and the difference it made inside my skull was profound. It's great to be back in the Bay.

Practical point to park users: Skeggs Point (the little parking area on the east side of Skyline along the park) is a Caltrans lot so you can park there at any time, unlike the preserves' parking areas. But the rangers may assume (as they did in my case, correctly) that your car being there after dark means you're still out on the trail.