Weather permitting, Sunday morning normally is reserved for hiking. For the last few years, with a group of friends, I had been hiking nearby county and state parks when I am in town. However this year had been an exception. For pretty much of twenty nineteen, nearly every Sunday morning it had rained. A couple of Sundays that may have been rain free, the hilly trails were not ideal for hiking, being soft and muddy due to heavy rains during the week. This Sunday was supposed to be good hiking weather and as I was leaving for a dinner invitation on Saturday evening, I saw an email in my inbox regarding Sunday morning hike in Castle Rock State Park to view the rain fed waterfalls. But by the time we came back home after the dinner, it was past One AM (welcome to Indian social gatherings). Obviously I was not up early on Sunday morning to go with the group and missed the hike. By lunch time I was feeling lethargic and thought of taking an afternoon nap. The beautiful weather outside though kept tugging at me to hit the trails.
At last the trails won and I went to Calero County Park about a mile and half from my 
home. This entrance to the park was opened only last year, the old entrance being about four miles from my home. The trail from one entrance to the other over the hills is about eight miles one way. By the time I hit the trails, it was already around two thirty pm and I knew that I won’t be able to cover the full trail. A sixteen mile round trip is nearly a day long hike and not even advisable to hike alone in the hills for such a long hike.
This was my first solo afternoon, after lunch hike of the year. I ended up hiking round trip of 6.6 miles. Gorgeous hiking day. The trail goes up fast then flattens out once it gains about 600 ft elevation from parking lot. A canal pumping water from Almaden Reservoir to 
Calero Reservoir meanders along keeping company till it empties out cascading into Calero Reservoir in a man made waterfalls. There were wildflowers but not that it lit up the hills. 
Hills were verdant though.
There was a sign at the entrance to the trail saying that the trail was closed to bikers and equestrians but either bikers ignored it or they were illiterate as there were many mountain bikers making a mess of the damp trail on many places (small streams crossing the trail). Welcome to civilized society where laws are applicable to others only.
Note: All photos taken by author on March 2, 2019. Please ask or cite source for reproduction.
Fleeting Muse 