Hi everybody! My name is Hunter. I have been working at Trailsloggers for almost 6 months now. Those of you I’ve met know that I have been recently freed of my fiberglass burden. That means two working feet…hooray! Now I can resume the things that make me happiest. My very favorite activities never include cumbersome ceilings and walls. I love bouldering, hiking, camping, etc. Now that I am of able body I will be sharing some of my local adventures with ya’ll. See you out there!

I was flipping through the San Jose Mercury News on October 23^rd and came across an article written by Lisa M Freiger about our local tarantulas. If you have never ran into one of these hairy guys, it’s quite a site. They are non-aggressive and virtually harmless. One has never bitten me, but I’m told it feels like a bee sting. Henry Coe State Park in Morgan Hill is where I have seen most of the tarantulas. I also came across one while taking my son and his dog on a hike in Almaden Quicksilver Park in South San Jose. Our dog got spook a bit, but it was a pretty cool site for my son. Late summer to early fall seems to be the best time to view these fascinating creatures

I often get approached by parents who want to get their kids to start hiking, but

They’re not quite sure how to get started.  I always have a few words of advice for

Them.  First off Kids need a destination.  They will not hike just for the exercise.

 Plan hikes that include historical landmarks, waterfalls or ponds.  Parks with

Nature Centers are also usually pretty exciting for the kids.  Start with mellow

 Easy walks and work your way up to more challenging hikes.  Kids can get turned

Off pretty quick so you really need to put the time in to make sure the trails are

appropriate for their level.  Bring lots of snacks and water kids like to take lots

of breaks.  Use this time to point out the wildlife and surrounding nature.  Every

Child is a bit different, but some of my favorite hikes for 5-year old+ are:  the

Deer Hollow Farm trail in Rancho San Antonio, the Waterfall loop in Uvas Canyon 

County Park, the Grant Lake to McKerry lake loop, the Bear Gulch Cave loop in the

Pinnacles National Monument, and Wilder Ranch.  There are so many great places I

 could go on and on.  Just start simple and try to build up an excitement level 

for your kids for the outdoors.

This past Memorial Day Weekend I was up in Arnold California with my family. The kids had anticipated a weekend of swimming and fishing, but Mother Nature did not co-operate. It rained everyday and the average temperature was 44 degrees. So on Sunday we decided to take a small road trip to Columbia State Historical Park. The park is located about 15 minutes outside of Angels Camp. Columbia has one of the largest collections of gold rush-era brick buildings in California. My kids loved this place. My daughter was enthralled by the restored miners cabin and chicken coop. My son loved climbing in the rock garden by the Gold Panning area. This is a very unique park because many of the buildings are leased out by private business running saloons, general store, and a good old fashion sweet shop. Columbia State Park was really a lot of fun for the whole family. We are already planning a return trip to ride the horse drawn stagecoach. For more information call 209-588-9128 or www.parks.ca.org .

If your looking of a great little getaway for the family head to the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. The easiest trail in the park is a 1/2-mile loop around Alpine Pond. There are picnic tables available for a quiet lunch and the kids will love Daniels Nature Center that overlooks the pond. The pond is home to a wide variety of animals, plants, and aquatic life. If the kids are still feeling ambitious you can head off to Horseshoe Lake located in the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve, which is just about 1.5 miles from Alpine Pond.

There is a new program from the Santa Clara County Parks that I am very excited 

about.  The Healthy Trails program is geared at getting people outside by introducing

them to the County Parks system.  I'm sure many of you are not thinking about hiking

right now, but come the first of the year exercise is usually pretty high on everyone

list.  The program is free and you get a free gift and hiking guide just for signing

up.  The hiking guide outlines "easy trails", "moderate trails", and "strenuous 

trails" at several of its parks.  Complete your hiking log and turn it in for another

Free gift. Signing up is easy, go to www.parkhere.org and click on "Healthy Trails".
Hiking is "a great way to get fit while you connect with nature

I recently had an opportunity to visit Ardenwood Historic Farm with my two children and their youngest cousin. I was pleasantly surprised at what a great little find this was, especially for young children. Ardenwood is located just off HWY 880 in Fremont. As you enter the park, you’re greeted by a small track and railcar that is pulled either by a horse or a small gas engine, depending on the day. Walk a little further and you are in the heart of a Victorian era plantation. The children will love all the farm animals and hands on experiences throughout the park. Some of the activities include cooking demonstrations, farmyard games, and harvest activities to name a few. There are plenty of picnic tables if you want to bring in your own food, but don’t feed the wild peacocks wandering the grounds. There is also a small café on site as well if you would like to finish the day off with a little ice cream. They also have docent led tours of 1857 Patterson Farm House. All in all, it was a great way to spend a few hours. You can get more information on current activities by calling them direct at 510-796-0663 or visit ebparks.org.

My name is Neil Collins and I am the owner of Trailsloggers Outdoor Discovery Gear located in Campbell California. I started this blog to create a sense of community for day hikers in the Bay Area. One of the best perks of my job is learning about all the wonderful open space we have available to us to explore and hike. With today’s hectic pace lifestyle it is imperative that we make time to get outside and enjoy the simple things. Hiking for me isn’t just about how many miles we did or how fast we did them, but it’s more of a personal recharging of the body and the mind. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling after a long hike, but I’m equally satisfied with slowing things down as I explore the outdoors with my 8 year son and 5 year old daughter. Children have an entirely different perspective of things. You may take them down a trail that you have done a hundred times before, but they will make you slow down so they can ask you a question about a spider web that sparkles with the morning dew on the side of the trail. My goal is to make this blog well rounded for everyone. We will feature some great hikes for the family, some long grueling hikes, and of course some of the most unique areas we have in the Bay Area. Is there any better way to stay in shape than hiking? I think not and I want to help remove any of your “road blocks” to getting you outdoors. We work with people of all ages and body shapes. We even have a very active group of Senior hikers- so whats your excuse!