January 3, 1999: Skyline Ridge and Russian Ridge Open Space Preserves

You'll first want to get to the intersection of Page Mill Road and Skyline Boulevard above Palo Alto. Perhaps the best way (from north or south) is to take Highway 101 to Palo Alto, and exit at the Oregon Expressway. Follow the expressway west (left) to Palo Alto, where, after crossing El Camino Real, it becomes Page Mill Road. Follow Page Mill Road up into the hills beyond highway 280 and climb out of the developed area into the hills on the spine of the peninsula for perhaps seven miles. Eventually, when you reach the crest, you'll encounter Skyline Boulevard (California State 35). Turn left here and continue for about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the parking lot for the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. Backtrack a couple of hundred feet to the north end of the parking lot, near the rest rooms. This is where your trail takes off.

There are actually several trails here; avoid the one to Horseshoe Lake -- you want the right-hand one that climbs up the south side of a hill and takes you into some pretty broadleaf forest. You'll continue to climb a hundred feet or so, and will catch occasional glimpses of the lake down at the foot of the hill, to your left.

You'll come into the open and round the southwest end of the hill at about the same time, and find yourself facing north across open slopes. Continue along the trail. In a bit, it will split; the one to the right looks more promising, while that on the left seems to descend inexorable toward a deep valley, but the left-hand trail is the one you want. Follow for half a mile or thereabouts until you see a building or two ahead. The trail passes just below this relict built-up area and comes to Alpine Pond, a nice place to stop on a convenient bench, look out over the water, and relax.

You follow along the right side of the pond and pretty soon come to the Page Mill/Skyline junction. A culvert will take you under Alpine Road (the western extension of Page Mill) and into the parking lot for the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, in which you now are. You can find restrooms here (to your left) and a continuation of the trail you're on.

The trail now trends slowly uphill, parallel to Skyline Boulevard, with a single switchback to carry you away from the road; views here are outstanding. The countryside is wide open; there are no trees in the immediate area (carry water on hot days). In about half a mile, the Ancient Oaks Trail breaks off to the left; another quarter mile beyond that, the Ridge Trail passes below the summit of Borel Hill. A detour to the summit (a few hundred feet and not much climbing) is in order, because here would appear to be the best views of the southern Bay in the area (we did not see as much as we would have liked because of the haze). Despite its modest name, Borel Hill at 2572 feet seems to be the highest eminence in the area -- some three hundred feet higher than the more loftily named Mt. Melville a couple of miles to the northwest.

Descend northwest along a made path to the Ridge Trail again. Over the next half mile the trail drops a hundred feet or so to a fire road with a gate to your right. Go through the gate and turn right on Skyline Boulevard; the Vista Point is a hundred feet or so away, on the far side of the road.

Don Harlow