The summer scene

The official start of summer is almost three weeks away but you couldn’t tell that on the trail this weekend. The summer heat has already reached the twists and turns on the trail  leaving a parched scene as I hiked the grasslands of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve.

Located just outside Livermore the park’s trails circle near the top of Brushy peak leading hikers on a steep climb across the rocky trail. Wide open make for hot hiking as the mercury climbs during the summer months. I made this same hike early in the year navigating the trail shrouded in fog. Todays hike seemed totally different as the top of Brushy Peak loomed above me  against a clear blue sky.

The warm temperatures have drained the green from the hills. Wild grass sway in warm breeze looking like a sea of gold stretching into the distance.  It is summer on the trail and the parched landscape is a sign of hikes to come.

Carrying plenty of water and staying hydrated will be importnat in the coming months as long, steep hikes in the stifling heat can be dangerous. As the landscape takes on it’s dry, hostile appearance the pictures will change as the trail becomes a challenge to endure.

I’m a little over halfway to my goal of hiking over 200 miles this year. These will be the months that test my mettle as shade becomes a premium on the ridge lines and flat lands on the hiking trail.  I am looking to forward to these hot times and those long days of summer hiking.