Chris Bowman and I really enjoyed our hike on the 9^th.  The weather was perfect and the flowers were just starting to bloom.  The birds and butterflies were all around us.  We hiked Mitchell Canyon on the North side of Mt. Diablo.

The trail started by following the creek, but then got a little steeper and went up the side of the valley.  As we got close to the top, we had some amazing views of the Diablo Valley.  We had a nice lunch at Deer Flat and crossed over a wind-swept ridgeline to Back Creek Trail.  Then it was a steep downhill for a couple of miles.  When it started leveling out, we were following another creek and noticed a swarm of lady bugs.

The pictures I took really don’t do justice to the beautiful cascading streams, panoramic views and rocky outcroppings.

This was a moderately difficult hike, but the next couple of hikes I have planned will be much easier.  I hope you can join me on either March 8 to hike Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline or April 19 to hike Shell Ridge.  We will meet in the parking lot here at St. Mark’s at 9:00 AM for both hikes.

In the meantime – look at what you missed!