Joanna On The Trail

Featuring Crystal Springs and Dean Trails at Huddart County Park

This was a lighter training week by design — I only got three hikes in, and didn’t follow my usual program. But we closed on our new-to-us house in Treasure Island (it’s elevated, so it should fare better in future hurricanes) and I spent quality time with people I love.

Saturday, May 23 — Moderate
Horseshoe Lake, Alpine Pond & Borel Hill, Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve (AllTrails)
6.5 mi / 1,086 ft elevation gain

Saturday hikes with Lee are becoming a nice tradition. Now that we’re no longer working together, it’s a great opportunity to catch up from our weeks and talk about future plans. The hike featured nice rolling hills with a mix of shaded and sunny stretches, a picturesque loop around Alpine Pond, and great views from the top of 2,572-foot Borel Hill. A strong breeze made it comfortable on a hot sunny day. We’d planned to go to the pancake breakfast at South Skyline Fire & Rescue after, but were a little slow getting out of the house and missed it. Next time!

Sunday, May 24 — Easy
Crystal Springs and Dean Trails, Huddart County Park (AllTrails)
5.6 mi / 968 ft elevation gain

See featured hike below!

Monday, May 25 — Moderate
Zinfandel Trail to Lookout Trail and Vista Loop to Maisie’s Peak, Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve (AllTrails)
8.7 mi / 1,490 ft elevation gain

The trailhead is at a winery — I was sad Lee didn’t join me, so we could have enjoyed a 🍷 tasting afterward. It was crowded near the trailhead but it thinned out further in. There were some nice views of Stevens Creek Reservoir and a couple of shallow stream crossings, but parts of the trail felt like they were looping through uninteresting areas just to add miles. This made it feel like work — not my favorite.

Tuesday, May 26 — Rest
Travel day to Florida.

Wednesday, May 27 — Active Rest
3-mile run through the neighborhood in St Pete Beach, then closing day on our new house! 🏠

I was up early to squeeze in a run before the Florida heat became fully unbearable (7:30am: still hot and muggy, just slightly less so). Saw lots of construction workers still rebuilding from the 2024 hurricanes. Then: final walkthrough, paperwork, wire transfer, and just like that — we have a new house! Mom came over to see it and we celebrated with lunch at Sloppy Joe’s nearby.

Thursday, May 28 — Active Rest
Paddleboarding on the Intracoastal Waterway
3.14 miles

There were storms overnight — heavy rain, wind, lightning, thunder — the full Florida experience. They just don’t make ‘em like that in California. But I woke up to a beautiful calm sunrise over the Intracoastal. The water was glassy so I dropped my SUP in off the dock at the new house and explored the neighborhood from the water. As I was getting in I noticed what looked like a cluster of small shark fins — turns out it was a school of stingrays with the tips of their wings breaking the surface. I spotted a couple more schools during the paddle. It was the perfect start to the day.

Friday, May 29 — Rest
Flew back to California.

Week Total: 20.8 miles / 3,544 ft elevation gain hiking + 3 miles running + 3 miles paddling

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Featured Hike: Crystal Springs and Dean Trails, Huddart County Park

I’d never hiked at Huddart County Park before — it’s a real gem, and I’ll definitely be back.

I hiked this one with my friend Ermine, who recently moved from San Francisco to Texas and is heading to the Philippines in July for a year. She was born there but moved to the US at a young age. Her parents have retired and moved back, and she’s taking a work break to spend time with them, work on some personal/creative projects, and figure out what’s next. It was a real treat to spend this time with her before there are more miles between us.

The trail is mostly shaded, which we appreciated on a warm day. The first half is a steady uphill, the second half a gradual descent back down, just demanding enough to feel like we earned our brunch. We spent the whole hike talking about the changes in both our lives — my retirement, her moves, what comes next for each of us. It was the kind of conversation that flows easily on the trail.

After our hike we had a delicious brunch at Nomadic Kitchen, a Turkish restaurant in Redwood City. I dropped Ermine at the Caltrain station with a promise to visit her soon in the Philippines (I will!).