Description:
This 1,978-acre preserve is part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and is located on Skyline Boulevard at Page Mill Road above Palo Alto.  The fog will be gone by this time of year, so we should have spectacular ridge views of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Our route will take us past Borel Hill, the highest named point in San Mateo County, and through impressive stands of hillside oaks below the ridge.  The ridge is an excellent location to spot raptors such as red-tailed hawks, so we will keep a lookout. A map of the preserve and trails is available at:  http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/map_RR.pdf

Dogs are *not* permitted in this preserve (although horses are).

Warning:  This is a moderately strenuous hike.  Please be sure that you are comfortable with this level of effort before joining us.

Distance:        5.0 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:  700' (moderately strenuous)
Estimated Time:  ~4 hours

Hike Route:
After entering the park from the parking lot, we make a counter-clockwise loop:

• From the parking lot we will follow the Ridge Trail
• to the Hawk Ridge Trail
• to the Alder Spring Trail
• to the Ancient Oaks Trail
• to the Ridge trail and retrace our steps to the parking lot.

What to Bring:
Water (at least 2 litres per person), lunch and some light snacks.  The trail is very open so sunblock is a necessity as well as a hat.

Driving Directions:
The parking lot is here: https://goo.gl/maps/T9hMLK9jZBMe5wfG8.

The Russian Ridge parking area and trailhead are located on the northwest corner of the Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35) and Page Mill / Alpine Road intersection (across Skyline Boulevard on the right).  From the Interstate 280/Page Mill interchange, it's about 8.5 miles up the hill on a curvy road with lots of cyclists, so plan some extra driving time for this last stretch (Google maps is over-optimistic).  Parking is limited, so arrive early. Alternative parking lots are available on Skyline Boulevard (northwest) and Page Mill/Alpine Road (southwest), but they are a substantial walk from our starting point.The Russian Ridge parking area and trailhead are located on the northwest corner of the Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35) and Page Mill / Alpine Road intersection (across Skyline Boulevard on the right).  From the Interstate 280/Page Mill interchange, it's about 8.5 miles up the hill on a curvy road with lots of cyclists, so plan some extra driving time for this last stretch. Parking is limited and free, so arrive early and consider carpooling to reduce crowding. Alternative parking lots are available on Skyline Boulevard (northwest) and Page Mill/Alpine Road (southwest), but they are a substantial walk from our starting point.

One good rendezvous point is the Page Mill Park & Ride https://goo.gl/maps/2jM7Q5eL58X6r9rV8.

Carpooling:
Carpooling is highly recommended. We plan to set up a carpool site and will send the link to all who RSVP. We do not assume responsibility for carpool arrangements (we merely do so as a courtesy to help hikers make their own plans).

Rain policy:
If it's raining significantly, the hike is off. If the weather is ambiguous, we will send out an email to all who have RSVP'd and to the mitcnchikers@yahoogroups.com list on the morning of the hike. You can join that email list by going to the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mitcnchikers/ web page. You will receive emails about each upcoming hike ~1 week in advance. The volume on that list is very low (~2 emails/month).

The NWS forecast for Russian Ridge OSP may be found at https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.318&lon=-122.2189

Disclaimers:
Joining any hike is entirely voluntary and participants assume any and all risks associated with the activities.  By registering or attending this event, participants agree to the conditions posted at: http://bit.ly/321bLut