Grant Ranch
Spring in the Coastal Range
The Spring Bloom seems to happen like clockwork from mid-to-late April.
Before it passed we headed out to Grant Ranch, a county Park in the eastern hills above San Jose.
After awarded as a Mexican Land Grant in 1839, it quickly passed through a series of owners, being divided
with each sale, until Joseph D. Grant consolidated it in 1882 mostly for recreation and entertaining the likes
of Leland Stanford and Herber Hoover. The park was willed to his daughter, and with her death in 1972 was willed
to "Save-the-Redwoods" and Meninger Foundation. It was purchased by Santa Clara County and opened to the public
in 1978. Cattle grazing still takes place in some areas for cultural heritage preservation.
It's a few miles north of Henry
Coe and shares much of the same climate, appearance, and flora-- without being so far out there to make
you wonder how you'll ever be saved if you get lost or injured. Along the valley, grasses were fading
to yellow, but higher on the ridge
the colors were good. This is what spring riding is all about.
Photos
Click to expand
The California poppies were in bloom across the hills near the valley floor.
Patches of orange purple and yellow were ubiquitous.
This is following the Hotel Trail along the valley.
Purple, magenta and yellow dominate this area.
Continuing the climb up toward the ridge.
On the second shot look carefully between the trees on the expanded view and you'll see the fireroad in
the distance.
Huff huff huff huff.
Most biker shots are of blitzing downhill. This webpage tells the whole story.
This is one of the lighter climbs on the hotel trail to Eagle Lake.
Well hello there little fella. Good to see one of these guys making a living outside of raiding garbage cans.
Hey, who did that to the sign!? Ahhhh, the inate human need to express oneself.
Well dang, barely a couple miles into the ride and my memory card is already
full. We hadn't even gotten to the really nice parts yet.
Okay, one more shot. This is "Line Shack" near the apex of the ride.
We speculated it might be on stage coach "lines" or something like that. It looked right out of Little House
on the Prarie.
It sure didn't take long to fill my memory card on this one, and overall the sights just got better as we
rode above the upper ridge. Guess you'll have to see it for yourself, but these shots will give you some
idea. The fading of the green season was somewhat disappointing given the prolonged rain we had. The beauty of
spring is all so fleeting. Hurry before it's gone!
(b. April 21, 2002)
Back to top.
Back home.
The California poppies were in bloom across the hills near the valley floor.
Patches of orange purple and yellow were ubiquitous.
This is following the Hotel Trail along the valley.
Purple, magenta and yellow dominate this area.
Continuing the climb up toward the ridge.
On the second shot look carefully between the trees on the expanded view and you'll see the fireroad in
the distance.
Huff huff huff huff.
Most biker shots are of blitzing downhill. This webpage tells the whole story.
This is one of the lighter climbs on the hotel trail to Eagle Lake.
Well hello there little fella. Good to see one of these guys making a living outside of raiding garbage cans.
Hey, who did that to the sign!? Ahhhh, the inate human need to express oneself.
Well dang, barely a couple miles into the ride and my memory card is already
full. We hadn't even gotten to the really nice parts yet.
Okay, one more shot. This is "Line Shack" near the apex of the ride.
We speculated it might be on stage coach "lines" or something like that. It looked right out of Little House
on the Prarie.