Coyote Creek Bike Trail
Early morning on the Coyote Creek Bike Trail.
It has been ages since we have been on a bike ride and so we are now putting that right. During the week Tom checked both bikes and had to put new tires on his before they were fit to be ridden again. Early in the morning we set off down Monterey Road to try and find the place we finished the Coyote Creek Bike Trail last time way back in April 2008. We had a big problem finding the right place as we couldn’t cross Monterey Road for some time because of the concrete barrier running down the middle. Eventually we turned down an unnamed road leading to the Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark. On our right we passed an orchard and it was obviously picking time because we saw a lot of ladders and buckets down the aisles between the trees. Tom stopped the car and we went to investigate to see what sort of fruit was growing and it turned out to be cherries. A little further up the road we saw the early morning pickers starting out on their shift.
At the end of the road there was a packing factory on the left and just past that there was a locked gate across the way. There was room to park the car just before it so we did just that and unloaded the bikes. While I waited for Tom to load up his camera gear, I watched a Black Phoebe perched on a sign singing away. Every so often it darted away to catch an insect and back it came again to resume its singing. It was easy to get around the gate and we set off down towards the Model Aircraft Skypark. There was a lake on the right hand side and it was obviously a angling lake but I couldn’t see any fishermen.
Last time we finished our ride at the Model Aircraft Skypark and it didn’t take long to reach it this time. Back then it was a hive of activity and we sat and watched the planes flying around. This time there was nobody around at all and everything was locked up.
It was a chilly morning to begin with but the sun rose over the hill and before long it blazed down upon us. Early in the morning is the best time for a bike ride. There were very few people around to begin with – a lone jogger and several other bikers going the other way. In the near distance we could see cars traveling on 101 and, of course, we could hear them as well. A hawk was circling overhead and suddenly he swooped down and we lost sigh of him.
The trail passed under 101 and we were on the east side. Off to the right the creek was flowing close to the trail. A bit further along Tom stopped to take photos and I got off my bike, walked back to the creek and took some photos of my own. I saw a strange sight. On the other side, a man was approaching the creek carrying a large rock. He waded into the water and carefully placed it in the creek. I realized he was building stepping stones to cross the creek. I pondered why he was doing it but didn’t come up with any logical explanation other than he wanted to get to the other side. Maybe the creek is easy to cross normally but now there the water is high and flowing fast building a stepping stone bridge is the only way to cross over.
Deer spotted along the Coyote Creek Bike Trail
Back on our bikes we continued our ride. Some sections of this trail can be a bit boring but definitely this southern section is the prettiest. We spotted a doe and her partly grown fawn feeding not too far from us and stopped to watch. The mother lifted her head and twitched her ears. She probably couldn’t see us too well but she certainly knew we were there. We kept very still until they had both moved off.
We negotiated a bend and came upon a rest area. I’m sure the sign said Oak Rest Area but according to the official Coyote Creek Parkway trail map it is called Walnut Rest Area. It has picnic tables and the Sycamore Nature Trail can be accessed here. Not far past there we passed a big open sided shed. We thought it might once have been a packing shed but it doesn’t look as though it is used now.
Around another bend and we came to a long wooden footbridge. Our bikes made a noise as we crossed and it reminded me of the childrens story of ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’. Just beyond it was a sign warning about mountain lions and further on a map showing where mountain lions live. Next thing we knew we were passing houses and had reached the end of the path. I was a bit disappointed as I had expected the bike path to go all the way to Anderson Lake. By checking online when I got home I saw that there is a way to get to Anderson Lake but there were certainly no directions on the bike trail. All we could see was a correctional facility.
We turned and headed back to the car. This section was not as long as we expected but it felt good to have reached the end of the bike trail. After we had loaded the bikes we drove into Morgan Hill and stopped for bagels and coffee at Main Street Bagels in the middle of town. We sat outside and enjoyed watching the world go by and listened to the church bells ringing. On the way home along Monterey Road we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some cherries and apriums. I had never heard of apriums but they sure were good, if a little expensive at $15 a basket. Of course I had to look online for more information about apriums when I arrived home. An aprium is three quarters apricot and one quarter plum and looks like an apricot.
After this warm up session, we must plan our next ride. Our calendar is full for the next few weeks but hopefully soon we will be able to hit another bike trail.
July 28 2010 05:34 pm | Special Places
Sue Buchanan on 30 Jul 2010 at 1:07 am #
Wonderful descriptions and photos as usual.
What sort of bird is a Black Phoebe, please?
Margaret and Tom on 31 Jul 2010 at 5:05 pm #
Black Phoebe are the size of a Robin (I’m talking Robin Redbreast here not the American Robin) and mostly black with a white breast. They feed on flies and gnats which they catch on the wing. You see them perched on tree branches, posts and any convenient spot where they wait for a tasty morsel to fly past. They then dart after it and fly to another nearby location where they repeat the same process. I love watching them and quite often have the pleasure of having them in our garden. For pictures, check out this site http://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/tmorris/lab/local_birds.htm
Sue Buchanan on 04 Aug 2010 at 3:09 am #
What a lovely creature! Thanks for the info.