Mt San Miguel Neighborhood Park to Mother Miguel Survey

September 25, 2012

9:20 AM I'm at Mt San Miguel Community Park, and I'm going to walk up the
trail to Mother Miguel if I can find it

mileage 6.64 at end of parking area near some power lines, I follow the
sign along an obvious trail to Paseo Veracruz

in the opposite direction is a trail marked "Regional Trail"

N 32 40.341 W 116 58.407 [40-341-58-407]

the trail goes appoximately E next to some power lines

it seems to be a double trail, as shown on Google Earth
[there is a power line access road to the L parallel to the trail]

342-330 formal access to Paseo Veracruz to the R at the corner of Los Gatos

SA is a formal trail, to L are two informal trails

I turn sharp L and follow the more beaten of the informal trails

365-349
388-375
402-392
480-408

40-539-58-384 trail splits, I turn R

40-556-58-372 four-way junction as shown on Google Earth photograph, I
continue SA on a well-beaten path [L and R are dirt roads]

567-363
582-313

the trail crosses an arroyo and goes steeply up the other side

571-300
591-294

there are side trails that cut switchbacks, but I stay on what appears to be
the main trail

613-283
622-269
592-257
606-236
624-227
634-218
627-216
620-223
571-226
552-222
581-206
591-197
540-193
572-163
592-152
592-106
573-128

559-132 I take two pics with hikers sitting on a rock enjoying the view

540-130
532-121
554-105

there are lots of mountain bike tire tracks on this trail

529-98
552-85
536-71
553-65
560-57
545-55
554-45

this is an area with a lot of short swtchbacks and a side trail cutting across
them

547-37
562-36
554-16
560-15
557-8
565-7
561-0
591-999
573-985
598-981
580-959

596-961 I take a picture of a cutoff marked off by rocks

607-931
630-918
650-923
673-862
681-847
718-823
731-826
756-824
789-825
823-820
878-815

40-902-57-819 I take two pictures of the summit [from the trail below the
summit]

935-831
968-849 two pics of a burned and regrown cactus
992-876 another pic of a similar burned and regrown cactus
4-853
16-844
19-817
33-808
40-836

41-80-57-830! the summit, mileage 8.82

after stopping for a snack a few pics, I go back the way I came

40--555--58--372 previously encountered junction, I continue SA to survey
a small trail triangle which is visible on Google Earth photo
[previous reading was 40--556--58--372]

540--382 trail split, I turn R [previous reading was 40-539-58-384]

40-566-58-402 junction of two trails and three dirt roads, I continue
roughly SA on a continuation of this trail

576-417
579-437

40-574-58-467 trail emerges on dirt road, I turn L

I must come back here some time with my mountain bike to explore these dirt
roads and trails

559-433 T intersection of dirt roads, I turn L

back at the intersection of three roads and two trails, I veer slightly R to
follow one of the roads [40-566-58-402]

556--371 previously encountered junction [change to 40-556-58-372 to match
first reading]

516-309
501-297
483-288

I hear what sounds like running water or a waterfall

418-226
401-205

that sound appears to be coming from some power lines just ahead

378-147
370-106 I'm going to record some of that sound in segment 110

(sound like running water)

40-352-58-92 I cross a dirt road approximately underneath the power lines and
I continue SA

331-83 T intersection with another dirt road, I turn R

there's a fence between me and a trail on the other side parallel to this road

330-95 I go through a gap in the fence blocked by a K-rail and turn L to
follow a formal path [uphill]

318-70
320-57
330-20
332-6
312-972
277-974
264-943
262-929

40-280-57-879-seats apparent end of formal trail with a few rough rock seats
and something like open roofs

the decomposed granite path ends here, but a well-worn path continues, I
continue on the other side

290-871
303-833
310-796
316-778
322-772-fence I go through a gap in a barbed wire fence

40-347-57-770 junction of dirt roads and trails, dirt road R apparently goes
into a golf course, dirt road to L goes back toward the park [along the power
lines], dirt road sharp L goes up to a tower for those power lines

I follow the dirt road to the L that apparently goes back to the park

351-789 at this point the little side road up to the tower rejoins this road

350-884

segment 139 is another recording of the power line sounds

346-975
344-14
330-52

331--84 previously encountered junction [change to 331-83 to match previous
reading]]

331--94 I pass through that gap and continue downhill on the path [change to
330-95 to match previous reading]]

328-112
330-130
322-154
334-186
338-204

40--343--58--325 previously encountered junction, I turn L
[change to 342-330 to match previous reading]

324-324! corner of Paseo Los Gatos and Paseo Veracruz, end of this part

I walk back into the park along Paseo Veracruz and look for a rest room

12:23 PM 22.65 miles, end of trip, back at the truck