It’s spring time, with weather too nice to stay inside but still too cold and snowy for normal people to head up into the big mountains.   This is the time of year when the lower elevation mountain ranges, such as those found on California’s coast, are at their prime.  With mild weather and abundant wildflowers awaiting, it’s a good time to break out the backpacking gear, unlock the muscles and start working off that winter blubber.  So where should you head?  That mostly depends on where you live, but I’d like to share a favorite spot of mine that has become almost like an annual spring pilgrimage:  Henry Coe State Park near the San Francisco Bay Area.

Those unfamiliar may be forgiven for raising eyebrows of skepticism at the mention of backpacking in or near the San Francisco Bay Area.  After all, one might ask, “How good can the outdoor opportunities be near such a major metropolitan area?”  Anyone asking this question is in for a pleasant surprise.  Henry Coe covers something like 75,000 acres of rugged hills, grassy meadows and flowing streams.  With elevations approaching 4000 feet, there is plenty of challenging terrain but nothing too overpowering on a mild spring day (summers can be iron melting).  So attention weekend warriors, Henry Coe beckons you and accepts your spirit of a tiger but the body a potato.  

With my trusty backpacking companions Dave and Kate, I headed to Henry Coe in mid April. It was 2009, but that is not an important detail–it could have been 1999 or any other year practically.  We decided on a 2 night/3 day itinerary camping first at the base of Blue Ridge at Mexican Flat and the second night at “The Rock”, a special place I first discovered with Dave 12 years ago, during our college days, on our maiden voyage to Henry Coe.  In typical fashion we got a slow start and were on the trail no earlier than 4:45 pm.  The hike from park headquarters to the base of Blue Ridge is fairly easy and mostly downhill, passing Frog Lake and a number of wild turkeys.  I can’t guarantee anyone that they will spot wild turkeys, but I can guarantee that locating Mexican Flat is no easy task.  It is about 3/10 of a mile off trail (feels like twice that) and guarded by poison oak. 

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