From San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area getaway is never far away
By Tom Stienstra
One of the best views anywhere is from Fifield Ridge on the Peninsula.
To the west is the towering wilderness flank of Montara Mountain, and then as you head north, you can scan across the San Pedro foothills and Pacifica for a long-distance view of the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. To the nearby north is Sweeney Ridge, and then, turning to the right, you can see below to San Andreas Reservoir, the South Bay and across to the East Bay hills.
This is one of the payoffs of the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail at the Crystal Springs Watershed. Though trips are limited to groups by reservation on Wednesdays or weekends, it's one of the best treks in the Bay Area, either biking or hiking. If you make the one-way, 10-mile trip with a shuttle car at the end of the trail, it can be one of the best adventures in the Bay Area, a must-do on your life list.
For years, Crystal Springs was the forbidden paradise, where the San Francisco Water Department kept everybody out with all kinds of excuses. Well, in five years of limited access, nothing bad has happened. In fact, because of the mosaic of protocols required to make the trip, a lot of people still haven't seen this urban wilderness.
Start by making an online reservation date at the water department's Web site (sfwater.org, select Natural Resources tab), or access an automated help line at (650) 652-3203.
Be sure to be physically fit and book a trip that tours the entire 10-mile length of the ridge trail - otherwise you'll cut short traversing Fifield Ridge.
The trip starts at Quarry Gate, just off Highway 92 near where the causeway crosses Crystal Springs Reservoir. Here, you will meet with your group and trail leader.
From Quarry Gate, you will climb 650 feet in the first 1.3 miles to Cahill Ridge. For mountain bikers, this is a sustained aerobic climb; for hikers, it's an easy pull in rhythm. Though most of the route is forested on the way up, there are glimpses at times to the east of upper Crystal Springs Reservoir.
On the ridge, enjoy an easy glide in the forest, a mix of cypress and Douglas fir, with a few surprise redwoods. You will find your rhythm here, an easy 3 miles to a dramatic five-way junction called Five Points.
At Five Points, you turn left on Fifield Ridge and leave the forest behind as you climb past a spur on the left (it goes to off-limits Pilarcitos Lake). You then emerge atop Fifield Ridge, edged by grasslands and chaparral, with spectacular long views, one after another, as you work your way north. In April, wildflowers and deer are often abundant.
The route then traces north along Sweeney Ridge, past the Bay Discovery Site, and then descends to the gate at Sneath Lane in San Bruno. With your shuttle car waiting, the final stretch is a euphoric triumph. |
