Muddy outing

Coppertone and I decided to make our first trip to the park that started the 500 mile Klondike Challenge this year in which we are both participating.  The recent rains let up on Sunday and we decided to take a chance with the mud.  We brought extra shoes to wear on the way home, just in case.  Our boots got plenty muddy and footing was a bit slippery on some of the steeper downslopes, particularly on Coon Trap Trail.

After discussing our options we opted for the circuitous Sonoma Ridge Trail loop that ultimately resulted in over 10 miles of hiking for us.  By the end of the hike we were plenty tired.  Despite the heavy tree cover over much of the path we still managed to find several impressive overlooks peering into Sonoma Valley below.

We were surprised by the number of buildings and structures remaining from Jack's agricultural experiments.  The information signs that discuss the poor farmers of the Sonoma Valley in the early 1900's seem a stark contrast to the wine culture that predominates today.