If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere [in every season].” —Vincent Van Gogh
“Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine. —Anthony J. D'Angelo
The 70 degree days we were blessed with came and went. Currently the temperatures have dropped to the just under 40 to 50 degrees. The floating cloud formations have been incredibly prolific. Some angry looking and others billowing with reflections of light from the sun (photos). The cold snap didn’t stop friend and neighbor Bill Rothenberg and I from going for a bike ride this weekend before the much needed rain set in and will continue after today’s respite. After noodling around local private family vineyards, stately homes in quiet untrodden neighborhoods and dirt trails, hidden away from traffic, we made our way to Saratoga Quarry Park, located a mile outside historic Saratoga Village just passed Hakone Gardens. In conjunction with Santa Clara County and the Mid-peninsula Regional Open Space District the land was purchased by the city of Saratoga in 2011 with the intention to develop a park. Future plans include connecting the Quarry Park to the Skyline to the Sea Trail though the Santa Cruz Mountains, a bicyclist and hiker’s dream.
In the mid 1850s the site was first used to mine lime for the gold and silver mining industry. The county operated the quarry from 1921 to 1967 to extract rock and gravel for the county roads. After the quarry was closed in 1967, it was used for private picnics, parties and weddings until the 1990s.
Remnants of the quarry days still remain and are celebrated for its historical significance including old mine cart axles that were converted to benches. The sturdy gravel trails are well marked with signs and vary from level to steep climbs, and there are extensive picnic grounds for warmer times. There are concrete remains of the Old Loading Structure by the parking lot entrance that was once used to deposit freight onto train cars. The building now contains large black and white photos from when the quarry was fully active.
We were surprised to see several families hiking around the gravel trails on such a cold day, but these days of sheltering in place, people are taking advantage of being out in nature, which is allowable under CDC guidelines with the usual precautions.
