Once-upon-a-time I befriended the brains behind a loose knit group of hikers called the “Rambling Wrinklies” (seriously!). Dinesh Desai http://dineshdesai.info/ made me a “junior” member of his group of retirees who hike every friday in the Silicon Valley area. How I became a member is a story best left for another time.

Dinesh has had quite a few adventures in his many years in Silicon Valley, including some unusual attempts at hiking from Death Valley to Mt Whitney, circling the Salton Sea, and crossing Death Valley on foot…in the summer! http://dineshdesai.info If you only read a bit of his website, read this one in 4 parts linked at the bottom: 50+ years in Silicon Valley and some great stories and adventures looking back on his life, as well as a tragedy in his family: http://dineshdesai.info/fiftypeaks/index.html

This past friday I joined him and four others on a hike at Skyline Ridge, above Palo Alto, CA (http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_skyline_ridge.asp). These hardy hikers are all well into their retirement years, probably averaging about 75 years old. On a beautiful friday morning we didn’t see another soul during our 3+ hour excursion.

Horseshoe Lake – quite low and getting lower during our drought!

Wandering roughly southeast from the main parking lot, on part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail

Past what was a Christmas Tree farm until a few years ago, when it became park property. I think this sign is outdated and trees are no longer harvested here.

A view of some of the Christmas Trees, and a stump in the foreground that’s making a comeback!

Following the hike, Dinesh thought we should drive past this historic Silicon Valley location on San Antonio Road. The building is now empty and about to be demolished, though it doesn’t appear to be the original building from 1956.

Following the quick photo stop at this historic site, we went for lunch, then back to the carpool meeting spot. That’s it! A three hour hike with the older and wiser “Rambling Wrinklies”!