Author Archives: AlphaRoaming

The Kickham Ranch office at Henry Coe State Park, a few miles SE of Hunting Hollow, gets very few visitors. I was there twice before, without really knowing if I was supposed to be there or not. I decided to … Continue reading →

A quick blog post, with some photos, to call out attention to a place I knew little about until past week. “Rancho Corral de Tierra” is a part of the GGNRA (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) near Half Moon Bay. … Continue reading →

A quick blog post to document for myself, and maybe others, a nice little route (bicycle ride) in Los Gatos, near Summit Road. I parked my car between Highway 17 and the Lexington reservoir. It’s a bit to the SW … Continue reading →

Santa Cruz is a great bicycle-friendly town. It’s a quick getaway from Silicon Valley (if you plan the Highway 17 traffic properly, or if you bicycle over “the hill” on Mountain Charlie Road or Soquel-San Jose Road) I’ve written about … Continue reading →

  I’ve done a few gear reviews before…some I’ve purchased (https://alpharoaming.com/2014/05/26/merrell-moab/) and loved enough to share my experiences, and some were freebies. A few times I’ve had a gear manufacturer send me a freebie where they were not necessarily asking for a review. … Continue reading →

Didja know that there are three Archery Ranges in Santa Clara County that are FREE and open to the public? They’re maintained by local clubs, with the County’s permission. The closest one to me is near Stevens Creek Reservoir, between Cupertino … Continue reading →

I finally found some time in the family calendar for an overnight trip. Off to Henry Coe http://coepark.net/pineridgeassociation/ we go…or maybe not! The forecast was 95F degrees in Morgan Hill, which would mean over 100F up on the sunny ridges … Continue reading →

(Dec 2018 update: Here is a great 20 minute video of the Amargosa River https://vimeo.com/303206781 ) I recently did a big road trip through the eastern edge of California. Travelling from south to north, I went from the Mojave Preserve, … Continue reading →

One of my favorite “quick but challenging” bicycle rides (MTB and road bike) is in nearby Cupertino, CA. It starts at the Stevens Creek Reservoir, near the quarry. Park along the wood fence near the boat launch, outside of the paid … Continue reading →

The lesser-known Dowdy Ranch entrance to Henry Coe State Park is open seasonally to cars on weekends starting in May. Four of us enjoyed a lengthy hike on the first open weekend of 2015. (Details and location of the park … Continue reading →