San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail Hike (2-16-2015)

San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail Hike
Scott Boulevard to Monroe Street
Santa Clara, California

Monday, February 16, 2015

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

Preface: On Monday, February 16, 2015, Presidents' Day, with all the computer facilities closed, my friend took me hiking at the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail in Santa Clara. This bike trail was opened on June 12, 2009 (Yelp). We started at Scott Boulevard Entrance (3:23 pm) & turned back at close of trail at Monroe Street Entrance (4:30 pm). We completed our hike at 5:30 pm. Leaving my apartment at 2:30 pm, took photos of a blossoming white Cherry-plum tree and a pair of purple-pink Thundercloud Plum Trees (Prunus cerasifera) at Farley St. & Hackett Ave. My friend parked on Olcott Street near Ponderosa Office Center, a block from the trailhead. Took ten photos of buildings as illustrations for future poems before our hike. Got excited at my first sighting of a mallard duck in the creek, and many more would appear along the trail. Spotted a snowy egret under the tunnel by the Walsh Overpass. Another nice treat during the hike was the bas-relief mural of birds and animals by Linda Patterson. Her Gallery of the concrete decorative art helped in identifying many of the sculptured birds. Below are 86 photographs from the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail hike.

Plum Blossoms, Paulson Park, Mtn View

Pair of Pink Trees (Prunus cerasifera)

Pair of Pink Trees, Mountain View (1)

Circle Ring, Kaiser Clinic, Sunnyvale

C Building, 3080 Olcott Street

d Building, 3080 Olcott Street

Imagination Building, Scott Boulevard

Circle Ring, Kaiser Clinic

Ponderosa Office Center

Scott Boulevard Sign

Imagination 3201 Sign

San Tomas Aquino Waterway

San Tomas Trail, Scott Entrance

San Tomas Trail Open Sign

San Tomas Creek Bike Trail

Palm Tree at Entrance (3:24 pm)

Leaveless Tree on Bike Trail

Tall Palm near Sunset (5:26 pm)

Pine Tree at Scott Entrance

First Sighting of Mallard Duck

Mallard Duck Closeup

Two Mallard Ducks in Creek

Log & Two Mallard Ducks in Creek

Two Mallard Ducks in Creek

Flat Waterfall in San Tomas Creek

Turtle & Dragonfly Mural

Snowy Egret in Cattails Mural

Squirrel Mural by Linda Patterson

Western Burrowing Owls Mural

Mallard Ducks Bas-Relief Mural

Black-Crowned Night Heron

Raccoon with Crayfish Mural

Sycamore Tree & California Quail Mural

Jack Rabbit Bas-Relief Mural

Red-tail Hawk Bas-Relief Mural (1)

Bas-Relief Mural under Tunnel

Mural under Central Expressway

Mallard Duck on Rock (1)

Condensa Overpass on Bike Trail

Leaveless Elm across Bike Trail

Kingfisher & Cliff Swallows Mural

Gray Fox Bas-Relief Mural

Great Blue Heron & Snowy Egret Mural

Snowy Egret & Ducks under Tunnel

Snowy Egret Closeup

Waterfall in San Tomas Creek

Waterfall to San Tomas Creek

End of Trail near Monroe St.

Monroe St. & South St. Signs

Santa Clara Logo & Trail Open

House at Monroe Street & South Street

Monroe Street Trail Entrance Sidewalk Sign

Orange Tree by San Tomas Creek Trail

San Tomas Aquino Trail Map

Santa Clara Streets Map

Trail Rules & Regulations Sign

SCU Civil Engineering Dept. Sign

Sunlight on Oranges by Trail (1)

Ivy Hedges on Bike Trail

Great Blue Heron & Great Egret Mural

Egret under Walsh Ave Overpass

Snowy Egret & Ducks in Tunnel

Snowy Egret Closeup (1)

Tree Reflections in Creek

Levi Stadium from Bike Trail

Telephone Poles on Bike Trail

Sunflare on Mexican Fan Palm

Only Cloud in Sky is Wispy

Snowy Egret & Ducks in Tunnel

Condensa Overpass on Bike Trail

Six Ducks Waddling in Creek

Wispy Cirrus Dragon Cloud

Old Shaggy Leaveless Tree

Sunflare Through Tree

Six Ducks Resting in Creek

Sunflare through Tree

Dash of Sun Rays near Sunset

Cloud Crossing Tall Palm

Levi Stadium from Scott Blvd

Redwoods at Ponderosa Center

Pine Tree at Ponderosa Center

Scott Boulevard Creek Trail Entrance Sign

Tree with Width Longer than Height

Rock at Ponderosa Office Center

— Photographs by Peter Y. Chou, February 16, 2015