UVas Canyon Hike (9-25-2011)

UVas Canyon Hike
Santa Clara County, CA

Hike: UVas Creek Trail
& Swanson Creek Trail

Sunday, September 25, 2011

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

Preface: On Sunday, September 25, 2011, a friend took me hiking at UVas Canyon County Park. We hiked here twice in July 2005 and were delighted by the many waterfalls and scenic creek trails. With rain already falling in Berkeley, my friend decided to head south today. We started out at 1:05 pm in Mountain View and arrived at UVas Canyon at 2:15 pm. Although there was some drizzling showers, the rain stopped when we began hiking on the UVas Creek Trail. There were so many scenic sights of rocks and logs in the creek with trees all around, that I took 116 photos. The most hazardous path was at the end of UVas Creek Trail. There was a steep descent that we had to come down slowly backwards one step at a time clinging to roots for support. Crossing Swanson Creek, we had to step over rocks in the flowing stream. A surprise treat was finding a giant fallen V-branch shaped like the Platonic Lambda by the Swanson Creek Waterfall. It's joyful to see that Plato's "Soul of the Universe" symbol being refreshed by a steady stream of waterfall. Other treats included three banana slugs found on the trail and some deer sightings after the three-hours hike at 5:15 pm. The sun came out on the drive home and I took several photos on Highway 85 near sunset as the hazy clouds appeared like distant hills and lake. This was the best hike of the year.

UVas Canyon County Park Sign

UVas Canyon County Park Board

Picnic Area Oak Trees

Pine Tree in Parking Lot

"Trident" Oak Tree

Upper Branches of Oak

Rock Path Entrance to Trail

Rocks & Logs Fence

Sign Board of Trails

Road to Bridge

Rocks in Swanson Creek

Rocks & Water Pool

Entrance View of Hill

Road to Bridge

Rocks in Swanson Creek

Trees, Rocks, & Creek

Bridge over Swanson Creek

Road to UVas Creek Trail

Big Leaf Maple

Three Leaning Trees

Two Leaning Trees

Giant Rock

Heart Shape Stump

UVas Creek Trail Sign

Tracking Wildlife Info Board

Leaning Trees

UVas Creek Trail Entrance

Leaning Tree on Trail

View down the Creek

V-Branches to the Creek

UVas Creek Trail

Rocks in UVas Creek

Y-shaped Tree & Creek

"Infinity Pool"

Babbling Brooks amidst Rocks

Banana Slug among Leaves

Rocks in UVas Creek

Maple & Logs in UVas Creek

Y-Tree & Rocks in Creek

"Tree Cross" on UVas Creek Trail

Ripples in UVas Creek

Maple Leaves on UVas Creek Trail

Exposed Roots by UVas Creek

Curved Tree over UVas Creek

Scattered Leaves by UVas Creek

Giant Uplifted Roots on Trail

"I-Tree" & Bent Trees

Bent Trees by UVas Creek

Pool Reflections of Trees

Mini-Falls in UVas Creek

Gurgling Streams in UVas Creek

Rocks & Mini-Falls in UVas Creek

Curved Tree over UVas Creek

Maple and Precipice Rock

Precipice at UVas Trail End

Swanson Falls & Lambda Branch

Above Swanson Creek Falls

Swanson Creek Falls & Lambda Branch

UVass Creek Trail to Precipice

Swanson Creek Falls

Big Leaf Maple & Precipice

Platonic Lambda Branch

Steep Descent to Swanson Creek

Precipice above Swanson Creek

Steep Descent to Swanson Creek

Rocks Stepping Across Creek

Swanson Creek Falls & Lambda Branch

Rocky Descent to Swanson Creek

Rocks in Swanson Creek

V-Trees and Precipice

Rocky Descent to Swanson Creek

Staircase to Swanson Creek Trail

Y-Tree on Swanson Creek Trail

Swanson Creek Trail Sign

Swanson Creek Trail

Big Leaf Maple

"Tuning Fork" Trees

Rocks Lined Swanson Creek Trail

Entangled Trees over Creek

Y-Tree on Swanson Creek Trail

Trees over the Creek

Tilted Tree on Trail

"Telephone Pole" Trees

Upper "Telephone Pole" Trees

Bird Image in Bark

Logs & Rocks in Creek

Long Log in Swanson Creek

Banana Slug among Leaves

Banana-Shaped Log

Rocks in Circle Pool

Circle Pool of Rocks

Mini Waterfall in Swanson Creek

Mini-Falls in Swanson Creek

Rocks in Swanson Creek

Mini-Falls & Rocks in Creek

Banana Slug by Rock

Waterfall in Swanson Creek

Mini-Falls in Swanson Creek

Gathering of Rocks

Swanson Creek Staircase Up to Road

Eye in Wooden Staircase Step

Staircase Down to Swanson Creek Trail

Silhouette Trees by Entrance

Big Leaf Maple

Tilting Trees

V-shaped Madrone Tree

Madrone Tree by Entrance

Deer Sighted

Three Deer after Leaving Park

"Medusa" Oak Tree

Four Deer in Estate

Five Deer in Estate

Deer Grazing

Three Deer in Estate

Tree on Croy Road

UVas Road Sign

Windmill on UVas Road

UVas Road & Croy Road Signs

UVas Road

Cloud & Hills on UVas Road

Distant Views from UVas Road

View of Calero Reservoir

Horses Grazing by UVas Road

Sunset Clouds on Highway 85

"Hills & Lake" Clouds (Highway View)

Sunset Clouds on Highway 85

"Hills & Lake" Clouds (Highway View)

Sunset Clouds on Highway 85

"Hills & Lake" Clouds on Horizon

"Hills & Lake" Clouds (Highway View)

Sunset Clouds on Highway 85

— Photographs by Peter Y. Chou, September 25, 2011