Journeys›Photograph

A January Hike in the Bay Area Hills

·San Francisco, California·#winter#bay area#family#hike#east-bay
Panoramic landscape of rolling hills and a valley with houses under a bright sky, framed by dark trees and rocks.

A clear Saturday in late January, 2011. We went for a short hike somewhere in the East Bay hills. It was that time of year when everything is green from the winter rain, and the views across the valleys were sharp in the bright sun.

We started out near the trailhead where the kids immediately started climbing on the lichen-covered rocks. My daughter, in a very pink outfit, balanced on top of a boulder before rejoining us. It was a family outing, with a new addition in tow.

This was one of the first real walks for our new puppy. Once we got onto the paved path, the kids were more interested in the dog than the hike itself. My older daughter tried holding the leash for a bit, while the younger one toddled alongside. I spent a good amount of time kneeling on the pavement, trying to manage a tiny, energetic dog and two small children. It was a simple afternoon spent close to home.

A wide view of rolling green hills with trees, a distant town, and a utility pole.A child in pink on a rock reaches for an adult in a red vest, with trees and a parking lot in the background.A child in pink on a large rock, an adult man with a leash gesturing, an adult woman, and another child outdoors.A child in pink holds a dog's leash on a paved path with hillsides and trees in the background.Two children and a dog on a paved path amidst trees; one child squats, the other walks holding the dog's leash.A man kneels on a path with a dog, while two young children stand nearby, surrounded by trees and a stone wall.A man kneels with a dog on a leash as one child runs and another child sits on an outdoor path by a hillside.A man kneels with a dog and two children on a path, framed by dense green trees and an overhead branch.

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