A Sunny Winter Hike in the East Bay Hills

We had one of those perfect, clear-sky days in late January. After some rain, the hills were vibrantly green, so it felt like the right time to get out for a hike. The air was cool but the sun was warm, and the trails were mostly empty.

The path winds through grassy slopes and clusters of oaks before opening up to views of the rocky ridges. It’s a familiar landscape, but the quality of light this time of year makes it look different. The shadows from the hills and the bare trees were long, even in the middle of the day.

Our dog came along, enjoying the chance to run around. He's good about sticking to the trail but always finds the best patch of grass to lie down in when we stop for a moment. He seemed perfectly content to just sit in the sun and look out at the mountains.

It wasn't a particularly long or challenging hike, just a good few hours spent walking through the quiet hills. The trail follows the contours of the land, dipping into valleys and climbing up to wider views before heading back down.