The weather was perfectly wet Saturday, March 3 for local children attending the “Raincoats and Rubber Boots” event put on by the Pine Ridge Association of Morgan Hill. The event, which took place at Henry W. Coe State Park drew little and big kids alike to its annual creek walk and scavenger hunt.
With low rainfall levels this winter, Pine Ridge Association (PRA) volunteer and Raincoats and Rubber Boots coordinator Chere Bargar said they were really worried about the outcome of the event, which took place just inside the park’s Hunting Hollow entrance east of Gilroy.
“The Sunday before, there was one little puddle at the first creek crossing that wasn’t even big enough to go in,” Bargar said. “We were glad to see the rain when it came in on Thursday.”
The event attracted more than 60 puddle jumpers, with kids ranging in age from 1 to 11 years old.
“It’s mainly intended to get the kids outside to play in the water,” Bargar said. “We have boats and rubber ducks so they can just float them and have races or whatever they like.”
The four-hour event included learning about the rain cycle accompanied by a special craft project and a scavenger hunt, where rather than collecting items, participants marked them off on a sheet to learn about what they find in nature.
When the trails are less muddy, PRA even has bikes for kids to borrow and invites them on trails with knowledgeable guides who help the kids learn the ropes about the terrain.
A volunteer with PRA for more than 30 years, Bargar said not enough people are aware of the amazing space—more than 87,000 acres—to romp around in at Henry W. Coe State Park.
“Every year we get people that have never been in Coe Park and it’s right in their backyard,” she said. “After attending the event last year, we had people that came this year that said they come two to three times a week now.”
PRA has more than 100 volunteers donating thousands of hours to the park each year through events, trail and spring restoration, building maintenance and controlled burns.
“There’s a whole training program to learn about the plants and animals, geology, history and, we have a horse patrol group and I’m the head of that too,” Bargar said.
With exposure to PRA’s Ranch Day and programs like Raincoats and Rubber Boots, Bargar said the park was able to stay open when state funding dried up a couple years ago because people had a vested interest in their neighborhood.
“Private funding kept it going,” Bargar said. “If people are aware of Coe Park and they use it and they love it, they will be more willing to spend the money on their taxes to keep it open.”
The main entrance to Henry W. Coe State Park is at the end of East Dunne Avenue, about 10 miles east of Morgan Hill. The Hunting Hollow entrance is on Gilroy Hot Springs Road in unincorporated east Gilroy.
Raincoats2: STRONG TIDES Two-year old Ann Hubbard tests out the current with her small tethered boat at Henry Coe Park in Gilroy.
Raincoats3: RAINY DAYS Young Shelby Hubbard, 4, enjoys the fifth annual Raincoats and Rubber boots event hosted by Pine Ridge Ridge Association.
Raincoats4: FINISH LINE Siblings Colby, 6, and CJ, 4, Clifford look on with wonder at which tiny craft which will win the race—the rubber ducky or miniature sailboat.
Storm brings puddles
