The day was bright, the grass greening, water chattered over the
rocks in the creek as I walked southeast down Hunting Hollow
heading for Bill
’s Hill, which at 1,988 feet, is the highest point in the south
end of Coe Park. I saw two large, brown birds swooping and swirling
playfully over Steer Ridge – and realized they were golden eagles.
There were a few other people out on foot and horseback and we all
stopped and watched, amazed an
d delighted.
The day was bright, the grass greening, water chattered over the rocks in the creek as I walked southeast down Hunting Hollow heading for Bill’s Hill, which at 1,988 feet, is the highest point in the south end of Coe Park. I saw two large, brown birds swooping and swirling playfully over Steer Ridge – and realized they were golden eagles. There were a few other people out on foot and horseback and we all stopped and watched, amazed and delighted.
I turned south toward Fish Pond, which is an enchanting place, serene and untrammeled. After walking around the pond, I was tempted by a smooth grassy ridge rising to the west and wondered if this might be a good way to the top of Osos Ridge. A while back, another volunteer and I lugged clippers and other heavy implements up Osos Ridge beside Gibson Pond and cleared the poison oak near the top, but it’s almost a futile effort.
When I got to the top of the first grassy ridge above Fish Pond, the way seemed reasonably clear so I kept on tramping up the slope under blue oaks and through native bunch grasses and ferns. In less than 30 minutes I could see blue sky up ahead and crested Osos Ridge, to the astonishment of a large bovine that stood staring at me, dribbling.
Bill’s Hill was clear and sharp to the southeast and when I got there, the views were as stunning as ever. To the north and west, Willson Peak, Steer Ridge, and Palassou Ridge, with Mt. Hamilton in the distance beyond them, shrouded in snow. It looked as though there was some heavy weather that way too, but it was clear and sunny in other directions – Monterey Bay glimmering in the late afternoon light and the Monterey Peninsula rising beyond the bay; Canada de los Osos below, and the Kickham Ranch stretching to the southeast. What a glorious spot, and well worth the modest effort to get there.
As I turned to head back to Hunting Hollow, the threatening looking weather was moving toward me from the northwest. A black squall moved into Hunting Hollow. I thought I’d get drenched but the weather pretty much stayed on the Steer Ridge side of the hollow.
Suddenly, a brilliant rainbow appeared, highlighted by the black clouds of the squall against the opposite ridge. The rainbow swooped up and curved down in a steep, bright curve about half a mile in diameter, both ends in Hunting Hollow. Then I saw a very faint double rainbow shadowing the first bright curve of color. My goodness, what a sight.
At the same time, I heard coyotes howling and yipping on the opposite ridge, a sound that is both exhilarating and chilling, reminding us humans that although we may think we’re in charge, we are surely novices in the natural world, and more vulnerable than we think.
The road back down Hunting Hollow to the parking lot was soaked by the squall, the seven creek crossings coated with more downed brown sycamore leaves.
Back in the parking lot, the last pink light of evening glowed in the sky above Palassou Ridge. I savored the fudge as my car crunched over the gravel and splashed through the puddles to the road, content to have found a relatively easy way up to Bill’s Hill.
Libby Vincent is a volunteer at Henry W. Coe State Park.
