Towards the end of March I finally took the time to hike Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve (after passing by many times), at the top of Page Mill Road and Skyline Blvd (CA-35). The Mindego Hill trail is a legitimately moderate hike with some steep sections at the beginning (and end since it is an out-and-back). This route was recommended as Wildflower Walk by POST (Peninsula Open Space Trust) and indeed the area did have a decent variety of flora.

In addition to spring wildflowers, this can be a good trail for taking in views of the coastal forest, spotting raptors or just saying hi to grazing cattle. Even though I brought binoculars I had a hard time identifying the bigger birds that were riding the strong winds. I saw what looked like a Golden Eagle but it turned out to be a tricky Turkey Vulture which didn’t look normal with its wings bent inward instead of outstretched (maybe due to the strong winds).

The Mindego Hill Trail is 4.6 miles with some 1300 feet of elevation change – although my Apple watch registered it as 4.93 miles and 1090 feet. Either way it is a solid workout and my heart rate topped 100 during the hilly parts. Mostly I took it at a steady / jaunty pace and finished under 1 hour 50 minutes, after taking a few water/snack/bird sighting stops.

The first parking lot near Skyline is often at/near capacity, so it was convenient that this hike starts from the second parking lot, on the southwest (ocean) side of Skyline, which was not crowded. It was a sunny/warm Sunday near the bay but up on the ridge it was easily 20 degrees cooler with strong gusts of winds – be sure to bring layers and maybe even gloves or a warm hat.