On Sunday June 13 a small band of fearless hikers from Yoga Is Youthfulness, with hats and water, braved the late Spring sun and headed deep down the Phleger Estate trail. For those not in the know, Phleger Estate trail is one of a few well-known hikes in Huddart Park. During the Californian Gold Rush 5 sawmills operated on the outskirts of the present park grounds. James Huddart, a wealthy San Francisco lumber man deeded 900 acres of his property to the County of San Francisco on the proviso it be developed into a public park. Later the property was willed to the County of San Mateo. Now in many parts of the park new forests cover much evidence of early logging. The small number of hikers in our group, six, was probably because last month a very large group headed out on a different trail, also located in Huddart park. Naturally there are benefits to both types of hiking, I personally prefer the more intimate kind, where hike leaders will stop and let laggers, like me, take a breather. Phleger Estate trail winds down alongside West Union Creek, where we were fortunate enough to spot a pair of newts hanging out on a half-submerged stick. Where these poor critters go as summer’s harsh heat eventually evaporates the creek is anybody’s guess. Huddart park is comprised of a range of beautiful trees: tanoak, Douglas fir, oak and redwood. As we picked our way along the trail, we casually avoided the pretty, green leaves spilling over the path, known as poison oak. The path itself was soon to take on a decidedly steep incline, although this was described as “gentle inclines” in the e-mail sent out by Laurel - I’m a wimp. Incidentally the trail is known for its signage. As “Bay Area Hiker: Huddart County Park Hikes” puts it, “The signposts in Phleger are worth the trip.” It is true, any aspiring sign writer or graphic artist should go for a walk there, just to check out the signs at every juncture in the trail. After ascending for about 30 minutes, our group began the gentle descent to what was to become our luncheon site. Sitting on logs with our sandwiches we exchanged stories. It was educational, and for those out there, yes - the most popular type of bread in Finland is rye bread, and no - cobras in baskets don’t have fangs, they remove them, of course. If you are planning a hike along Phleger Estate, it loops back and you end up exactly where you started from, particularly if you pay attention to that stylish signage along the way. It is about 4.5 miles long, and it is better to go in winter and early spring to avoid the heat. For more information about walking trails in Huddart Park and on the park itself go to the following websites:
