Santa Teresa / Stiles Ranch

Everyone has their favorite route on all the interconnected trails near IBM and Upper Santa Teresa Park. Here's another recipe.

@ Start at Almaden Lake (free to park),

@ take the sandy trail toward the hills along the uncovered creek,

@ transition over the bridge and begin following whippy singletrack along the Alamitos Creek,

@ continue stream and road crossings, left to Harry Rd., follow some asphalt,

@ Enter trail between IBM orchard and rancher's meadow, Love that hard left turn, then the concrete-reinforced dry stream crossing, traverse the foothill for a bit, then enter the trailhead log-crossing gate and (choose your uphill poison) follow through to the asphalt near IBM,

@ down/right on asphalt through S.T. Park entrance at the T-intersection on the right,
and left on the fireroad before Pueblo Picnic covered tables,

@ continue up the fireroad to the radio tower at Coyote Peak,

@ across and then down Rocky Ridge near the generator shack,

@ cross the stream and climb the fire road,

@ back to IBM road and loop back descending through the switchbacks near the shallow stone walls -- yielding to the occasional jogging Research Lab Scientist -- and on the return to Almaden Lake, weave the singletrack adjacent to Los Alamitos Creek and onto the multi-use trail when necessary.

Feeling froggy? Ride the ramps and drops built by the Rummys at the clearing in the trees.
Smells just like the old Frontier Village land creekside. Same foliage. Just a great ride.

When available, we take the Almaden horse trail to dodge the strollers, dog walkers and whitecaps.

Re-insert to civ life, play pickup Bocce ball next to the lake.
Self medicate. Whatever your thing is. Coffee, I dunno.

Has anyone else here logged miles cycling over and through the Native American caves [Bedrock in red spraypaint with the blue car door at the entrance!] at Almaden and Mazzone? The caves are now covered by a golf course? Sure, a lot of spray paint and broken bottles and paintballs tore up the place in the last 10 years, but, think of what history we had access to!

You gotta love the SantaTeresa-Almaden-Los Gatos-Saratoga part of this state.