I couldn’t wait to get in among the trees to test my new GPS unit. Castle Rock State Park has abundant tree cover, though nothing as thick as, say Big Basin Redwoods, which is back in the rotation again (though…

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This one travels to Castle Rock State Park. (All my columns are archived here at the Merc site if you’d like to bookmark the page.) Hikes: Castle Rock State Park’s sandstone holds visitors in thrall Castle Rock State Park is…

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Castle Rock State Park is not my favorite place to hike. Not even in my Top 3 (Henry Coe, Big Basin, Sunol Wilderness) … too many people, too few butt-buster trails. I’ve gone there twice in the past three weeks…

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When last we encountered Seagull, my Chinese hiking friend, the two of us traveled to Point Reyes to gaze upon elk and the Pacific Ocean. Since then Seagull came upon a Chinese-American outdoors club based in San Francisco that took…

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Castle Rock State Park is a gorgeous little place in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s not especially large and the main trail is a nice five-mile loop with just enough hills to give you the sense that you’ve gotten some…

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Sunday took me to Castle Rock State Park with a hiking club started by a guy named Mike and his wife, Kathy. The club’s called FOMFOK for Friends of Mike, Friends of Kathy. It’s mostly them and their pals but…

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