[conspire] SuperbOwl walk, Alpine Road Regional Trail, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, 10am.

[Rick Moen]

This coming Sunday is our hallowed annual day to look for spectacular
owls, SuperbOwl Sunday! 

So, please join me for a pleasant walk.   Nothing else will happen on
Sunday, except some professional sports thing.  (More about SuperbOwl
Sunday, here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/SuperbOwl/ ) 

 I'm bringing home-baked sourdough soft pretzels to share.

Going uphill 4 miles on Alpine from Portola Valley (past the orange sign
saying "Alpine Road Closed at Town Limits.  No Access to Skyline
Blvd."), you reach a dead-end for cars, and small parking lot.  If lot's
full, park on nearby side streets. (Curb your wheels.)

I'll be waiting for 15 mins for stragglers at the lot's pedestrian gate.
Look for a guy with a mop of strawberry-blond hair. I'm at tel.
650-283-7902, but cell reception's spotty up there. 

Sunday's hike will be partway up the 2.3 mile, shaded, pleasant
firetrail and former historic turnpike, closed to cars in the '60s.
Then back down.  Probably not the whole ascent.  This will be just a a
leisurely, fun walk.

Past the parking lot's pedestrian gate, Alpine Road becomes its original
frontier-era 6'-wide dirt/gravel fire road, at first bordering Windy
Hill Open Space Preserve, then Coal Creek Open Space Preserve (three
side trails going up into that), eventually ending at Page Mill Road.
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve lies beyond Page Mill.  

Recommended for:  Families with children, horses, dogs, strollers,
bicycles.  Not for wheelchairs. 

Restrooms:  None.

Hours:  24x7.

Altitude change:  1,007 feet (for full 2.3 mile ascent)

Average grade:  8%

Trail type: gravel fire trail

Weather:  Partly sunny, 60°F.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.430410&lon=-122.204196&unit=0

I've cleverly sidestepped y'all's main reasons to avoid this walk:

"It's too strenuous."  You're so nice!  I'm 67. 
"Rainy weather."  National Weather Service says no. 
"But mud!"  Gravel trail.  (Well, mostly.)
"Not enough advance notice."  Maybe 1/2 day is enough?
"Too remote."  Four miles uphill from Portola Valley's downtown intersection.
"Too crowded."  Never.
"Costs too much."  Free.
"If only this were on a weekend."  Done.