So for the last couple of months my friend Laura has been telling me about all these awesome hikes she’s done out at Morgan Territory in Livermore. Marshall and I had driven up there once two years ago and although it looked cool, I didn’t like the 5 miles of winding one-lane road you have to travel to get there. The Jetta does not like pulling off the road as its belly tends to scrape on the road. =P
Well as luck would have it Morgan Territory was featured as one of the winter hikes for the East Bay Trails Challenge and was just under 10 miles so despite the slightly treacherous trip there, I decided it was perfect for a Sunday hike with Marshall and Sierra. =) Fortunately for the Jetta, the road had been repaved so I only needed to pull off to the side of the road once to let another car by and even though the belly scraped, it wasn’t too bad so no trip to the mechanics this time. 😉
We started the hike at around 10am under blue skies and a slight chill in the air. Perfect weather for hiking. =)
Happy family (minus Lotus) at the beginning of the hike
I was so excited to be going on a hike and I could tell Sierra was too. We were both checking out all the new scenery and I swear she had a smile on her face when she looked back at me every so often. =)
Pupperann and me
Marshall was a bit less enthusiastic but still had a smile on his face. Ever since we purchased a nice pair of hiking poles from REI, he’s enjoyed the hikes a lot more. See, he’s smiling. =)
Marshall still smiling at the beginning of the hike
The rest of the hike was really cool. I found a naturally bleached cow hip bone (and left it there, just thought it was cool to check out), a very cool gnarly leafless tree, and a baby cow that could have been Sierra’s twin. So cute!
Sweet! It's an animal bone. =)
Very cool tree towards the end of the hike
Sierra's cow twin (isn't she cute?)
Halfway through the hike we stopped near a watering hole to eat. I had packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dark chocolate M&Ms and beef jerky for Marshall (Sierra got some beef jerky too). Marshall had fun taunting the cows by eating beef jerky in front of them. Hmm, it’s a little cruel but they’re cows, I don’t think they got the joke. 😉
Marshall enjoys some lunch while Sierra patiently waits for a treat
Our last cool sighting before we headed down the final trail was a super wooly bully who was chilling just to the right of the cattle gate. I thought he was pretty neat looking. I kind of wanted to try and pet his face but realized the likelihood of that happening was: A) unlikely and B) potentially hazardous to my health. 😉
Super cool, super wooly bully
All in all this hike was absolutely amazing. The views were incredible and the terrain was great for a weekend workout. I also liked that the trails were wide enough to where we could walk side by side with the dog(s) and not be pushed into the brush (minimizes the chance of anyone getting tick bites.. yep, I’ve been bitten twice now). =P
Even though Marshall and I had a bit of an issue when I challenged him on something (beware of dizzy hulk) I think we all still ended up having a great time. I can’t wait for the next hike and Laura was right, Morgan Territory is definitely worth the one-lane winding road drive. 😉
Sierra and me overlooking an amazing mountain range
For all the picutres check out my Picasa Album. Until next time, this is Sierra and Jenny, signing out… =)
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