Sea View Swing – Martinez Hills
Overall Rating: A
Bob and I set out again today to find a rope swing that we observed at a distance back in May. After failing to find it last time we employed some geo location tech by getting the date of the observance from a FB post (which I must admit I miss a little but not enough to jump back in), then we pulled up pics from that day and tapped into the gps location data to pin point where we were. First time I’ve done that and was happy to see the location data still existed even on the cloud backup of the pic as the original had long since been removed from my phone due to space limitations. Pressing the information icon when viewing the photo on Cameringo+ brought it up on a map. (Note to self-see if the location data lives on the pics in this post..looks like it is an option on upload).
With that info in hand it became an easy task to find the swing, in what I must say is in a rather obvious location- a solo Oak atop a knoll with a sweeping view of Carquinez Straights.
We started the hike at Cementry Lot around 10am, through the main gate and up the left trail into a steep dark hallow. Bob did want to follow a pretry hiker and her dog that took the other path.
It hadent rained in a while so the ground was slightly tacky..the air was cold…night air lingering in the canyon protected by the thick canopy.
On our way up the steep trail we explored a large oak that had fallen over. We scrambled up the slope, away from the trail to check out the exposed root ball. On the way back down we spotted a critter den under some rocks. The den was large enough for a racoon sized animal. Bob found a small skull on top indicating a carnivore may live there.
This is near the tracks we saw a few trips back..possible cougar tracks (which we confirmed are still there) …and indeed we saw similar track marks near the base of the den…but truth be told these could have also been made by a hikers dog.
After we cleared the canopy and attained the ridge we took a right and headed to Vista Bench. From there Bob spotted the swing in a distant oak. We saw someone was already there so we hung at the bench for awhile.
Then we decided to head cross country to the swing. The hiking was easy since the grass was dead and toppled over, with the green starts of the next crop peeping out a couple of inches. The poison oak had lost its leaves..just clumps of twigs one needs to be cautious of.
We met a fellow hiker at the tree. He had come from Pittsburg and left his wife in town while he hiked to the swing. After talking for a bit he pointed to something in a burl hole that turned out to be a geo cache. He then left to meet his wife for brunch.
The swing appears to have been placed by a sailer….marine rope with some creative bowline knots. The view from the swing is great, but it is more of a leasurly affair as the overall length is not great. Allthough Bob did manage some creative moves. For more of a wild ride one must go to the swing by the windmill, a mile or so south.
It was the shortest hike we have done in a long time, but a memerable one.
