Morgan Hill Today 2013 06 Summer | Page 56

Hiking Around Morgan Hill

By Larry J . Mickartz Photos Courtesy of Ron Erskine

MORGAN HILL is unique in that green space , wondrous hills and forests surround it . And summer and fall is a great time to enjoy the abundance of opportunities to view the beauty of nature that our county , state and national parks afford — all within a relatively short distance .

To get a good feel for the breadth of the areas offerings , we contacted Ron Erskine , hiker extraordinaire and author of “ Getting Out ” in the Morgan Hill Times , Gilroy Dispatch , and Hollister Freelance , about hiking locally and throughout California . Ron also offers adventure hikes through Gavilan College Community Education and Henry W . Coe State Park .
Always a lover of the outdoors , Ron has hiked and backpacked all his life . He qualifies his “ local favorites ” by the convenience of being able to get to them and if they have what he calls “ spectator value .” While the micro world may be fascinating , Ron prefers the macro world of big views and sweeping panoramas .
Ron has been involved with the Pine Ridge Association for some 22 years . The association is made up of volunteers who contribute about 20,000 hours of support annually to Henry W . Coe State Park . Ron notes that he became fascinated with the expanse and beauty of Coe Park soon after his move to this area from Mill Valley .
So , Coe Park seems like a good place then to start our journey through some of his favorite trails .
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