Over the last few weeks I’ve been exploring the remote land just east of Skyline Boulevard, over the city line in Anthony Chabot Regional Park. Time to show you some of the charming features of Grass Valley, seen here from Redwood Ridge near the Parkridge land bridge.
In classic Geology Ramble style, this walk (a set of them actually) starts at one bus stop and ends at another. It starts at the top end of the 39 line and ends at the top of the 46L. The challenge is that you can only do this on weekdays because neither line runs on weekends; moreover both lines only run once an hour. Here are the two routes I’ve done so far, in the Google Maps terrain view just to give a feel for the territory (800 x 100 pixels). There are 12 photos in this post, locations given in a map at the end.
The route on the right runs down Redwood Ridge, and the first part is just like what I showed you last month only more so. Where it meets the other route, at the Bort Meadow staging area, you get this view of the valley floor. You can see it looks completely different in cloudy weather. Without the distant views across the Bay and south into the Diablo Range, it’s intimate and secluded. (The rest of my photos are from the western route.)
Amelia Sue Marshall, in her new book East Bay Hills, a Brief History, says that Grass Valley was never settled by whites or Ohlone because the stream was unreliable. Back in the day, redwood lumber was hauled through the valley to Castro Valley; only a few redwoods actually grew there. Later, cattle were driven through it between Oakland and Moraga. The Grass Valley Ranch raised cattle there for many years until the water companies moved in. The East Bay Water Company and the Contra Costa Water Company both planted huge eucalyptus forests there, and finally East Bay MUD took them all over. When they secured Sierra Nevada water, their East Bay land was transferred to the East Bay Regional Parks District, and that’s the story.
The ramble starts at Skyline High School. The scenic way is up the median path of Skyline Boulevard, charming in all seasons. It also exposes the Oakland Conglomerate, as I’ve posted previously.
The road up to the city stables is marked by a sign. Go past the gate and enter the Goldenrod Trail, an old dirt road popular with horse riders. It’s pretty, and you’ll see outcrops of Oakland Conglomerate along the way.
You knew I’d get to the rocks. The gross terrain is shaped by the rocks beneath it, but not much rock is actually exposed. These rocks began as sediment, and to sediment they quietly return, mostly covering themselves in a forested blanket of soil.
The important map units are Ko, Oakland Conglomerate; Ksc, Shephard Creek Formation (mostly shale); Kr, Redwood Canyon Formation (mostly sandstone). Grass Valley is strongly confined by the shale. The upper slope, though, is conglomerate. You can usually tell by the well-rounded stones embedded in it — samples of ancient mountain ranges. They get as big as this.
And there’s more than rocks to shake a camera at. For instance, banana slugs.
Take the Ranch Trail or the Buckeye Trail down into the valley. Near the bottom the woods open up nicely.
After a while you reach Bort Meadow. A hundred years ago the water company called it the Big Trees area, but the park took down most of the eucalyptus and it’s much better now.
The stream gradient is very gentle; this area looks like it could have been a lake at various times in the recent geologic past, especially if landslides dammed it.
Grass Valley is still a ranchy, horsy, countrified place. Though it’s gone from drivin’ dogies to walkin’ doggies.
The first time I came through the valley, unsure of my pace relative to the bus schedule, I was trotting. After that I knew I could amble instead. The whole hike is less than 6 miles, and the climbs aren’t that strenuous.
Farther down the woods rise up and close in, first oak and then eucalyptus.
By the time you reach the Stone Bridge the woods are thick. I haven’t yet gone farther toward Lake Chabot; the public transit logistics are pretty daunting. Take a minute to look at the streambed above the bridge; the Shephard Creek Formation is well exposed there, but look from afar because the creek bed is fenced off as sensitive habitat.
From the bridge turn up the Jackson Grade, where you’ll meet the bottom end of Skyline Boulevard. (There’s a water faucet at the top of the grade.) From there it’s a quick downhill into the Grass Valley neighborhood. The eucalyptus allee on Grass Valley Road is pretty to look at, harrowing to drive and inadvisable to walk.
Instead, cut over to Scotia and down Shetland and contemplate the classic postwar burbia around you as you head for the bus stop.
As promised, here’s the photo key.
You could take this route the other way, but it’s uphill, from about 500 to about 1100 feet.
Oakland Geology 
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