Hicks Road Part 2

I am not sure how to describe what this post will be.  I guess it is sort of a pictorial tour of a recent trip over Hicks road.  This is in part to clarify my previous post and in part to give out of town friends a trip down memory lane.

I started from Coleman and Curtner and then quickly made the turn onto hicks.  You can see the light in the picture to the side.  It really doesn't show anything but  if you see this sort of sign you are in the right place. 

early in the drive

Much of the drive is pretty standard country road sort of fair.  It has some climbs and falls but it pretty smooth in the beginning.  On this drive i am starting on the Curtner side and driving into New Almaden.

There are a few houses on the trip and looking left into the creek side there are actually a few horse stables.  The last building on the left is one of these stables. 

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The first landmark you are going to see is the reservoir.  I am sure of the name of this fellow it may be almaden quicksilver.  But as you can see its a place you can stop and walk.  A ranger waved to me as I crossed the road so i think its all pretty cool.  I saw some folks fishing, though you really don't want to eat the fish, they have mercury in the.

You can easily get around the gate there is an opening and the water is nice and high thanks to the rainy winter last year. 

At one time there was a massive blue oyster cult logo painted on the dam I sort of miss it.  It gave some character that i think San Jose is sadly lacking.

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So the road most associated with the hicks story is Umanhum.  This is public road that was once painted with private road do not enter.  This takes you to the gate nearest to the block house and bald mountain. 

There is a stop now one direction takes you into the park and a horse staging are.

Here you can see the parking area for bottom of the preserve.  I also took a shot of the block house and general surrounding area shots.

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Next I road up Umanhum road and got to the gate itself.  You are pretty damn high up at this point so you have some nice views.  You can see a couple here.   I took a shot looking back into coyote valley and one looking into Silicon Valley.  A note about the road, its in bad shape.  There is nothing falling off but its not the best.  It feels like it hasn't been touched since the sixties when Almaden Airforce Station started.  I sort of like that but .
You can see you are much closer to the block house at this point.  You can make the walk pretty easily but as the sign points out.  Watch out from mountain lions.  You will see another sign about armed guards higher up you can ignore that one.

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After coming down off the mountain, it look Alamitos road to the cabins.  They are pretty cool you can see one to the side here. You cross the stream and there you are.  I would worry about flooding but they are pretty cool looks like it would have a nice feel living there.

I mentioned bridge under bridge before, I took a shot from my car. I don't really know where to get out and walk down there.  I wish I did really it looks interesting. 

Here are couple of shots. from New Almaden itself.  The drive through cemetery and La Foret.  Is a super nice place for a bite.  I got a great buffalo steak there. 

I will try to take some more pics and figure out spacing on blogger, this was terrible.  I want to get svedal and UTC next.  Here is a link to my first post on this subject. 

Update:  I worked up a third post on UTC and Metcalf road. 

A new Post about Sveadal and Croy road can be found here.