4/2 15 Mile Hike

If you are looking for a relatively easy 15-mile hike to do, we would recommend you check out the Los Gatos Creek Trail: Fruitdale to Los Gatos. As the name suggests this trail will take you from Fruitdale to Los Gatos and back. In total, this hike is 15.6 miles long. The hike, though long, is completely flat and paved. Some parts of the hike are slightly shaded, but there is a very long stretch of land where there is no shade whatsoever. As it is located in more of a park rather than on a hill, it is quite crowded and is very popular amongst bikers and walkers.

When we reached the parking lot, we couldn’t immediately spot the start of the trail. Ria and I were very confused about this, but thankfully, the adult leaders arrived on time and were able to help us out. We did some stretches to prepare for the long hike and started with a lot of energy and excitement. During the first half, scouts saw many interesting sights and we were able to keep a good pace. There were many murals along the way, usually featuring animals found in lakes, such as trout and ducks. A painting we found especially meaningful was one conveying the danger of water pollution, showing many sea animals in a lake getting caught up in the trash. As we continued on the trail, we realized the significance of this mural. The nearby river was littered with items ranging from coconuts to helmets, to even a shopping cart. This made us wonder where all of this garbage came from! Despite the pollution in the area, the weather was very pleasant in the first half, and the scouts had enough stamina to keep up with each other.

As we started coming back, the weather became sunnier. Some of us were already extremely tired from the first half, so the hot weather made us spread out a bit more, as we each had a different pace. Soon, we stopped for lunch, where scouts met a friendly squirrel who seemed to be sticking around for our food. After the short break, we decided to do some stretches to prevent our legs from hurting further into the hike. We then continued on the trail, following hiking etiquette properly by staying on one side and not littering. Some of us had a hard time keeping up the same pace, as the hot weather was really slowing us down. Thankfully, we reached our endpoint with little to no issues and immediately took a break, exhausted from the hike. Before going home, we again did stretches to prevent any soreness. All the scouts did really well on this hike!

Like all things in life, it wasn’t perfect. Right off the bat, when the outing had started we had already encountered a slight problem. According to the directions we were told to meet at a church, which we did, but from there we had no idea where the trailhead was. As the two of us were freaking out, one of the adult volunteers told us that she knew how to get there. Another big problem that seemed to occur was our pacing. As we were a big group the physical capability of the scouts varied a lot, leaving great gaps between everyone. As mentioned before the slow scouts were told to “close the gap” but as soon as they ran up to the faster scouts they would fall back again leading to an endless and tiring cycle. Despite all our issues, some parts of the hike were quite enjoyable. Everyone was talking to each other, and having a good time. I think we speak for everyone when we say that the flat hike was the best thing about the hike. If I were to sum up the hike in two words I would say it was exhausting but fun. It’s definitely a hike I may attempt in the future again, and I hope you do too!

Here are some pictures from the hike: