Among the rolling hills of Oakland is a forested area called the Redwood Regional Park. On a crisp winter day, we set out for the French Loop Trail, a moderate 8-mile round trip. The trail starts at a sparse group of redwoods and makes its way through a denser group of redwoods and later through an open picnic area. There are creekside benches that dot the trail if you need a break. A moderate hike, the final mile is the hardest. To get to the trail take Skyline Blvd. and park at the Waterloo Staging Area.

We started the trail on a cold day and finished the final ascent to the car with snowflakes falling from the sky but not making it to the ground. You can check out the facts about snow and the temperature here in case you are snow non-believer as I was at first.