Went for a more local outing last weekend, at Crystal Springs Reservoir. Straddling the San Andreas Fault and surrounded by a wildlife refuge, Lower and Upper Crystal Springs serve as the main repository for water diverted to the San Francisco Bay Area from Hetch Hetchy Valley. The presence of a few scenic trails makes this a great place for a weekend walk.

Sunday afternoon was fairly overcast, and the onset of rain cut our hike short, but I've included a couple of pics to give some idea of the scenery. This page provides an excellent introduction to the area, complete with some historical background and other interesting facts, as well as pictures taken on sunnier days. The trail we walked was once the main route for horse-drawn wagons traveling between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. Surveying this mostly undeveloped patch of peninsula, it's not hard to imagine oneself back in the time when that was the case.

Nestled among all this natural beauty is the Crystal Springs Dam, which, despite being a mere 100 yards from the faultline, survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and every one since, without sustaining damage. Engineering marvel indeed.