An athlete’s workout, a flatlander’s nemesis, an artist’s inspiration. Loved or tolerated, Foothill Community College’s hills are a daily part of life here on campus.

Yet most Foothill regulars couldn’t tell you what mountain range the foothills belong to. Most of us probably never thought about what ‘foothills’ actually are. 

Our hills are in the “Los Altos Hills,” one of several regions that skirt the Santa Cruz Mountains. Foothills are technically transition zones between flat plains and steeper mountains, but for us, they add a vertical dimension to everything we have here. 

FCC is nestled in textured terrain, surrounded by trees and bushes. It’s spacious and open, with liberating views. Gopher holes dot the grassy slopes, as if to remind us who really belongs here. 

The campus is sparsely populated with unobtrusive one-story buildings; no overbearing cubelike structures. 

We can hear the hum of the highway, but the hills give us just enough distance to protect our soundscape from horns, sirens, and, with any luck, backup beeps. 

Thanks to the hills, our location even has the space and terrain to host cows. 

It’s all downhill from here 

Aside from the self-evident, the hills affect your everyday life in numerous subtle ways. You choose parking lots that appear to be further away on a flat map, but mean less climbing. You factor in extra time to huff it up an otherwise short distance to class. You pause before entering a classroom to get your breath back to normal. You leave heels (if you wear heels) and flimsier shoes at home. 

You grab an extra layer before rushing off to class – or regret forgetting. It’s a bit colder here than the flatlands. Your friend forgoes a treasured ticket to The Physics Show, just to avoid the climb up to Smithwick Theatre. 

The downs of the ups 

While FCC makes every accommodation for the disabled, the rolling path is a major headache for wheelchair users. One Physics Show tour guide noted that a stairs-free route can make for a long and inefficient venture. 

The stairs can also plague some walkers, such as cane users, the elderly, and those just having a lethargic day. 

Some drivers find the tight curves on the perimeter road intimidating. Others might like them, perhaps too much. 

In follow-up articles, we’ll cover Foothill’s design, history, and stats (such as, which is the longest staircase), to add some facts and trivia to your enjoyment – or exasperation – of Foothill’s hills.