Suggested Future Hikes

Dear Students,

Thanks for a glorious last hike, and for so many wonderful hikes over the years.  You're an amazing bunch and I'm honored to have spent time in nature with you.  I'll miss you very much.

And still not sure what's on for summer, so do stay tuned and check the catalog.

If you wanted to do some hiking for the glorious Spring bloom coming up, here are some places I would recommend.

Week 1:  Return to Coal Mine Ridge off Alpine Road to catch the last of the Houndstongue and Indian Warrior.  Location details at: http://bahiker.com/southbayhikes/cmr.html

Week 2:  Roll out to Santa Teresa County Park in South San Jose  where the bloom is going to be bumping!  Check out this good resource: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Whats-Happening/Documents/WildflowerHikes.pdf and be sure to look for the green Serpentine rocks.  You could follow this hike or find another: http://bahiker.com/southbayhikes/santateresa.html.

Week 3:  Sunol Regional Wilderness!  Sure, it's Fremont, but it is AMAZING and since I'm not actually leading it I don't have to worry about logistics.  I've always wanted to take y'all there.  Seriously, hills just carpeted with flowers!  If you're reading this but not planning doing your own hikes, do go check out the Sunol Wildflower Festival on April 9th if you can! http://www.ebparks.org/features/Spring_Wildflower_Festival_at_Sunol_Regional_Wilderness

Week 4:  Back to Edgewood!  Take the same trails we took and catch a whole different aspect of the show.  Hopefully you'll be not too late for the delphinium and columbine in the shady places but right on time for the swaths of goldfields and tidy tips in the grasslands.  They have free docent led hikes (way too early in the AM, lol), check them out at:  http://www.friendsofedgewood.org/springtime-wildflower-walks.   Be sure to stop at the nature center and see what's blooming!

Week 5:  Wrap it up at Russian Ridge.  Look for wildflowers and butterflies, enjoy the massive oaks and the gorgeous views.  You can do the featured hike at: http://bahiker.com/southbayhikes/russianridge.html or pick your own at: http://www.openspace.org/preserves/russian-ridge.


Some helpful resources: 

• Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District:  http://www.openspace.org/ (Includes Russian Ridge, Skyline Ridge, Fremont Older, Purissima Creek)
• San Mateo County Parks:  http://parks.smcgov.org/county-parks (Includes Edgewood, Huddart)
• Santa Clara County Parks:  https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/parkfinder.aspx  (Includes Santa Teresa County Park, Uvas Creek Canyon)
• GGNRA:  https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/maps.htm  (Includes Mori Point)
• California State Parks: https://www.parks.ca.gov/ParkIndex (Includes Castle Rock and Mt. San Bruno which we never made it to despite best intentions!)
• East Bay Regional Park District - truly an incredible wealth of resources, worth driving for!  http://www.ebparks.org/parks
• Santa Clara County Open Space Authority - Mostly South Santa Clara County, some huge and gorgeous preserves.  http://www.openspaceauthority.org/trails/

Other resources!  

• Miri's favorite field guide (It's ancient but marvelous, and truly covers almost everything.  Plant names have changed but hopefully not too much else): https://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-Field-California/dp/0679446788/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490424339&sr=1-1&keywords=national+audubon+society+field+guide+to+california
• If you are interested in planting your yard with natives, check out http://www.larnerseeds.com/ - they sell only plants indigenous to California.
• Some highly excellent blogs are:  http://natureofaman.blogspot.com/, and http://dipperanch.blogspot.com/.  

Enjoy the wonders of the natural world, check the catalog for summer, and please keep in touch!  Xoxox!

Tomorrow: Edgewood!

Hello everyone, I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for our last hike of the quarter...and for a while.

Edgewood Park is a legend for its wildflower displays.  We are a little early for most of them, as they peak around May, but we should still get to see some pretty sights.

So unlike some of our other parks, Edgewood has a bathroom, drinking water, and a wonderful little nature center.  The parking lot is liable to be PACKED, so be patient, and carpool if you can.  Learn more here:  http://parks.smcgov.org/edgewood-park-natural-preserve

Wonderful Coal Mine Ridge Recap + Resources

Hi everyone!  First of all, please be SURE to check out Kathryn's amazing photos from our hikes at: http://bit.ly/2lsS1dF

She's so incredibly talented!  There are some really great pictures of Houndstongue, Indian Warrior, False Turkey Tails, and of course Poison Oak!  :)

So we talked in the last class about the Ba-Hiker site, which is a wonderful site.  Especially since I will not be offering the class next quarter, if you want to keep hiking, I highly recommend it.  You can look at it here: http://bahiker.com/.  Here is their write-up of Coal Mine Ridge, it's one of the few descriptions of that preserve available:  http://bahiker.com/southbayhikes/cmr.html

You can find trail maps of Portola Valley at: http://www.portolavalley.net/for-residents/portola-valley-trails.

Some ways to find other places to hike if you are interested:

Go to maps.google.com and find your house.  Slowly scroll the mouse outwards until you see a green splotch that indicates park or open space.  Hover over it to find its name, and Google it if it looks interesting to find trail maps and hours of operation.  Some green splotches will be golf courses, but others may be parks you didn't know about!

You can also go to the website for your city or county.  Use the search function to find parks, or open space, or trails and to learn more about them.

Also, go to Yelp, enter your zip code or have it locate you where you are, and search for "hiking" or "hiking trails."

The Dipper Ranch Blog has a great write-up of wildflower hot spots, check out one entry at: http://dipperanch.blogspot.com/2013/03/santa-teresa-county-park-wildflower.html.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District offers an incredible suite of guided hikes.  Check them out at:  http://www.openspace.org/.

Saturday - Let's do it!

Hi everyone, looks like mostly just light showers tomorrow, so I think we should be fine.  Please wear boots and raincoats.  I'll see you at the intersection of Alpine Road and Willowbrook at 1 PM!  Remember there is no drinking water or restrooms at this preserve.  But there will be wildflowers and lots of crazy mushrooms!  :)

Miriam

Saturday, 2/11/17 - Monte Bello Open Space

Hi everyone!  I'm sorry so many of you didn't make it to our last hike at Castle Rock.  There was a ton of gorgeous scenery, it's always a stunning park.  And the waterfall was bumping!  I was really sad to hear that people had car trouble and/or couldn't get through on the roads.  This weather has been so crazy!  Here are just a couple of pics.  Mostly we reveled in the scenery and chatted, although we did see a really cool kind of oak gall.  Oak galls are growths on a tree where a parasitic wasp oviposited eggs, forcing a chemical reaction in the tree which creates a nursery structure for the wasp larva.  These structures can take on all kinds of shapes and forms and are called galls.  We saw one that was essentially swollen twigs on some sort of live oak tree.  To learn more about oak galls, read: https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2014/11/18/what-gall-the-crazy-cribs-of-parasitic-wasps/.  

Now, for our next hike, the weather has been so crazy and roads everywhere so bad, that I'd like us to stick a little closer to home.  We were supposed to go to either Mori Point or Monte Bello, let's go to the latter.  It's a straight shot up Page Mill to Skyline, and I can't find anything about trails or roads being closed.  Check here for driving directions: http://www.openspace.org/preserves/monte-bello (click on the directions tab).  Email me if you cannot make it.  I look forward to hiking with you soon!

Los Trancos Recap + Looking forward to Castle Rock!

Hi everyone!  Thanks for a really fantastic first hike.  I am so excited about this group, which feels like one of the most vibrant and welcoming we've had yet!  Yay, us!

Here's some details about Castle Rock which is where we'll be meeting Saturday, and then scroll down for pics and details from last hike.

CASTLE ROCK
So Castle Rock is actually a challenging place to lead hiking class because:  signage sucks and it's impossible to know what trail you are on, parking sucks (more so in summer), it's $10 to get in, and it's kind of far from everyone.  And yet, I know from last hike that you people are UP FOR ADVENTURES!

Castle Rock is also amazing.  It has one of the biggest waterfalls around, which is sure to be thunderously glorious right now!  It has a variety of ecosystems; grassland, chaparral, and woodland.  And it's got these bizarre sandstone formations called Tafoni, which are SO COOL!  Seriously, bring your camera.  If you have a walking stick or pole, bring that, bring your most rugged shoes.  Bring extra layers.  When San Jose is hot, Castle Rock is hotter.  When San Jose is cold, Castle Rock is colder.  There are intermittent bathrooms and drinking water, it's best to be prepared.  I know it sounds stressful but trust me, it's going to be just gorgeous!!!

Here's a great write-up about the park which includes detailed driving directions:  http://baynature.org/article/climbing-the-waves-at-castle-rock-state-park/.  Here's the park website:  https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=538.   Email me if you're not going to make it, text me if you're running late and want us to wait (hopefully I'll get it, it's kind of far out of range.)  See you at 1 PM Saturday!

LOS TRANCOS RECAP
We were blessed with great weather on the Los Trancos Earthquake hike.  Check out this wonderful photo taken by Kathryne Morton, and see others at:  
https://photos.google.com/u/0/share/AF1QipN3WnBoomZyTRXs2I9hI5zpSIJemrbKRMAjH4oMk4nZ80gJYHgqABtlws62PciK-A?key=bUdlWWY1ZGFvMWtOUmpyREJNRVZhQldwV1o4dmlB)

So, as often happens, we saw lots of cool stuff.  :)  We saw many big trees, some devastated by Sudden Oak Death (abbreviated SOD), scientific name is Phytophthora ramorum.  This invasive oomecyte (water mold) is spread in our area by the California Bay Laurel tree.  Bay Laurels are native and valuable parts of our habitat but they now occur in greater than historical numbers due to SOD.  Here below is a cool pic (taken by Doug) of Sylvie walking under a large lovely oak that is fortunately healthy.  :)  To learn more about SOD, visit: http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/.









We were lucky enough to catch one of the earliest wildflowers of Spring, milkmaids (Cardimine californica.)  This lovely lady actually has a sweet scent.  Milkmaids are also called toothwort, and are in the same genus as an irritating little native plant that most people call popweed - Cardimine oligosperma.  It's more official common name is Western Bittercress.  It only gets about 6 inches tall and its seeds explode all over the place when touched, that's why everyone hates it.  But everyone loves milkweed, as do we!  Learn more about it at:  http://www.calfloranursery.com/plants/cardamine-californica.  Sometimes you can buy seeds on Amazon.  Thanks Doug for this photo.




This is a great photo taken by Kathryne, it should be called "Essence of Jesse."  He's holding humus, which is kind of "essence of soil" - the perfectly draining, nutrient rich, highly decomposed soil organic matter.

 And then of course we spent some time geeking out on dusky footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) nests, which we will do every time we see them.  These clever little engineers build complex multi-roomed apartment complexes, often lined with bay leaves to keep down parasites.  They are nocturnal and very tiny if you consider the size and complexity of their houses.  Thanks to Kathryne for this great photo.  Learn more about DFWR here:  http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/dusky-footed-woodrat.aspx.

Hike Schedule

Hi everyone!  Here are my thoughts on hikes for this quarter.  Please check this site before each class, because hike locations may change based on weather.  Also, prior to each hike I'll post some information about the park and what to expect, and a quick recap from the previous hike.

This Saturday, 1/28/16
Castle Rock State Park (see next post for details)

2/11/17
Mori Point if the weather is fine, Monte Bello if it's less than. (http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/mori-point.html), or (http://www.openspace.org/preserves/monte-bello)

2/25/17
Coal Mine Ridge (no official page but BA Hiker has a good write up at:  http://bahiker.com/southbayhikes/cmr.html)

3/11/17
Edgewood Park
(http://parks.smcgov.org/edgewood-park-natural-preserve)

Welcome to Winter, 2017!

Hello everyone!  I'm looking forward to another wonderful quarter hiking together, checking out the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

I'll post announcements for newbies and a hike schedule here shortly, but for now I wanted to mention that on our first hike this Saturday, we'll be heading to Los Trancos Open Space Preserve to check out their San Andreas Fault Trail!

Here's a printout that you can, well, print out.  http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/San_Andreas_Fault_Trail.pdf

Here's a trail map:  http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/map_LT.pdf

Here's the preserve website, click on the directions tab to get directions.  http://www.openspace.org/preserves/los-trancos

Like all Midpen preserves, there's a port-a-potty but no drinking water, so bring extra.

We'll see some gorgeous old oaks, learn about earthquakes, meet our new folks, and have a lovely time I'm sure!  Trails will be soggy so wear your sturdy shoes if you have any.

Can't wait to see you!

Last Hike - Fremont Older

Well, dear ones, quickly we've gotten to the end of another quarter hiking together.  I've enjoyed it very much and I hope you have too!  Our final hike will be tomorrow, at 1 PM, at Fremont Older Open Space:  http://www.openspace.org/preserves/fremont-older.  The parking lot is tiny but this is a good hike for after daylight savings time, we went there last year for this hike and it was nice. 

Let me know if you cannot make it, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

(BTW,  and this has nothing to do with the class but, I am organizing a Women Against Trump rally tomorrow evening let me know if you would like details.)

See you soon!

You chose October 29th!

Hi everyone, thanks for sending me your vote preferences.  The majority of students want to hike on the 29th, so I'll see you at 2:30 PM at the intersection of Alpine and Willowbrook, in Portola Valley.  Please note that there is no restrooms nor drinking water, so come accordingly prepared.

We saw tons of cool tafoni rock

Thank you to those hardy souls who made it out for wet wild wonderfulness at Castle Rock State Park last week!  That's officially my new favorite rain hike, despite the park's abysmal signage.

Here are some pics from that fun time.

I look forward to seeing you all next week!  Let's hope the weather cooperates!!!

This is my favorite picture of any hike ever.  Yvette <3

Oak tree in mist and rain
 

More cool tafoni rock

Changes! - Please read!

Dear students,

Due to the upcoming storm, I am changing the location of our hike on Saturday.  It was scheduled to be on San Bruno Mountain, but that's really not a fun park to be in a storm or the rain.  So NO San Bruno Mountain!  Instead, we'll be going to Castle Rock State Park, also an extremely cool park, but one that I think will be a bit more fun if we get some wet weather.  Here is information about the park:  https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=538.  Please bring boots if you have them, and for sure bring a good jacket, as Castle Rock is often colder than Palo Alto or San Jose.  I think it's $10 per car (although I can't find confirmation on the website), so carpooling is encouraged!  We'll meet in the main parking lot.

If you haven't been to Castle Rock yet, it's incredible.  Truly a must-see, with so many unique rock formations and beautiful habitats.  If there's a gap in the weather, the views are out of this world.  I think you'll enjoy it!

So meet this Saturday at Castle Rock State Park, in the main parking lot, at 1 PM.  Bring jackets!


Then for our next hike, unfortunately, due to my work schedule, it cannot be October 29.  It has to be October 22 (I mentioned this might happen previously.)  So I'll see you at Coal Mine Ridge, at the intersection of Alpine and Willowbrook streets, in Portola Valley, Saturday the 22, at 1 PM.

Please let me know if you can't make it.  I look forward to hiking with you soon!

Here's an article about one of the cool plants we saw last time, vinegarweed:  http://calscape.org/Trichostema-lanceolatum-(Vinegarweed)?srchcr=sc56ff6f1ff345a.

Next hike: Skyline Ridge!

Hi everyone!  I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at Skyline Ridge Preserve.  This is a gorgeous preserve with varied habitats, including two ponds.  (May not be much water in them though.)  Keep your eyes out in the grassland areas, maybe we'll see some tarantula boys looking for love!  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/its-tarantula-mating-season-in-california-and-hikers-are-being-warned/

Class 2:  10/1/16 - Skyline Ridge Preserve - http://www.openspace.org/preserves/skyline-ridge.  Free, there's a port-a-potty but no drinking water.  Plenty of parking.  Park at the MAIN parking lot.  Coming up Page Mill road, you'd turn Left on Skyline and go for about a mile, then the preserve will be on your right side.  


Let me know if you can't make it, but otherwise I'll see you soon!

Thanks for a great first hike!

Hi everyone!  I really enjoyed exploring the wonders of Wunderlich with you today!   It was nice to see both familiar and new faces out on the trail.  Please feel free to add your own photos, as well as questions or comments, in the "comments" section.

We got a good start learning some of the key plants.  We spent a lot of time learning how to identify poison oak.  Here's a good little summary of that plant:  http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/garden/bloom_10_06.shtml.  We also spent some time distinguishing PO from its lookalike friend, California Blackberry:  http://calscape.org/Rubus-ursinus-(Pacific-Blackberry).  We saw California Coffeeberry, which, despite its alluring name, isn't recommended for snacking on trailside due to its laxative effects.  Read more about Coffeeberry here:  http://www.parksconservancy.org/conservation/plants-animals/native-plant-information/california-coffeeberry.html.

The park's website states:  "The cool, lush, second-growth redwood groves and mixed evergreen forest are contrasted with areas of hot, dry chaparral. At the Park’s lowest level, a foothill woodland includes white valley oak, black oak, and California laurel. Visitors may see black-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, brush rabbits, lizards, and less commonly bobcats, coyotes, and gray foxes. Commonly seen birds include wrentits, acorn woodpeckers, chickadees, towhees, scrub jays, and Steller’s jays."

 So of this list, we were lucky to see Black oak, California Bay Laurel, plenty of redwoods, black tailed deer (mature and young ones), and lizards.   We saw tanoak, madrone, and coast live oak.  We smelled yerba buena (Satureja douglasii) and Stachys (the hedgenettle / horsemint plant).   We also heard but did not see red shouldered and red tailed hawks.   All and all, a good day!   Thanks for being a sweet group, and I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks!

New students...if you missed the orientation...

Welcome new students!  If you missed the orientation, you'll need to know the following:

1.  All the hike information is in the blog post previous to this one.  I will post photos and follow-up information after each hike. I'll also post changes and reminders, if any are necessary.  Therefore, please check this blog before each class!  Our first class is at Wunderlich park, and the details are in the post previous.

2.  Please wear long pants to your first class, until you get a sense for how much poison oak is near the trail.  Please wear rugged shoes and be prepared for sun and/or cool temperatures.  Please bring water, a snack, and anything else you may need to be comfortable.

3.  Carpooling is recommended!  Since you missed the orientation, hopefully you can make friends during the first class so that you may carpool to the remainder.

4.  The three main hazards one may encounter in our area are ticks, poison oak, and rattlesnakes.  At this time of year wasps can be, if not hazardous, certainly an annoyance.  If you are allergic to bees and need an epi-pen, please bring one with you on the hikes.  To prevent effects from ticks and poison oak, it is recommended to shower, wash your hair, and wash all your clothes after each hike.

5.  Please let me know if you are going to be absent, so that we don't wait for you at the trailside.  Please know that I cannot give you credit for hours you did not attend.

6.  Hikes are generally between 3-5 miles, include a snack break, and are good exercise but not overly strenuous.

I look forward to seeing you Saturday!  Email me if you have any questions.

Welcome new and returning students!

Welcome to the Fall quarter of Peninsula Nature Hikes.  I'm really looking forward to spending some wonderful Saturdays with new and returning students as we explore the beauty and bounty of local parks and preserves!

Here's the DRAFT planned schedule.  Please note that class locations may be subject to change, and that there may have to be some rescheduled or canceled classes due to weather or other unexpected circumstances.  Also, I may unfortunately have to switch our class on the 29th to be on the 22nd due to a work conflict.  I will keep you posted if that happens.

There will be an orientation tomorrow night, Wednesday, at 7 PM, at Palo Alto Adult School.  This is a chance for you to meet fellow students, ask any questions, and arrange for carpooling!  If you miss the orientation, you can always email me at m.sachs.martin@gmail.com.  I look forward to seeing you soon!

Class 1:  9/17/16 - Wunderlich Park.  http://parks.smcgov.org/locations/wunderlich-park.  The parking lot is decent sized but it does fill up, so carpooling is a good idea.  I thought there was a fee but can't find any info online.  Bring a couple bucks just in case.  Water and restrooms available.  Redwoods!

Class 2:  10/1/16 - Skyline Ridge Preserve - http://www.openspace.org/preserves/skyline-ridge.  Free, there's a port-a-potty but no drinking water.  Plenty of parking.  Park at the MAIN parking lot.  Coming up Page Mill road, you'd turn Left on Skyline and go for about a mile, then the preserve will be on your right side.  Two ponds, grasslands, sweeping views.

Class 3:  10/15/16 - San Bruno Mountain.  http://parks.smcgov.org/san-bruno-mountain-state-county-park.  Be prepared for wind!  $6 entrance fee per vehicle, save money by carpooling!   Water and restrooms available.  Views for days, unique plants that are found nowhere else in the Bay Area.

Class 4:  10/29/16 - Coal Mine Ridge.  http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Skyline/CoalMineRidge.html.  No fee, no bathrooms or drinking water.  Parking can extend down the side street of Willowbrook, so there should be plenty.  *I may have to change this class to be on 10/22, will let you know!*  My preserve that I manage!  We'll go say Hi to the several hundred year old "Mother Tree."

Class 5:  11/12/16 - TBD, possibly Fremont Older OSP.  http://www.openspace.org/preserves/fremont-older.  Porta potties but no drinking water.  Small parking lot, carpooling is a must!  Sweeping views and wide open sky.  Great preserve for the first hiking day of daylight savings.

Thanks for a wonderful quarter!

I hope to see many of you in September!

Check http://paadultschool.org/ for sign-ups, our first hike will be September 17.

Final Thursday Hike = Wednesday! ;)

Dear Thursday Bilingual Hikers:

Since it's better for most of the regularly attending students, we will meet on Wednesday for our final class.  So Wednesday, 7/13/16, at 6:30 PM.  Let's keep things simple and meet back at Arastradero where we started.  We can take a different hike, in the so-called "back 40."  For Spanish Speakers, quizás en el futuro, visitarás uno de estos parques?  http://www.visitcalifornia.com/mx/feature/los-parques-urbanos-m%C3%A1s-importantes


See you soon!

Final Saturday hike: Año Nuevo!

Thank you everyone for a wonderful and gorgeous hike at Henry Cowell State Park.  That's definitely my new favorite park!  We saw sweet little woodland violets, pictured left, plenty of Oxalis oregana, the native redwood sorrel, and of course tons of amazing old growth and second growth redwoods.  Here's a picture of an old-growth redwood, with Joan for size comparison.  ;)







I'm sad this quarter is coming to an end, because this has been a wonderful class with a great group of people.  I've truly enjoyed our walks and talks and am grateful for the gift of your time.  I hope to see you all again during future quarters. The class starts back up September 17.

As I usually do, I've created a short survey for you to give me your feedback on the class.  I tried Google Forms this time so I hope it works.  If you can take a couple of minutes and fill it out at: http://bit.ly/29tchsJ, I'd be appreciative.

Now, for our final hike info!  After some research, I think we can have a great time at Año Nuevo State park.  Here is the link to the park website:  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523.  The elephant seals are there (they are not breeding, they are molting, which sounds very interesting in its own right.)  It is $10 a car.  We will need to get a free permit, but there is no limit on how many people can have a permit in a given day.  It is about a 3 mile hike, there will be some loose sand so choose footgear appropriately.  It is predicted to be foggy tomorrow in Pescadero, which is the nearest town.  The park is supposed to be great for birdwatching and seeing other marine wildlife, so bring binoculars if you have them.  There are several ways to get to the park; either through Highway 17 and up on the 1, or through highways 84 or 92 and down on the 1.  I suggest we all check traffic beforehand and pick the best route.  ;)    If you get stuck in traffic or for some other reason want to communicate, please feel free to text or call.  Most of you have my number, if not, email me and I'll give it to you.  Here is a page of fascinating statistics about elephant seals, if you are interested: http://ucsantacruz.ucnrs.org/anonuevo/Eseal_facts_2013.pdf.

Let me know if you won't be attending, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Thursday bilingual class - Eaton Big Canyon Park

Hello Thursday hikers!  I am looking forward to seeing you soon for something off the beaten path...a scenic wander at Eaton and Big Canyon parks in San Carlos.    Here is a trail map:  http://cityofsancarlos.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=2675, and here is a very cool description of the plants and wildlife: http://cityofsancarlos.org/depts/pr/prksfac/park_information/hiking_trails/eaton_big_canyon_trail.asp.  If you are studying Spanish, or, if you are just looking for some inspiration to hike, check out this article on the benefits of walking:  http://salud.facilisimo.com/blogs/consejos/10-beneficios-de-caminar_1504260.html.

See you at 6:30 PM at Eaton / Big Canyon, let me know if you cannot make it.

Thank you

Miriam

Thursday Bilingual Hike: Coal Mine Ridge!

Hello Thursday bilingual hikers!  I had a wonderful time with you at the Baylands.  It was so enjoyable to look at barn swallows and their little chicks.  You can learn more about them here:  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Swallow/id.

We also saw some fun plants like pickleweed:  http://virtualmarsh.org/marsh-field-guide/china-camp/pickleweed/ and the native, but parasitic, bright orange saltmarsh dodder, Cuscuta salina:  http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=2540.

This Thursday, let us try yet a new place, at Coal Mine Ridge (this is the preserve I manage).  There is plenty of parking at the intersections of Alpine and Willowbrook road, in Portola Valley.  This mapquest link will show you more: https://www.mapquest.com/us/ca/portola-valley/94028/alpine-rd-and-willowbrook-dr-37.364551,-122.215730.  As the group finds each other, be aware that we are hiking in Coal Mine Ridge, not the better-signed Windy Hill.  Email or text me if you cannot make it, otherwise, I will look forward to seeing you for a short hike at 6:30?

Para los alumnos de español - vamos a ver algunas de las plantas describidos en este articulo: http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias/63706/Las-11-plantas-mas-apropiadas-para-tener-durante-sequia/  - especialmente:  Estafiate, Toyón, y Encino Amaergo. Puede imprimir el articulo y traerlo a la clase si tiene alguna pregunta!

I look forward to seeing you soon!

For next week...I was thinking about hiking here...http://www.weeklywalker.com/Walks%20by%20county/San%20Mateo/Eaton_a%20walk%20to%20walk%20to.htm.  It's a neat little "secret hike" - tucked up in the hills, but with much to see.  Dejenme saber que piensen!  Let me know what you think!