Robert Sibley Volcanic/Huckleberry Botanical Parks

Yanni and I were able to fit in one last hike before my China trip. I was thrilled to go to Robert Sibley Volcanic Park and also Huckleberry Botanic Park. They sit almost side-by-side in the Berkeley hills and each has its own claim to fame.

In addition, this would likely be my last post for about three weeks when I can post the China pics. And no boring Great Wall tourist BS either! I'm going to capture the seamy underbelly of the Chinese government by sneaking into the Kremlin or whatever they call their government HQ. The shocking photos and expose' that will follow might just win me a Pulitzer or Peabody or an Emmy or a Tony or something. OK, enough on China for now and back to the hike.

Robert Sibely Volcanic Regional Park was home to a big friggin' volcano 10 million years ago. That must have really made the evening news when that thing blew. As we pull into the parking lot, we can hear the din of happy screaming kids from my car . Lots of din, lots of happy screaming kids. We grab our packs and hit the trail.

One small problem: its freezing! Cold fog is blowing in and its nearly raining from the heavy mist. I have no windbreaker since 1) I'm an idiot, and 2) I've been hiking in 100 degree weather for the past several hikes! Yanni says he forgot his as well, but then pulls out an alpine survival jacket. Its 40 degrees out and he tells me, "Don't worry, this baby's rated for ten below! I'll be fine."

We were hoofing it pretty good, when I turn around and see this. Or rather, hear the roar. Their leader, a volunteer geologist, told us we'd best get way ahead of him or we would suffer eardrum damage. (This same guy later told us that he was in a geology club where they sit around and talk about rocks. He tried to explain the local volcanic geology of the park, but my eyes glazed over when he said, "Long ago...")

Sibley is an interesting East Bay park, and has all the usual stuff that I like to see. However, every picture and story concerning this park talks about the mazes or labyrinths that exist there.

There are many stories about the origins of the mazes ranging from aliens to Indians. We stop at a lookout point and begin to feel the mystic cosmos aura seeping up from the center.

Yanni talks me into climbing down the hill to get a closer look. The center of the maze is piled up with various items that hikers have left. We saw Beenie Babies, coins, candles, flowers, notes, and photos in a bottle. Everybody left something. Yanni, swept up in the moment and feeling the power of Moses being channeled through him, reaches into his pack. He tells me that he is going to leave his energy bar and begins to unwrap it. He then eats 4/5th of it and places the rest on the pile. The SF Chronicle wrote a great story about the mazes in Sibley. You can read the article here.

Sibley, like its sister park, Huckleberry, has beautiful wildflowers. My favorite, Chaparral Pea, is here.

I see a Banana Slug, but Yanni says it looks like a male body part that rhymes with weenus.

There always seems to be so much going on in the woods and lots to photo. This peacock feather was in the center of the maze.

Speaking of the maze, I forgot to show you the other big maze. This one is shaped like a heart. OK, here's the kicker, especially if you read the SF Chronicle above: No one knows how or why the mazes were created? Ancient tribal rites? Aliens?

Well, Mr. Geology (leading the kids' hikes) catches us reading about the history of the park. He is now more excited than Martha Stewart at a napkin-folding contest at the prospect of getting to talk about the park's mazes and volcanoes. He tells us that the "main" maze was created by a local artist woman in the 60's who was looking to build a little meditation spot. She originally poured ashes around in his classic pattern, and over the years other hikers have improved on it. Yanni says she was just a hippie looking for a spot to smoke dope.

We continue our hike and wander around this cool area. We stop at a good spot for lunch which we think is the site of another volcano. We then drive 1/4 mile to Huckleberry Botanic Preserve for a two-mile hiking loop.

Here's again, lots to see and learn about. I try to explain to Yanni about the mating habits of the Eastern Yak, but he has some "inner glow" from the maze and won't stop chanting. He says he's going to sell everything and move to Tibet, but I doubt he'll get past Mongolia.

Our second hike of the day sadly ends as we work our way back to the trailhead.

At this point, Yanni is still chanting, glowing, pulsing, spinning, and ZAP! He morphs into a Pink-Flowered Currant shown here. I clipped the plant and put him in a vase with water. I named the plant "Yanni" and gave it to his wife. He's actually doing quite well.

Back to Tilden Park

" I'm back in the saddle again.
Out where a friend is a friend.
Where the long-horn cattle feed
On the lonely jimson weed
Back in the saddle again
I'm riding the range once more
Totin' my old 44
Where you sleep out every night
And the only law is right
Back in the saddle again."



Haven't been hiking for a couple of weeks, so it was great to get back on the trail with Yanni. Yanni is funny, has good perspective, and is very smart. The local college gives me three credits for just hanging around him.

Yanni is very happy. This is because
A) He is glad to be hiking again?
B) He got a new hat?
C) The cheerleaders just walked by?
D) All the above





Now, we are in Tilden Regional Park on this specific hike. (Photos and description are within.) For our 6.3 miles, we hit Jewell Lake after a mile or two and stop to check out the wildlife. Surprisingly, this little "lake" gets an abundance of various animals, fish, and birds. I have some shots of the egrets and herons in a previous blog on Tilden.

We're cruising along and see these - get this - "Red-Eared Slider Turtles." (Remember them as pets?) They are about 8 - 10 inches across and can live to 30 years in the wild. There's a few sliders on the log in the previous pic.

Kids were playing in the water trying to catch these guys.

Although most find discussions of wildflowers akin to watching paint dry, I was thrilled to find three that I had not seen before.

Check out the Wood Rose. On all the hikes we've been on, we had not seen one. Very exciting.

And of course the Teasel. Despite the bum rap this plant gets, I think it looks cool and like a pineapple. This one has a flower skirt and reminds me of Hawaii!

No one likes Teasel and this is always written:
Effects Upon Natural Areas:
Teasel is an aggressive exotic species that has the capacity to take over prairies and savannas if it is allowed to become established. Lack of natural enemies allows teasel to proliferate. If left unchecked, teasel quickly can form large monocultures excluding all native vegetation. Cut-leaved teasel is more aggressive than common teasel and has severely threatened several northern and central Illinois natural areas.

We hiked past this cool flower and upon looking at it, immediately stopped talking about Sports, Guns, and Chicks. We loved it's soft pedals and pretty color. It is a Chaparral Pea.

I should point out that this is a very strenuous hike with a 1,000 foot elevation gain. Only the fittest hikers could make it through this difficult trail.

Yanni likes to keep hiking even after we've reached our destination. In this case it's the top of the hill to the Rotary Club's Peace Grove.

Good views abound, but it was hazy on our day.

Bull Thistles are everywhere and every single one is required to have a bumblebee on it. And every photo of a Bull Thistle must include the bee. It's the law.

We work our way back through the 95 degree heat for our ultimate destination.

Great to be hiking again and to get out among real nature with exotic and rare creatures.

Why I like going to our trailer so much....

There are many reasons why I like to go to our trailer so much. (Yes, I am saving the obvious and best one for last.) Some of our friends have asked what draws us there so often. Upon returning from this last weekend's trip, I gave it some thought so that I could share it here.

For starters, I love the mornings there. The sun comes up right in the big window and always provides a great view. And, just when you think you've seen it enough, it changes, like this: bringing in a thick fog right at sunrise. It is so quiet in the mornings (since all the party-people are sleeping it off from the night before.) The only sound you hear is the birds and me clicking away.
Speaking of wildlife (the other kind), I always find something new that is interesting. I've learned that if I just pay attention (usually on hikes), I will see something good.

For me, it's the birds that are almost always amazing there. Being so close to the Cosumnes River, you get a lot of wildlife hanging around.












...and of course, the vultures as usual. I have so many shots of circling vultures, I decided that I will only shoot them if they are in a different position.




Also, I like the "photography challenge." That is, I like trying to get the best shot possible and especially the difficult ones. It's fun to experiment with the light and ultimately share the results. This little guy -- a thrush, I think -- was hard to get in the right light and then to crop and expand to be able to see him. Click on the pic as usual.
When walking around, especially in the early mornings, you never know what you'll see by just turning the corner. Check this out: Typical trail just winding around ..... I am always looking for snakes trying to warm their blood by laying in the sun, especially rattlers. In general, you don't want to surprise wildlife; it tends to make them flee, fight, or bite, the last two I do not want to encounter.

It's funny (funny, meaning "interesting", not funny meaning "funny") how much can bite you outside of the safe walls of your home. One time, I was just standing quietly on a trail enjoying the scenery, when I felt something on my leg. Looking down, I see (and feel) 4,948,510,395,385,284 ants!! I quickly realized that I was standing on an ant hill. Had they been fire ants, I would have been in real trouble.

OK, so I wind around the trail here, and see the cool egrets. These common birds are, well..common, but always fascinate me.







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egret
Other than the wildlife, the other thing that I love is wildflowers! Like almost all outdoor places, especially in the spring, the Sacramento area is filled with beautiful wildflowers. Here, the poppies, which have not fully opened as yet in the morning, sit with the common vetch flowers.


In walking around, there seems to be a real simplicity about the place. What you see is what you get (wysiwyg, pronounced "wizy-wig") And, it's not complicated; don't step on the bees when walking through the Owl's Clover, don't grab the shiny (poison) oak branch, but do enjoy the subtle spring colors.
OK, what else do I like about the joint? Make no mistake, we eat well. Crock-pot chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, and carrots will stick to the ol' ribs.


Now, we just need something light to wash it all down....



And, of course, no day is complete without a good start. Is there a better way to start than with a broccoli, cheese, mushroom, tomato, and red pepper omelet? Little English muffin on the side? Strong black coffee?



Among the many good things about going to the trailer, is it's proximity to the Lodi wine-growing region. We have been tasting at these wineries for years and have joined several of the wine clubs. While a member of only one currently, we sometimes"partake of the grape" on our way home on Sunday afternoons. The Lodi wine area is a rapidly growing region trying to compete with the better-known Napa and Sonoma regions, and their pricing reflects that.

That leaves the sheer beauty of the place as another reason we love to go back there. Every time, every season, it amazes us.









OK, and the number ONE reason I love going to the trailer:











I get to read the paper! No, just kidding....I get to watch TV! OK, kidding again...I get to spend 3-4 days with the most wonderful person in the world, Mellissa. I love to see her relax, sleep, read, and unwind. So, after 38 trips in the trailer, I guess we still enjoy it.

Pleasanton Ridge Hike

It's 93 degrees and time to hike Pleasanton Ridge. This hike follows a fire road through the foothills and provides great views of the east bay. Click on the pics to get a large view, especially of the scenic shots. At the trailhead, Yanni and I decide to strike our best dork pose.

I am glad that we hiked the ridge, but it is a dry and exposed trail. It climbs over 1,000 feet up and then gradually descends as you make your way back.

There are not many wildflowers on the trail since it is so dry, but we did find this beautiful Mariposa Lily, which I mistakenly identified as a Johnny-Jump-Up. While I do not "make this s%#@ up" as Yanni claims, this is the second time that I have mis-identified a wildflower .

The trails are well marked and it is impossible to get lost. Well, almost impossible. "Let's see, here's the Nevada border, if we head back west......"

So, we're hiking along, and Gary, a friend and neighbor, sees two vultures sitting on a fence. For some reason, they are not flying away, so Gary inches closer.....

...and gets this shot.

And at the last moment, the vultures flies away. These ubiquitous birds are pretty amazing: They feed primarily on a wide variety of carrion, from small mammals to large grazers, preferring those recently dead, but may also feed on plant matter, shoreline vegetation, pumpkin and other crops, live insects and other invertebrates . They prefer the meat of herbivorous animals to that of dogs and other carnivores. Turkey Vultures can often be seen along roadsides cleaning up roadkill, or near rivers feasting on washed-up fish, another of their favorite foods. They really have some interesting stuff going on. Get this: their main form of defense, other than just flying away, is to vomit when attacked. The smell from the undigested food deters most predators. To cool off, they will defecate on their own legs. As the liquid evaporates, it cools, similar to the reason that we humans sweat when hot. And, as mean/ugly as these guys are, they are gentle and timid birds. (I know it sounds like I just make this S%$# up, but its what I read on the Internet, I have a lot of free time.) I can go on about the turkey vultures, but back to the hike.

After a while, we take a break for lunch and more importantly, some shade! (For you camera buffs, here's a shot that makes a light meter go crazy.)

Here's one of the views we get looking southeast:

...and looking east towards Mt. Diablo:

...and another eastward view to the golf course:

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, $2.00, Corona, $1.50, Sam Adams, $1.25, hangin' with your buds drinking beer on a hot day after hiking six miles, priceless.