06/28 - Tilden

There were 16 of us today on a hike which started in thick, drippy fog and ended in beautiful sunshine. There were many more flowers than we expected (lots of monkeyflower, clarkia and wonderful salvia as well as berries on the red elderberry) and some beautiful views  This was a partial circle starting from the Steam Train parking lot on Grizzly Peak, heading north on Vollmer Peak trail, Lupine trail up to Sea View Tr and return along Lower Big Springs Tr starting from just above the Quarry. Juanita shuttled drivers back up to get the cars. The hike was just under 3.5 3.5 miles.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/sTxH81

6/14 Fernandez Ranch

There were a baker's dozen of us hiking on a clear and warm but (thankfully) breezy day. The John Muir Land Trust opened a new section of Fernandez Ranch at the beginning of June. This was likely the last practical chance we would have to hike there until the cooler weather of fall. We hiked up Windmill Trail to the gate where we have often had lunch, then followed the new section of trail to the north and west through open grassland before circling back eastward via Woodland Trail and then south to rejoin the Windmill Trail. Distance about 4 miles (thank's Monique, for your iPhone GPS data) tho Google Earth says only 3.7.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/M0808y

06/07 - Rush Ranch and Spring Luncheon

Twenty two of us today! And the weather cooperated. It was cool and windy with an approaching front, but that is far better than hot. However it was hazy and the views not as great as they had been when Jeanne, Elaine, Phred and I scouted the area in mid-May. You will see some pictures from that earlier trip as well as the ones I took today. Anything with a very blue sky is from the earlier trip!

We convened at Rush Ranch, a Solano Land Trust property that is part of the San Francisco Bay National Esturine Research Area. The larger group split in two with the one group setting off for an approximately two mile loop along the marsh and back across the open grassland. The others opted for a stroll out to a rise overlooking the marsh and back, just under 1 mile. Reports from the first group of hikers was that the trail is very overgrown and they had to do a good deal of bush whacking.

It is a short drive back to downtown Suisun City and our lunch location at the Athenian Grill. We had one of the covered porches which nicely held our group. After lunch some of us walked about looking at the public art and some went down to the Suisun Wildlife Center before heading home.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/48ibJ8

05/31 - Ring Mountain and Old St. Hilary's

Eleven of us made a two part Tiburon excursion on the first sunny day in ages.

Part one was Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve. One group headed off briskly for an extended walk not shown on the map as I was with the second group which was more intent on looking at the flowers. The shorter hike was just over a mile.

Part two was a visit to Old St. Hilary's in Tiburon proper. After lunch on the steps enjoying the view we wandered about looking for the rare Streptanthus glandulosus ssp. niger - Tiburon Jewel Flower. Luckily Phred knew where to look or we would have never noticed it.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/22z0DG

5/24 Pine Canyon from Castle Rock RP

There were 17 of us today. We all started together from the Castle Rock Park, but split into three groups by the big rock at Sulpher Spring. 5 stayed in the canyon; 7 made a loop via the Buckeye Ravine Tr; and 5 made the long loop up to the Briones Diablo Tr and down Little Yosemite Tr. We all met at the tables just before the Mt Diablo SP boundary. After lunch we all returned along the canyon. There were 4 stream crossings which required balancing on rocks. And there were plenty of flowers including a "first" for us: Salvia spathacea blooming on the slope to the west side of Stage Rd. Susan provided the following quote: The Bowerman/Ertter flora says: Subsequent to the 1944 edition, in which it was noted that “No exact record of the station is extant, It was (Bioletti’s) custom to climb the mountain from the north and to descend on the west side,” a hiker brought the Pine Canyon population to Bowerman’s attention. Several localized colonies have subsequently been verified in Pine Canyon. No other East Bay localities are currently known.   A lovely day!!!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/8g99N1

5/17 - Mt Diablo

There was a big group today - 18 to start. We walked from Juniper Camp out the Deer Flat Rd, then took Burma Rd down to the spring fed fish pond. Most of us went on the additional third of a mile to Moses Rock Spring and the second pond. After lunch we trudged back up the hill. Just under 4 miles, round trip.

The views were grand and the weather about perfect for that hike.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/jLL68V

5/10 Mt. Diablo

The before lunch walk was the flower rich trail to Devil's Elbow and on to Prospector's Gap. Ten of us started and were joined by Susan shortly after we turned along the east side of the mountain. The full out and back is roughly 2 miles; several turned back sooner. The trail is even more slippery than it was the last time we were there; lots of loose gravel. But it was well worth the effort!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/k0mP38

After lunch we made a counter-clockwise loop of the Mary Bowerman Trail for another mile...YES the Lewisia were in bloom!!!

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