HEADS UP: This post is for the 2008 El Toro hike … the 2009 hike already happened (March 28). Google has been sending people to the wrong year’s post. Morgan Hill Historical Society has one hike planned — at 8…
Monthly Archives: March 2008
A note for those camping in the Appalachian Trail shelters
by tom • March 11, 2008 • 2 Comments
Sgt. Rock says there’s only one plausible reason for duct tape on the ceiling: It snowed all night best as I could tell. It also turned out the shelter roof leaks. I woke up at about 0330 to a bag…
PCT journal to watch: Emily’s Dad
by tom • March 11, 2008 • 4 Comments
I went trolling for interesting candidates to follow for this hiking season. I was hoping to find some Bay Area types who are doing the trail this year (I did, but I’ll get back to that) but one journal stopped…
Rattlesnake roundup
by tom • March 10, 2008 • 14 Comments
It’s good to know the rattlesnakes are out of hibernation. The best way to learn this is from your friendly neighborhood hiking blogger. The worst way is from the tips of their hypodermic fangs. My way was in the middle:…
Deputy kills two bicyclists
by tom • March 10, 2008 • 2 Comments
EDIT: Here’s the latest from mercurynews.com. Most of you have probably heard about this by now, but if not: Yesterday a Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy veered across Stevens Canyon Road in the hills west of Cupertino and rammed a…
“Earth Dance” Short Attention Span Film Festival
by tom • March 8, 2008 • 0 Comments
It’s happening Friday, April 4, at Oakland Museum of California. It’s a bunch of short films about the planet. The plug: EarthDance is not your average film festival. Our 20 short films (30 seconds to 30 minutes each) are a…
User fees rising on federal lands
by tom • March 8, 2008 • 2 Comments
Fire-fighting costs are the culprit, the New York Times reports. “As fire costs increase, I’ve got less and less money for other programs,” said Dave Bull, superintendent of the Bitterroot National Forest here in Hamilton. The charge for access to…
Bay Area gear brands
by tom • March 7, 2008 • 3 Comments
Yesterday’s post about Mountain Hardwear got me thinking about other name brands in the region. The North Face is the most obvious — they still have a marketing and distribution arm in San Leandro. Marmot is up in Santa Rosa.…
Four great spring hikes in the Bay Area
by tom • March 6, 2008 • 3 Comments
This was in Thursday’s Mercury News: quick looks at four great places to be in the springtime. I imposed my affection for Henry Coe State Park upon the Merc’s tender readers, but I was merciful and recommended the wonderful Ponderosa…