I saw the little black angus calf wandering about, baying for its mom, about 100 yards down the trail. I wondered where mom was because the only time a cow will trouble itself to stop grazing is if you block…
Santa Clara County parks
News flash: Monte Bello Open Space gets hot in the summertime
by tom • August 11, 2008 • 2 Comments
Chalk this up to market capitalism: when you hike for pay you do things like: Go solo because you can’t afford to be distracted. Walk fast but stop constantly to take scads of meticulously framed pictures in the hope that…
Latest hikes column: Monte Bello Open Space
by tom • July 3, 2008 • 0 Comments
From this morning’s Mercury News: If you’ve got a mind to do one crazy thing this summer, try hiking in the hot sun at Monte Bello Open Space Preserve. The park in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Los Altos…
Change-of-plans hike: Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
by tom • June 16, 2008 • 11 Comments
So, how did I end up strolling through the blazing sun at Monte Bello Open Space Preserve after I told everybody yesterday I was hitting the redwoods at Pescadero Creek County Park? Two things, both motivated by greed: 1) Pescadero…
Summit fire: latest news and links
by tom • May 25, 2008 • 8 Comments
Sunday: It’s time to hand the Summit fire coverage over to the professionals. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, check out the live blog at KRON4. If you’ve got time to read a bit, check out the stories at www.mercurynews.com. The…
Big Santa Cruz Mountains fire near Mount Madonna County Park
by tom • May 22, 2008 • 3 Comments
The latest: MercuryNews.com update reports 20 buildings destroyed but no injuries in the fire burning near Summit Road south of San Jose. I have to go off to my real job pretty soon (this’ll lead Page 1 tomorrow — note…
Wow, somebody reads my column
by tom • May 13, 2008 • 1 Comment
A heartening e-mail arrived in my Mercury News inbox yesterday: A woman who volunteers at the David C. Daniels Nature Center told me she likes to fill in on Mother’s Day because it’s a quiet shift without many visitors. Well,…
Latest Hikes column: Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
by tom • May 8, 2008 • 4 Comments
From my column in today’s Mercury News Skyline Ridge is one of a string of preserves managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District along Skyline Boulevard in the Santa Cruz Mountains crest west of the Santa Clara Valley. The…
Latest Hikes column: Santa Teresa County Park
by tom • April 17, 2008 • 0 Comments
Santa Teresa, wildflower and mountain biker hub of south San Jose, gets the treatment. The park at San Jose’s southern edge is a magnet for mountain bikers who delight in molar-rattling rides along the rockier trails. Riders were out in…