Round Top For the past five years I’ve been paralyzed by a prejudice against driving more than I’m hiking. It just seems aesthetically wrong to spend more time on the road than on the trail, especially when Bay Area trails…
El Dorado National Forest
First Sierra hike of the summer: Lake Winnemucca via the Pacific Crest Trail
by tom • July 6, 2009 • 9 Comments
Shimmering waters of Lake Winnemucca “I can breathe up here.” So said my allergy-prone wife, Melissa, whom I had talked into an “easy” jaunt down to Lake Winnemucca from Carson Pass. It was an odd thing to hear 9,000 feet…
Tom's travels
Roadtripping today
by tom • July 6, 2009 • 2 Comments
Will post pretty pictures tomorrow, I promise.
Trails
Fourth of July tribute: American Discovery Trail
by tom • July 4, 2009 • 3 Comments
American Discovery Trail starts on the Atlantic Ocean and ends at the Pacific at Point Reyes National Seashore. Every summer a few brave souls attempt to hike the whole distance — and the few who pass our way see some…
Travel
Best day hikes in Monterey County
by tom • July 3, 2009 • 2 Comments
Point Lobos State Preserve Seemonterery.com suggests nine worth tramping. Frankly you cannot go wrong on any of the hikes along the Pacific Coast from Monterey down deep into Big Sur. I’ve done Point Lobos a few times, and camped out…
Saving California's state parks
Cool archival documentary of California’s state parks
by tom • July 2, 2009 • 2 Comments
Found this at Blog Monterey: A 1935 documentary called “Land of the Giants” profiling Civilian Conservation Corps work in California’s parks. Must viewing for fans of our state parks. The National Archives is screening a bunch of historic films at…
Blogs
Fedak’s hiking out the recession
by tom • July 1, 2009 • 3 Comments
Peaks near Tahoe, Nov. 2008 I once asked Fedak what he did for a living; he replied in English, the words all recognizable, but I have no idea what the hell it was. But it was something in high-tech, where…
In the news
Authorities identify hiker who died yesterday at Santa Teresa County Park
by tom • June 29, 2009 • 1 Comment
This rather lurid report from the local NBC affiliate has the most details on the passing of hiker Linda Fradkin, 57, of San Mateo, who died yesterday at Santa Theresa County Park. Condolences to her family and friends.
Wildlife
In praise of coyotes
by tom • June 29, 2009 • 1 Comment
Bay Nature has an excellent short video on the virtues of coyotes. Bottom line: the presence of large predators in an ecosystem proves it’s working at all levels.