Veronica Ruiz has been missing since Dec. 3. Authorities have called off the search since no trace of her was found at Mount Tamalpais. A new site has been set up to coordinate volunteers who are forging ahead with the…
Gear
Cool socks report
by tom • December 7, 2007 • 2 Comments
Rick at HikeHalfdome.com writes up some very nifty hiking socks from Northern Ireland that are cut for right and left feet. Wool-synthetic blend with anti-bacterial treatment. Nice. (Field sobriety test for next wine-soaked overnighter: can you tell which feet your…
Photography
Hiking & photography
by tom • December 7, 2007 • 12 Comments
Ask Steve why he never takes a camera hiking and he’ll mention the boxes & boxes of slides from backpacking trips of days gone by that he never looks at anymore. Then there’s Dan, who could equip a polar expedition…
Backpacking light
Christmas gifts for light-weight backpackers
by tom • December 7, 2007 • 2 Comments
LightBackpacking.com has a bunch of suggestions. Interesting ditty: A Nikon monocular/spotting scope. I have one made by Zeiss that I use occasionally — it’s small, light & handy but hard to hold still enough to get much use out of.
Wildlife
I love this
by tom • December 6, 2007 • 2 Comments
That other outdoor writer named Tom recommends driving 400 miles round trip to cut a Christmas tree in a national forest to save the $50-$100 they’re charging in local lots. The Chron must let him expense all the fill-ups in…
Mount Diablo
Latest Hikes column: Mount Diablo
by tom • December 6, 2007 • 3 Comments
Posted today. The intro: December is a gift to hikers drawn to Mount Diablo, the peak dominating the East Bay landscape. It’s a month when occasional rains wash smog from the sky and open amazing vistas (you’ll see snowcapped Sierra…
Photography
San Jose man a finalist in wildlife photo contest
by tom • December 6, 2007 • 1 Comment
Stephen W. Oachs of San Jose won first place in the “Mammals, Amateur” category of National Wildlife Magazine’s 2007 photo contest. Oachs photographed play-fighting grizzlies near Yellowstone National Park at a nonprofit preserve for bears and wolves. The rest of…
Henry Coe State Park
Rescue practice at Henry Coe
by tom • December 5, 2007 • 0 Comments
Cynthia caught a squad doing a helicopter rescue drill at the park over the weekend.
Santa Clara County parks
Parking fees in Santa Clara County Parks: A rip-off?
by tom • December 5, 2007 • 6 Comments
Arlene, a local hiker/reader (last seen at this post about Ed Levin County Park), dropped me an e-mail this morning with the news that she’d just learned you don’t have to pay to park at Joseph D. Grant County Park…