October hike

I really have mixed feelings about hiking from the Sterling Pointe trailhead at Folsom Lake. On the plus side, parking is free and the lot is usually nearly empty whenever I go. It’s also a fairly easy hike downhill to the lakeshore with great scenic views and even a bench or two along the way. Once at the bottom, you […]

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Riparian habitat

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started the trail known as the Ecological Staircase at Mendocino County’s Jug Handle Reserve, but it turned out to be a really great hike — not too physically demanding and yet a decent workout. All the way out to the Pygmy Forest and back, it totals about 5 miles. After taking […]

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Bridges and boardwalks

If you’re traveling along coastal Highway 1 in Mendocino County, you will probably notice there are quite a number of different bridges crossing over creeks and rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean. From south to north, the scenic artery crosses the Gualala River, Elk Creek, the Navarro River, the Albion River, the Big River, Jughandle Creek, and the Noyo […]

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Memory Monday: Sonoma Coast, 2015

We just arrived home yesterday from our latest trip to the Mendocino coast near Fort Bragg, and this morning Google Photos prodded me with memories of an earlier visit, just a bit farther south. It was September 2015, and we were staying at the Ocean Cove Lodge in Sonoma County, a great little spot located between Salt Point to the […]

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At Russian Gulch

I’ve been wanting to stop and explore the trails at Russian Gulch State Park for a long time. Yesterday I finally got a chance to spend a couple of hours — not nearly enough to see everything, but enough to fall in love with this gorgeous part of the coast. Russian Gulch State Park was established in 1932. Just two […]

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Memory Monday: Eclipse, August 2017

I didn’t shoot any photos during last Sunday’s solar eclipse, although I was lucky to be able to catch a few glimpses of it from my backyard. I did have to wait patiently for a few holes in the cloud cover, but it was well worth it! I certainly remember the last solar eclipse that was visible in my area, […]

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Feeling like Fall

It’s been a long time since I last hiked at Folsom Lake. Today I was curious about the water levels, and encouraged by the cooler weather, I drove out to Sterling Point on the North Fork. I pretty much had the whole place to myself. Halfway through my walk, I sat down on a rock overlooking the water and just […]

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