Dry January

It was early January 2021, and with the usual wintertime low water levels and not much rain, our hike from Sterling Pointe revealed a lot of bare tree limbs, rocks, and sand once we left the higher elevations. Further up, things were more green, but those areas normally covered by water later in the season were now exposed — providing […]

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More from Monte Vista

Today I present some images from a couple of different October hikes in the same area along the American River’s south fork at Folsom Lake. The vibrant hues of spring may have been long faded, but there was still plenty of color to be found — in the Yellow Monkeyflower with its bright red spots, the scarlet Toyon berries, and […]

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A hike in January

January 6, 2021, was not a good day for the U.S.; but we knew nothing about the events occurring as we happily hiked from the trailhead at Sterling Pointe on Folsom’s north fork that morning. Parking is free and plentiful, with room for both cars and horse trailers. The trails can be a bit confusing, but in general if you […]

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Spring at Steele Canyon

Northern California’s Lake Berryessa has seen many changes over the years since its construction in the 1950s, not all of them positive. While the reservoir provides flood control and drinking water for a number of communities along the west side of the Sacramento Valley, it’s also been a prime location for recreation facilities, administered by the California Bureau of Reclamation […]

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