Mushroom Hunting in Tolowa Dunes State Park

A Successful Mushroom ID Hike in Mid-November We walked through the forest until the forest became our world. We recently went for a mushroom hunt in Tolowa Dunes State Park. Armed with field guides and a keen eye, we head swiftly toward Sitka Spruce,…

Hiking Leiffer and Ellsworth Loops: Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

Stop and rest awhile Hiking the Leiffer and Ellsworth Loops in November will make you remember it’s still Autumn. The old growth wears the fallen yellow, red, and orange leaves of bay and maple. Winter may be right around the corner, but here in the…

What’s in My Day Pack?

REI Flash 22 Day Hiking Backpack

What hiking gear should you take with you on a day hike? The following hiking gear is what I include in my hiking backpack for a day trip. You can use it as a starting point when packing your own; just remember that everyone’s…

Tahoe Rim Trail Day 1: Tahoe City to Watson Lake

The climb is relentless. We trudge steadily upward, the sun shinning while storm clouds threaten in the distance. Tahoe Rim Trail Info Sign-Tahoe City The first miles of the TRT The background   The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) is a 170-mile loop that traverses…

Hiking The Bay Area Ridge Trail: Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline to John Muir National Historical Site

Golden, rolling hills with a distant mountain range

This section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail travels through the Carquinez Straight Regional Shoreline, sharing the path with several other regional trails. If you hike this section, you’ll be passing through exposed cattle pastures on your way to the John Muir Historical Site….

Venturing into the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

A hiker on the path in the preserve

We parked our car in the lot at Sydney Flat. We must walk the trail that leads to the upper lot, where most of the trails are sprouting from. Our trekking poles click in the dirt as we make our way up the exposed…

Hiking Point Reyes

This Saturday, my husband and I drove the (almost) 2 hours from the East Bay to Point Reyes National Seashore. I wanted to show him one of my favorite coastal hikes in the area, the out, and back ~10-mile hike to Tomales Point. The…

Hiking the Bay Area Skyline Trail

I’m going to let you in on a little-known secret about the Bay Area. There are parks that you can hike through. Well, that’s not really the secret. The secret is that many of them connect into one long trail that makes up The…