In honor of Bike to Work Week, I pledge to at least try to bike to work this week and report the results, experiences, and my thoughts here.
Day 1:
Perfect weather, a little crisp in the morning. This is going to be awesome. I got to hear the rushing of water in our local creeks and saw a groundhog and a killdeer. Biking lets you take in sights, sounds, and smells that driving muffles or eliminates. The trail was wet in many places, but not muddy. Along with the water on my pants, my fears of showing up at the lab with bikers butt evaporate quickly.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Año Nuevo State Park, California
Año Nuevo State Park in California is a great place to explore the coast and see wildlife. The main attraction, if you are there at the right time of year, is the elephant seals. There are multiple places along the trail to see elephant seals and these are subject to closure and trail reroutings if seals get too close.
In addition to female and young "weener" male elephant seals, we saw sea lions, rabbits, large colorful snails, pelicans, seagulls, lots of "evidence" of coyotes, and more.
A typical stroll to see the seals will be 3-4 miles round trip on trails ranging from dirt to sand, and boardwalk. Educational signage and very informative rangers are located throughout the park.
Año Nuevo Island is visible from several spots along the trail and has an interesting history and some interesting abandoned buildings.
In addition to female and young "weener" male elephant seals, we saw sea lions, rabbits, large colorful snails, pelicans, seagulls, lots of "evidence" of coyotes, and more.
A typical stroll to see the seals will be 3-4 miles round trip on trails ranging from dirt to sand, and boardwalk. Educational signage and very informative rangers are located throughout the park.
Año Nuevo Island is visible from several spots along the trail and has an interesting history and some interesting abandoned buildings.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Fossil Flats Trail - Devil's Den State Park
The Fossil Flats Trail at Devil's Den State Park is primarily a mountain biking trail though hikers are welcome. It has three connected loops that allow users to choose from a range of distances and difficulties. The trailhead sign lists these distances as 3, 4, and 5 miles for the Outlaw, Sawmill, and Racers Hill loops respectively. I found these distances to be rough estimates at best, especially given that Racers Hill Loop adds closer to 2 miles to the total.
The trailhead is located near the parking for the walk-in campsite, not far from the bridge and trailhead for Yellow Rock.
The map below doesn't (yet) show all the loops, but it is only missing a short section of the Outlaw loop and some connections that cross the creek. From the trailhead, I went north on the trail which begins as a wide dirt path that may have once been an old road. The wide path continues straight for awhile and a thinner path (single-track) repeatedly forks off and crosses it. Eventually the smaller trail leaves the road for good and winds through some pretty woods with lots of cedar along the creek. There are lots of dry and wet stream crossings so be prepared to get a little wet.
I found the end of the Sawmill Trail, where it overlaps with some others, to be a little confusing or tricky to follow, but just keep the creek on your right until you cross it at the campsite near your car.
This trail is scenic, but not as awesome as nearby Yellow Rock or Devil's Den trails. If you are looking to hike, I recommend doing those first, though on nice weekends, Fossil Flats can be a lot less busy.
The trailhead is located near the parking for the walk-in campsite, not far from the bridge and trailhead for Yellow Rock.
The map below doesn't (yet) show all the loops, but it is only missing a short section of the Outlaw loop and some connections that cross the creek. From the trailhead, I went north on the trail which begins as a wide dirt path that may have once been an old road. The wide path continues straight for awhile and a thinner path (single-track) repeatedly forks off and crosses it. Eventually the smaller trail leaves the road for good and winds through some pretty woods with lots of cedar along the creek. There are lots of dry and wet stream crossings so be prepared to get a little wet.
I found the end of the Sawmill Trail, where it overlaps with some others, to be a little confusing or tricky to follow, but just keep the creek on your right until you cross it at the campsite near your car.
This trail is scenic, but not as awesome as nearby Yellow Rock or Devil's Den trails. If you are looking to hike, I recommend doing those first, though on nice weekends, Fossil Flats can be a lot less busy.
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