A Pickup Walk (Hiking Edgewood)

Invasive European grasses and Star Thistles
are one foe the Edgewood Warriors fight
tooth and nail

I know it's called a pickup game, when you run into other basketball players on the courts and have a competitive round. So I guess I had a pickup walk today.

I was hiking Clarkia and Lower Ridge trail, just appreciating the fact that my knees are back in service, when I found myself picking up a lone hiker, Diane. She hadn't found her hiking group, was pretty unfamiliar with the trails (she'd come in via Sunset Gate) and wanted company.

I ended up docenting (is that a verb?) along Clarkia, up to Inspiration Heights, down along Lower Ridge trail to the fence that overlooks the Bluebird meadow and back to Sunset Gate, at which point we ran into her group

. Discussed and seen along the way...

- Serpentine rock and soil discussion and challenge of nitrogen dump/non-native plant invasion. Also successes of Weed Warriors due to just plain hard work plus cunning and analysis 

- Why the erosion scars aren't a trail/the challenges of their trail-like appearance - And yes we ran into two erosion scar explorers that I had a chat with on Inspiration Heights. Hopefully they did go back the way I encouraged them to go on the trail. Much discussion with my new hiking pal, over how to discourage this behavior without being patronizing and actually getting desired behavior. 

- We met Steve and  Denora  out rangering and Diane had her birthday photo taken with them. Steve indicated perhaps more signs indicating erosion scar versus trail may be forthcoming?

- We enjoyed the beautiful summer colors of deerweed, tarweed and poison oak. We both think the seedheads we saw in with the tarweed is yarrow. I keep meaning to look up that pink dry headed looking flower that's in and around Ridge trail. I think it's a seed head not a bloom. It reminds me of the sea thrift I saw in Cornwall, just a little bit.

- Told her how she could find the plantdatabase/photos lookup  on Friends of Edgewood web pages, as both of us were wondering about that pinky flower/seed head.

- Told her to come look for the Hair Streak Butterflies during bloom time for the deerweed. Discussed the importance of the Bay Area Checkerspot and how it saved the preserve. Diane was glad we weren't hiking through the golf course this area was, at one point, destined to be.

- Diane wanted to know about animals we see in the area. Pointed out Western Fence Lizards, mentioned my few views of rattlers by me and others and where noted ...Much pointing to the area on Serpentine Loop Trail  from Ridge Trail looking down to discuss the scurry zone and habits of the cottontails. Also discussion of the jackrabbits when they go mad with testostorone in the springtime and their hare 'ness ( Nice web link on their being hares and not rabbits here....http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/jackrabbit/). 

- Pointed out the frog pond, looking down on it from Ridge Trail (would be easy to have a talk about water in the preserve at this point, wouldn't it?)

- We should have asked Denora about the bobcats when we met up with her and Steve later on, as I know she once said there is one living in the vicinity of the ranger's house. Durn

- Of course we chatted about cougars. Doesn't everybody like to know about cougars?

- We talked about the different types of oaks, and after some quick mental review. I remembered  (and I think properly id'd ) coast live oak (thanks to a hint Alf once gave me), contrasted them with a description of Valley Oaks, and mentioned the scrub oak. I think that's what grows on Upper Clarkia, not Leather Oak? Remembered to tell her about the naturally hybrid ones.

- We talked about the Western Blue Birds

Dianne was very pleased with her one-on-one docent walk! We found her group back at Sunset Gate and she introduced me all around and bragged about getting the goods on the preserve. I was lightly quizzed by a couple of folks in regards to seeing freshly blooming Farewell to Spring, and I agreed I had seen one too. Was able to respond "Clarkia, like this trail" when asked what is the real name. So I guess I passed the test. Good thing that was one I know.

Despite it not being a high bloom time, there's a lot to talk about out in the chaparral zone

One Fine Little Lizard (HIking Edgewood)

Western Fence Lizard

We share the trail at Edgewood

Brother of my heart

Fantastical Miner's Lettuce

When I Dream of Miner's Lettuce

Miner's Lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata, is a common San Francisco plant that thrives and blooms in the open space areas where I hike as well as the shade of my own backyard.  It is munch'able, but I often wonder if the California gold miners of '49 were really into salad...

Psychedellic Lilies (Hiking Edgwood)

We don't actually know
how the innocent lily
sees herself...

Hawks Ahead - Hiking Edgewood

My Kind of Study Break

A Red-Tail Hawk, I think.

Using my low-level cell phone camera, and was I glad I had it.

I'd been focusing on learning about what triggers mass wasting. She's was focusing on finding supper.  I think she missed out on her opportunity, as I came around the corner feet away from her in the grass, wrestling with something small and ground-dwelling.


What a reward for studious effort.

Adenostoma fasciculatum - Looking a little seedy ain't yah?

Please click on the illustration above to fully enjoy this beauty

Adenostoma fasciculatum
Chamise graces the chaparral at Edgewood Park

Edgewood Shale Once an Ocean?

Edgewood Shale, The ultimate in Time Travel
Ancient Muds Tells Us Still Waters Once Lay Deep Here

Mariposa: The Time Travellin' Spud (Hiking Edgewood)

Click on my Jolly Mariposa Lily Illustration Above to Get Up Close and Personal 

With This Native Darling

Mariposa, as I bet you know, is the Spanish word for "butterfly". That was what this beauty's petals, apparently, made some early botanist thing about when they first saw this late spring/early summer flower.

On my morning study break, I took a time travel jaunt back to the middle of the 18'th century. There I found that the native Lamishan (an Ohlone people) think it's equally fanciable as a taste treat.  The group I met up with were digging up the bulbs of this (as we'll as some of the  other local Calochortus). One of the women told me that her cousins up valley usually boil or roast them. Her folks, however, like them fried. The results looked, and tasted, much like what  I do with a friendly spud.

Hillside Gooseberry Setting Fruit (Hiking Edgewood)

Click on the illustration below for the full fruity details

Lizards 'n Lyme (Hiking Edgewood)

(Click on the illustration below to get up close and personal with this Californian's favorite lizard)

As an Edgewood docent I ask others, "Why do you think it's important to preserve nature, beyond beauty, mystery and all that other sensory, emotional stuff?". Of course the answers vary. I've been tempted to go off on my own ideas about increasing over bee-hive health with a diverse plant offering, versus the monoculture imposed by modern agricultural methods, but that's another blog posting all together.

Turns out that the Western Fence Lizards that have been scampering around under my feet like crazy lately (I think it might just be high-hormone mating season for Sceloporus occidentals) is Ma Nature's way of curing Lyme disease. Am I the last to learn this?

Apparently in California, where these lizards abound, the deer ticks that transmit Lyme disease bacteria loose their Lyme-oomph when they bite the lizards. This article from the CA Academy of Sciences explains it all. I've been told, but cannot find a reference on the web, that the result is, that only about 1-2% of deer tick bites where Western Fence Lizards roam produce Lyme disease in humans, versus the over 80% in other parts of the country. Don't quote me on that, however, since I can't find a source for you.

Wikipedia also has an article about this Lyme-disease link.

An Edgewood Promise

California Once Upon a Time: Purple Needlegrass

Planning a little time travel jaunt, back to the days when bunch grasses like this grew all over California......


 Click on the illustration below for maximum viewing pleasure

Once upon a time the California bunch grasses, like this purple needle grass, flourished along with masses of spring wildflowers. With the invasion of Europeans and European grasses in the mid-eighteenth century most of our grasses and wildflower meadows began to look like some other continent.

This purple needle grass continues to grow in Edgewood Preserve, because it grows on serpentine soil (1% of California has serpentine soil, 10% of the entire planet) and also because of determined Weed Warriors who work in the park to eliminate invasive plants and improve the habitat for native wildflowers and grasses.

Yerba Santa- Holy Herb in Bloom

The Holy Herb, Yerba Santa, is bloomin' at the Edgewood Preserve

Click on the illustration above for a glorious in-depth view.

Nature, The Original Greengrocer: Edgewood Current

To Fully Enjoy Natures Produce

...................Click on the Illustration Above 

Hawks Ahead (Marsh Hawk/Northern Harrier Hawk)

Click on the illustration to get up close and personal with this lovely   hawk.


I saw this gorgeous fellow, and his mate, yesterday at Edgewood Park. These days they are commonly referred to as Northern Harrier Hawks, but since I first saw Circus cyaneus at the Palo Alto Baylands, I prefer the good old fashioned sobriquet of Marsh Hawk.

Nature's Mardi Gras OR You won't catch me K'Vetching!

Click on the illustration above to start celebratin' a little natural Mardi Gras spirit on the Clarkia Trail at Edgewood Park, San Mateo County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Leapus Forward- Jumpin' Jackrabbit Style

Click on the illustration above, to put a little Spring into your step

I knew this giant jackrabbit heading down the Edgewood Park trail in my direction today was trying to tell me something.

Turns out this coming Sunday marks our daylight savings changeover. Yup it's time to leap forward an hour. I don't think this particular Lepus californicus has any health concerns when it comes to springing forward, though many people do. According to this article early alarms puts the population at a greater risk of heart attack.

"Lepus", no kidding. This gigantic fella was leapus-ing to beat the band. 

Bloomin' Madness, Western Style

å

Click on the illustration above, for the full rich madness of 

blooming Western Leatherwood.

My perfect study break is heading over to Edgewood Park between classes.

I've been watching and waiting for these Leatherwood buds to burst out into their blooming' heyday.

Their time was brief, but lovely. I know what trail I'll be hiking next year, waiting for a little more of my kind of March Madness.

I'm Willowin': Spring Comes Early at Edgewood

Click on the illustration above to enjoy some willow'ing nature

Just A Little Deeper My Dear: Land of the Hemi-Parasite

Click on the illustration above to head deeper into the woods

Pedicularis densiflora, a particularly attractive member of the Scrophulariaceae family and commonly known hereabouts as "Indian Warrior",  is getting an early start on spring by taking advantage of a nearby Coast Live Oak, in that way that hemi-parasites have. 


I spotted this particular sweetie at my favorite hangout, Edgewood Park in San Mateo County.