Three-mile Adventure

Although I've visited the Cherry Springs area of Sierra Azul before, if I have no other plans when the next outing is scheduled, I'm in. Like today.

We started with a little bonus walk through open meadows before moving on to the regular loop. A rafter of turkeys was surprised to see us; a male was strutting his stuff to impress the hens (not the humans).

Along the way we passed a dead tree that was studded with acorns—surely the handiwork (uh, “beakwork?”) of our local acorn woodpeckers.

The first time I did this hike, one of the guys had a curiously large backpack. Larger than anything I'd carry on an all-day hike. He joined us again today; when we reached a section of trail that was blocked, he pulled a hand saw out of that pack. A couple of other hikers were prepared with gloves, and just like that(!) the trail was cleared.

Our group included a couple of teens with their family, and I was impressed that they were just as keen to study the flora and fauna as any of us. As they helped to clear the fallen branches, one was excited when he found a newt. We all got a close look, and the newt got some needed hydration (raindrops from a water bottle) before it was returned to ground level.

Go for a hike! A world of little surprises is there for you to discover.