A Trail Less Traveled

Two days ago, I'd introduced a few of my former teammates to an oft-visited section of Almaden Quicksilver County Park that offers a good mix of tree cover, open vistas, and a nice view of the Guadalupe Reservoir. This time of year, I'm less likely to be distracted by the flora and fauna (as the landscape grows ever more dry). We spotted a couple of deer almost immediately, much to everyone's delight.

Most plants bloom during springtime, but I'd learned that some have found an evolutionary edge by having less competition for pollinators in a later season. The hayfield tarweed is in full bloom now, but something else caught my eye that day. A tiny, delicate flower on spindly stems. Had I seen that before? From the blurry photo I managed to capture, I later learned it was a rare plant. One specimen. A veritable needle-in-a-haystack, for me.

And thus it was that I returned today for a closer look (and a better photo, which I won't share here in the best interests of the plant).

To shorten the loop and mix things up a bit, I decided to introduce myself to a different trail. For a while I thought I might not cross paths with other people; the trail seemed less trodden (and narrow).

Woodland skippers were having a (hay)field day with the tarweed; as usual, I was focused on what I could see nearby. When my gaze wandered uphill, I was surprised to find two pairs of eyes focused on me.

With an early start and having shortened the loop from five miles to two, I was done before the day heated up.

And despite having crossed this bridge on so many hikes, I finally noticed that it's a century old!