May Days

May was a month for docent-led hikes, starting with newly-opened trails in the eastern section of Bear Creek Redwoods.

I can imagine hiking this section in cool weather, as the trails are mostly exposed. It will take another visit or two before I'd be comfortable with a route; there seemed to be many trail junctions, identified only with numbers. I was glad to be following a leader.

My next excursion was to a preserve I may have never explored; if I did hike at Russian Ridge, it was a long, long time ago.

This preserve is outside the “zone” where my my buddies prefer to hike; it's a bit of a drive to get there. But it was worth it. It seemed late for a hike focused on wildflowers, but the higher altitude at Russian Ridge made all the difference.

And with the wildflowers ... butterflies. A silvery blue, in this case, on a pale flax blossom. As usual, I learned a great deal from the volunteer docents.

Speaking of butterflies: My next two docent-led outings were at the familiar Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve. Butterflies were the focus of the first visit, but a group (even a small group) is not terribly well-suited to butterfly observing. Quite a few Northern Checkerspots fluttered about and held still for photos, though.

With all the picnic tables occupied at the end of my hike, I was perched on a low fence in the parking lot to enjoy my lunch ... when a Sara orangetip alighted nearby. Was it worth putting my sandwich aside? They typically don't stay put ...

I returned to Picchetti with a docent two days later, this time for the flowers. (White globe lilies, in this case.)

One of the docents leads a hike every year on Memorial Day that starts near the summit of Montebello Road. (Or should I say, near the end of the drivable part of the road.) It's possible to hike here anytime, but access to parking requires a permit.

There were some children on this hike, and they were into it. When the group paused before making the last turn that would take us back to our vehicles, I spotted ants marching in a line, carrying seeds. Perfect! I called the kids over and introduced them to harvester ants.

The marine layer hovered above us, obscuring the Diablo Range to the east. Moffett Field and the southern reaches of San Francisco Bay, as well the suburbs of Silicon Valley, sprawled below us.

May was for hiking (20+ miles), though I did venture out on a couple of easy bike rides (45 miles). My ankle is still not happy, and there is one more May hike ahead. And then, June.

Ready or not, there I will go ...