Precipice Walk (Llwybr Cynwch)

Our group would rendezvous at the train station in Chester this morning, and by the time our guide arrived we'd self-assembled and were happily chatting. I'd figured that it wouldn't be difficult to spot the others: backpack-wearing, luggage-toting folks loitering in the seating area. What I didn't expect was an all-woman group!

Cycling through Wales, eight years ago, I was introduced to a place I'd wished I could explore more. I just might have to come back here, I'd thought.

Then a message landed in my inbox last August: Explore the Myths and Mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia). [Sign. Me. Up.]

Our first “walk” (translation: hike) was the Precipice Walk. Now you can begin to see why I'd hoped to see more of Snowdonia ...

The tour's itinerary described this hike as “mellow;” evidently choosing to omit the trail's name (lest we be intimidated).

A native thistle offered a welcome pop of color on a gloomy day, while sheep hunkered down not far from a crumbling circle of stones that might once have provided shelter for shepherds.

In the distance, late-afternoon light reflected off the channel leading to the Irish Sea. Along the trail, gorse blooms spread a little sunshine.

Our group was getting on well: one Canadian, six Americans (including three sisters!), and our English guide. Our pace was comfortable over our 3.5-mile loop, but the remaining walks promise to be more challenging.

We're the inaugural group(!) for this tour—a fact I'd overlooked in that email message last year. All I'd needed to see, then, was “Snowdonia.” As the date for the trip grew closer and I studied the actual itinerary, I began to worry that I might be in over my head ...

Chester

Where in the world is pep?

After one long plane ride, two rides on the Underground, and two British Rail trains: Chester, England. Somehow, the whole journey went smoothly—thanks to the station agents who helped me make sense of my tickets along the way. [I have a hunch that using their phone app would have been simpler. Next time ...]

I'd chosen a hotel for its proximity to the train station, and it was unexpectedly lovely.

I'm here because an interesting tour opportunity caught my attention last year and a proper holiday was long past due. By pure happenstance, some family members were also in the UK and shuffled their plans to join me here for a day or two.

I convinced them that Chester was worth exploring, and we spent some time meandering through the city. A walk along the ancient city walls afforded views near and far, with trees and buildings tucked up close.

We had the good fortune to be the only people on a tour of Chester Cathedral led by a guide with an encyclopedic knowledge of the building's history and detailed features, such as this ceiling boss depicting the murder of Thomas Becket.

Eager to answer questions, he overran the allotted time. [No problem.]

Tomorrow, the principal adventure begins ...

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 ...