Calipidder was there last weekend. Here’s a Flickr slide show of “most interesting” Carrizo Plain pix (most aren’t from this season, but many are astounding). For a stroll down memory lane, check out my Carrizo weekend last year.
Travel
Hiking and travel: putting a plan together
by tom • March 25, 2009 • 1 Comment
If your idea of a hiking vacation is pitching a tent and bedding down in the dirt for a few weeks, more power to you. It’s a cheap holiday if you’re unemployed and own all your own gear. But just…
Blogs
Trailspotting’s map of California snow-park vendors
by tom • March 25, 2009 • 0 Comments
Bookmark this baby if you’re into playing in the snow. Here’s the Trailspotting post, with important caveats like calling ahead to confirm store hours and such. I’ve been meaning to post this too: Pacifica Trails, another fine Trailspotting product, profiles…
Wildlife
Pole-dancing bear
by tom • March 25, 2009 • 2 Comments
If you missed this on my Facebook page, it’s pretty hilarious:
Fitness
Hiking helps your heart — and your brain
by tom • March 24, 2009 • 1 Comment
It’s common sense that walking up and down hills makes your body work more efficiently. It’s less well-known how good it can be for your mental state, says John McKinney, former Los Angeles Times hiking columnist, in this article at…
Wildlife
Why they call those flowers ‘blue dicks’
by tom • March 24, 2009 • 0 Comments
Unfortunately for the prurient-minded, it has nothing to do with the teen-age male malady known as “blue balls.” Because my fortysomething brain has frequent and severe bouts of CRS (can’t remember shit), I mistakenly called these things shooting stars in…
Sunol Regional Wilderness
Sunol with a scramble
by tom • March 23, 2009 • 5 Comments
The idea was to see what the wildflowers were like at Sunol Wilderness. I saw a few but it might be a little early for the bloom there. What Sunol has lots of now is water: Alameda Creek is roaring…
Hiking
Going hiking today at Sunol Wilderness
by tom • March 23, 2009 • 4 Comments
Gonna see if the poppies are, well, popping. Probably won’t get around to blogging about it till tomorrow, though.
Blogs
Campingblogger tests out a portable washing machine
by tom • March 20, 2009 • 4 Comments
The contraption’s called a Wonderwash. It looks like a cement mixer and works much like one too, except you pile your rugrats’ dirty jeans into it. Roy made this video explaining how it works. CampingBlogger Review of the Wonderwash from…