16 May 2010
May is a time of transition. Life at the university shifts from an always-intense second half of the spring semester to the pleasant rhythm of summer. Northern California's landscape shifts from spring to summer.
After I finished a 3-day stint of grading final exams yesterday, we took a half day afternoon hike on Mount Diablo, starting at the Regency Drive gate and climbing up and around the Falls Trail.
There were still abundant wildflowers, although they were often blooming amidst drying grasses.
We had a startling encounter with this large rattlesnake, situated in half sun and half shade right at the edge of the trail. Alexis was in the lead and walked within a few feet of the snake before we noticed it. It didn't give a rattle, just a sudden movement to shift to a defensive position, with the head poised to strike. I've never seen a rattler in this area before and would not mind never seeing one again!
In all, we saw three snakes, a deer, some squirrels, many lizards, and abundant birds. There were also plenty of hikers out on this warm afternoon, but not enough to ever feel crowded.
We've had late rains this year, and so the creeks were still running nicely. In all, the hike took about three hours to cover the seven mile loop with an elevation gain of between 1000 and 1500 feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment