A forum that'll feed your need for exploring the limitless adventure possibilities found in "other" places. Post trip reports or ask questions about outdoor adventures beyond the Sierra Nevada here.
I do not do winter sports in the High Sierra so I wait for the thaw to get up there in the summer---things will be a bit late this year. In the meantime, I've been getting in some fun and scenic hiking in the eastern Bay Area connected to geology: geologic mapping for research on Mt Diablo (Jan to April), and teaching plus research at Sunol Regional Wilderness (Apr. 12-18). These hikes have seen the changing of the seasons from snow and hail on Mt Diablo to the superb wildflower bloom in Sunol Regional Wilderness last week. Some photos follow.
North flank of Mt Diablo viewed from about 2800 on Moses Rock ridge looking toward the north peak.
A few day after walking over crunchy snow Feb.11 on Feb 15 I was hit by a series of strong hailstorms.
Feb 22 was cold and crisp and the views were outstanding. This one is a zoom to San Francisco with the Farallons seen beyond that. One can see a very long way from Mt Diablo. On the same day much of the Sierra was visible and I could see Snow Mtn in the northern Coast Ranges.
The closest part of the Sierra crest is the distinctive profile of the Crystal Range and Pyramid Peak of Desolation Wilderness
Apr. 13 W Tree Rock Scramble, Sunol Regional Wilderness. A fun scramble indeed with the only drawbacks being the poison oak (more luxuriant than usual this year), along with rattlesnakes (average) and ticks (surprisingly few).
Apr. 13, point 2201, high point of Sunol RW. Although the blooms are serpentinite are well known, this combination (on sandstone) was my favorite last week.
Yes, but the flowers on serpentinite are indeed outstanding this year. Apr. 15 far off trail N of point 2178 NE part of the park.
That is outstanding,. Thanks for the heads up GB. The serpentine outcrops I've seen are just north of the McCorkle Trail after passing west of the W Tree stream. I normally climb that cross country from the Camp 45 Ohlone Road via the slope just west of where the W Tree stream as it has no poison oak. I haven't hiked in the park in a few years so given how lushly green it is this spring will take a break from all the image processing I've been doing from my 3 desert wildflower road trips and go up there on a morning Tuesday thru Thursday that shows light breezes.
