Inside Outside

We failed to make it to Cataract Falls due to road closures, but we decided to check out the Pine Mountain Trails to Carson Falls. Definitely not as majestic as the Cataract hike, but the trails here were uncrowded in the morning, had beautiful valley views, and there were some great wildflowers out. We also saw a hummingbird hawk moth and a fuzzy, orange carpenter bee. 

Photos of some of the flowers I saw blooming in the Presidio.  

I took my bike on BART and rode out to the Presidio to try to visit as many of the 12 trails as I could within four hours (before no bikes on BART commute hours). I don’t suggest trying to do this. Instead, pick a couple of trails and meander through them leisurely. A couple spots I was able to hit that I had never seen before: Andy Goldsworthy’s “Wood Line” installation and Lobos Creek Valley Trail. I could’ve definitely spent more time on a few of the trails and gazing at the ocean.

More pretty things popping up from all this glorious rain.

Early wildflowers, Claremont and Strawberry Canyon, Berkeley.

Scenes from a morning up in the clouds.

Spring is still three weeks away, but there are already flowers popping up everywhere.

Accidentally ended up in Tilden Park, but I found a few pretty mushrooms and newly sprouting wildflowers on a short hike. I’ll have to come back soon when there are more flowers in bloom.

Spent some good quality time at the mineral pools in Calistoga this past weekend, but we were able to squeeze a hike in at Bothe-Napa State Park before we headed back to Oakland. 

Cataract Falls. Quite possibly heaven on earth.