COMING SOON-- WORKSHOPS
What really goes in the blue bin
--and what doesn't
Deepen your outdoor experience
--Use a topo map and compass
COMING SOON-- PHOTO GALLERY
Browse photos of a coming tour
--or of the tour you just took
ARMCHAIR TOUR!
Movie: Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
--A comedic short documentary that examines the disastrous results of interfering with an ecosystem by bringing in non-native species. Farmers in Australia, frustrated with an infestation of beetles, imported cane toads from Hawaii who wound up not eating the beetles, poisoning all their natural predators and multiplying to the point of becoming a larger nuisance than the beetles ever were.
Book: The Life of the Skies
--by Jonathan Rosen
--New York Times book review says: If Peterson and Sibley [birding guide book authors] provided checklists . . . then “The Life of the Skies” is the essay question, the question being: Does bird-watching offer a bird-watcher an avenue toward greater meaning, like prayer or yoga? For his part, Rosen, a novelist and the author of “The Talmud and the Internet,” has a lot of faith in it as a meditative act. “I can’t think of any activity that more fully captures what it means to be human in the modern world than watching birds,” he writes.
Stories of all the great American birders are included, from Thoreau to Teddy Roosevelt to "Kenn Kaufman, the Jack Kerouac of birding, who in the '70s hitchhiked the back roads of America for sightings."
Music: Appalachian Spring
--By Aaron Copland
--The sound of spring fever on the West Coast, not only in Appalachia! Try the recording by Michael Tilson Thomas's S.F. Symphony.
TOUR TIP
The warmer sunshine feels good, but don't pay for it later. Remember your hat or bandana and a lightweight long sleeved shirt. Apply sunscreen effective against both UVA and UVB, and bring a small bottle so you can reapply during rest breaks. The spot most people forget to protect? The top edge of the ears! Ouch!
CUSTOMIZE
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ECO-HISTORY FACT
The Eco-History facts revealed in our 3/2/08 tour of the Quicksilver Mine in Almaden were so fascinating that folks demanded we offer it again! Do you know how Bay Area people and the environment have always influenced each other... in this case, from the pre-Gold Rush discovery of mercury ore to today?
Learn the surprising facts as we walk through beautiful landscapes, ghost towns with gardens still blooming today, and see a mercury reduction furnace. See the tour description from the first time we offered it!
The tentative date for this second visit is 6/7/08. If you're interested, let us know. Give your email address, and we'll keep you posted. Remember, if you enjoyed the first trip, the wildflowers and weather will be different the second time!
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Crystal Springs Lakes and Ridges Cycling at CaliforniaNatureTours.com
Crystal Springs Lakes and Ridges Cycling
Crystal Springs Watershed, owned by San Francisco and visible from I-280, has been closed to the public for more than 70 years -- now's your chance to see what's inside! This easy mountain bike tour takes the Bay Area Ridge Trail and goes straight to the heart of Crystal Springs!
Crystal Springs Lakes and Ridge Cycling Tour
Pilarcitos Lake hidden near Crystal Springs
- Easy mountain biking trail
- Beyond the locked gates
- Serene watershed few visit
- Pilarcitos Lake and wildflowers
- Mountain and South Bay vistas
- 14yrs+, 15m/25k, 7hrs
- Sun 3/30/08, 9:30am, $25 USD
- San Bruno CA
FAQ, Contact David
Crystal Springs Lakes and Ridges
Don't miss this opportunity to visit the quiet wilderness behind the locked gates of the Crystal Springs Watershed -- a natural area larger than San Francisco. We'll see dozens of species of spring wildflowers, including the deep purple Douglas Iris, and beautiful Pilarcitos Lake, which few people have ever seen.
We'll start on a paved bike path to the crest of Sweeney Ridge, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. On the ridge, we'll stop at a monument that marks where Spanish soldiers discovered San Francisco Bay in 1769, then head south to the locked Portola Gate. David has the key for just one day! We'll cycle along the ridgetops, with vistas of lakes, hills, and the ocean all around us.
Dead-end of Sneath Lane past Intersection of Sneath Lane and Amador Avenue, San Bruno CA.
Sun 3/30/08, 9:30am
FAQ, Contact David
DON'T WANT A CALIFORNIA SAN BRUNO CYCLING TOUR WITH LAKES AND RIDGE VIEWS?
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California State Parks Saved!
Gov. Schwarzenegger scuttled his plan to close 48 of them! Call the Governor to thank him at (916) 445-2841.
Learn more
I've really enjoyed many of David's hikes!
On Montara Mountain we had a stunning 360 degree panoramic view of the coast.
At Point Reyes we swam in beautiful Bass Lake and saw the sublime Alamere Waterfalls.
David is very knowledgeable about Nature and the History of the Bay Area. He's also very attentive to the hikers.
I'll be back-- again!
Mr. M.C.
San Mateo, CA
Thank you David, for your
hike at China Camp.
It was a beautiful setting and we saw deer at close range.
But what made it especially interesting & memorable was your knowledge of the area.
I'm looking forward to
reading the book!
Thanks again and regards,
Ms. A.V.
Oakland, CA
I'm an inquisitive hiker who often wants to know more than previous guides seem to know...
But sometimes I just
want quiet moments.
Somehow, David does both
things just right!
A tour with David really does have something more.
Ms. C.A.
San Francisco, CA
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.
John Muir
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