Heather Goes Hiking

Sunol Regional Wilderness, January 2012

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:20:34 -0800

Sunol Regional Wilderness, January 2012

"Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise."

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:01:06 -0700

“Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.”

- Carrie Latet

Venus thistles (Cirsium occidentale var. venustum) in various...

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:00:06 -0700

Venus thistles (Cirsium occidentale var. venustum) in various stages of bloom.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine..."

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:00:06 -0700

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

- John Muir

Slim Solomon’s-seal, (also called Starry False...

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:00:00 -0700

Slim Solomon’s-seal, (also called Starry False Solomon’s-seal), Smilacina stellata. A stand of these were growing among a bunch of forget-me-nots this spring. Love them!

Photo from April 2011.

"A pedestrian is someone who thought there were a couple of gallons left in the tank."

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:02:06 -0700

“A pedestrian is someone who thought there were a couple of gallons left in the tank.”

- Unknown

I didn’t really think I would identify this mushroom from...

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:01:06 -0700

I didn’t really think I would identify this mushroom from a single picture, and I may never have a 100% positive ID — but I thought it looked a lot like Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata). A couple of votes over at Mushroom Observer (here) have put G. marginata in the lead as the most likely identification.

Let’s just say it’s a very good thing I didn’t eat that mushroom. :)

"What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself."

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:01:00 -0700

“What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself.”

- Mollie Beatty, Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1993-96

One of my favorite things: moss! Technically this post is a...

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 08:00:06 -0700

One of my favorite things: moss! Technically this post is a cheat, because the photo didn’t require a hike at all — it was taken in my backyard. :)

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:00:06 -0700

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

- John Muir

Perfect autumn day at the beach, from November 2009.

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:01:06 -0700

Perfect autumn day at the beach, from November 2009.

"My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing."

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:00:06 -0700

““My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.””

- Aldous Huxley

Photo from November 2009.

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:01:06 -0700

Photo from November 2009.

"Meandering leads to perfection."

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:00:06 -0700

““Meandering leads to perfection.””

- Lao Tzu

The common but lovely Trametes versicolor, also known as turkey...

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:00:06 -0700

The common but lovely Trametes versicolor, also known as turkey tails. According the American Cancer Society (article about it HERE), substances extracted from turkey tails are used as a traditional Asian treatment for cancer. Current studies aren’t showing any merit in consuming the raw ‘shroom itself, but polysaccharides from the mushroom may actually be effective. Who’da thunk?

Photo from February 2010.

"My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-three today..."

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:05:06 -0700

““My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-three today and we don’t know where the hell she is.””

- Ellen DeGeneres

Probably a Panus conchatus, although I’m still going to...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:33:00 -0700

Probably a Panus conchatus, although I’m still going to call it the cupcake mushroom. Next time I need to take a spore print.

Photo from May 2011.

First: EW. EW. EW. EW. This is one of the bigger spiders...

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:28:00 -0700

First: EW. EW. EW. EW.

This is one of the bigger spiders I’ve found in my apartment building stairwell. After checking out a few pictures online, I think it COULD be an American house spider, Achearanea tepediorum. On top of being really creepy, it looked bloated like it was pregnant. Great.

The gated rose garden at the Marin Art & Garden Center. (The...

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:00:00 -0700

The gated rose garden at the Marin Art & Garden Center. (The gate is to keep the deer out!) Free entrance, check schedule for the weekly Farmer’s Market in the front parking lot (runs through August).

This picture was taken almost exactly a year ago in June 2010, so I bet the rose garden looks just as great right now!

Check out their website: http://www.magc.org/

No idea what this cute little mushroom is, and I unfortunately...

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 08:10:00 -0700

No idea what this cute little mushroom is, and I unfortunately didn’t take other pictures or a spore print to help me identify it. It may be some kind of Hygrocybe, but that’s about the most I can say. :)