3.15.09
Fourteen WildLink club members had an amazing day visiting Point Reyes Nation Seashore. Our members got to experience many “firsts”: The first time any of them had stood on an actual fault, the first time many of them had seen the ocean, the first time many of them had seen elk, the first time any of them got to run their toes through the sand, etc, etc. The day was nearly perfect. Temperatures were in the mid fifties with nearly 30mph winds. But our reward for braving the wind was a crystal-clear day in which we could literally see for miles.

We started the day by entering the park from S.F. which required a beautiful drive across the Bay & Golden Gate Bridges. We then stopped for a fun geology jaunt along the San Andreas Fault and its rupture zone from the 1906 earthquake. We then headed out to Pierce Point Ranch on Tomales Point for a birds-eye view of the azure Pacific while on a four mile hike. Along the way we got lucky and spied some large Tule Elk very close to the trail, but no whales out in the sea.

The last stop of the day was at the amazing Kehoe Beach. Not only was there good geology (seeing the Laird Sandstone, the Monterey formation and Salinian granitics) but there were also tons of freshly deposited jelly fish! Not to mention the tide was out and everyone got to get their feet a bit wet and sandy. A great day was had by all and it would have been better if the doggone clock hadn’t lost an hour on Sunday morning! For more info on the Geology of Point Reyes, click here

2.22.09
A year off from the annual MJC Death Valley Field Study in 2009 meant that Laura and I were chomping at the bit to get back on the road during our 2010 Presidential Holidays.  We volunteered as drivers for the trip again this year and since Laura is the 2009 NAGT Far West Teacher of the Year, she got to give a little spiel to the class on the hydrology of the park.  In all, thirty four people and five vans left for the five-day trip Death Valley to see some of the most diverse (and oldest) geology in the state of California.  Although recent storms closed most of the higher “vantage point” roads in the park we did get to see many rarities, such as the Amargosa River flowing and lots of water in Lake Manley.  To see all of the trip stops, click the Google Earth File button to download & view.  Enjoy!

1.16.09
Laura, myself & my folks completed a nice, but strenuous hike down to Indian Creek and the Tuolumne river on Saturday before teh big storms hit. TO see the amazing photos and read more about the area, click on teh photo at left, or see the maps in the "Recent Hikes" section at right.

12.09.09
Ten THS students, one PHS student and four Silva grandkids braved the foggy cold atop Pacheco Pass to help restore and create trails within Pacheco State Park. After five hours of work the group accomplished the following: 1. Repaired 130 yards of trail; 2. Created 155 yards of new trail; 3. Cemented six new metal sign posts; 4. Had a great time helping the park create a path that will be used for many generations of visitors. The park is quite beautiful this time of year and supports mountain biking as one of the main activities along its trails. This park should be a highly recommended destination for those looking to escape valley fog. One can enjoy a diversity of wildlife amongst the HUGE oak trees that dot the park in near solitude.

11.17.09
Twenty-two!! Well-behaved students got to visit the only private water bank in the United States on a lovely November Saturday. The students were first given an overview of the site and shown how the farm stores water in aquifers underground for safe keeping until dry years. Explained by the farm’s biologist, Jason Dean, the complexities of water banking & exchange were made clear & relevant to the students. The students were also made very aware of the positive environmental impacts provided by the farm. Students were then led by through a series of great team-building exercises by Dave before having a lovely lunch. After lunch the students learned the ins & outs of bird migration while playing “Migration Headache”. Due to time-constraints our original plans of clearing brush from the water bank ponds were delayed until our next visit to the bank, most likely in the spring when the water is flowing and birds are abundant. Thanks to Paul, Jason, Dave, Mr. Silva, Mr. Moser & Mrs. Hollister for helping to make this trip a great success!

11.03.09
The October 2009 WildLink expedition saw a collaborative effort between Turlock & Pitman come to fruition. Ten great students were able to brave subzero wind-chill and 70mph gusts of wind on the first night of their trip to successfully complete their Tenaya Lake – Clouds Rest – Little Yosemite Valley – Curry Village trek. Seldom has there been an expedition that experienced frigid temps so low that soap, iodine & bottles of water to froze – IN THE TENT! Wednesday & Thursday warmed-up and allowed the participants to take a stab at Cloud’s rest from the difficult western approach. They made it and were rewarded with views and camaraderie to last a lifetime. Enjoy the many photos!

11.03.09
Five fun-loving students gave up their Halloween to go hiking on a lovely afternoon in the Emigrant Wilderness. With temperatures reaching 62 at 9000ft and visibility going on for miles, our jaunt from Gianelli Cabin to Burst Rock & Powell Lake was a day-hike that truly pleased all. Enjoy the photos!

10.07.09
I finally got around to posting the pics from the latest WildLink Expedition last weekend. You find them easily by clicking on the thumbnail at left or by going to the WildLink section of "Hikes & Adventures". This year's group got to stay in the newly reinforced tent cabins in Curry Village’s “Boys Town”. We ventured to Taft Point & Glacier Point on Sunday, conquered the Spider Caves with amazing teamwork on Monday and then packed the gear needed to go on the expedition Monday afternoon. There was also quite a sizeable rock fall (150 tons) that made a racket on Tuesday morning... all part of a life-time memory.

9.23.09
Time flies when you're having fun. My family and I took a great hike to Kuna Lake in Yosemite on Saturday. You can read all about the journey by clicking on the thumbnail at left. It was a beautifully clear lake with great fishing & tremendous views. My classes will be starting the study of minerals tomorrow and the first WildLink expedition of the year will be departing on Monday! WooHoo!!!

8.21.09
If you're one of my new students, congratulations on surviving the first week of school. Only 30-something more weeks to go! To add to the abbundance of hikes already on this site, our August 16th hike to the Hoover wilderness is now posted in teh recent hikes at left, and in my Wilderness Hikes section of the "Hikes & Adventures". It was a great hike!

8.15.09
Well, it's almost time for school again! To get ready I headed off into the Emigrant Wilderness on an epic backpacking trip to High Emigrant Lake and Emigrant Meadow Lake. The views were amazing, the Perseid meteor showers were awesome, the fishing stupendous and to top it off I found a nice area of petrified wood & other fossils. Just click on the thumbnail below or go to the Hikes & Adventure Page to see where I went & what I saw!

7.26.09
See Trip in Google Earth
I’ve just posted the photos from our great five day trip to Oregon that was made better by having our friends from Washington (Louie, Gina, Mia & James) and Turlock (Dave & Ericka) join us.   We started the week by meeting in Lakeview, Oregon and staying the night there before heading out to the lava plateau’s outside of Plush, Or in search of Oregon Sunstones.  Our success at the Spectrum Mine made it hard to leave for Crater Lake, but once we were there, the crystal-blue waters and great camp site made us forget all about the sunstones. We finished the trip with a great ride up the Rogue River on Jerry’s Rogue Jets with the legendary Tom Biggs as our pilot.  It was the best jet boat trip that I can recall, having seen two bears, two river otters, scores of deer, six bald eagles, countless osprey and much more.  Plus the 360’s done by Mr Biggs were quite fun too! Enjoy the photos! CLICK

7.16.09
There are several big changes on this website that aren't very obvious, but I'd like your input on the changes. First, please vist my new California Wilderness Hiking Page and see how you like the new sortable columns. If it's a hit I'll slowly migrate all of my hiking pages to this format.
Secondly, I've published my photos for this year's Stanislaus County Fair in the Photos page and I hope you'll give them a peek.
Lastly, you should check out my most recent hike to Emma Lake near Bridgeport by clicking on it in the "Recent Hikes" area at right.

7.15.09
I had another letter to the editor published in the Modesto Bee today regarding aquifer depletion in the central valley. You can check out the letter here.

6.22.09
I know it's been a while since my last update, but I've been very busy doing a billion things, several of which included camping at Convict Lake and most recently hiking to Lower Relief Valley in the Emigrant Wilderness. You can find those photos at right in the "Recent Hikes" area. My entire hikes page is in the midst of a major upgrade that will allow users to sort hikes by eight different parameters. It's pretty cool, and I hope it becomes a more useful interface for users. I'm also updating the DIY (Do-it-yourself) page with the pergola I've built along with the new addition of a tomato cage that I invented.
For the time being you can find the Pergola & Tomato cage pages by clicking on the thumbnails below:

I've also been furiously studying for my Master's program and getting ready for midterms that are fast approaching. We have lots more hikes in the works this summer, so stay tuned!

5.26.09
Holy Smokes! This year went fast! Good luck to everyone on their finals.