Category Archives: Uncategorized
Biggest snow since 1976!
Biggest snow in the Silicon Valley hills decades! I started my hike in the rain, at Rhus Ridge. (463 feet elevation) Walked up, thru new snow …up to Black Mountain summit, at 2812 feet. …where there was 8 inches of … Continue reading
Champion Spark Plug Mine
Way up on the side of a mountain, near Bishop, CA, is a former mine and mining camp. The Champion Spark Plug mine operated from about 1920 to 1942. They mined a rare mineral, known as Andalusite. Andalusite enabled Champion … Continue reading
Pinot Noir picking on the hottest day, above Monterey Bay (does that rhyme?)
One of advantages of my cycling club is networking! In this case, several of us were helping a club member pick about 600 pounds of Pinot Noir grapes, back on September 7th. We started at 7AM, on the hottest day … Continue reading
Half Moon Bay by bike again
Back about 7 years ago, I did my first bikepack to the hiker/cyclist site at Francis Beach. https://alpharoaming.com/2015/08/02/bicycle-camping-bikepacking-half-moon-bay-via-kings-mountain-road-purisima-creek/ A few days ago, I did it again for about the 4th time! It was about 95 degrees as we chugged up … Continue reading
Henry Coe – Arnold Horse Camp & Bear Mountain Peak
Michael and I took advantage of the unusually cool weather to do a two night backpacking trip into Henry W. Coe State Park. Arnold Horse Camp was our base camp. The water there was intermittently dripping, but enough to keep … Continue reading
Preston’s Candy: 75 years in Burlingame
I recently read about this 75 year old candy store, which I’d never heard of before! https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Bay-Area-Prestons-Candy-faces-closure-17152476.php They’ve been in downtown Burlingame, in the same spot for generations. I decided to pay them visit! Besides being interested in local history, … Continue reading
Pico Blanco Scout Camp is for sale
So, yeah, I’ve had a journey up Palo Colorado Road, to Pico Blanco Scout Camp, on my radar for awhile. It’s been closed for about 5 years, due to fire damage, and a washed-out road. It’s now FOR SALE! I … Continue reading
Death Valley in the snow!
So back about a month ago, I did a tour, with two friends, of the Death Valley area. Petroglyphs and old cabins were the highlight!
Dick Wright grave -Clear Creek
During my recent visit to Clear Creek, I made a quick side trip, just before sunset, to visit Dick Wright. He was a local hermit, who lived in a crude cabin here. When he didn’t show-up in town for awhile, … Continue reading