ugh! get me out of the house!

yesterday, after the jobhuntingness of the morning (emails, calls, etc.), i needed to get myself outside. so, i grabbed my brand new "hikes in the san francisco bay area", by linda a. hamilton (not to be confused with linda hamilton, who i think was in the terminator), and hopped in the car.

i hiked at the huckleberry state park and wildlife preserve (see pics). it was beautiful. according to the brochure, this patch of forest is a relic of the ecosystem that used to exist all over the east bay but is now rare. it is extremely lush, thick and moist - nurtured by the foggy air coming in from the bay and sheltered from the scorching sun by the surrounding hills. the difference in temperature between forest floor and the drier, scrubby peaks, was about 10 degrees.






i was changing layers like a madwoman. but the vegetation was beautiful - twisty twining trees (looked like sweeping dancers) and tufty moss (looked like armhair). here are some pics to give you an idea of the terrain contrast....and me on my solitary hike.



today, i'm going to 'critical mass' in san francisco - the day when bikes take over the city. this is the 'halloween' edition. i think some folks are even dressing up. i might wear an orange hat. my friend adam rustled up a bike for me. should be a fun way to see the city (wish me luck!)