exploring california

exploring and photographing northern california

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Redwoods have been my favorite type of tree for many years, so staying at a cabin surrounded by redwoods is a big deal for me. At the end of November we spent four days at a cabin in Sonoma County on the North Coast and these beautiful trees were the view from my room.

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Winter hikes in the East Bay are becoming a yearly tradition for me. We recently hiked a new part of Mount Diablo State Park on the Pine Creek Trail near Alamo. We’ve been having lots of rain so much of Northern California has bright green grass and the trails have a lot of mud. And we went on a day, like most days in the bay area, where there was a heavy fog cover into the late morning that beautifully framed the oak trees along the trail.  

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A dreamy day at Bodega Head made better by afternoon fog. Summer at Bodega Head is my favorite as the weather is cool compared to the warmer weather in central California. After being away from Sonoma County and the north coast for many months, I was so excited to return back for a short visit. The sea air was a delightful smell that welcomed me back to the area.

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I found a hiking spot at the edge of gold country that in the Fall is so gorgeous. Nestled on the west side of Lake Natoma in Fair Oaks, the Middleridge Trail is only about 2 miles but it has a stunning view of the lake and foothills. It’s not really out in the wilderness but for a suburbs trail right near housing it is pretty great. Oak trees line the trail that winds along a hill and at the top is a breathtaking view of the oak trees nestled in by the bright blue water. These photos were taken in November of 2020 and they are making me extra excited for the upcoming fall months ahead of us.

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Springtime in Gold Country is just gorgeous. Bright green grass everywhere, oak trees starting to turn bright green, and lots of wildflowers. And while we now may be in the middle of an extremely dry year and a hot summer, these memories from hiking at Folsom Lake this spring are so lovely to look back on. Red Bank Trail is a place I found last year and have posted a little about from my adventures in the late fall. It was pretty then, but the spring time is just something else. 

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On the east of El Dorado County is an old railroad that makes up most of the El Dorado Trail that runs for about 30 miles in the southeastern part of the county. It’s open to hikers so after doing a small section last summer, I decided to go in the opposite direction this year and hike mostly along the tracks. It offers a gorgeous view of the foothills including lots of oak trees and open grasslands. There is so much history to remember while hiking in gold country and to see the railroad that connected El Dorado and Sacramento Counties together for so long.

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Redwoods are by far my favorite tree. After hiking for so many months in the mountains and foothills, it was such a treat to finally hike among the redwoods again in Muir Woods last December. Along the path in the park the sunlight gleams through the 200-foot tall trees to highlight just how beautiful and majestic they are. And while Muir Woods is not my favorite Redwood park, there is something still so magnificent about this special place in the bay.

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Late mornings at the edge of the Eldorado National Forest are perfect for a relaxing hike among the trees. The trails at Fleming Meadows are quiet and not heavily trafficked which makes them an ideal spot to explore and relax. Just a little ways past Sly Park and Jenkins Lake this trail really showcases the beauty of Pollock Pines and is becoming another favorite spot in El Dorado County to hike.

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Early morning hikes around Folsom Lake are such a treat. Last October I took my puppy for a quick hike around the Granite Bay side of the lake for some fantastic exploring. We loved seeing a new side of the lake with it’s gorgeous oak trees and grassy golden fields. Exploring the lake in the late autumn and winter really allows you to see the beauty of the structure of the trees and landscape. The leaves have all fallen away and what is left brings a distinctive gentleness that I love and appreciate.

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Frog Lake and Lake Winnemucca Lake are located off of Highway 88 in Alpine County. And for alpine lakes these are both fantastic. Clear cool water surrounded by pine trees and granite peaks with bits of snow still left covering them. We hiked out to these lakes last July when the wildflowers were blooming and the trails were packed with fellow adventurers. The bright blue sky gave us the perfect setting for the endless views of the beautiful land. I really have loved that we decided to start hiking more off of Highway 88 when we go to the sierra nevada’s as there is so much beauty there and new things to explore.

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Filoli Historic Gardens in the springtime are simply mesmerizing. Located in Woodside, California just below San Francisco, these gardens were opened in 1917 and cover 16 acres of a 654-acre estate. I had been once in the summer before when the gardens are filled with lavender, dahlias, and sunflowers. In the springtime though, they are filled with daffodils, tulips, and flowering trees. We were there on a gorgeous sunny day in March and loved taking a stroll and seeing the many varieties of daffodils. The historic country house is just as stunning as the gardens themselves. 

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Summer has arrived at Folsom Lake in Gold Country. The grass is turning gold and the lake is bright blue and nice and low due to the drought. Last weekend we took a hike around Brown’s Ravine which takes you along where Folsom Lake meets the South Fork of the American River. I hadn’t been to this trail for a few years and I loved being so close to the river and the lake. It was a less busy trail than many of the others in the state park and is definitely on my list to visit more often.

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A bit of snowy sierra nevadas for the year. These mountains in the winter really are something incredible. Seeing the masses of granite surrounded by thousands of trees all in white always mesmerizes me. These photos were from a late winter storm last March taken right along Highway 50 that I was lucky enough to drive through the day after.

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After so many months of not being able to hike in the mountains, I am really getting excited to get back in the elevation. On one of my last hikes in the mountains I took my drone, Sparky, for a flight (which did end in a bloody drone accident) and captured these gorgeous photos along the Lake Margaret Trail. Fall color was almost in peak which made the lake even prettier. While this trail is one of my favorites, it is even cooler to see it from the sky.

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This is what mid winter in Gold Country looks like. Trees are starting to get their leaves back, berries are red, and the views are still gorgeous. These photos were taken on my last hike of 2020 on the Monro Ridge Trail in Coloma. It’s a lovely trail that takes you up to the top of a ridge and gives you a view of the South Fork of the American River, roughly the exact spot that gold was first found in California. There’s so much history on these trails that it feels special to get to hike them and see the same views that so many miners once saw too.

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I recently had a trip to the central valley and was fortunate to finally visit the Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno. It’s an area of the Great Valley & the Delta that I don’t travel to often but is worth a visit. These historic gardens were mostly built underground as a response to the heat in Fresno. They are between one and two stories below ground level and are filled with citrus trees and are a great place to explore and cool off in the heat.

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It’s mid winter here in Gold Country and the trails are starting to get green again. After a big storm two weeks ago and then lots of sun, spring is just knocking on the door ready to come. It has been so lovely to try out some new and familiar trails the past two months, especially some that are very close to where I live. This trail is in Cronan Ranch Region Park in Pilot Hill just down the road from Coloma. The South Fork of the American River winds through the hills and valleys here creating a gorgeous view.