I know, another lupine shot, but I can't help myself.
I hiked up Oat Hill Mine Trail to the crest, and took my new "hidden trail" south in the direction of Angwin. This is remote land that has recently been donated to the Land Trust. It is still off limits until it is decided how to provide public access.
I spied some distant hoodoos that looked fetching.
On the way over I passed interesting basalt cliffs.
The hoodoo looks bigger up close, me thinks. Notice the little needle eye on the side. Why, you might ask.
Beautiful, wild country stretching southward.
Why it's dat hoodoo man again!
Looking across to the other side of the Napa Valley.
Uh oh! You don't want to mess with this guy!
This Northern Pacific Rattlesnake was a beauty, at least 4 feet long, with 10 buttons.
Nice rattle, eh? I made sure he got off the trail and down the hill - for his safety.Below, is a short video of a large group of ravens that were making a ruckus and doing their springtime aerobatics. This whole area is a wonderful wildlife refuge. Let's hope it stays that way.
2 comments:
I know I always say this, but: I wish I could have been along on that hike!!!!!!!
Did you really let the rattler get away? It's not living in the garage now, is it? You can tell us.
As Monte says, "All good things are wild and free."
It was ironic that after spending hours way up in the back country, I walked into the rattler about 5 minutes from the trailhead in Calistoga. It reminded me to be more cautious when going off trail through grass and brush, though.
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