So dry

We had a family hike at San Pedro Valley Park on MLK Jr. Day. Saw quite a few groups on the trail, each one clutching a trail map, so it looks like folks are exploring new places -- hooray for that!

I've certainly never hiked at San Pedro in January and experienced such dry, even dusty trails. The manzanitas were blooming as normal for this time of the year, but we didn't see any annual wildflowers budding or in bloom.

Rain is forecast for this week, so this coming weekend may be a great time for waterfall hikes. Here are some favorites:

Mount Diablo Donner Canyon

Big Basin Redwood State Park waterfall loop

Carson Falls

Alamere Falls

Cataract Falls

Mountain magic

I had a real craving for Mount Tam, so off I went this morning. I reached the East Peak summit a few minutes after 9, my car breaking the monotony of the empty parking lot.

This morning was hazy so the views were not great, but I so enjoyed looping around Verna Dunshee Trail and then climbing the Plankwalk to the mountain top. I saw one giant manzanita fully in bloom, but there were no other annuals flowering.

I've never had the summit to myself and I think I may have an early morning habit forming -- it was so quiet I could hear the juncos grunting softly to each other as they picked through the dead oak leaves along the trail.

On the way back down the mountain I stopped at Rock Spring to gauge the wildflower season there. The grasslands seem almost painfully dry. I only saw one milkmaids blooming at the edge of the forest. Lots of bobcat poop though.

First flowers of the year (and hope for rain)

Our bay area winter has been super dry so far, so maybe we have the fog to thank for early wildflowers on San Bruno Mountain. On January 4 I hiked the Summitt Loop and spotted half a dozen blooming milkmaids (and many more still budding) as well as 6 San Francisco wallflower.

Milkmaids are one of the most common winter flowers, and you're likely to see them along any grassy, coastal scrub, or chaparral trail. San Francisco Wallflower is quite rare, but I've seen it for the past few years at San Bruno, on the upper slopes of Montara Mountain, and Sweeney Ridge.

If you headed into the woods later this month and early February, you're likely to find hound's tongue, an annual with gorgeous blue flowers nodding off tall stems. Up on the high forests of Mount Tam, tiny calypso orchids should be brightening the woods later this month. Polly Geraci trail in Pulgas Ridge is a reliable source for the strange brown fetid adder's tongue -- a flower that can be hard to spot until you see one, then you seem to see a bunch!

Traditionally my family hikes San Pedro's Waterfall Loop around Christmas, but we were out of town this year. Looking forward to visiting the manzanitas there this month.

Hopefully we will get some rain soon and the waterfalls will start flowing. My favorite early season waterfall hike is Mount Diablo's Donner Canyon -- great flowers and gorgeous falls, but wait a few days after heavy rain to avoid the mud.

Looking forward to hearing from Bay Area hikers as you experience winter's delights!