BISHOPS RANCH HIKE

TODAY I HIKED 6 MILES AT BISHOP'S RANCH AND SAW SOME BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND IT FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS SPRING. I SWEATED A LOT AS IT WAS IN THE 70'S AND I HIKED FAIRLY FAST. I MET AN OLDER MAN WHO DID NOT HAVE TO USE A HIKING STICK.

I DUG UP THE ROOT OF THE CURLY DOCK PLANT THAT SMELLS LIKE A MEDICINAL BUT IT HAS A CARROT LIKE TASTE AND THE WILD BOAR DIG THEM UP. I WORE MY WATERPROOF HIKING BOOTS AND LUCKILY THEREY WEAR GOOD SINCE THERE WAS SOME VARY MUDDY AREAS IN THE TRAIL LOOP.

THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE TRAIL AT THE WORLD PEACE SHRINE ON THE TOP OF THE RIDGE. THE VIEW THERE IS MAGNIFICENT AND ONE CAN SEE THE RUSSIAN RIVER AND THE MAYACAMAS MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS MT SAINT HELENA.

I SAW A LARGE WILD TURKEY THAT SURPRISED ME AND THE EVIDENCE OF WILD BOAR WHICH RUT AND WALLOW IN THE MUD, I ALSO SAW COYOTE DROPPINGS AND OR MUSKRAT DROPPINGS. I TASTED MINERS LETTUCE WHICH IS A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMIN C AND IS BEST DURING EARLY SPRING, AS IS CLOVER. THE POMO HAD CEREMONIES FOR CLOVER PICKING - THE FIRST CROP THEY COLLECTED IN THE SPRING.

I NOTICED THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD GONE SWIMMING IN LOWER LAKE. THE PLANTS I SAW WERE BUTTERCUP, SNOW CUPS, POISON IVY, MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY, TULE, BUCK BRUSH, POISON OAK, MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY, WILD IRIS, LOMATIUM, WHITE AND BLACK WILLOWS, MANY TYPES OF OAKS, MANZANIA, BUCKYE, SOAPROOT, SAGES, BLACKBERRIES, DOUGLAS FIR, BAY LAUREL, AND CLOVER. THE POMO HAVE A CEREMONY FOR PICKING THE CLOVER -THEIR FIRST CROP OF THE YEAR.

IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR HIKING IN THE SPRING AND I HAD A GREAT TIME!