Mendocino County Outdoor Recreation Group

Book Study Stroll - interim - Bring the title of book you're reading and recommend for us all. Or, bring the title of a movie that is about the outdoors that you recommend. We take time to stop and look at the natural sights around us.

Interesting movie recommendations of recent:
Listers - For the birder (Marisa)
Xabatin: Big Lake, Big Science - all about Clear Lake. (Elizabeth)
These are not necessarily the best of Steven Spielberg, but the content is excellent and interesting.

Book: The Enduring Wild: A journey into California Public lands (Mylene)

Above photo by David

Hi all,
I would like to walk along the east side of Lake Mendocino. We've seen the mini-bulldozer and the ranger trucks out doing work (as we were kayaking on the lake). I would like to see those widened trails.
If you like to join me in exploring, observe the following:
#1 it's tick season, wear light colored clothing, easier to spot ticks.
#2. Wear long pants, long sleeves and if you're allergic to poison oak, be careful. I might show you the place of a special waterfall that was shown to me in heavy poison oak season.
#3. Friendly Dogs are welcome.

Parking is very limited. We will begin at the Deerwood parking lot entrance. We could walk anywhere from an 'in and out' 2 miles to 5 miles of walking. This is not a fast hike but we will keep moving. We will look for the bald eagle, and other bird life. David has seen feral pig in this area, we've all seen the evidence of feral pig. Sometimes those patches are dirt are tricky to navigate.

Bring water, bring a snack, bring hiking poles. Be ready for hidden muddy spots on north slopes by wearing shoes that can get through all types of soil. Bring layers of clothes. Bring a bag to carry all that in. Make sure your phones are charged and your navigation apps are up to date. It's hard to get lost walking beside a lake, but it's nice to know the fastest way back to the car.

Study the following website:
Lake Mendocino trails
We plan to enjoy a midday Saturday in our own backyard of lake Mendocino. Join us.

Elizabeth

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane was recommended reading by an organization that I follow: "POST Canoe Club, boaters who paddle Northern California Rivers (mostly) in canoes but also in any craft that can be human powered on moving water." and based in Berkeley, CA.

The link to the book is here: Is a River Alive?. It's a New York Times Bestseller. 300 pages, 3 distinct sections in the book. I would like to plan for six weeks of sharing. Part One is "The river of the cedars (Ecuador)", Part two is "Ghosts, Monsters and Angels (India)" and Park three is "the Living River" (Nitassinan/Canada).

The Galley Book Store in Mendocino, Mendocino Book Company (707 468-5940) in Ukiah and The Book Juggler in Willits are stores, that can order this book for you.

The photo by David Nelson above is from a long ago meetup at the north boat ramp at Lake Mendocino reservoir, going up the inlet on the East Fork Russian River.

About our walking - We typically have walked 2 miles and taken stops to observe nature. We have this book to share about as we walk. We have walked up to four miles. We always leave an "out", if necessary.

If it rains, bring a rain jacket, umbrella, and be prepared for slippery trails.
Favorite places to walk that we could explore as part of the book study stroll. Please comment on your own favorite creekside or riverside walks. Mine are:
1. Low Gap - Orr Creek
2. West Side Ukiah - Standley Street - Gibson Creek
3. Masonite road, (with a permit) on weekends - Ackerman Creek
4. Mendocino - the haul road up Big River or Montgomery woods which is a tributary to Big River.
5. Cloverdale - Riverside park.
6. End of Gobbi - Skate park, by the Russian River.

P.S. Thank you everyone who has participated so far in the most interesting discussions on our book study strolls. From "Entangled Life" to "The California Naturalist", to the "Oak Woodlands", I have learned so much about our outdoors at Low Gap Park!
Elizabeth