Driving south from Trinidad, I got off at the Crannell Road exit and parked at the north end of Clam Beach Road. As I set up the bicycle, my gaze glided over the dunes — still in the shadow at 9 a.m. in mid-January — and the ocean, then rose to take in the pale […]
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History Looped at Fort Humboldt
We walk through our world in the footsteps of those who came before, sometimes treading the same path unaware. As a teen, I visited the Ulysses S. Grant home in Galena, Illinois. As an adult I helped with an historical recreation of the dinner U.S. Army pork supplier William “Hog” Ryan threw for his friend […]
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Coho Salmon Eggs and Egress
Years ago, I was standing in an Alaskan stream with a flimsy fishing rod, trying to catch a spawning salmon. I had pedaled about 9 miles from my place of work, one inlet over on the famed Inside Passage, a small plastic bag sitting weightless in the pannier of my bicycle. I had a pocketknife, […]
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Scouting for Beginner’s Birding Binoculars
For my 11th birthday, my parents surprised me with a pair of Jason Statesman zoom binoculars from a discount catalog. I was crazy about birds and while by today’s standards the Statesmans weren’t exactly cutting-edge, to me, they were perfect. It’s a common misconception that birding is an expensive hobby. It certainly can be. By […]
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Clam Beach Run Splashes Again
More than 600 runners and walkers lined up under warm, sunny skies in Trinidad on Saturday afternoon for the start of the 56th annual Trinidad to Clam Beach Run Honoring Ford Hess. The race, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic, was shortened to 5 ¾ miles this year and followed the usual route […]
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Samoa Sidestep
On Samoa Road there is a mile marker that always puts a smile on my face: Hum Co 0. The zero line is across the street from a not-so-secret trail, opposite the Samoa Boat Ramp and campground. A quiet path to the beach is sandwiched between dune restoration, a U.S. Coast Guard station and trails […]
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Get Out in Nature More in 2022
“However you decide to exercise, remember to make your moving joyful” was the recommendation with which I ended the article I wrote for this column in January of 2020. I stand behind those words. Joyful moving has helped my physical and mental health in the past two years while the pandemic changed our lives in […]
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Birding at the Arcata Marsh
Humboldt County has more than its fair share of great places to go birding but one of my very favorites is the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s not just that it’s chock full of birds — 342 different species have been recorded there, and during spring and fall migrations flocks of shorebirds literally fill […]
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Sea to Summit: Fickle Hill
Corrina still wanted to ride with me, which was remarkable, considering our last ride was a slightly hellacious, two-day endeavor. This time, we picked a Thursday evening to complete the “Top of the World” Sea to Summit challenge, glad to be ticking one off on a weeknight (“Sea to Summit Part 1: Bald Mountain,” April […]
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The Winter Hotel
When recovering after surgery, I was faced with a dilemma: Where to go for a gentle walk that was long enough without tempting me beyond limitations, yet interesting enough to keep hardened hikers happy, as well as amply benched for when the spirit was willing but the flesh needed to take a load off? On […]
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A Feast for Feathered Friends
When you love watching birds, you’re often willing to sacrifice the comfort of your cushy armchair for an hours-long vigil under a Humboldt downpour in pursuit of your hobby. But suppose you could have both — what if the birds came to you? That was my vision a few years ago when I decided to […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Meet Turkey Vulture No. 80
While walking recently on an Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary trail past the power-line tower near Allen Marsh and South G Street, I spotted a large turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) perched on the top of the tower with its wings outstretched to dry in the morning sunlight. Looking through my telephoto lens, I noticed a […]