One of my favorite outdoor activities is running in Sue-meg State Park. I start on Patrick’s Point Drive; the stretch of road between the two beautiful wooden signs marking the turnoff and the entrance station is like a red carpet laid out by the park’s welcoming committee. Past the entrance station, I turn left at […]
Get Out
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Birding Facts and Myths
Once you get hooked on birding, you might be surprised to discover it’s not just about birds. You’ve studied the field guides. You’ve listened to so many bird song recordings you chirp in your sleep. Now you’re thinking about taking your obsession, er, hobby to the next level. Perhaps, while you’ve been watching birds, you’ve […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Look! Up in the Sky!
While we’re caught up in the daily grind here on the ground, there’s a lot of great birding happening above our heads. That’s where the big birds fly: the eagles, hawks and vultures that quicken the pulse of birders and nonbirders alike because of their sheer bulk and massive wingspans. However, conditions are seldom ideal […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
David’s Chair Blazes Accessible Trails in Prairie Creek Redwoods
Wheelchair access is hard enough to find in our paved world. A park trail threading its way through 1,000-year-old evergreen conifers presents countless obstacles that can keep those with mobility issues from fully enjoying Humboldt’s old growth forests. Fortunately, as time passes, more barriers fall by the wayside. And what better time than a centennial […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Birding with Dogs
One of the things I enjoy most — besides birding and Giants baseball, of course — is spending time outdoors with my dog Aggie. In a perfect world, I’d be able to combine two out of the three and look at birds with Aggie by my side. But our attempts thus far have been, well, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
A Bird in Hand
You’re strolling around the neighborhood one morning when something odd catches your eye. You take a closer look and find a bird in the grass. It looks like a young one: Some of its feathers are stubby, others fluffy, and it hops along as if unsure how to fly. You’re worried it might end up […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Folklife Strums On
Many of Humboldt County’s finest local musicians could be found at this year’s Humboldt Folklife Festival. The week-long lineup of offerings by local musicians started with the new Folk School Day on Sunday in Blue Lake, with free classes on bluegrass guitar, banjo, mandolin, percussion, songwriting and singing. The traditional Songwriter Showcase on Tuesday featured […]
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A Ma-Le’l Dunes North Hike
To our happy surprise, just after we began our pandemic-era daily walking, my wife and I discovered the Ma-le’l Dunes North Unit on the Samoa peninsula — a scenic stretch of coastal dunes, forest and tidal lands with few other hikers, and lots of mushrooms and wildflowers. Part of one of the longest contiguous stretches […]
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‘Hiking Humboldt Kids’
Now that the first flush of summer vacation is past and the kids are getting antsy, you may be wondering where to go for a child-friendly walk in Humboldt County. Check out the recently published Hiking Humboldt Kids, a new guidebook by hiking enthusiast and local author Rees Hughes. The well-designed guidebook (written in English […]
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Blue Lake on Parade
Blue Lake lived up to its small town “center of the universe” status July 9 with its annual Annie & Mary Day parade and party to celebrate the historic Arcata and Mad River Rail Line and the A&M Railroad namesakes Annie Carroll and Mary Buckley, who worked as bookkeepers there back in the day. According […]
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The American Dipper’s Life Aquatic
After a heck of a winter, it’s summer at last. Now’s the time to patch your roof, plant your garden (if you already have, you’re way ahead of me) and explore Humboldt’s diverse landscapes. Throughout the county, hidden gems await those of all abilities, whether at the end of an arduous hike or just up […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
It Took a While, But I Learned to Paddle
On a recent cloudy morning, I carried my inflatable stand-up paddleboard a block and a half from our Old Town apartment to the C Street dock. Setting it gently on the water, I started on my knees, stood up and took off. Suddenly I was gliding through the silvery water as though I’d paddled yesterday. […]