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For the first time since 1992, Tom Taber will offer his Hiking the Parks & Trails of the Santa Cruz Mountains class through De Anza College. The class will consist of two evening lectures and three fieldtrips in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains.
The lectures will provide an overview of the geography, geology, climate, ecology, and human history of the beautiful mountain range south of San Francisco and west of the Santa Clara Valley. The fieldtrips will each cover four to six miles, with frequent stops to examine natural and historical features. We will be walking on trails that are in good condition. We will taste native edible plants and learn how the Ohlone people lived.
Our first fieldtrip will be on Sunday, March 28 at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. We will walk through the biggest and most impressive old-growth redwood forest in the Bay Area. Then we will ascend to a ridgetop where we will be rewarded by sweeping views of the mountains and the ocean at our lunch stop.
On Sunday, April 11 we will explore the oldest mining area in California at Almaden Quicksilver County Park. There will be lots of beautiful wildflowers, as well as evidence of mining history along the way.
Our final fieldtrip will be on Sunday, April 25 at Castle Rock State Park. Our route will take us to breathtaking vistas of the San Lorenzo River Valley and on to Monterey Bay and beyond. We will climb on some unusual rock formations and learn how they were formed. There should also be lots of wildflowers to enjoy.
LECTURES: Wednesday, March 24 and April 21, 7:00pm-9:00pm
FIELDTRIPS: Sundays, March 28, April 11, & April 25
LOCATION: Foothill College, Room 3301
PRICE: $65.00
You can register online at http://www.communityeducation.fhda.edu/ or by calling (408) 864-8817
