Hiking with the Cub Scouts at GGNRA

Rodeo Lagoon, GGNRA

To get to this morning's hike was a good hour and a half drive.  A short hike, but with Cub Scouts.  Just enough to get a bit more conditioning.  I haven't been to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in years and years - not since I was a grammar school student on a field trip.  This time, here Duane and I were, taking our son on a hike.

Ice Plant

This was a short trek around the lagoon, but lots of opportunity to see flora and fauna.  The ice plant was in bloom and was ubiquitous.  Although it is no longer truly Spring, this land is frequently kissed by fog, so Spring lasts a bit longer here.

The hike itself is rated for Cub Scouts, and therefore not terribly strenuous.  Literally, a walk in the park with one minor hill, though today I was carrying full pack with just about everything I will take with me next week. 

Blue Lupine

The blue lupine are in bloom today.  When I was young, I wasn't able to pronounce the words, and they came out "Blue Ploopin".  My parents really loved that and for a while, everyone called them "Blue Ploopins".

Rattlesnake Grass

One benefit of having gone on so many hikes is that I am now well able to identify lots of different wildflowers.  I was able to tell the kids about many of them, even some that are edible.  One of my favorites is rattlesnake grass, so called because the seed pod looks like a rattlesnake's rattle.  And when you shake them, you can hear the seeds rattling inside.  Cool!

Towards the end of our hike, we also saw a family of ducks: a female and four ducklings swimming in the lagoon.  Very sweet!  The boys loved it!

Also fun to do at this particular location, though after the hike itself, was to take a drive and see some of the old military installations that date back to the Cold War.  It was a good day.

Ducks