More dog hiking: On the trail of the manzanita

The dogs and I took advantage of the Labor Day holiday to knock another hike off the list. This time we went to the Sobrante Ridge trail, about 20 minutes north.

Our goal: to see some Alameda manzanita trees. These are rare trees with smooth red bark and stiff, twisting branches.

According to my hiking book, in a grove on this hike "a miniature forest of manzanita clings to the grassy hillsides in soil so barren that nothing else grows. The manzanita survives by sucking up moisture from the frequent fog that spills over the ridge."

Sounds good.

Of course, the book also says that on this trail "you'll likely see rattlesnakes sunning themselves." I opted to keep the dogs on leash.

The trail starts at the end of a cul-de-sac in a subdivision. By the way, Ziggy is renowned for the way he can seamlessly blend into mulch. But Dumpy's coat is great camouflage for brush. His entire body is in this picture. Can you see it?



Soon we had some nice views.











I don't know, do you really think there are rattlesnakes around here?



The trail was littered with rattlesnake holes, but it was early morning on a cool day, and we didn't come across any snakes.

However, we did have an encounter with a different species. Mr Prey Drive sizes up his first goat. No barking but lots of mutual interest.



Then was also some soil investigation going on. One can only hope they're not eating whatever it is they're finding in there.



This manzanita hunting is hard work. Luckily I brought some treats so the dogs had some sustenance. Do you think Ziggy is looking forward to snack time?



Then, we found the spot. Here is the grove, with shots of the rare Alameda manzanita.







They are very interesting trees, for sure.

So it was another big success. And look who was happiest about it. I had no idea that Dumpy would be such a manzanita fan.