Sacramento Valley Conservancy opens trails on Saturdays
It likely won't be this sunny this weekend, but the trails are expected to be open Saturday for hikes at Deer Creek Hills Preserve. Photo courtesy Sacramento Valley Conservancy
February brings the return of hiking season to the Deer Creek Hills Preserve, one of Sacramento County's natural gems, managed by the Sacramento Valley Conservancy.
Deer Creek Hills Preserve is located off Latrobe Road in the Sloughhouse region of Sacramento County, north of Rancho Murieta. It’s a working cattle ranch that covers 4,500 acres of blue oak woodlands, seasonal creeks and grasslands. The preserve is open to the public on a very limited basis, so the hikes are one way residents can see and enjoy the county's oak woodlands in their natural state.
The self-guided hikes may be taken between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays, starting Feb. 4, through May, then resuming in October-November. Interested hikers must pre-register by 6 p.m. Friday and fill out a liability waiver before arriving. Admission is capped, but more than 70 tickets were still available for this Saturday as of Thursday morning.
SVC requests a $10 donation per hiker. (A season pass is available for $75.) Parking at the trailhead is free. Vehicles must cross Crevis Creek, so 4-wheel drive and other high-clearance vehicles are recommended during wet weather. Or park alongside Latrobe Road and walk the mile to the trailhead.
The preserve has three trail options:
Hikers should be hydrated and bring their own water; no running water is available at the site. Portable toilets are available at the trailhead. Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate gear, and bring a cellphone. No dogs are allowed, and the SVC requests no picking of foliage, seed-gathering or other activities that would disturb the natural habitat. Snacks are allowed but no picnicking off the trails. Other conditions and limitations are listed on the hike registration site.
Through the year SVC also hosts events such as equestrian rides, Gold Rush history events and the Environmental Speaker Series. The series includes a talk on vernal pools by ecologist Carol Witham, scheduled 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at Camp Pollock, 1501 Northgate Blvd., Sacramento. Registration and other information on the speaker series is here.
All events are subject to weather conditions, the conservancy notes: “Projected rain, high creek levels, extremely muddy conditions, excessive heat or unsafe air quality may cancel the outing. We will do our best to notify registered guests the evening prior via email. Please check our online calendar for cancellation postings before you travel to the preserve.”
A calendar of events is available here: https://sacramentovalleyconservancy.org/events/
– Kathy Morrison
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
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April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
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April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
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March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
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Garden checklist for week of May 31
Remember to water early. No more rain is in the immediate forecast.
* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or other summer favorites. Make sure they stay hydrated.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the early hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather.
* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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