What better way to spend a summer morning than to ramble around the hills of a local preserve looking for small slithery creatures, as they awaken for the day?
We'll be out for 2-3 hours, walking at an easy pace and taking time to look for friend Buzzy along the trail.
Bring water, sensible footwear, and maybe a camera, a bottle of Doc Ponzini's Miracle Elixer and Snakebite Remedy, and/or a pocket full of mice.
Note: it sometimes happens that another group has used up all the parking before we get there. If the parking lot is full, we'll start our hike from the Alpine Inn instead -- continue on Arastradero until just before it dead-ends into Alpine Rd, and the Alpine Inn is on the left.
Meet at Arastradero Preserve.
There's a shortage of antivenin, but fear not! I'll have my famous snakebite deterrent kit along.
Directions to Arastradero Preserve, in the Palo Alto foothills: Exit 280 onto Page Mill Road and go west (away from town). Continue about ¼ mile and turn right on Arastradero Rd. Go about ½ mile and look for the parking lot on the right.