Halloween on the Watershed: The Bobcats Will Be Out Tonight

Happy Halloween, when the light of tonight’s nearly half moon should bring out the bobcats.

They’ll be in search of the rodent treats that are so much more abundant at night. However, if it were a moonless night, these mid-size feline predators have such poor night vision (in contrast with most other mammal species), they would stay in and opt for the less productive daytime hunting instead. 

Meanwhile, THIS Halloween night, rodents and other small night-loving prey--beware out there.  

Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail at Year 15

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the Peninsula Watershed’s Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail Program. It offers members of the public their only recreational access to the normally off-limits 23,000-acre green space that harbors four local drinking water reservoirs and the natural waters that flow into them.

The trail itself is an approximately 13-mile stretch through long-protected old-growth conifer forest, fragrant coastal scrub, grassy serpentine ridgetops, and other native habitats. In the years since its 2003 opening, more than 20,000 people have participated in approximately 2,000 watershed excursions led by trained volunteer trail leaders. An additional new trail head provides a shadier, more evenly graded entry, and our trail leader corps is now 315 strong—with some still on board from day 1. 

Access is available by reservation on selected Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, when scheduled Ridge Trail events range from a gentle five-mile stroll to our 13-miler across the entire ridge, and several bike rides.

Most currently scheduled events have room for at least a few more. Check them out at sfwater.org/ridgetrail. Then sign up through our redesigned and security-enhanced registration system—just launched this anniversary year.

Life on the Watershed: Spider Season

Fall is spider season, when many species are at their largest for courting, mating and producing egg sacs. Especially noticeable are the various orb weavers, whose round sticky silk webs for snaring insect prey seem to be everywhere these days. 

The voracious spider appetites help keep insect numbers under control. And since spiders also kill other spiders, including members of the same species, they keep their own numbers in check too. Throughout the year, they also keep contributing to the eco-community as food for neighboring larger invertebrates, birds, and small animals. They're particularly abundant now in meadows and other grassy areas, where up to hundreds of thousands might occupy a single acre. 

Fall on the Watershed: Explore the Ridge Trail

Almost any time is good for hiking or cycling the Peninsula Watershed’s Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail. 

Old-growth Douglas fir known as "Old Doug"

But our crisp, clear fall days can make for a particularly exhilarating hike or bike ride along part—or all—of the approximately 11-mile stretch through old-growth conifer forest, fragrant coastal scrub, grassy serpentine ridge tops, and other native habitats.

Public access is available by reservation on selected Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with scheduled Ridge Trail events ranging from easy strolls to fitness hikes or rides. All of them are led by trained trail leader volunteers, and are limited to about 20 participants.  

View of Pilarcitos Reservoir. 

Check out what’s coming up at sfwater.org/ridgetrail.

Life on the Watershed: Young Western Pond Turtles on the Move

Fall is the time of year when tiny Western pond turtle hatchlings are making their way from warm sandy nests--where they've incubated and hatched on their own--to their permanent reservoir home. The mother left months ago after laying her eggs in early summer, but every year's young instinctively know where to go.

The 36-square-mile Peninsula Watershed is home to an abundance of native plant and wildlife species, including this vulnerable amphibian. Western pond turtles can live for up to 50 years in the wild, but this year's hatchlings won't be ready themselves to breed for another six years or so.   

San Andreas Trail Reopens--with New Paving over Rough Spots

The San Andreas Trail is open again, and the rough spots where pipeline repairs were made earlier this year are now repaved. Thank you again to our trail walkers, runners and cyclists for your patience and understanding.

San Andreas Trail Closure Continues through September 23

The San Andreas Trail will reopen late Friday afternoon, September 14, for weekend use, and then close again Sunday evening, September 16, for one more week for emergency tree work by PG&E. It will remain closed the weekend of September 22-23 for repaving of two recent pipe repair locations. 

Cyclists, please continue to use alternate routes throughout the week of September 17.

This approximately two-mile segment of paved trail is between Larkspur Drive, Millbrae and San Bruno Avenue.

For schedule changes or updates, please visit the San Mateo County Parks website at 

https://parks.smcgov.org/press-release/san-andreas-trail-closure