• Tarantula images
  Never Put a Frozen Tarantula In a Microwave, and other visuals.
  (tags: tarantula spider image photography)
• The Tarantula, from Wikipedia
  Approximately 900 species of tarantula have been identified. Oh, to meet them all!
  (tags: tarantula spider species nature biology identification)
• American Tarantula Society Headquarters
  The membership of the American Tarantula Society includes everyone from professional arachnologists to kids of all ages.
  (tags: tarantula spider arachnid society Science)
• Images of the California King Snake
  Would you believe there’s even a Banana California King Snake? Yeppers!
  (tags: california king snake reptile herpetology science)
• Lampropeltis getula californiae – California Kingsnake, Pg. 1
  Behavior, taxonomy, and more about the California King Snake. Why, I’d like to have one as an outdoor pet to keep varmints away from my garden.
  (tags: california king snake images behavior habitat range)

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkk!!! MOMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Look, he’s crawling up my wall
Black and hairy, very small
Now he’s up above my head
Hanging by a little thread

Boris the Spider!
Bor-r-r-r-is the Spider!

~ The Who, from “A Quick One”, December 1966

Seems about August and on into Halloween, I can grab my pack and set off to the nearby Diablo Range for a saunter and see my favorite creepy-crawly critter, the tarantula. It’s the time of year that the male of the species is frequently seen wandering about anywhere from the Carquinez Straits to Salinas and beyond looking to mate with a female, who stays within close range of her underground burrow.

Many of us know that tarantula is the common name for a group of hairy and often very large spiders. Large and hairy and scary they may seem to be, but what folks often don’t know is that most tarantulas are basically harmless to humans. Yep, they mainly eat insects, though some of the larger ones can kill animals as large as lizards, mice, or birds. Tarantulas will only bite if they are mishandled (well now golly, wouldn’t you?) and if the bite stings at all, it is no more than that of a small pin-prick. Or two pin-pricks. After all, they have a pair of fangs. Is that news?

Some scientists do not like to use the name tarantula for this group of spiders, because the name also seems to be unduly applied to other unrelated spiders that just happen to be larger than your average garden-variety arachnid. If you were to get technical and all-fired uppity about it – and you don’t have to be a scientist to be of such a notion – why, you’d call California’s tarantulas Hairy Mygalomorphs.

Hey, back up the truck, Mr. Winehiker Guy! You mean tarantulas can catch, and actually eat, birds?

Yep. And I think that’s downright crafty of those hairy ol’ spiders. Certainly they must be smarter than their bird-prey to be able to snare such a flighty, high-strung three-dimensionally-mobile object long enough to make a meal of it. Trick or treat? Depends on who’s wearing the feathers and who’s wearing the spider fur.

Well, the Law of the Jungle always was: you gotta be faster, or smarter, than your prey.

I think it’s always good to spy a tarantula upon the trail. And if you do, let them cross safely. After all, they’re on a mission that may be more important than yours. I think it’s also good that they ply the length of the Diablo Range with their presence. Just like bats, they keep the rest of us around here from having to worry too much about too many pesky bugs flitting around and being bothersome and all.

Tarantula spiders, indeed, are good.

And I like to let them crawl up my arm if they’ve a mind to. First tarantula I ever encountered did just that, up on Mt. Hamilton in 1989. Funny how I never seem to think of snapping my camera when that happens. Must be that I’m too excited by such a rare and fleeting moment to have engaged my practical senses. But that’s not to say that I haven’t recorded their presence a time or two.

I encountered this little fella, a young male, on an evening hike up Mission Peak earlier this month. Feel free to click him so he enlarges for you. If you dare!

Moments before, I had met this young California King Snake, Lampropeltis getulus californiae, crossing the trail in search of field mice and other rodents.

My pal Mark took this shot of my pal MJ at Henry Coe State Park last October. MJ is my kinda go-for-it gal.

This little Hairy Mygalomorph is just a toddler. A fellow hiker found him under a small rock at Henry Coe Park in the Spring of 2005. He rates high on the HCCF scale: High Consummately Cute Factor, a.k.a. High Creepy-Crawly Factor.

If you should ever spy a tarantula on the trail, then you’ll enjoy a sudden reminder of why you choose to get out there on the trail in the first place. You know? You’re one of the lucky ones.

Happy Halloween!

~winehiker

P.S. For a fun surprise, play the Itsy Bitsy Spider game!

Usually by now we’ve all here in the States (except weird states like Arizona) set our clocks back one hour to end Daylight Saving Time and enter Daylight Spending Time until the following Spring. But when Gee-Dub signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time was officially extended four weeks starting this year as a measure to combat growing energy use problems. The jury’s out on whether the ol’ U.S. of A. is experiencing any real energy savings as a result, but I suppose we’ve got to study the trends for twenty years before attempting more legislation….

But the extension of Daylight Saving Time didn’t seem ominous back in March when we set our clocks ahead two weeks early. Things got lighter and brighter right quick-like, as I recall. But this week, I’m noticing something rather dark-like, especially in the mornings. As I drive to work, there seems to be a plentiful supply of…

…darkness.

And on this morning’s early commute, the thick morning clouds overhead only seemed to make the darkness…

…more dark.

It was so dark, people, that:

• I couldn’t see the chuckholes on the freeway.
• Neither could I see the hand gestures of the other drivers.
• My jazz station played an old-style Soviet dirge.
• Things seemed downright Goth. And not even decent Goth, but that kind of 80′s Goth that gave Goth a bad name.
• No, I mean it, it was so dark you couldn’t even see the dark right in front of your face.

Even darkly obscure movie quotations were filtering through my dark-stained noggin:

What is worst about this humiliation, Clarice?

It seems things are so emphatically darker during this portion of Daylight Saving Time; it’s as if we’re spending more daylight than we’re saving. I suppose, however, that there’s a bright side to all this darkness: the little hobgloblins will actually be able to see where they’re walking as they filch candy from their neighbors this Halloween. I’ve decided that I’m going to think globally and act locally by leaving all the lights off and letting them try to filch mine.

The Winehiker reminds his readers to set their clocks back one hour before hitting the sack this coming Saturday, November 3rd.

~winehiker

I spied the following blurb from the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in my inbox yesterday morning:

When it comes to making national parks a national priority, Teddy Mather is up to the task. Teddy cares about our national parks and their future, and he’s not afraid to say so. How do the other candidates measure up to Teddy’s platform?

Teddy is running for president because virtually no other candidate is making national parks a national priority. And unfortunately when many of them have mentioned parks, it hasn’t been the kind of thing we want to hear from presidential hopefuls. We know national parks are an important part of our heritage, and we need ALL candidates – not just Teddy – to speak up on their behalf.

Who is Teddy, you ask? This winehiker thinks Teddy is a little too cute n’ fuzzy to have realistic hopes of being President, or even to enjoy the legendary status of his cousin, Smokey Bear. And so we turn to another NPCA site, electteddy.org, to find out more about Teddy:

He may be just a humble bear, but Teddy Mather is making his campaign about our national parks, and the plants, the animals, and the historic buildings in them. Our national parks protect some of America’s most significant landmarks and landscapes. They tell our nation’s stories. Yet they suffer from a lack of funding and critical protection.

Our National Park System, called the best idea America ever had, will celebrate its centennial in 2016, another presidential election year. If a president is going to restore America’s National Park System in time for the centennial, we need to begin the work now.

Teddy is the bear for the job. Help elect Teddy Mather, and help protect our national heritage.

I suppose a Teddy Bear running for president is no less silly than the notions of some the current presidential wannabes (or those of the current incumbent). But sometimes outrageous silliness such as Teddy Mather’s presidential bid gets noticed, raises issues, starts a dialog. So if you feel our national parks deserve more a little more of the campaign limelight, get with the dialog yourself. The NPCA offers an online petition that’ll help share your voice.

~winehiker

• Industry Jargon
  Do you ever wonder what various tourism acronyms mean? What is a CVB? What is the IOAX? Well, here is a list to assist you with various tourism industry jargon.
  (tags: hotel hospitality industry jargon lingo acronyms)
• Free Travel Tips, Advice & Hints: 1000Tips4Trips.com
  Over 1000 travel tips from around the world.
  (tags: advice tips tricks travel)

A lot of folks don’t understand hotel jargon. I must admit, I can sometimes find it rather baffling myself. And the Internet doesn’t always reveal the truth.

When booking a stay at a hotel, especially when it’s multiple rooms or multiple nights, one wants to get the best deal they can. But not understanding hospitality industry lingo can set you back rather than save you precious $$; therefore it pays to understand some key terms. This can be true when booking a spot on a group tour, too, especially if you’d prefer not to share your room with someone you’ve never met.

Contrary to what some believe, double occupancy means “two people per room“, not “two people per bed”.

When reviewing my website traffic, one of the terms I regularly see people inquiring about is double occupancy, which can be simply defined as two people per room. But the hotel industry has found reason to define it further. Essentially, double occupancy means that the room charge is the same whether one or two people stay in the room. Another industry term, single supplement, alternately called single occupancy, refers to an extra charge paid by solo travelers who request their own room.

The issue of double occupancy vs. single occupancy is often one of privacy and cost. As a general rule, many of the rooms being booked on behalf of a tour group will feature two queen or double beds, depending on availability, with the exception of bed and breakfast inns, nearly all of which feature one bed per room. If there are two beds available per room and group travelers wish to have their own (single occupancy) room, they can expect to pay substantially more for their tour. That’s generally the way it works in many, if not most, situations: you can expect to pay a little more to ensure more privacy. For some, it’s a matter of peace of mind: you won’t be risking your personal items and valuables to the prying eyes (or sticky fingers) of a stranger.

At California Wine Hikes, our tours encourage group dynamics, and we therefore typically book two people per room. Assuming there are two beds per room at our tours’ lodging sites, solo travelers will be paired with a roommate. Or, solo travelers can request their own room.

We have a feature for that, and we call it I prefer to have my own room. Clever, eh? Simply put, if you are booking one of our multi-day tours, are traveling solo, and wish to request your own room, you can do so directly from any of our web pages that showcase multi-day tours* by clicking the checkbox underneath i prefer to have my own room. The price you see next to this checkbox is specific to the tour you are viewing; this single occupancy price will be added to the total package cost of the tour after you click the book now button to reserve your tour.

Clicking any of our book now links will automatically direct you to a secure shopping cart. If you are planning a tour with more than one person in mind, you’ll have the option to choose a quantity of tour packages in this shopping cart (for example, simply enter 2 to purchase a tour for two people). The total tour price will be computed for you automatically, including any single occupancy charge per person that you may have added.

I invite my readers and potential guests to comment on this topic. Thanks!

~winehiker

*Use the search tours feature on any page of the californiawinehikes.com website to search by length of stay.

• Calaveras Big Trees SP
  Calaveras became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias.
  (tags: California outdoors parks travel walking hiking winehiker californiawinehikes.com)
• Calaveras Big Trees Association
  The Calaveras Big Trees Association was created in 1974 to provide support for the interpretive and environmental education programs at Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
  (tags: California association parks outdoors trees sequoia big)
• Birds of Calaveras Big Trees State Park
  A checklist.
  (tags: calaveras big trees birds)
• Sequoiadendron – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods.
  (tags: Science sequoia giant redwood classification)
• Mountain Dogwood: Cornus nuttallii
  Mountain Dogwood, also known as Pacific Dogwood, is a dicot in the family Cornaceae.
  (tags: mountain pacific dogwood flowering hardwood california)
• The California Hazelnut
  The California Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. californica) as well as the red and white alders, are the only native members of the Birch Family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  (tags: california hazelnut shrub tree bush birch family)

A late October weekend found me and my sweetie galumphing merrily through the Giant Sequoia forests of Calaveras Big Trees just east of Arnold, California. The morning breeze was downright chilly, but ten minute’s walking time had us roasty-toasty as we marveled, slack-jawed with astonishment, at the myriad Fall colors of the North Grove.

I could palaver on in plentiful prosaic platitudes about the experience. But words alone may not be sufficient to induce delightful daydreaming. Instead, I’ll let the following photos tell the story.

A plank pathway beckons the awestruck.

Hazelnut trees glow yellow amidst a sea of young incense cedar.

Low-growing mountain dogwood catches the eye with a rainbow of red hues.

Color, texture, and form: dogwood and chinquapin.

A giant redwood framed by cedar and dogwood.

Hardwood color and redwood shadow beguile to the beyond.

Living monuments at Nature Walk Signpost #26.

Suffice to say, I love getting away to Calaveras County, and I believe you will, too. In fact, I’ll be guiding a wine and hiking tour there next summer. I hope you’ll consider joining me.

~winehiker

Winegrape growers and winemakers are up to their armpits in activity right now, but the inclement wine country weather may have an impact. Read on for a glimpse into several stories currently unfolding.

Rain may affect this year’s Oregon pinot noir
Recent rains have been accelerating grape harvests all up and down the west coast in these last few days, including Pinot Noir grapes in Oregon’s Yamhill Valley. Up until last week, many industry wags were exclaiming that 2007 would be an outstanding year for Pinot and other grapes.

But now, faced with cool temperatures and underripe fruit, some growers may have to add sugar or grape concentrate to ramp up alcohol content. Harvesting in quick response to weather breaks, as well as true winemaking skills, are going to make the difference this year, say the growers, adding that the region’s 2007 vintage won’t be what consumers are used to.

I suppose the upshot of this news is that you don’t want to buy those futures like you might have been thinking about doing only 10 days ago. Instead, you might want to stock up now on what’s remaining of Oregon’s wonderful 2005 Pinot Noir vintage.

Source: Seattle Times.

Contrast the story above with that of California’s Monterey County. While the harvest is down about 20% right now from last year, the grapes are high quality. Despite the low numbers, the 2007 harvest is seen to cause little or no change in wine prices for consumers, though an exception may exist for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which have become increasingly popular with consumers but are in temporarily tight supplies.

Source: Californian.com.

Winemakers applaud block on Bush anti-illegal move
When winemakers need harvest help, seasonal farm workers need the money, and the system is not working, it’s possible that not much can go right with the 2007 harvest. Therefore, winemakers and grape growers are applauding a judge’s ruling that blocks President Bush’s crackdown on illegal immigrant workers.

Bush’s program (a polite term) would have forced California employers to fire as many as 3 million vineyard workers whose Social Security numbers do not match official records. The judge ruled it would do irreparable harm to innocent workers and employers.

This winehiker wonders if guest worker reform will ever be settled. All I know is that food and energy prices are already going up at an alarming rate. With a consistent demand for produce but a looming threat of sharply reduced supplies, it’s hard to justify paying more for grapes, lettuce, and avocadoes when much of it may not be picked. I sure don’t want us to have to start referring to Fred Franzia’s product as Twenty Buck Chuck because growers can’t hire people to pick their grapes. Unless, of course, we pick them ourselves.

Source: Decanter.com.

Preserving Paso Robles as a brand
Paso Robles may just become the next Napa Valley. With 26,000 acres of vineyards, the area surrounding the Central Coast town is already officially recognized as an American Viticulture Area, or AVA. The powers that be want to protect the brand equity behind the Paso Robles name and, due to a new law, we may soon discover that the wines being produced there will bear the name Paso Robles on their labels.
The Paso Robles wine label bill is one of 750 our Governator has just signed into law. It could make Paso Robles the next big name in global wine circles. In fact, Napa Valley is the only other region in the country to have the same kind of label law.

Source: KSBY News.

sc? What’s that?
Tina Caputo at Wines & Vines writes that sustainability has become a hot topic among members of the U.S. wine industry, with more and more vintners and growers embracing sustainable practices. But she highlights a new study being conducted at the Sustainable Agriculture Expo that questions whether consumers see a viable market for sustainable products.

Sustainability may not yet be a household word, but it is associated with living healthier, buying locally, acting socially and environmentally responsible, and living within one’s means. I think we’re going to be reading and hearing more about it.

For more information about the study, visit sustainableagexpo.org or call (805) 369-2288. Also read Tina Caputo’s story at Wines & Vines.

Online competition might lower wine prices
Science Daily references an Ohio State University study which suggests that an effective way to significantly reduce the price of American wine is to eliminate trade barriers between the states. According to the study, consumers are better off when local stores have to compete with online sellers.

When the laws allow consumers to get what they want, and pay less for it, everybody wins. And everybody wines! I think Tom Wark could have fun with this story, as only Tom can tell it. Who knows – maybe he’s poring over this study right now, glass in hand.

Source: Science Daily.

River Road Wine Trail Harvest Celebration
And finally on the lighter side of things, ten tasting rooms along Monterey County’s River Road Wine Trail will be hosting a Harvest Celebration on Saturday, October 27th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. These ten wineries are Paraiso Winery, Hahn Estates, Pessagno Winery, Marilyn Remark Winery, Scheid Vineyards, Ventana Vineyards, Chalone Vineyard, Manzoni Wines, San Saba Vineyard and Blackstone Winery.

Many of these wineries will be offering barrel samples from this year’s crush. Additionally, special discounts on award-winning vintages will be offered. Admission is free and reservations are not required. For more information, check out RiverRoadWineTrail.com.

Source: blogger Brian Isaeff at Peninsula Foodnews..

~winehiker

Outdoorzy.com is an online social network that caters to avid outdoor sports enthusiasts. Wade Heflin, chief honcho at Outdoorzy, pinged me this morning about a few new (and free) lifestyle benefits his site is offering to its members.

I’m a member of the site because I think what Wade’s got going is pretty cool, including gear lists and reviews, member profiles, forums, a blog, an event calendar, an outdoors business directory, and even a Top 10 List of members’ favorite activities based on collective trip reports. If you’re into the outdoors, chances are you know somebody who’s already a member at Outdoorzy.

As to those new bennies Wade is offering, here’s a list from today’s press release:

• Moosejaw.com is offering 15% off outdoor gear and clothing on their site and 5% off sale items for Outdoorzy members. Moosejaw is an outdoor gear and clothing retailer that not only provides the necessities for outdoor living, but does so with style and humor.
• Island Outpost offers Outdoorzy members a free night at Jake’s in Jamaica if they book four nights. Jake’s is a bohemian resort on the south coast of the island with plenty of outdoor activities. From mountain biking to yoga, they have it all.
• Wend Magazine is offering Outdoorzy members $3 off a subscription. Wend is a new outdoor sports and adventure travel magazine that is getting rave reviews in the outdoor community.
• ImOutdoorsHosting.com is offering their very robust web hosting plan for just $4.95/mo (normally $6.95). Whether a member needs a blog or an ecommerce store, they cater to the outdoor industry.

I don’t know about you, gentle reader, but I’m not seeing benefits like these on Facebook. And to stay ahead, Wade says Outdoorzy will be releasing more benefits in the weeks and months to come. His goal is to go beyond what traditional websites and social networks provide to enhance members’ experiences by giving them the tools they need when they’re stuck inside.

Gee, I wonder if one of Wade’s future tools will be a fat goatskin o’ red?

For more information, browse to Outdoorzy.com or contact Wade Heflin at info@outdoorzy.com.

~winehiker