Home»Gallery»Portola Valley Ranch, Windy Hill, Etc.»6/16/2021 Hayfields Trails

Exploring, I revisit the Hayfields area after several years' absence. A nice set of trails, above Santa Maria/Russell Drives and Hayfields Road.

Setting out early before a hot day, I find several mid-season wildflowers blooming, and a variety of insect pollinators hard at work: native flies and bees as well as our naturalized Honeybee. Some of these plants are hard for me to identify: are the mints (salvia??) native here, naturalized from elsewhere into the wild, or garden escapees? (Please leave a comment on a photo if you can add any information!)

As I was photographing busy bees amongst the dainty mint/salvia/??, two workers approached in protective gear, carrying weed whackers, clearing the sides of the trail. I asked them to please cut the thistle, and leave the mint/salvia along the trail -- it was low, not a refuge for ticks or a fire danger, and a delight to humans and bees alike. They politely paused to acknowledge my request and wait for me to proceed down the trail. I wonder: did my requests help at all? Is there still room for low-growing flowers next to our trails? Of course, I am not the one to set this policy. And I understand that it might take more discrimination, care, and time for the trail workers to deviate from a simple rule: cut everything, at all heights, within x feet of the trail. But I do hope that the Town considers the benefits of discrimination in trail clearing. What are our goals for clearing the sides of the trails: clear trail treads for walking; mitigation of fire danger; ticks, what else? Surely another goal is to make the trails a delight for visitors and a benefit for the ecosystem. Clearing the ground down to the dirt is often not necessary or desirable.

Just before meeting the weed whackers, I met a bunny and shared a few moments of quiet, before the bunny decided to hop off the trail. And a covey of quail serenaded me on my homeward drive. The watchquail was a little puzzled, but kept watch while I photographed out of my car window, for some nice closeups. Hayforks Trail has expansive views of the Bay, filling up with haze on this sweltering day.

Please leave a comment if you have information to share about any photo. And please let me and others know, what is the best way to access these gems of trails: the best trailheads, and the best places to park.