Kaleidoscopic splashes of yellow here, mounds of orange there and then a little later, oceans of purple, sometimes with some red to liven up the wildflower colors as I hiked up new trails with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy. At the top of the Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve vernal pools were especially beautiful, ringed with white meadowfoam. Where: Sierra Foothill ...

A little rain didn’t damper our enthusiasm as we learned about archeological sites, spotted Sierra Newts, said hello to cows, saw wildflowers galore and experienced an incredible view from on top of Table Mountain while hiking on a docent-led adventure on the Ruth McKenzie Preserve. We didn’t encounter any rattlesnakes, which was just fine with me, but they are out ...