back home

oh it was nice to be out this morning! the pups were full of it- as much as they enjoy their vacations at the boise kennels spa, they seem to miss their foothills walks. for me, a nice way to transition back to what i'm sure will be a crazy rest of the week- lots to catch up on.

5 dogless runners, one with dog on leash in OL area, one walker with leashed dog in on leash area. everyone very pleasant & enjoying the morning.

took enough bags to scoop OPP (other people's poop) and picked up 4 or 5 piles. right on the trail. right by the trash can. must be dogs with runners or mt bikers. if runners & bikers who won't stop to clean up would go back on foot once a week and pick up misc piles it would make a big difference.



wildflowers are looking great- will have to go back dogless, with the big camera. firecracker penstemon and yarrow, and another type of penstemon, i believe.









then buckwheat- and look at all of those little tunnels- must be rodent homes- right off chickadee ridge. then some sort of onion- probably not aase's, but i will have to find a picture to know for sure. lastly, happy little fleabane.


and we also found this- deer tracks- right at the top of red fox where it goes back down to the pond.

we are organizing a poop scoop for saturday, may 31. for more information or to volunteer (we'll have raffle items & some fun) please contact me at idswissy@yahoo.com

wow

signs

since enforcement will be starting soon ($25 fine, plus court costs= around $100) for both leash and poop violations, and people said that what is on leash was confusing, thought we'd check it out this morning.

here's what i noticed: we probably need on leash trail signs coming into the reserve from Camel's Back on 10th St and from the parking lot on 9th. Ditto into the trees toward the pond from the lower parking lot across from Owl's Roost, and entering the upper parking lot from Kestrel. Dogs should be leashed in all parking lots always, but it isn't always clear where off leash starts after that. so there should probably be off leash trail signs about 50 yards out of the lots where the trails are off leash.

i hope to have time to photoshop a map so it's easier to see what i'm talking about. i also think that a map at the trail heads with on leash trails clearly marked- maybe in red- would be helpful.

it would also be helpful to post what the fines for non compliance are. I know we don't want signs up all over, but a little bit might go a long way.

we met 2 runners and 3 groups walking with dogs this morning, everyone cordial and well behaved. dogs leashed where they should be, checked to see if it was OK to let them approach, etc.


saw 2 owls in the grove- have to go back with the big camera- this pic isn't so good. it was lovely and peaceful there this morning, hearing the mourning doves and other birds singing. editorial note- i wouldn't be comfortable in there by myself in the morning, which is where dogs come in for a lot of women who exercise by themselves.









the flowers continue to bloom. yellow one is desert parsley of some sort, next a bachelor button. i always wonder if these are here from some old farmstead, or if birds brought them and now they just keep reseeding. don't think it's a wildflower, but i could be wrong- if anyone knows, let me know.





next, my favorite- i don't know why exactly- buckwheat just starting to show. and a mystery plant which i have tentatively identified as a thread stalk locoweed, but i could be way off....

here's to another day started off right.

5000 homes

seems like conserving what we have in the foothills is a much bigger issue than dogs or mountain bikes. i am no expert and am not a biologist, but i have been researching the effects of dogs on wildlife online. what i have gleaned is that, aside from chasing, digging and random unsupervised hunting (which is behavior that no responsible dog owner would allow) the biggest issue is that dog scent changes wildlife behavior. animals who are prey of canids (coyote, fox, etc.) will move farther off the trails. how much of a problem this is depends on what sort of habitat is available.

i wonder how much impact 5000 more homes in the foothills has on habitat? i wonder how many dog owners would vote for another levy?




on to this morning's jaunt. i don't want this to be the poop report, so suffice it to say that there were at least 15 piles between heron and the pond coming in from 10th. right on the trail between 2 trash cans & bag dispensers.

bitterbrush is blooming- and fragrant. the arrowleaf balsamroot is still going strong, and these little purple guys- i think that they are brodiaea- are popping up. meadowlarks and redwing blackbirds singing.

2 runners, one mountain biker, one woman with off leash dog in the on leash area. she did leash up right away when i asked her not to let him run up to us.

another beautiful morning!

corrals

beautiful morning. picked up some poop by the parking lot. i never can figure out how it is that people come out for exercise, but don't walk back to the trash can from this close and just be done with it. again, all right near the trail.












here's the ziplock at the end of our hike- 3 bags from us, a coke can, and misc poop picked up from really close to the parking lot. i will say this is better than i have seen it up there, but still not great.


cows are out. these guys are behind the gate that leads to hard guy. i saw a few more scattered on the hills off of corrals trail. we leashed up to go by just in case, but it appears that neither of my pups, both of whose breeds have been used for herding, have much interest in cattle. thank goodness!


trail braiding question. not sure how many dogs it would take to walk this path over how long a period of time to make the secondary trail. not the way my dogs usually travel- they will go off the trail to smell something, maybe run a loop, but the only time they trot right next the trail is when there is already a path like this there.









lots of stuff blooming and getting ready to. can't remember what this first one is called. the lupine are getting ready to explode- the hillside should be covered later this week. saw some larkspur farther back, and this white blooming shrub which may or may not be syringa. didn't seem quite fragrant enough.

met karen & robin with their 3 dogs. they called them back because one is noisy & scares people (sounds like echo)- much appreciated. the dogs were all very good.

saw 3 mt bikers riding with 2 dogs, and quite a few other groups. everyone was nice & polite and good about sharing the trail. except for the woman who just had to fly by the 3 mt bikers on the hill by hard guy- cutting off me & the dogs from coming up hill & startling the other riders.