PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 95 explorer Willis Linn Jepson, who wrote 71 field journals with observations on local plants, geography and history. All too soon, Katherine and I have returned to the trailhead. Somewhere a songbird warbles a farewell. “I grew up in San Mateo,” she tells me. “It’s nice being close to places like this that feel kind of wild—but then you go back home and you're in a neighborhood!” Damming History My Crystal Springs quest is not yet at an end. The reservoir has its own history to tell— apparently with its fair share of drama. To get to the bottom of it, I turn to podcaster Olivia AllenPrice, who has covered the topic in an episode of her KQED show Bay Curious. It starts back when the promise of a gold grab exploded San Francisco’s population. Water became increasingly scarce, ery year, re-establishing their nest and having young.” It’s always a good sign when the wildlife chooses you. Most exceptional among the area’s flora is an ancient bay tree, which holds court above the buckeyes and blackwoods. Aged over 600 years, this natural wonder is the oldest of its species in the state. It’s called the Jepson Laurel, after dedicated botanist and pioneer ABOVE: (clockwise from far left) Hummingbirds are a frequent sight at Crystal Springs; the Sawyer Camp Trail; sunset over the top of the dam; a late-summer stroll; a pair of bald eagles have made their nest at the reservoir since 2012. PHOTOGRAPHY OF COURTESY OF: NEETA LINDA / BGWASHBURN / SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==