PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 101 On a recent Tuesday morning, I find myself on the Betsy Crowder Trail in Portola Valley inspecting an oak gall. I had no idea what these golf ball-sized spheres were before embarking on a two-hour hike led by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District docents. Now, I’m fascinated by these weird little orbs. Poetically described by my Midpen guide Tony as made out of “an oak tree’s tears,” galls form around a single wasp egg, protecting both the tree and the larva that eventually hatches and chews its way out. But they’re also useful for us non-wasps. For at least 2,000 years, people have crushed oak galls and combined them with water and iron to create a permanent black ink. How permanent? The United States Constitution was written in oak gall ink, as was Ireland’s famous Book of Kells and the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls. Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, where you’ll find the Betsy Crowder Trail (along with the occasional oak gall), is just one of many gems in the Peninsula’s treasure chest of public trails in county parks and preserves. I’ve been to Windy Hill dozens of times, but this is my first hike with a group and a guide, and it’s clear that I still have a lot to learn. I come away with fun facts about the pretty (but mostly poisonous) types of berries that grow in late summer and fall, and a renewed determination to spend as much of this autumn as possible outdoors. While there’s no bad time to get out in nature, this season holds special delights with its cooler days, colorful leaves and migrating birds. Spring wildflowers are glorious, but the reds and golds of autumn can be just as beautiful. I asked Lauren Ford-Peterson, a ranger for San Mateo County Parks, and Midpen rangers Marianne Rogers and Robin Reiterman Curtis to share their expert advice on the best places to stretch your legs while enjoying glorious fall weather. Whether you want to go on a short, leisurely stroll or challenge yourself with a lengthier hike among autumnal flora and fauna, here are some remarkable routes for you to try.
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