Tromp Blog

Five Fall Santa Cruz Mountain Hikes

The Fall Creek Trail runs right next to the creek covered in lush greenery. © California State Parks.

Enjoy the changing colors of the leaves and the serenity of hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Oh, and a chai recipe to warm you up!

Girls Rock: Santa Cruz Group Inspires Women Mountain Bikers

Girls Rock riders enjoying the local trails. Photo © Tina West

On its monthly group rides, Girls Rock defies mountain biking’s male-dominated culture, providing mentorship & opportunities to a community of women riders.

Visit the Newest Trails in Santa Cruz at San Vicente Redwoods!

Vista Point at San Vicente Redwoods, photo copyright Mike Kahn.

Beyond Santa Cruz: Explore Portola Valley for hiking, food, and wine tasting

Sunrise from Windy Hill overlooking San Francisco Bay, copyright Eleanor Raab.

California State Parks Backpacking Adventures 2023!

Explore the mountains on great guided trips this summer! California State Parks photo.

This is a great opportunity for a guided outdoor experience.

Finding Pomponio's Cave

In Search of the Man Who Rebuked the Mission System

Del Puerto Canyon: From the Earth’s Mantle to Mars in the Devil’s Range

Long referred to as “The Door,” Del Puerto Canyon winds 22 miles through the Diablo Range, connecting the San Joaquin Valley to San Antonio Valley and, eventually, the greater San Francisco Bay area.

Empty Highway in the Land of Slides

I am walking down the center of Highway 1 south of Gorda, a two-lane road carved into 1,000-plus feet of precipitous marine terrace in Big Sur.

Finding Frank Norris in the Santa Cruz Mountains

A memorial to a pioneer of American literature sits unseen 10 miles west of Gilroy.

A gargantuan spiderweb hangs across the steep dirt road. It shimmers, translucent in the sunlight, slack lines nearly imperceptible. As I duck the web and trudge further up the road's corkscrew turn, the thick brush, thistle, weeds and poison oak part, revealing an ancient looking stone bench on the shoulder above the road.

Science Spotlight: Why Do Humpbacks Breach?

Scientists are unsure what drives humpback whales' exuberant displays.  NOAA photo.

More than 40 feet long and weighing up to 40 tons, adult humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are formidable giants. But their immensity doesn’t hinder their athleticism.

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