Monthly Southern California Hike and Hunt

[cacoseraph]

Hello all,

I know there are a number of people who are interested in getting together with other invertheads and doing some hiking and bug hunting in Southern California.

I was thinking it might be fun to shoot for a monthly hike... i know i certainly won't be able to make it to all of them, but hopefully this thread will provide the structure and impetus to actually get together to meet in the meat.

Right now i have two decent areas we could take a look at, but i am hoping that other people will share their spots too.
One area is the Wastelands, in Rialto, CA and the other i don't have a clever name for yet, but it is in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
The Wastelands yields Scolopendra polymorpha and a few Vaejovid scorpions as the "big game" species and also has a number of interesting reptiles to look at. The Rancho site has yielded Scolopocryptop centipedes and giant soil centipedes (geophilomorpha) but i have barely scratched the surface of this ~10 mile long canyon (best estimate google earthing it).

I would love to find locations to collect mygalomorph (which i am working on... i have seen a wandering male tarantula about 5 miles from where i live now!).

Now, personally the first time i would be able to do a group hunt would be the weekend of March 23-25, 2007.

Unfortunately my car sucks so i can't really offer rides... but perhaps if you live by someone you can carpool.

Anyhow, one suggestion i have is if you are interested in hiking with us you might consider subscribing to this thread... that way you will get an email or whatever, whenever anyone posts.

Ah, one tiny little caveat:
I try to do things as legally as possible as much of the time as possible... in CA you must have a fishing license to collect any herps and you are subject to strict bag limits etc. Further, certain species may not be legally collected with out a scientific institution permit. In the interest of keeping any group activities as legal as possible i'm afraid i'm going to have to be kind of anal retentive and ask that if you intend to herp you make sure you are doing it legally... one person breaking the rules could in theory get the whole group in trouble and i'm sure none of us want that

similar thread on venomlist: http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15157

 

[DavidRS]

I'd be interested in trying it. I have the transportation (I'm coming from West L.A.) My only limitation at the time is is my bad knees and a fat gut. If you think I can physically make it, let me know.

 

[cacoseraph]

I'd be interested in trying it. I have the transportation (I'm coming from West L.A.) My only limitation at the time is is my bad knees and a fat gut. If you think I can physically make it, let me know.

ah, that is an extremely good point.

the Wastelands are actually in the middle of the city of Rialto so there is potentially no hike to get to them. further they are crisscrossed with mostly sand-dirt roads which are quite low-impact. we would need to do a little human juggling as the best/safest place to park is a big soccer/kid park that is about ~3/4 of a mile away. i would be happy to have everyone park there and ferry people to the actual collection site.


the Rancho site, accesible from the Day Creek Road exit off the 210 freeway, has a minor-moderate strenuous hike of 1+ or 2+ miles depending on where vehicles can get to and be left. i park my car in a large tract of housing and hike the full 2-2.5 miles to the start of the canyon that is where the good collecting is, but my room mate's gf drove up to about a mile from the canyon in a 2WD slightly lifted Tacoma. i've seen ppl just sort of leave their trucks off to the side of the road where they are no longer comfortable driving with no apparent ill affect. i do sort of recall signs saying no motor vehicles, though.

 

[twirl and kill]

this sounds like some awsome fun,i have a jeep,so there is no prob about going on dirt,i might be able to make some of your hunts,i dont mind hiking,i love hiking! and hunting for bugs!.The weather is strting to warm up for us southern californians,wich means alot more scorps!

 

[What]

If it ends up happening I would be interested. All depends on the amount of school work I have that weekend...

 

[Russman]

I would love to go as well, please contact me if your'e following through on it

 

[cacoseraph]

i'm planning on hitting up the Wastelands this weekend. people can meet at my house and leave their cars their if they want to risk a ride in my deathmobile (sometimes it keeps accelerating even when i don't want it to ) or we can meet at my house and i will lead a slow motion cavalcade to a good park to park at by the Wastelands.

i am planning on Saturday, March 24, 2007 unless more ppl want to do sunday.

i will pm or email ppl who have expressed interest with my contact info and house address. one tiny little problem.... my housing tract is so new that you can't use mapping programs to get there. map to

12201 Blue Spruce Drive
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
which is an older part of the tract but is on my street.

i will PM/email with my actual house number

 

[cacoseraph]

i like to start as early as possible. i normally wake up at 5am for work, but like to take it a little easier during the weekends (and my friend/assistant/room mate does NOT like to get up that early!)

we could try massing at my house at around 9am as a starting bid?

alternately, we could try blacklighting if ppl want to do a day-to-night type of hunt. i have done that in the past and sometimes dusk is an AWESOME time to hunt

i am open all day and wouldn't mind multiple hunts through out the if that would help more people. also, i can post directions to the park we will be parking at if people are east of Rialto and don't want to drive past it to my house first. i am still very much trying to streamline this process to make it the best as possible for everyone



ALSO, i have a thought.... what does everyone think about making a bit of a trading session before or after the hunt? i think it might be kind of nice if someone has a offsprings of something they bred we could mix and match. also i was thinking, i would really like any desert roaches anyone catches so maybe i can trade stuff i grab at the hunt or possibly some of the stuff i have for trade (which is not that much... but other ppl might have something they would like to trade)


also, i threw together a little Danger List type of thing....

Dangerous Things

Dehydration
Sun sickness/burn/stroke
Cacti and other spiky plants (which would roughly be all of them!)
RATTLESNAKES
Bums
Yucky drug needles
Hawk wasps
Black widows
the deathmobile if you choose to roll the dice and ride in it
rusty/dirty junk (tetanus and other bacteria use punctures in your primary immune system layer to invade)
rebar/wire reinforced concrete chunks (stupid metal parts are sharp sometimes)
random toxic waste (more like old oil and paint thinner, etc... but who knows what all is in the wastelands)


so to combat these things:

please don't wear sandles.

please bring a reasonable amount of water.

please wear sun screen or utilize a physical barrier method.

please know what you are flipping over.

please let me handle the bums. they tend to think i am part of the brotherhood also, let us respect the "bum stands" as it is sort of someone's home and their lot in life is sorry enough as is.




crap, i guess this means i should clean my room. heh.

 

[twirl and kill]

sounds like this hunt is going to be fun,i am about 99% sure i will be able to make this hunt,ill give you a call tomorrow,or whenever i catch you,to see if i got the directions to your house right.

 

[What]

im trying to convince my 'rents to let my drive up there....

one of them might tag along is that cool with you?

 

[cacoseraph]

sounds like this hunt is going to be fun,i am about 99% sure i will be able to make this hunt,ill give you a call tomorrow,or whenever i catch you,to see if i got the directions to your house right.

i get home from work after ~4:30 and should not be going anywhere this Thursday. i might have to do some shopping friday, so thursday would be a better bet. oh, and ask for andrew... cacoseraph will probably get you hung up on as a crank caller =P

im trying to convince my 'rents to let my drive up there....

one of them might tag along is that cool with you?

of course. i would prefer any minors to be accompanied by an adult.

in fact, i almost would want some kind of permission slip or something for any unaccompanied minors. it is a sadly and wholly litigious country we live in

 

[What]

Well, as it turns out I wont be able to attend. I have the flu again(3rd time). My immune system must be on extended vacation...

 

[cacoseraph]

Well, as it turns out I wont be able to attend. I have the flu again(3rd time). My immune system must be on extended vacation...

bummer, dude

well, i go almost every weekend some months and there will always be the next month's multi-person hunt. hope you feel better.

 

[cacoseraph]

Directions to the park (Jerry Eaves Park) we will be parking at for the hunt. i expect we will get to the park at around 9:30-10am depending on when we mass and leave from my house.

Jerry Eaves Park

head West on Blue Spruce for <.1 mi.

Turn right on Rocking Horse <<.1 mi.

Turn right at Banyan St 0.1 mi

Turn right at Day Creek Blvd 0.5 mi

Turn left to merge onto CA-210 E 6.5 mi
7 mins

Take Exit 68 for Alder Ave 0.3 mi

Turn right at Alder Ave 499 ft
1 min

Turn left at Easton St 1.5 mi
4 mins

Turn right at W Ayala Dr 0.5 mi
1 min



There has been constuction due to the 210 freeway being extended to connect to the 215 freeway, so the important bits are getting to Easton and heading East until you hit Ayala and turning right (south) on Ayala. Jerry Eaves Park has a large soccer field with big tall god lights on it. you will pass a firestation on your right (west) side and the park is on your left (east) side immediately following the station. watch out cuz ppl drive kind of crazy sometimes in rialto. oh, and try not to make eyecontact with any thuggish looking ppl. they are like rutting animals and apparently that is a sign for some kind of primacy challenge

also, that park name doesn't sound familiar to me, so it might have been renamed. i was there within a month so i know the park is still there, so don't let any name mismatching throw you... it is the park just south of the fire station, on the other side of the road.

if anyone going would be willing to share their cellphone number with the group please let me know... this way we would be able to guide any stragglers to us if someone's schedule doesn't permit them to meet with us at my house.

THANKS EVERYONE, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

edit: oh yeah, could ppl also try to let me know if they are coming so i know who to wait for?

 

[MizM]

Well, did you pull it off?

I've heard of some great places in the Temecula/Murrieta area. I'm also very close to Lake Perris. Any ideas of doing one out here?

 

[cacoseraph]

Well, did you pull it off?

I've heard of some great places in the Temecula/Murrieta area. I'm also very close to Lake Perris. Any ideas of doing one out here?

buthus and twirl and kill (buthus is one person, twirl and kill is one person) met up at my house and we drove to the wastelands (thanks for the ride buthus!) and then hit up the mountains just north of my house (thanks for the crazy ride, buthus!).

i am thinking the next monthly H&H should be on a sunday, as some of the other people that contacted me had work or school obligations on saturday.

if someone can give me (and possibly my room mate/ assistant) a ride i'm down to hunt anywhere

and even if i can't make it to one, but you can get people together, more power to you. i think it is a lot of fun to actually meet fellow bug people, and catching bugs with them is a big bonus

 

[cacoseraph]

this isn't the monthly hike, but i am most likely heading up into the hills above my house this sunday.

if anyone is desperate for some bug action and doesn't mind a sightly rough ~2 mile hike to the site and moderately rough terrain at the site let me know and i can give you directions to my house.

i would be shooting for leaving my house around 9:30 - 10 am, Sunday, April 1st, 2007.

edit: well, for much the reason i hesitated to try to organize anything, or invite ppl to my more regular hunts... i am not sure if i am going to be going this sunday or not after all. pesky real life.




oh yeah, for the next "official" MH&H i was wondering if Sunday, April 15 or Sunday, April 29 works better for people. let me know.

 

[buthus]

buthus and twirl and kill (buthus is one person, twirl and kill is one person) met up at my house and we drove to the wastelands (thanks for the ride buthus!) and then hit up the mountains just north of my house (thanks for the crazy ride, buthus!).
...

Didnt realize you had another thread going regarding your hunts.
As for driving ...glad to be a service. Hopefully i can make it to the next one ...and hopefully I'll have some new tires (jeese...and a new windshield) ...then we can really haul azz up that hill!

 

[cacoseraph]

in addition to the wastelands thread there is now a cacolands thread (that is what i call the area above my soon to be ex-house in Rancho Cucamonga)

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=90975


also, the next hunt is SUNDAY, APRIL 29th
meet at my house at 9am

contact me for directions and to let me know to expect you. email would be better as my PM box is constantly getting full.

 

[cacoseraph]

the next hunt is SUNDAY, APRIL 29th @ 9am @ MY HOUSE

be there or be square

email (preferred) or pm (deprecated) to get specific directions to my house, but to get to my street gmap or mapq or ymap
12201 Blue Spruce Drive
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739