venturing4th: Rush Ranch - Marsh and South Pasture Loop Trails

Most of the East Bay and South Bay of the San Francisco Bay ecosystem has been diked and filled destroying the bay's natural wet land edges. The North Bay's Suisun Marsh remains relatively untouched as a tidal wetland area. In fact, it is so rare in today's world that Suisun is considered to be the largest contiguous estuarine marsh in the United States.

Now marshes and wetlands are not our most favorite hiking areas, but since we are in the area we drove the 20 miles a section of the Suisun Marsh that is operated by the Solano Land Trust specifically as a nature preserve. Rush Ranch, a former sheep and cattle ranch is now a 2,070-acre open-space area, including more than 1,000 acres of wetlands.

In addition to the ranch buildings, looking much as they did when the Rush family lived here in the early 1900's, there are two trails that took us along the Suisun Slough and out to the South Pasture.

Picturesque ranch buildings.

Along the Marsh Trail there is a small hill and a replica of a Patwin shelter.

Close-up of the dwelling. Looks likes a real fixer-upper.

We climbed the hill for views of Mt. Diablo to the south.

Twin Sisters peak to the west.

Mount Vaca to the north and...

the Portrero hills to the east with the Suisun Slough in the foreground.

Every now and then, a huge, gray military plane from nearby Travis Air Force Base cruised slowly and almost silently overhead. The slow motion maneuverability of these planes allows them to take off and land on short runways.

Frederick approaching a gate in a fenced area that held several herds of cattle. At our approach they would take off running only to criss-cross the trail several times, on the run, as we neared the barns of the ranch.

On our way over to the South Pasture we passed under a Buckeye tree.

The "fruit" of the Buckeye tree. Looks just like the Buckeye candy/cookies we helped make at Rose & Ralph's home last fall. I believe they are a favorite of Jackie's.

Along the South Pasture Trail there is a fenced cultural exhibit of the Native American grinding rock site, where the Patwin Indians, also known as Southern Wintun Indians, ground acorns and nuts into meal.