Hi All,

It was a beautiful day yesterday around the Bay Area with temps in the high 70's and after work that urge to get out and explore earthquake faults was great, so I went for it. I took a drive to my old study area in Rohnert Park that sits almost due west of Sonoma State Uv. I saw a few things I didn't expect like what happened during those heavy rains. Along a section of road for at least a mile moderate sized rocks had been lifted from the stream beds and brought right across the roads. The streams themselves were really twisted and in many places raised up. It was all a true sign of the power of water.

I parked the car at the bottom of Gravity Hill and took a hike up top. It's really steep in that area and barely wide enough for two cars with nearly no shoulder, so walking along there one has to be a little careful. But I pushed forward and finally got up to the top and the view was spectacular. I could see at least thirty miles away toward the coast. And other than the sound of rushing water in the nearby stream there were no animals or birds anywhere in the area. The only real sound came from the occasional passing car. While it is not common for it to be so quiet there, it is one of the reasons I enjoyed spending countless hours there. To listen to quiet instead of the constant hum of computers is really refreshing.

If time permits this evening I'll be checking out another area along the RCF; a fault scarp at the north end of town which is very close to the RCF, but less distinctive as it has been copiously built over. It's a nature preserve today and normally full of squirrels and birds. I want to see if what was normal is the same now. Noticing small anomalies prior to earthquakes is interesting and more than once my group has documented the lack of bird and animal life in an area just before earthquakes strike.

Petra
Hanging Ten on the RCF