Thurs-Sunday, June 25-28

The Sierra Valley, a secluded mountain area with miles of sagebrush, forests and marshes, is only a half hour drive north of I80 and Tahoe. For the last several years we have provided this tour (four days and three nights) to explore the valley’s wilderness and observe many different birds and wildflowers. Among 60-70 species of birds often seen are Sandhill cranes, White-faced Ibis, Bald eagles, Snipe, Osprey, Horned larks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds and many ducks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers and songbirds. We will visit the Iron Bridge marsh, Lake Davis, the village of Sierraville, the Feather River, Yuba Pass and the SFSU Field station near Bassett’s. We frequently stay in the little town of Portola at the north end of the valley, with many shops, museums, restaurants and even golf courses at nearby Blairsden. The tour package includes one class (optional) in Berkeley prior to the trip, on Weds. June 24th, 9-12am. Local campgrounds include Plumas-Eureka State Park, one of the best. Our favorite spot to stay in Portola, convenient to everything: the Sleepy Pines Motel; see www.sleepypinesmotel.com for more info. There are also many other motels and resorts in the area to choose from. Tour starts at Sierraville village at 1pm Thursday, and right after lunch we begin our tour of the valley. We say good-bye Sunday at noon to head home. Allow four hours travel from the Bay Area to Sierraville, right at the south entrance of the valley.