04 Dec Field Trip to River West Madera
Field Trip to River West Madera
Wednesday
December 4, 2024
All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. Use the QR code below or the form can also be found here
FAS Release of Liability Form
River West Madera
December 4, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Leaders: John McDaniel/George Folsom
(559) 779-7186/(559) 351-7192
mandomac@comcast.net /georgefolsom@icloud.com
Carpooling arrangements (unless Wildwood Nature Park is open—check with trip leaders):
Location: Target Parking Lot (see River Park Shopping Center map)
7600 N Blackstone
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Destination (see Golf Center Trailhead map for both locations):
Location: Intersection next to Valley Golf Center
41445 Ave 9, Fresno, CA 93720
Alternate location if open (check with trip leaders):
Wildwood Native Park
Madera, California
Time: 8:15 a.m.
We will meet at 8:00 a.m. in the Target parking area in River Park Shopping Center to carpool to our destination due to limited parking at the destination. We will proceed from Target to Valley Golf Center (which is south of and down the hill from Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County).
Directions from Fresno: Take Highway 41 north from Fresno to the first exit north of the San Joaquin River (Exit 138A). Turn right at the intersection and follow Cobb Ranch Road back toward Fresno until you get to the first intersection. Turn right and proceed under the Highway 41 bridges to the parking area just outside the golf course where we will assemble. Park along either side of the road or under the bridges. Do not park in the Golf Center parking area or in the posted no parking areas immediately to the south.
If the Wildwood Native Park is re-opened by the the time of the trip, we will instead rendezvous at Wildwood and avoid the carpooling arrangements. The route to Wildwood Park is the same as the Golf Center, except you turn left at the Avenue 9 intersection and proceed around the corner to the park entrance. See accompanying maps.
Weather and trail conditions permitting, the plan is to walk on Palm Avenue from the golf course, following the river downstream, first on the service road to Sycamore Island, then along the Riverfront Trail, ultimately emerging at a grouping of several ponds and a large lagoon just north of the river channel. The Riverfront Trail follows a berm next to the river and is somewhat narrow and uneven. For anyone not comfortable with it, the Sycamore Island service road can be followed instead. Total distance is about 3.5 miles.
Although this is directly across the river from River West Open Space, be prepared for some different birds on the Madera County side, including black-crowned night heron, wigeon, gadwall, green-wing teal, cinnamon teal, phainopepla, wrens, and acorn, Nuttall’s and downy woodpeckers. Expect also to see the usual assortment of white-crowned, song and Lincoln sparrows, several flavor of egrets, red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, On our spring walks we may see signs of nesting activity by the returning osprey and great-horned owls, and perhaps an appearance by a bald eagle.
Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes (depending on the season, the trail may be sloppy in some areas), snacks, water, head covering, sunscreen, and binoculars. The ponds and lagoon will be quite amenable to spotting scopes, although they are more than a mile and a half from the assembly area.
Leader: John McDaniel
Phone: (559) 779-7186
Email: mandomac@comcast.net
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