About
Audible Mount Diablo
Modeled after the best museum guides, Audible Mount Diablo combines lively interviews and music with the rush of wind and the chirps, howls, and growls of wildlife--all downloadable to a computer, tablet, mobile phone, or mp3 player. Tours include
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• Introducing Mount Diablo, commentary and sounds related to the mountain’s natural heritage and human history, including segments on tarantulas, mountain lions, coal mining, native peoples, and how the mountain got its name. Perfect for your first (or 100th!) drive up the mountain. Features naturalists Seth Adams, Gary Bogue, Ken Lavin, Mike Moran, and Beverly Ortiz.
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• Mary Bowerman Tour, a gentle but spectacular 1-mile hike focusing on geology and history at the top of the mountain. Features naturalist and raconteur Ken Lavin.
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• Grand Loop, a strenuous 6.8-mile jaunt that covers views, history, birds, flowers, and conservation. Features Seth Adams, Gary Bogue, Ken Lavin, Mike Moran, and Beverly Ortiz.
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• Curry Point, a 6.5-mile hike covering birds, wildflowers, knobcone pines, and the history of Blackhawk Ranch, featuring Seth Adams and Malcolm Sproul.
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• Mitchell Canyon, a 2-mile-long tutorial in natural and human history led by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Features Sue Donecker, Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, Jim Mitchell, and Yulan Tong.
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• Lime Ridge, a 4-mile ramble through a botanical and wildlife preserve that showcases some important conservation victories in Contra Costa County. Featuring Seth Adams, Heath Bartosh, Scott Hein, and Lesley Hunt.
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• Coming soon: Round Valley, featuring Robert Doyle, Brian Kruse, Seth Adams, and Scott Hein.
Each of these audio/visual tours can be enjoyed at home, or downloaded to an mp3 player or smartphone to listen to on the trail. The format enables curious explorers to learn from lightweight, portable devices, with clear titles and subtitles keyed to well-defined stops. Naturalists heighten visitors’ appreciation of the sights and sounds at each stop, tell tales of the mountain’s past, and suggest what to look for around the next bend. Photographs pop up to help identify plants and animals. Users can choose what they want to know and when they want to know it.
Audible Mount Diablo is sponsored by the California State Parks Foundation, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, Save Mount Diablo, and the Thomas J. Long Foundation.
Music is provided by guitarist Phil Heywood and photos by Scott Hein and many others. Joan Hamilton of Audio Guides to the Outdoors produces and narrates the series. For more information, email Joanham@gmail.com.
