May can make Bay Area hikers pack for two climates: coastal fog near the Marin Headlands and warm, exposed inland trails such as Mount Diablo State Park.
Before heading out, check the trail rules, the weather and the parking plan — then build the safety kit around the season’s most common hazards.
Tick precautions come first
The western blacklegged tick, or Ixodes pacificus, is the main tick that transmits Lyme disease bacteria in California, according to the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Its nymphs are most active from March to July in northwestern California and are often found in dense oak, Pacific madrone and Douglas fir woodlands with leaf litter…