Tromping Up to Wolf Ridge in the GGNRA

In our penultimate hike of the "Spring Semester", Wendy led us off under foggy skies on a fairly steep uphill climb from the parking lot in Rodeo Lagoon to the top of Wolf Ridge in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We stopped at Battery Townsley for a brief history lesson on the gun emplacements in the headlands, then continued up the hill, alternating between the old paved road and rocky trails. When we reached "the summit" on Hill 88, 960 feet above our starting point at sea level, we plopped down among the wrecked buildings of the old radar site and to eat an early lunch.

A cold wind blew for a short time as we scampered back down Hill 88, but dissipated as we dipped down below the ridgetop and onto the Wolf Ridge Trail. As we picked our way down towards Tennessee Valley to our north, the clouds began to part, the sun began to shine, and were were treated to a glorious display of wildflowers on our trek to the junction of the ridge trail and the Miwok Trail (fire road).

Our descent back down to Rodeo Lagoon took us along the western edge of the Gerbode Valley. If developers would have had their way in the 1960's, a new town of 30,000 called "Marincello" would have occupied this part of the Marin Headlands instead of ultimately becoming part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

When we reached the end of the trail back in the parking lot, there were hugs all around for our hiking buddy, Sammi, who returns home to her native Australia on Thursday after a year working in Marin as an au pair. We're all sad to see her depart after joining us on the trail for the last three months.

Here's a Google satellite map of the general area around Rodeo Lagoon where we hiked. (Click on "View Larger Map" just below this map to access and zoom in and out, left and right, on the on-line Google map. Better yet, download a free copy of the "Google Earth" software which will let you "tilt" and rotate the area around Fairfax and view it from all angles). (A description of a hike in this area along with the map from the Martin's trailguide, Hiking Marin, was posted by Dick on Monday, May 6th).


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