A Warm Walk Above The Clouds and Through The Woods (October 7)

Fog over the Bay greeted those of us driving down the Ross Valley en route to the trailhead at Bootjack, but Mount Tam stood head and shoulders above the marine layer promising a warm walk above the clouds and through the woods. By the time we finished our downhill jaunt on the Bootjack Trail to Van Wyck Meadow, it was time to start doffing layers. Although most of the hike was on well-shaded paths, the temperature probably hit 80 well before the end of the hike.

Redwoods and ferns lined much of the TCC Trail connecting Van Wyck Meadow to the Stapelveldt Trail. Although winter is a long way off, rain at the end of the week seems to have brought out mushrooms and summer dormant ferns. We paused on the uphill climb on the Dipsea Trail to check out a Turret Spiders abode, then took an early lunch break at the top of Cardiac Hill (1400' above sea level) with sweeping views down the fog shrouded coast to San Francisco and out west to the Farallon Islands.

After lunch we walked up the Old Mine Fire Road (and the trail that parallels it), stopped for a bit while Wendy snatched up a little snake for us to "pet", and checked out the 1863 mining claim staked out by prospectors for gold and silver.

When we reached Pantoll we were surprised at the number of hikers and tourists who had showed up on a Tuesday afternoon. One couple stood in front of their parked car staring with incomprehension at the gates across the uphill road which had been closed, cutting off access to the top of the mountain where they undoubtedly had planned to drive. We left them with puzzled looks on their faces, and turned east and began a long descent on the Alpine Trail alongside Panoramic Highway, then up a steep, short rise back to the highway and the Bootjack parking lot.

(Photos from the hike taken by Dick, Christy Hermann and Theresa Fisher can be viewed on the blog or by clicking here to access to on-line album of photos from this hike).