Rain, Rain, Gone Away (Laguna-Bayview Hike)

Sun, glorious sun, returned after a few cold and wet days to greet us as we drove west out to the Point Reyes National Seashore where we spent several weeks hiking during the summer. On July 22nd, we started out at Muddy Hollow and headed northwest on the Muddy Hollow Road, then west on the Glenbrook Trail to Limantour Beach (click here for the map of that hike). Today, we started out at the Laguna Trailhead near the Point Reyes Hostel, walked east past the Clem Miller Environmental Center (named for a Congressman who played a major role in creating the park) and then up the steep grade of the Laguna Trail until it topped out at the Limantour Road, and then westward back down the Bayview Trail to Muddy Hollow.

Much of the first half of the hike was under the canopy of Bishop Pines which have grown up since the 1995 Vision Fire in the park. The trees shaded us from the sun, protected us from the breeze, and created a fragrant, green "tunnel" through which we walked. The recent rains brought forth a raft of banana slugs (Silvia treated us to a rendition of the "Chiquita Banana Slug Song") and several mushrooms. While it is not unusual for us to run into a few other day hikers on our Tuesday treks, this time we had to "pull over" on the Laguna Trail to allow a large group of schoolkids on an outing to Point Reyes from Tracy to pass by. One kid, spotting those of us with hiking poles, remarked that we looked as though we were "skiing on dirt."

After crossing the park road, we were back under the trees while descending the initial stretch of the Bayview Trail which, true to its name, eventually opened up to a panorama of ridges and ocean. About noon "dinner bells" were going off in our stomachs, so we stopped at the bottom of the grade, and most of us sat on ponchos and plastic bags or sheets along the trail for our mid-day repast. We paused to examine the "fruit" of a Buckeye tree, then marched on along the creek to Muddy Hollow where some hopped back in their cars and the rest of us hiked the half mile or so back to the parking lot by the hostel to catch our ride home.

(Photos from the hike taken can be viewed on the blog or by clicking here to access to on-line album of photos from this hike).