Here's Wendy's description of the hike: "On this favorite February hike we should see giant wake robin, redwood evergreen violets, star lilies, Smith’s fairy bells, fetid adder’s tongue and calypso orchids! We’ll go up Steep Ravine since some of us find the ladder is easier to go up than down. Lunch at Pantoll."Directions to the trailhead: Take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit off Highway 101. Go through Tam Junction, stay on Route 1, and follow signs to Muir Beach. Pass the road that goes to Muir Beach staying on Route 1 (towards Stinson Beach), pass Slide Ranch, and keep going until you see the locked gate for the Steep Ravine cabins on the west (left) side of the road. There is parking is on the east (right) side. Time: 1 hour 5 minutes from COM. No restrooms at trailhead (but you can turn in at Muir Beach en route and use the ones in the parking lot).
Weather forecast: When we hiked in this area almost exactly a year ago, a strong storm buffeted the coast, and it rained heavily enough to discourage several of our group from making the trek. As of Wednesday, February 11th, the forecast for Bolinas on the day of the hike is a little like last year: Rain likely, cloudy, with a low around 44. (Click here for an updated forecast). The good news is that these trails are fairly heavily forested and offer some protection from the falling rain. Last year, we stayed dry at lunch by sitting under the eaves of the Pantoll Ranger station. So don't let a little precipitation keep you from joining us; just be sure to pack your rain gear.
More on this hike: If you have the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, look at their hike "B14 Dipsea - Steep Ravine Trails" which starts at Pantoll, goes down the Dipsea, up Steep Ravine, and ends back at Pantoll. Since we're beginning and ending our outing down on Highway 1, our hike will be slightly longer, but basically the reverse of the Martins' hike. (Page 6 of the Mt. Tam State Park brochure has a park map that you can "zoom in" on to see these trails).
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