This week we head north and east to the Novato area to hike in the Indian Tree Open Space Preserve. Here's Wendy's hike description: "We hike a pretty loop trail with mushrooms, views, and a grove of old redwoods that escaped logging. If there have been late rains you may want to boots [Dick: make that "old" boots, or Goretex or waterproofed ones] or be prepared to rock hop a few streams." (Click here to read the recap of our last hike in this area on February 3, 2009).Directions: Take Highway 101 north. Exit at San Marin Drive and go west. San Marin becomes Sutro Avenue after if crosses Novato Boulevard. Turn right (west) onto Vineyard Road. The trail starts where the paved road turns into a dirt road. Time: 35 minutes from College of Marin. No restrooms at trailhead. (Carpoolers meet about 9:15-9:20 am at the Park & Ride lot on the east side of Highway 101 at Smith Ranch Road in the Terra Linda area north of the Marin Civic Center and downtown San Rafael).
Weather forecast: As of noon on Thursday, November 5, the National Weather Service forecast for Tuesday's hike was mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and a high near 63. (Click here for an updated National Weather Service forecast).
More on this hike: The Marin County Open Space District operates the preserve on a portion of this area (the North Marin Water District owns adjacent land) and its Web site provides a viewable/printable trail map and a list of the species of various critters we might encounter. Barry Spitz's book, Open Spaces (Marin County Open Space District, 2000) describes the area and contains a map similar to that found on the MCOSD Web site). The following hike ("E9 Deer Camp - Big Trees Trails) from the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, is probably much longer (7.2 miles) than the one we'll actually take, but shows the general area where we'll be hiking.
No comments:
Post a Comment