Sign Up For Winter 2011 Meandering Hikes

College of Marin registration opens Monday, January 3, 2011 for the Winter Meandering hiking series.You can register on-line or (per Wendy's e-mail) by phone (415 485-9305) or in person. (Note:  Although the Winter 2011 Term schedule was on-line as of New Years Eve, you cannot actually register for classes until Monday).

Course information for the Tuesday class:

7 Tuesdays, 9:45am-1:45pm, Feb. 1-Mar. 15, CRN# 15019 EC (also listed as MADV 9395A - 020).

Here is the information for the Monday class:

7 Mondays, 9:45am-1:45p, Jan. 31-Mar. 21 (except Feb. 21), CRN# 15018 EC (MADV 9395A - 010)

 

The Twelve Days Of An Alaskan Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My Alaska tour guide gave to me,
Twelve seals a-pupping,
Eleven humpbacks spouting,
Ten puffins flying,
Nine mosquitoes a-buzzing,
Eight lupines blooming,
Seven glaciers calving,
Six brown bears fishing,
Five boat rides,
Four totem poles,
Three small plane flights,
Two banana slugs,
And a moose under a Sitka spruce tree!
(Dick Jordan spent two weeks traveling throughout Southeast Alaska in June of 2008.  This version of the traditional “The Twelve Days of Christmas” carol was adapted from one of his trip blog posts).

Just In Time For Christmas (or New Year’s)

Dick Jordan wanted to share a friend’s holiday cake recipe with you.  (He thinks this is a variation on a “Wine Cake” that Julia Child made during an episode of  his inaugural PBS cooking show).
 
Here’s the recipe, as laid out by Dick’s friend:

I've had requests for my Tequila Christmas Cake recipe so here goes:

Please keep in your files.


1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups dried fruit

Sample the tequila to check quality.

Take a large bowl; check the tequila
again to be sure it is of the highest quality.

Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.


Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.


At this point, it is best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try
another cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy.


Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the fruit up off the floor.


Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with
a drewscriver.

Sample the tequila to test for tonsisticity.

Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something.

Check the tequila.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.  Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can
find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window.

Finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat.

Cherry Mristmas

Recipe: Zucchini-Pear Soup

Here’s the soup that Dick Jordan served at our last “Final Exam” luncheon.

You can serve this as a light, first course, either chilled (like we had it after our hike) or warmed up.  It took Dick about an hour to do the prep and cooking.

• 3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil, or a combination
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 medium potato, preferably high-starch (“russet”/“baking”), peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or a pinch of dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced
• 2 medium ripe (but still firm) pears, peeled, cored and diced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or use water
• Mint leaves (or edible flowers) for garnish (optional).
• A handful of cooked chestnuts (optional; available in a jar at supermarkets)

1. Put butter, oil or combination in a large skillet over medium heat; when butter melts or oil is hot, cook carrot, onion, potato and thyme with a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, adjusting heat so vegetables do not brown. When onion is softened, about 5 minutes, add zucchini and continue to cook until everything is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Add pear (and the optional chopped chestnuts, if used) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes more. Add liquid and bring to a boil; taste and adjust seasoning (and add more chestnuts if desired). Cool mixture, then purée. Serve cold or reheat and serve hot, garnished with mint (or edible flowers), if desired.
Yield: 4 servings.


(Originally published October 3, 2007 in The New York Times; adding the chestnuts is Dick Jordan’s variation)

Holiday Gift Book Suggestions From Dick Jordan

If you're still holiday shopping 'til you're dropping and don't want to go out in the rainy weather to finish up, here are gift book recommendations that I've posted (as a guest blogger) on the Book Passage Bookstore blog.

You can order all of the books on-line (except one --- but the computer glitch causing that will be fixed in a couple of days).

These all are books that I own and I've met or know all of the authors.

There is, of course, a rather Shameless Self-Promotional Blurb for Me at the end of the blog post, and I've even mentioned in one of the books.

NEW! Mobile (Phone) Meandering Now Even Easier!

A few months ago Dick Jordan set up a separate copy of the Meandering in Marin on Tuesdays blog (hosted by WordPress.org; the original Meandering blog is hosted by Blogger) that was “optimized” for reading on mobile devices (like Dick’s iPhone).  This meant that Dick had to upload each blog post twice, and edit two blogs instead of one.

Blogger now has made its hosted blogs much easier to read on smartphones: Type in the URL (Website address) for the Meandering blog (http://www.meanderingtuesdays.blogspot.com) into the Web browser on your phone or do a Google search for “Meandering in Marin on Tuesdays”, and then bookmark it (or, on an iPhone, add it to your Home Screen) so you can easily find it in the future.

The “mobile version” of the blog has larger type so it’s easier to read on a little cell phone browser screen, and (unlike the WordPress.org mobile site) you’ll find the tabs for the different pages (e.g., “Upcoming Hikes”) right at the top of the screen. )If you want to view the blog as it appears on a regular computer screen, just scroll to the bottom of the screen on your phone and tap of “View web version.”  To switch back, tap “View mobile version”).

Alas, the little slideshow window in the blog won’t show up on Apple devices (iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone) which don’t support the Adobe “Flash” technology that operates the slideshow.  (If you have any Android phone, go the mobile version of the blog, and then let Dick know if the slideshow plays on your phone). But it you click on the “Photo Albums” tab at the top of the screen, you can select any of the Picasa Web albums (e.g., “Latest Hike Photos”) and view the photos taken during our hikes.

Until everyone gets familiar with the new mobile version of the Blogger blog, Dick will continue to post updates to the WordPress.org version. 

Holiday Hiking Hiatus

Just a quick reminder from the Meandering in Marin on Tuesdays blog that we’ve got a long holiday break in our hiking schedule.

The next Winterim hike is the 1/11/11 - Alpine Dam to Bon Tempe Dam Shuttle Hike, followed by two more outings on 1/18 and 1/25.

Registration for the College of Marin Winter hiking series opens on January 3rd.

Dick Jordan and Rick Steves On The Radio

Being interviewed by Rick Steves is a fun way to share your travel experiences with a wider audience than just the friends and family who read your “Tweets” or Facebook posts from the road.  Dick Jordan was “interviewed” twice by Rick during the January 2010 radio show recording sessions.  Over the next few months, fame and fortune, and maybe a career in movies (“I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille) awaited Dick’s “Rick On The Radio” debut.

Dick became a “radio star” when “More Roadfood USA; Brittany and Normandy” was broadcast on May 29, 2010.  While his interview with Rick was not included in the broadcast itself, it is part of a “Web extra” streaming audio file that you can play by clicking here.  (His comments about touring Normandy by rental car run from 4:48 to 7:15).

Dick got another nearly three minutes of radio fame on July 10, 2010, when the show “Affordable London; Ancient Britain” aired.  Once again his interview with Rick was not part of the program that actually aired, but runs at the beginning of the “Web extra” streaming audio file. This is Rick’s description of what he and Dick discussed:  “Caller Dick in San Anselmo, California describes one of his favorites finds from a London city walk that Rick recommends in his guidebook, and suggests cathedral concerts as a worthwhile free activity in London.”

Let’s Eat! (12/7/10 “Final Exam” Hike)

The weekend’s storm blew through and left the Bay Area on Monday setting the stage for a perfect day for finishing up “Fall 2” of the College of Marin term.  But the wet weather brought during the preceding days brought forth a bounty of mushrooms including sulfur tufts, Jack-o-lanterns, garlic mushrooms and apricot jelly.

We saw a common merganser and pied billed grebes paddling around Lake Lagunitas while a Great Egret swooped across the water from the south shore to the north.  We found both California and rough-skinned newts enjoying the damp habit above the lake.

By the time we turned east and headed up the Lakeview Fire Road the sun was shining brightly and we doffed our outer layers.  We had great views out to San Francisco  Bay over San Anselmo and past Terra Linda as we descended the Filter Plant Road.  A lone Coulter Pine stood as a reminder a a failed tree farming project started by the water district many years back.

After nearly five miles of up (1,588’ per the “Every Trail” app on Dick’s iPhone) and down (1,345’) hiking we looped our way back to the parking lot in just under three hours and set up our “Final Exam” feast in the nearby picnic area.  Wendy recited a special poem to honor Stan for filing in for her while she recovered from breaking her leg, and she and Ted presented Stan with bottles of Scotch to mark his “retirement” as hike leader.

Here’s a bird’s-eye-view of the route we took:


and the changes in elevation:

“Final Exam” Hike Photos Now On-Line!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during this week’s “Final Exam” Hike at Lake Lagunitas are now on-line.

View them on the blog or click here for the on-line album.

Sky Trail To Bear Valley Hike (12/14) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore this week for our last outing of 2010.

The trail is about 7.3 miles long, but a lot of it is fairly level, so it's a bit easier than the distance implies. This is a shuttle hike, so CALL WENDY AT 457-3949 or send her an e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net if you are coming! Note the earlier than usual meeting time at Bear Valley.

Directions to trailhead: We’ll meet at Bear Valley at 9:20 a.m. and carpool to Sky Trail.  When we get to Mt. Wittenberg we’ll go down Old Pine to the Bear Valley Trail. We’ll need some people who are not in a rush to drive people back to Sky Trail.

Restrooms at Bear Valley, none at Sky Trail trailhead, but some as we pass Coast Camp.

Carpool leaves St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 8:45 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday evening, December 8, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny with a high near 56 and a chance of rain.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  "G3 Sky Trailhead to Bear Valley" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, is a version of this hike although we usually go straight at Junction #1 shown on their map and continue on to Sky Camp rather than take the detour up to Mt. Wittenberg (which we do on a separate loop hike from the Sky Trail trailhead) and then back down to the Sky Trail before continuing on to the Old Pine Trail, Divide Meadow and on to Bear Valley.  (Click here for the Seashore's South District Hiking Map which shows these trails).

The following Google Earth image gives a bird's eye view of where we'll be hiking:

Bahia Hike Photos Now On-Line!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week’s Bahia Hike are now on-line.

View them on the blog or click here for the on-line album.

Lake Lagunitas “Final Exam” Hike (12/7) Preview

We return to the MMWD watershed for our final hike of the Fall 2009 "2" session.  Here's what we'll be doing:  "We make a partial circle around the lake, looking for ring-neck ducks, mergansers, grebes and other birds, and then make a loop past Pilot Knob, returning on Southern Marin Line. We usually see newts and some interesting mushrooms on this hike. Bring your contribution to our gourmet feast, plus a plate, utensils, and a cup."  (Click here for a recap of our December 2009 "Final Exam" hike at this location).

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard into Fairfax. Jog left and make an immediate right in front of the movie theater. The first left puts you on Bolinas Avenue. Follow this until you see the sign on your left for Lake Bon Tempe and Lake Lagunitas. Follow the road to the toll booth by Sky Oaks Ranger Station. (Click here for the MMWD map and directions). The continue past to toll booth until you reach the end of the room.

The day use fee is $8.  You can use $1, $5, or $10 bills and coins at the automated pay station, or a Visa or Mastercard. Annual entrance passes are normally $60 ($30 for those 62 and older), but after September 1st you can buy one for half of those prices and the pass will be valid through January 31, 2011.  (You can pay the annual pass fee at the automated pay station.  Keep one part of the receipt which is a temporary pass good for two weeks, then: 1) stop at the Sky Oaks Ranger Station on the way out and ask them to send the other half of your receipt to the main office in Corte Madera which will issue the permanent pass and mail it to you, or 2) send or take the receipt to the main office yourself).

Time: 30 minutes from College of Marin. Restrooms in parking lot.

Weather forecast:  As of Tuesday evening, November 30, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and a high near 58 . (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast).

More on this hike:  Hike "C16 - Lakeview FR to Pilot Knob" in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, sets out a shorter hike than we'll be doing; instead of following the Pilot Knob trail back to the parking lot, we'll take a longer route back by continuing eastward and then looping back the west, picking up the Southern Marin Line Road (called the Filter Plant Road on the Martin's map). (Click here to view, zoom in on, and print a map of the MMWD watershed lands).

Muir Woods Hike (11/23/10) Photos Now On-Line!

Photos that Theresa Fisher shot during this week’s hike up the Dipsea and down the Ben Johnson Trail in Muir Woods are now on-line. 

View them on the blog or click here to go the on-line album.

CORRECTED WINTERIM HIKE LIST

The Tuesday Winterim Hike List which Wendy sent out via e-mail erroneously showed us doing the Pine Mountain/Elliott Nature Preserve Hike on Tuesday, January 25th, and the Sky Oaks to Deer Park “Final Exam” hike on Wednesday, January 26th.

We will not be doing the Pine Mountain Hike; the “Final Exam” hike will be Tuesday, January 25th from Sky Oaks to Deer Park.  (Click here to view and print a corrected list of the Winterim hikes).

The first hike of the College of Marin Winter session will be on Tuesday, February 1, 2011.  Class registration opens on January 3rd.

Summer in November: Sky Oaks (11/16/10)

Early Fall rains suggested that most of our pre-holiday outings would be wet endeavors, but we had short-sleeve shirt weather and temperatures near 80 when we hiked the Sky Oaks area in mid-November.

This loop hike began and ended at the parking area just beyond the pay station at Sky Oaks.  We began by hiking north past the ranger station, then down the Taylor Trail.  Once we reached the broad Concrete Pipe Fire Road we turned south and walked about three-quarters of a mile to Five Corners, a stopping point when we do the hike from Deer Park to Phoenix Lake and back up the Shaver Grade.

After a short porta-potty and rehydration break, we descended the Concrete Pipe Fire Road, than climbed steeply up the Madrone Trail to the top of Pumpkin Ridge which we followed north until reaching a broad meadow with views of Mount Tam where we took our lunch stop.

Wendy joined us for this outing, but decided to call it a day shortly after lunch and took a rest break along the side of the paved road while the rest of us walked the remaining mile or so back to our waiting cars.

Recent rains caused a “mushroom bloom” and created damp living conditions for banana slugs, a spirobolid millipede, slender salamanders, and a scorpion.  But the warm weather lured a rattlesnake out to the trail for close (but unbitten) encounter with Susan Pearson.

At the end of the day we had traversed a 4.4 mile up and down loop through the forest.



Although the Concrete Pipe Fire Road is fairly level, the last half of the hike involved a significant elevation gain.

Sky Oaks Photos Now On-Line!

Photos that Theresa Fisher shot during our 11/16/10 Sky Oaks hike are now on-line.

View them on the blog or click here to view the on-line album.

Bahia Hike (11/30/10) Preview

For our next hike we'll head north to the Novato area and do some bird watching on a portion of the Marin County Open Space lands. (Click here for a recap of last year’s hike).

Since this hike involves minimal up and down slope walking Wendy plans to join us again this week.  Here's her description of the outing: "This is a wonderful birding area and the ducks and shore birds are all back in Marin! We can expect green-winged teal, northern shovelers, American avocets, yellowlegs, and more. Bring binoculars if you have them.”  (Click here for a list of species that can be found in this area).

Directions to trailhead: Take Highway 101 and exit on Atherton Avenue in Novato. Go east, until Bugeia Lane splits left and Atherton goes right. Take Bugeia which becomes Bahia and park at the end of the street. 
Driving time from College of Marin: 35 minutes. No restrooms.  Carpoolers can meet around 9:10-20 a.m. at the Terra Linda Park & Ride lot on the east side of Highway 101 at the Smith Ranch Road exit.
  
Weather forecast: As of Tuesday, November 23, the weather forecast for this hike was mostly sunny with a high near 56. (Click here for an updated National Weather Service forecast).

More on this hike: Hiking in this particular areas isn't covered by any of the trail guides which Dick Jordan has, but you can click here for the Marin County Open Space District's description of the Rush Creek area.  (Click here to view and print out a map of this area).

“Walking Wendy” Party (11/13/10)

Twenty-plus folks, including members of the Monday and Tuesday Meandering in Marin groups, gathered at Lake Lagunitas on Saturday, November 13, 2010 to officially celebrate Wendy’s return to the trail after three months of convalescence and rehab following surgery for the leg broken on the final day of her summer trip to Costa Rica.  (In case you’ve not been hiking with us this fall, recently Wendy has been joining us for portions of our weekly outings and has been given the okay to hike up and down hill as well as on the flat).

We began with a leisurely loop hike around the lake looking for turtles, coots, and acorn woodpeckers.  Wendy led a side excursion off the main trail to hunt for newts.

After a couple of hours we returned to the picnic area; champagne corks popped and four luscious desserts were devoured. (Click here for a brief YouTube video clip of the party).

Muir Woods (Dipsea to Ben Johnson) Hike (11/23) Preview

This week we head south in the County and back into the federal parklands.  Here's Wendy's description of the hike: "Instead of racing up the Dipsea, we’ll stop to admire ancient redwoods, beautiful views, and hopefully some mushrooms."  (Click here to read the recap of our 2/10/09 hike on these trails).

Directions to trailhead: From Highway 101 take the Stinson Beach exit, turn left (west) on Shoreline Highway, right on Panoramic Highway and left on Muir Woods Road. Meet at Muir Woods Parking Lot #2. Time: 35 minutes from College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead. (Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot near the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Highway 101 at 9:10 am).

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, November 17, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was partly sunny with a high near 56 and a chance of showers. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: We'll hike up the Dipsea Trail, then descend back to the floor of Muir Woods on the Ben Johnson Trail. (Click here to view and download the park trail map). If you have Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, you'll see that she proposes hiking this route in the reverse direction (up the Ben Johnson, down the Dipsea) from our plan, but her book will at least give you an idea of what our hike will be like.

Wendy Goes The Distance (Mostly) – Bear Valley (11/9/10)

When we gathered for our hike out the Bear Valley Trail at Point Reyes we had one “new” hiker in our Tuesday Meandering group:  Wendy.  She had recovered well enough from her broken leg to take a go at walking the flat portion of the trail.
 
After just a few minutes stroll from the parking lot we came across a miniature “housing development” just off the trail --- “condominium” spiders had spun little pied-a-terres in the bushes.  As the leafy canopy began to arch over our heads we found various varieties of mushrooms, including oysters and artist conks, attached to tree trunks as well as popping up in the shade along the edge of the trail.

Recent rains had sent water flowing down into the stream paralleling our route.  Ferns and wild ginger sprouted in the damp trailside.  A large hiking group from Novato headed past us as we lingered to check out the plant life.

As the trail became steeper, Wendy paused to consider whether her knee was up to climbing higher, but Bill gave her the “A-Ok” to continue and she accompanied us up to Divide Meadow where we lolled in the sun enjoying an earlier-than-usual lunch break.

Wendy took her leave when we returned to Bear Valley and set off uphill on the Woodpecker Trail.  We passed granary trees pocked with thousands of holes drilled by woodpeckers to store acorns for the winter.  We saw more mushrooms on the upper reaches of the trail before descending to the Morgan Horse Ranch near the visitors center.

The weather was sunny and pleasant during our excursion, but clouds heralding the arrival of rain later in the evening began to cover Bear Valley by the time we returned to our cars at end of our 4.4 mile hike.

Bear Valley Hike Photos Now On-Line!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher on this week’s Bear Valley Hike are now on-line.  Click here to view them or go to the Meandering blog.

Sky Oaks Hike (11/16/09) Preview

This week we'll in the MMWD watershed near Fairfax. Here's Wendy's description of the hike:

"This loop starts out in oak/bay/madrone habitat, but we'll also see redwoods and some grassland. If we've gotten some rain we should see mushroom including sulfur tufts, jack-o-lanterns, grisettes, Zeller's boletes, and manzanita boletes."  (Click here to read about our last hike in this general area on October 24, 2008). 

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard into Fairfax. Jog left and make an immediate right in front of the movie theater. The first left puts you on Bolinas Avenue. Continue on Bolinas Avenue until you see the sign on your left for Lake Bon Tempe and Lake Lagunitas.

After making the left-hand turn off Bolinas Avenue, follow the road to the toll booth by Sky Oaks Ranger Station. (Click here for the MMWD map and directions).

The day use fee is $8.  You can use $1, $5, or $10 bills and coins at the automated pay station, or a Visa or Mastercard. Annual Sky Oaks parking passes are normally $60 ($30 for those 62 and older), but after September 1st you can buy one for half of those prices and the pass will be valid through January 31, 2011.  (You can pay the annual pass fee at the automated pay station.  Keep one part of the receipt which is a temporary pass good for two weeks, then: 1) stop at the Sky Oaks Ranger Station on the way out and ask them to send the other half of your receipt to the main office in Corte Madera which will issue the permanent pass and mail it to you, or 2) send or take the receipt to the main office yourself).

Time: 25 minutes from College of Marin. Portapotty in parking lot.  Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s about 9:15-9:25 a.m. 

Weather forecast: As of Friday, November 12, the weather forecast for this hike was sunny with a high near 67. (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast). 

More on this hike: Hike “C12 Taylor-Concrete Pipe-Bullfrog Fire Road” in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the area where we will be hiking (our route may differ) in this part of the MMWD watershed.  (Click here to view and print the MMWD map of this area).

Ups And Downs (Marincello Hike, 11/2/10)

Stan forgot to mention the “up” part.  That’d be the long, straight up part.

After our usual pre-hike confab next to the Tennessee Valley parking lot, we began the long 1.7 mile slog up the steep Marincello Road.  Shortly after setting out, we stopped near the location of a gatehouse to the Marincello development which would have created a “planned community” of homes and commercial properties in the Marin Headlands. The gatehouse is long gone and the Marincello site ultimately became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Update On The Meandering Blog

Just a reminder for “old” as well as “new” Tuesday Meanderers with OCIPD (Obsessive Compulsive iPhone Disorder) that in addition to the “regular” Meandering blog (http://meanderingtuesdays.blogspot.com/) there is a  much easier to read on an iPhone version of the blog at (http://meanderinginmarinontuesdays.wordpress.com).


Photos from each hike appear first in the “Latest Meandering Photos” on-line Picasa Web Album; the following week those photos are moved to an album for that hike’s location. Go to the “Photo Albums” page of the blog to find the photos from those past hikes. (So the “Latest” album has the photos Theresa Fisher shot when we did the Marincello hike; photos from the previous week’s hike are now in the “China Camp” album).

Bear Valley Hike (11/9) Preview

Bear Valley in Point Reyes National Seashore is home to one of the largest acorn woodpecker colonies in California! Walk the trail where in the 1880’s visitors could take an excursion by wagon “for miles and miles through a tree canopied glen, banked with ferns.”  We’ll hike out Bear Valley Trail and have lunch at Divide Meadow. Restrooms at trailhead and lunch.  Wendy plans on joining us for a portion of the hiking.

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west from Fairfax. Turn right at Olema and make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. From Bear Valley Road. turn left to the Visitor’s Center.

Time: 50 minutes from College of Marin.  Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s Church in Fairfax at 9:00-9:10 a.m.  Restrooms at trailhead and lunch stop.

Weather forecast:  As of Friday, November 4, the National Weather Service forecast for Tuesday’s hike was mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain and a high near 60.  (Click here for an updated forecast; you can also check the real-time weather at the Visitor Center).

More on this hike:  Hike “F2 Bear Valley – Meadow – Horse Trails” in the Martins’ book, Hiking Marin, shows the route from the Bear Valley Visitor Center to Divide Meadow.  Hike “F1 Bear Valley Interpretive Trails” shows the area near the Visitor Center where we may hike if time permits.  (You can find the Bear Valley to Divide Meadow Trail on the park’s South District Trail Map; there is a separate map of the trails near the Visitor Center).

Marincello Hike Photos Now On-line!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during our November 2nd Marincello hike out of Tennessee Valley are now on-line.  You can view them by clicking here or going to the Meandering blog.

China Camp Ramble (10/26/10)

(Dick Jordan was driving back from Santa Barbara during this hike, so Theresa Fisher kindly wrote this recap of the outing.  The photos are hers; click here to view more that she took during the hike.)

After experiencing the first Bay Area rain storm of the season, we all were happy that the skies had cleared the day prior to our first Tuesday Fall 2 hike, providing us with absolutely beautiful weather and dry trails. Although most of us were waiting at the Miwok Meadows parking area, Ted came to the rescue, driving up from Back Ranch Meadows, and let us know that we were supposed to meet at the “main entrance” (aka Back Ranch Meadows), beyond the campground kiosk. So we got back into our cars and retraced our tracks, parked along the street and took about a 7-minute walk into the appropriate gathering spot, meeting up with Stan, Ted, Lee, and Jean.

After welcoming “newbies,” Hanna and Julie, Stan passed out the “what to look for sheet” based on the “What Did We See” info. from previous hikes in the same area. After that we headed off, passed the mountain lion warning sign, some energized by the pre-hike walk but about 15 minutes later than scheduled.

Stan warned us that the first part of the hike was uphill and that a very short portion was steep. After about 15 minutes or so some of us started wondering what the definition of “very short” was. Oh yeah, that was only the “steep” part, not the “up” part. Finally, after gaining about 500 feet in ½ mile, we leveled off and were able to enjoy a mostly level walk for the duration of the hike.

Even though hikers have right-of-way over bikes, we occasionally made room on the side of the trails for the dozen or so bikers who passed us by, huffing along in their Lance Armstrong-like garb. Does anyone remember when bikers used to ride in “normal” clothes? Guess that’s not de rigueur anymore.

We passed marshland, manzanitas, madrones, bays, and oaks. There were lots of fresh looking goldback ferns along much of the trails and, of course, there had to be made one ceremonial “tattoo.”

Views to the south, overlooking Peacock Gap and beyond to “The City” prompted the removal of cameras from their respective pocket or cases for some shots of the vista.

At about 12:30, just as our stomachs began growling in earnest, we arrived at China Camp Village and were delighted to see Wendy and Bill. Wendy gave us a history lesson about the Village and told us to watch out for a certain plant that could be blooming, but we didn’t see it.

This area has a very interesting history. During the 1880s nearly 500 people  lived at China Camp Village, comprising of Chinese fisherman and their families, originally from Canton, China. Many originally came for the gold rush, then stayed to fish for grass shrimp. Over 90% of the shrimp they netted were dried and shipped to China or Chinese communities throughout the US. At one time there were three general stores, a marine supply store and a barber shop located here.

The camps thrived from the 1860s until the early 1900s, when declining catches and changes in laws governing the use of nets forced the fishermen out of the trade. The village later became a center for sport fishing. The area became a state park in 1977.

Wendy brought a great historical photograph of the area, complete with rows of 1930’s cars parked wherever possible. There’s a small but informative museum that helps tell the story of these hardy shrimp fisherman. Another fact: The Village was used extensively in the filming of the 1955 movie “Blood Alley” starring John Wayne. Maybe some of us will rent a DVD.

After lunch we hiked along the Shoreline Trail back to the starting point. Those of us who had parked along San Pedro Drive veered right prior to reaching this point, as a short cut to our cars.
This was a longer than usual hike. According to GPS data it began at 9:54AM, where we met, and ended at 2:44PM, at the cars parked off the street, for a total of 8.2 miles. Our feet and legs could tell it was longer than usual, as well. But no complaints.

Tennessee Valley Hike (11/2) Preview

Fall 1’s "Final Exam" hike took us from Tennessee Valley north towards Mill Valley, then west toward the ocean, before looping back to the start.
This week's loop hike will take us south from Tennessee Valley and features panoramic views of the Bay.

You’ll appreciate the fact that it’s open space as you learn about Marincello, a city of 30,000 (per Wikipedia: the exact number may vary depending on the source you consult about the history of the development) that was planned for this area! (See photo of a model of Marincello at the left).

We may see hawks like the Northern harrier, brush rabbits, and even a coyote. (Click here for a recap of last October’s hike). 

Directions to trailhead:  Take the Stinson Beach exit from Highway101. Follow signs to Stinson Beach and Muir Woods, then turn left on Tennessee Valley Road and take it to the parking lot at the end.

Time: 40 minutes from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot between 9:00-9:15 am. Portables at trailhead. 

One section can be very muddy, so waterproof your hiking boots if we’ve had any rain!  Hiking poles can be helpful, particularly on one steep downhill stretch of the trail.

Weather forecast:  As of Friday, October 29, the National Weather Service forecast for the area of our hike is mostly sunny with a high near 69.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  You won't find this hike described in either the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, or Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's Exploring Point Reyes Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  Look instead at the GGNRA Marin Headlands trail map.  We'll head up the Marincello and Bobcat Trails, do a sharp turn and head down the Alta and Oakwood Valley Trails, then cross Tennessee Valley Road and walk west on the Rhubarb Trail until we get back to the parking lot.