Another Overflowng Reservoir

Sue Rosenthal of the Monday Meanderers reports that Nicasio Reservoir is sending water over its spillway.  (In today's San Francisco Chronicle Tom Stienstra said that Alpine Lake is overflowing, too).

A week ago, MMWD reported that its seven reservoirs were collectively 82% full, up from the 79% average for January 24, and well above the 54% figure for last year.

UPDATE (Sunday, 9:45 pm): The Search for Silvia

Here is the latest e-mail from Bill Dreskin in case you did not receive his e-mail:

Dear Friends of Silvia,

 

Wendy and I really appreciate all your concern, support, suggestions, and encouragement.  It has meant a great deal to us.  We know that everyone is feeling this loss and our thoughts and wishes go out to all of you.   

 

The law enforcement at Point Reyes still has nothing new to report in their investigation.

However, Wendy and I have received some new information and also some clarification on a few points.  We have been in communication with many people including a close friend of Katherine Truitt, surfers who were at Point Reyes Beach North at the time of Silvia's disappearance, and Silvia's friend Janet, who had lunch with Silvia on the Friday before her disappearance.

 

This new information has led us to conclude that Silvia and Hettie were probably hit by a rogue wave.  We now feel, given this new information, that the abduction of Silvia is much less likely, despite the disappearance without a trace of Katherine Truitt of Alameda at McClure's Beach on January 8.  All things considered, we feel that the rogue wave scenario for Silvia is much more likely than some malicious criminal activity.  We know that there is information and circumstances that support either view.  We very much respect and appreciate all of your views on this very sad situation, and we appreciate that many people have leanings toward or have come to a different conclusion about Silvia's disappearance.  We are happy to continue helping anyone who wants to pursue the missing person investigation and distribute more posters.

 

It was a difficult and painful decision for Wendy and I to be involved in a poster campaign and missing person search, and we realized that by acting on that possibility, that this might cause even more pain and upset for some people.  We felt, as many people did, that if there was any reasonable chance Silvia was still alive and could be found, even a small chance, that we should pursue that.   We are very sorry if considering abduction as a possibility somehow caused some additional concern, upset, or grief for anyone. 

 

We now feel the following is a likely scenario.  Silvia arrived at the parking lot at around 12:10 PM, walked out to the beach with Hettie on her leash, leaving the other two dogs and her valuables in her locked car.  She was then within a very short time hit by a rogue wave coming up onto the beach, perhaps 100 feet or more up onto the beach compared to the regular wave sets.  Silvia drowned and Hettie managed to get out by swimming and/or by being deposited back on the beach by a subsequent normal wave. 

 

For those who want some additional details, here is an update on the information we have on Silvia's disappearance on Sunday, January 24 at Point Reyes National Seashore

 

·         Silvia bought books at the Bear Valley Visitor Center at the Seashore about 11:41 AM Sunday morning.  The driving time from Bear Valley Visitor Center to the Point Reyes Beach North parking lot is about 22 to 25 minutes.

·         Meanderers who know Silvia know that she would have stayed well clear of rought surf unless Hettie had entered it and Silvia was compelled to follow or try to rescue her dog Hettie.  Silvia often did walk Hettie separate from her other two dogs.

·         Surfers and others using the beach at about that same time were interviewed and some re-interviewed, but no one saw Silvia or anything suspicious behavior or activity.  Most surfers reported that there had been no rogue waves while they were surfing at the beach, but one surfer reported a 30 foot wave once or twice. The baseline was 8 foot waves during that time frame.  Rogue waves can occur in calm or rough or stormy seas, and can occur even in protected areas like Drakes Beach or Tomales Bay.

·         Hettie was found by Avery, a woman who works at KGO.  Hettie's leash was tangled or wedged between some rocks very near to the beach parking lot.  After observing Hettie for five to ten minutes, she was driven to Drakes Beach by Avery.  At Drakes Beach, Hettie was checked by a ranger there.   Hettie's leash was wet, and her coat was damp.  The Ranger there felt that the damp coat was from humidity and not from having been in the ocean, but we feel that it was misinterpreted and that the leash and her coat were likely damp from the sea. 

·         There was an extensive search of the area done by Rangers and teams of volunteers including using a GPS grid quadrant, teams with search dogs, helicopters, and more than 100 volunteers over a period of several days, and there has been a lot of media coverage as you know.   Silvia's route was tracked in the parking lot by the search dogs, but there was no scent or trail on the beach. 

·         The disappearance of a 37 year-old woman, Katherine Truitt, from Alameda at McClure's Beach (a few miles to the north of where Silvia was) on Friday, January 8 remains unsolved.  Her family said Truitt has been hiking the area on and off for 20 years.  Rangers from the Point Reyes National Seashore saw her Ford Ranger parked in the McClure's Beach parking lot on Friday and became suspicious when it remained in the same spot Saturday.  Her family and friends remain very concerned about the circumstances in Katherine's disappearance, especially in light of Silvia's disappearance.

·         The Rangers report that they still have had no credible leads or tips.

·         Silvia's computer and answering machine have been checked by law enforcement.  Although it was considered by the Park Rangers, they said there is nothing at this time to suggest the possibility that a patient from Silvia's past work as a psychiatric nurse was involved in her disappearance.  

 

Thanks so much for all your help and support.

 Bill and Wendy

(415) 457-3949

bdreskin@comcast.net

Alpine Lake Overflows

In the Sunday, January 31st edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, outdoor writer Tom Stienstra tells us something we should have guessed ourselves:  Water is cascading over the spillway at Alpine Dam.  Click here to read his story.

UPDATE (Friday, 5:30 pm): The Search for Silvia

In case you did not receive the latest e-mail from Wendy and Bill, here it is:

Dear Friends of Silvia,

 

Wendy and I really appreciate all your help and continued efforts to try to locate Silvia!  So far there is still no clear explanation in the disappearance and loss of a dear friend.

 

One suggestion, in addition to placing a poster on the inside of the side rear window (not rear window) of your car, is to email the Silvia missing poster, as a an attached JPEG file, to everyone in your email address book who lives in California.  You could send a brief note or explanation and request that they print out copies of the poster and post them in conspicuous places (libraries, shopping centers, etc.).  In that way, we could greatly broaden the poster coverage area.

 

At present, there are facts and circumstances supporting a rogue wave/rip current/rough seas theory, and also facts and circumstances that contradict that theory and suggest an abduction or criminal act.  Park Rangers are still actively investigating the case as of this morning.  Her missing persons case # is NPS 10-0027.  The Rangers feel that the ocean theory is more likely.   And they feel there are problems with offering a missing persons reward in terms of them fielding or following additional false leads, and also concern about other people themselves getting into trouble scuba diving out there (dangerous currents), etc. in response to a reward offer.  They also expressed concern about the possibility of habitat destruction if groups of people responded to an offer of a reward.

 

For those who want some details on the investigation, here is an update on Silvia's disappearance on Sunday, January 24 at Point Reyes National Seashore.  Not much additional information has come in or been made public.

• Silvia bought books at the Bear Valley Visitor Center at the Seashore about 11:41 AM Sunday morning.  The driving time from Bear Valley Visitor Center to the Point Reyes Beach North parking lot is about 22 to 25 minutes.
• Hettie, Silvia's youngest Yellow Lab, was seen about 12:30 pm.  Accounts vary as to whether the dog's leash at some point might have been caught in some rocks along Point Reyes Beach's north end, was tied to a rock, or whether Hettie was just running loose in the area.
• The Park Ranger who first found Silvia's dog Hettie running loose in the parking lot on Sunday, and who is a Lab owner himself, told Karen that Hettie definitely had not been in the ocean when he found her, and was only slightly damp from the weather (fog).  He said he was concerned about the nature of Silvia's disappearance.  Silvia's two other dogs and her valuables were found locked in her car.
• Presumably Silvia would have been on the beach or in the parking lot area for about 25 minutes before Hettie was discovered and Silvia went missing.
• Meanderers who know Silvia know that she would have stayed well clear of the surf unless Hettie had entered it and Silvia was compelled to follow or try to rescue the dog. 
• Surfers and others using the beach at about that same time were interviewed and some re-interviewed, but no one saw Silvia or anything suspicious behavior or activity.  They reported that there had been no rogue waves while they were surfing at the beach. One surfer reported a 30 foot wave once or twice, but the other surfers reported only 8 foot waves during that time frame and no rogue waves.
• There was an extensive search of the area done by Rangers and teams of volunteers including using a GPS grid quadrant, teams with search dogs, helicopters, and more than 100 volunteers over a period of several days, and there has been a lot of media coverage as you know. 
• The disappearance of a 37 year-old woman, Katherine Truitt, from Alameda at McClure's Beach (a few miles to the north of where Silvia was) on Friday, January 8 remains unsolved. Her family said Truitt has been hiking the area on and off for 20 years.  Rangers from the Point Reyes National Seashore saw her Ford Ranger parked in the McClure's Beach parking lot on Friday and became suspicious when it remained in the same spot Saturday.  Her family and friends remain very concerned about the circumstances in Katherine's disappearance, especially in light of Silvia's disappearance. 
• The Rangers report that they still have had no credible leads or tips.
• Silvia's computer and answering machine have been checked by law enforcement.  Although it was considered by the Park Rangers, they said there is nothing at this time to suggest the possibility that a patient from Silvia's past work as a psychiatric nurse was involved in her disappearance.  

We are still hoping for a miracle and will continue this search.

Thanks to all!

 

Bill and Wendy

(415) 457-3949

bdreskin@comcast.net

Sky Trial to Mt. Wittenberg Hike (2/2) Preview

This loop has spectacular views of the estero and the ocean! (Yes, we do have to hike uphill to earn this reward.) Lunch at a scenic spot on Mt. Wittenberg. Last year we saw Amanita muscaria, Zeller’s boletes, Pleated Marasmius, and lots of other mushrooms, as well as the start of some spring wildflowers! Level and downhill after lunch.  (Click here for a recap of the hike we took on January 27, 2009).

Directions to Trailhead:  Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. west to Olema. Turn right on Route 1, then make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. Continue past the turn-off to Park Headquarters (stop here if you need a restroom) and go left on Limantour Road. Trailhead is 3.3 miles from this turn at the crest of the road. The parking lot is on your left.

50 minutes from College of Marin. No restrooms at trailhead. We’ll pass some at Sky Camp about 10:30 a.m.  Carpoolers should meet at St. Rita's around 8:35-8:40 a.m., and depart around 8:45 a.m. (to allow time for a restroom break at Bear Valley) and 9:00 a.m. at the latest (if driving directly to the trailhead).

Weather forecast:  As of Friday morning, January 29, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly cloudy with chance of rain and a high near 53.  (Click here for an updated forecast).  Trees and the ridgeline give some protection from the rain, but be sure to pack your raingear.  Last year we had beautiful sunny weather; two years ago rain forced us to forego lunch atop Mt. Wittenburg and eat elsewhere after the end of the hike.

More on this hike:  We'll do a variation on the 4.6 mile hike "G1 Sky-Horse-Z Ranch Trails" in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin. Presumably we'll do this hike in reverse, going from Junction 1 to 4, then to 3, to 2, and back to 1 before returning to the trailhead.  (Click here for the park's South District Hiking Map which shows these trails).

UPDATE (Thursday, 1/28/10, 1 PM): Search for Silvia

In case you did not receive Bill Dreskin's e-mail Thursday afternoon, here is the latest on the search for Silvia Lange:

Please use

bdreskin@comcast.net

to email Wendy or Bill.  We use AOL only for sending group emails because of a Comcast technical issue.

 

Updated 1 PM Thursday January 28, 2010

 

Dear Friends of Silvia,

 

Here is an update on Silvia's disappearance.  Wendy and I really appreciate all your help and efforts to try to locate Silvia!  So far there is no word as to her whereabouts.

 

Theories about her disappearance:

1) Swept away by a rogue wave, rough surf, and/or rip current.  Possibly ventured near to the surf to aid or rescue her Lab puppy Hettie.  Other similar scenarios.

2) Abduction

 

Rogue waves are of course a real phenomenon, sometimes resulting in drowning; however they are rare.  Wendy and I have been hiking the various beaches (Drakes Bay and ocean side beaches) at Point Reyes for many decades in all kinds of weather conditions and storms, and we have never seen or experienced a single rogue wave (sleeper wave, sneaker wave). 

 

Here is an updated summary, originally drafted by Dick Jordan, relating to Silvia Lange's disappearance on Sunday, January 24 at Point Reyes National Seashore.

• Silvia bought books at the Bear Valley Visitor Center at the Seashore about 11:30 AM Sunday morning.  The driving time from Bear Valley Visitor Center to the Point Reyes Beach North parking lot is about 22 to 25 minutes.
• Hettie, Silvia's youngest Yellow Lab, was seen about 12:30 pm.  Accounts vary as to whether the dog's leash was caught in some rocks along Point Reyes Beach's north end, tied to a rock, or whether Hettie was running loose in the area.
• The Park Ranger who first found Silvia's dog Hettie in the parking lot on Sunday, and who is a Lab owner himself, told Karen yesterday that Hettie definitely had not been in the ocean when he found her, and was only slightly damp from the weather.  He said he was concerned about the nature of Silvia's disappearance.  Silvia's two other dogs were found locked in her car.
• Presumably Silvia would have been on the beach or in the parking lot area for about 30 to 35 minutes before Hettie was discovered and Silvia went missing.
• Meanderers who know Silvia know that she would have stayed well clear of the surf unless Hettie had entered it and Silvia was compelled to follow or try to rescue the dog. 
• Surfers using the beach at about that same time were interviewed, but did not see Silvia or anything suspicious.  They reported that there had been no rogue waves while they were surfing at the beach.
• There was an extensive search of the area done by Rangers and teams of volunteers including using a GPS grid quadrant, teams with search dogs, helicopters, and more than 100 volunteers over a period of several days, and there has been a lot of media coverage as you know. 
• The disappearance of a 37 year-old woman, Katherine Truitt, from Alameda at McClure's Beach (a few miles to the north of where Silvia was) on Friday, January 8 remains unsolved. Her family said Truitt has been hiking the area on and off for 20 years.  Rangers from the Point Reyes National Seashore saw her Ford Ranger parked in the McClure's Beach parking lot on Friday and became suspicious when it remained in the same spot Saturday.

What is being done now in this search?

 

We have been in touch with Silvia's nephew and niece, John Prodan and Karen Bleazard and they are both very much involved with this search process.  There is the possibility of an expanded law enforcement investigation.  We are coordinating the distribution of the missing persons poster in Marin and around the Bay Area.  (The original Park Service poster left much to be desired - wrong hair color, wrong name spelling, ambiguous location, etc.).  If you need posters or need a poster sent to you by email, or need information about distributing them, please contact us.  Suggestion: place a poster facing out on the inside of the left rear side window in your car.  Many people will then see this wherever you go!  

 

If you have any information about Silvia or any leads, please call us, and also call Point Reyes National Seashore at (415) 464-5170 (9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, 7 days a week) or after hours, call Marin County Sheriff's office at (415) 479-2311.

 

We will of course keep you posted.

 

Wendy and I are quite saddened and upset by the whole situation and the loss of a very dear friend.  We know that you are all going through this.  We still hope for a miracle and will continue this search for answers.

 

Thanks to all!

 

Bill and Wendy

 

(415) 457-3949

bdreskin@comcast.net

UPDATE ON DISTRIBUTION OF SILVIA MISSING PERSONS POSTER

Here is updated information on poster volunteer coverage (as of 3:45 pm, Wednesday):

Angel Island   Peggy M

Berkeley Marina         Jean Mullen

Bolinas     Aimy's daughter Bethany

Corte Madera    Nate  (Book Passage will post at Dick Jordan's request)

East San Rafael (Montecito, Whole Foods)       Sharon Bozic

Fairfax    Neil and Cathy Munderloh

Inverness    Karin Thorensen

Larkspur     Nate

Marinwood and Terra Linda   Clare Zemarkoitz

Mill  Valley   Christina Oldenburg

Novato   (incl dog park and Cheese Factory)  Peggy M and Pegge Fuchs

Petaluma and Santa Rosa   

                  Cathy Cannon and Robin Joseph (Volunteer Coordinator Angel Island   4joseph@pon.net)  

Pt. Reyes Station   Peggy Fuchs

Richmond's Point Isabel Dog Park (courtesy of Dick Jordan's friend, John Stashik)

Ross  Wendy

San Anselmo   Wendy

San Rafael downtown, ferry and coffee places

community center and the San Rafael markets   Peggy M

Santa Venetia and IVC    Linda Oquist

Sausalito and Tennessee Valley       Don Beers

Sausalito (Bay Model posts at Dick Jordan's request)

Stinson    Christina

Tam Valley    Christina

Tiburon (local markets & Blackies Pasture)    Heather

Thanks to all the poster volunteers!

UPDATE (Tuesday, 11:30 pm) on Search for Silvia

Press coverage may be causing more aggressive inquiry into Silvia's disappearance. On Tuesday evening Silvia's nephew told Wendy that several National Park Service rangers at the district level have been brought into the investigation and that a "tip" line (number not available yet) has been set up.

The latest Marin I-J story was posted on the newspaper's Web site shortly after 7 p.m. on Tuesday.  However, Bay Area TV stations did not provide updated coverage for the story on their Web sites and presumably will not do so on their late evening live news broadcasts.

NEW! DISTRIBUTION OF SILVIA MISSING PERSON POSTER

As of Tuesday 1/26, here is fairly complete list of missing person poster coverage to send out to Monday and Tuesday Meanderer list to try to minimize duplication.  Please e-mail Wendy and Bill Dreskin when anyone adds an area they have covered and that is not yet on this list, so they can keep track and coordinate.

Silvia Poster Areas Already Covered (important categories: dog parks, dive shops, hiking areas)

Berkeley Marina:         Jean Mullen

Bolinas:                      Aimy's daughter Bethany

Corte Madera:           Nate

East San Rafael (Montecito, Whole Foods):  Sharon Bozic

Fairfax:                      Neil and Cathy Munderloh

Inverness:                  Karin Thorensen

Larkspur:                   Nate

Marinwood and Terra Linda:   Clare Zemarkoitz

Mill  Valley:               Christina Oldenburg

Novato   (incl dog park and Cheese Factory):  Peggy M and Pegge Fuchs

Ross:                        Wendy

San Anselmo:             Wendy

San Rafael downtown:   Peggy M

Santa Venetia and IVC:    Linda Oquist

Sausalito and Tennessee Valley:       Don Beers

Stinson:                                 Christina

Tam Valley:                           Christina

Placing Silvia missing posters placed on the inside in the left rear side window in your car is a very good idea!

UPDATE (Tuesday, 8 pm) on The Search for Silvia

Members of the Monday and Tuesday Meandering in Marin hiking groups met Tuesday afternoon at the home of Wendy and Bill Dreskin.  Facts related to Silvia Lange's disappearance on Sunday at Point Reyes National Seashore are unclear, but here is what is known or supposed to be true:

• Silvia bought books at the Bear Valley Visitor Center at the Seashore about 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
• Hettie, Silvia's youngest Yellow Lab, was seen about 12:30 pm.  Accounts vary as to whether the dog's leash was caught in some rocks along Point Reyes Beach's north end, tied to a rock, or whether Hettie was running loose in the area.
• Another park visitor apparently looked for, but was unable to find Hettie's owner, and took the dog to Seashore headquarters or the Visitor Center at Bear Valley.  
• Assuming that it would have taken a half hour or more for her to drive from the Visitor Center to the beach, Silvia would have been on the beach for a half-hour ore less before Hettie was discovered and Silvia went missing.
• There appear to be two possible explanations for Silvia's disappearance:  1) Sheer was struck by a wave and carried out to sea by a rip current; 2) a person or persons unknown abducted her.
• Meanderers who know Silvia assume that she would have stayed well clear of the surf unless Hettie had entered it and Silvia was compelled to follow to rescue the dog.  Surfers using the beach at about that time were interviewed, but did not see Silvia.
• The disappearance of a 37 year-old woman from Alameda at McClure's Beach (a few miles to the north of where Silvia was) approximately two weeks ago remains unsolved.
• Park officials have as yet been unable to determine whether Silvia and the Alameda woman were swept into the ocean, or taken from the park against their will.
• The search for Silvia continued today without results.

News broadcasts by Bay Area TV stations at 6 pm provided no further information on the efforts to locate Silvia.  The latest Marin-IJ report was posted on its Web site just after 7 pm Tuesday evening.

NEW SILVIA MISSING PERSON POSTER!!!!!

Bill Dreskin has just made a new missing person poster (shown at left) of Silvia.  The new poster features a more recent photo of Silvia and better instructions for reporting information related to her disappearance to officials in charge of the investigation and search efforts.  Tabs at the bottom of the poster (not shown in the image to the left) have the phone numbers for law enforcement staff at Point Reyes National Seashore (call during business hours) and Marin County Sheriff Department (for after hours calls).

At a meeting of members of the Monday and Tuesday Meandering groups held at Wendy and Bill's home today, plans were made for group members to help distribute the poster around Marin County.  (If you were not at the meeting, but would like to assist with this effort, e-mail Wendy and Bill and ask what areas our hikers have not already planned to cover).

Click here to view and print the poster.  (It has been uploaded to Scribd.com; you probably have to "register" in order to download a copy to your computer).  You will receive a separate e-mail with the poster (in .PDF format) attached to it, just in case you cannot print or download it from the Scribd.com site.

Meandering in Marin Blog Mailing List Updated

In order to easily keep everyone on the Monday and Tuesday Meandering groups updated on the search for Silvia Lange, Dick Jordan has created a new, separate mailing list for the Monday group members. 

Monday group members should now get new "posts" to the Meandering in Marin on Tuesday blog sent directly to their e-mail inboxes, and also have direct access to the blog (http://meanderingtuesdays.blogspot.com/).

If you hike on Mondays, but previously asked Dick to add you to the Tuesday group's mailing list, you may get duplicate copies of these e-mails.  If so, let Dick know, and he'll take your name off one of the mailing lists so you only get one e-mail each time the blog is updated.

Each e-mail should have an "unsubscribe" link near the bottom giving you the ability to remove yourself from the mailing list.  (If you try this and it doesn't work, just e-mail Dick and ask to be removed from the list).

If you have any questions about using the blog, e-mail Dick at: rhjordan@earthlink.net).

More YouTube Videos of Silvia

Here are two more short video clips of Silvia taken during Tuesday Meanders:

• Silvia and "The Christmas Mouse"
• Silvia Sings About Soup (and Dick, The Soup Chef)
  

Help Find Silvia

Bill and Wendy have sent out the following e-mail about Silvia:

"The possibility of a crime as well as the possibility of an ocean accident is now being considered and the sheriff's office has made up a missing person poster.  If you would like to help by distributing some, download and print the poster, put ones that will go outdoors in a plastic sleeve if possible, and let me know what area you plan to cover so we don't waste time overlapping.  Also think of any people who are not on this list that might help, and forward this email. Does anyone have access to a laminator?"

Here is the poster.  (You won't see it in the copy of this blog post that you receive in your e-mail, but you can view, download and print the poster from the link in the e-mail).

Silvia Missing Person Poster

Link to On-Line Album of Silvia Photos

If you have had trouble accessing the on-line album of photos of Silvia, click here.  (The original link may not have been working properly).

More Photos of Silvia

In addition to serving as a docent at Angel Island State Park and training service dogs, Silvia worked as a volunteer for the Marin Agricultural Land Trust.  Photos contributed by MALT, and also from Theresa Fisher of the Tuesday Meanderers, have been added to the on-line album of photos of Silvia.

At our December "Final Exam", Silvia sang the "Soup Song", then led us in singing "The Twelve Days of Meandering" (click here to view the YouTube video).

UPDATE/TUESDAY MORNING: Search for Silvia Continues

Silvia Missing Person Poster

The search for Silvia Lange was scheduled to resume again this morning.  No additional information is available.  Here are the latest reports from media Web sites:

• Marin I-J Tuesday morning paper
• SFGate.com (San Francisco Chronicle) 
• KTVU TV Channel 2

FINAL MONDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Searching for Silvia

Late night Bay Area newscasts added little information regarding the disappearance of Silvia Lange at Point Reyes National Seashore over the weekend.  The search for her has been suspended until Tuesday morning.

Monday and Tuesday Meanderers are invited to come to the home of Wendy and Bill Dreskin between 1:00 and 2:30 pm on Tuesday.  (Call Wendy at 415 457-3949 or e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net if you plan to attend).

Here are directions to Wendy and Bill's home at 10 East Court in San Anselmo:

Westbound on Sir Francis Drake Blvd, turn right on Butterfield Road (there's a right turn only lane), then left at the first stop sign which is Rutherford, then make the second right (which is a hard, uphill right) on Camino de Herrera, and then after traveling about 300 yards make a hard right onto Hillcrest Court (which says “No Outlet”) and bear right.  Continue to the end of Hillcrest Court., and make a left onto East Court.  East Court street ends in their driveway. 

Dick Jordan will post another update to the blog on Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: Silva Missing at Point Reyes

No new word on the KTVU Channel 2 news about the search for Silvia.  But here's the latest word from Wendy at 10:30 p.m.

"I talked to Silvia's nephew John who was out at the beach today.  Silvia bought some books at Bear Valley HQ around 11:30 and Hettie was found around 12:30, so with driving time to the beach she could not have been there long enough to have gone far.  They figure she was there half an hour at the max. The way the leash was tied there was "no way" Hettie could have tangled herself. 

"A lighter search will continue tomorrow but they are also proceeding with an investigation in case she was 'snatched' which is what John thinks.  Her purse was untouched in the car which was locked, so no motive of robbery. 

"There were surfers at the beach and they were interviewed. None of them noticed a woman in the water in trouble.  One would think if there'd been a giant sleeper (rogue)wave they would have noticed that since they are all about looking for big waves. There have been some missing person flyers made up.  I'll try to find out tomorrow how we can get hold of them and help put them around."

UPDATE: The Search for Silvia

As of 6:30 pm, Monday, news outlets had no new information to report on the search for Silvia Lange whose car and dogs were found at the North Beach area of Point Reyes National Seashore late Saturday.  SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle Web site carried a story this afternoon that pictured Silvia with her dogs and noted that a friend feared that Silvia had been struck by a wave and carried out to sea while walking one of the dogs on the beach.

Bay Area TV stations have been reporting on this story and presumably will have additional coverage tonight at 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Silvia Pictured Meandering in Marin

While the search for Silvia continues at Point Reyes, you can view this short pictorial reprise of her meanderings in Marin.

If you have photos of Silvia that you would like to share with the Monday and Tuesday hiking groups, please e-mail them to Dick Jordan.  (Compressed files will upload and download faster).

UPDATE: Search for Silvia; Gathering at Wendy's Tomorrow

As of midday on Monday, the Marin I-J reported that the search for Silvia Lange was continuing at Point Reyes National Seashore.  Rain and fog prevented a helicopter from assisting with the search in the morning.

Video reports on the search are available on the Web sites of KTVU Channel 2, and KGO-TV Channel 7.

Wendy and Bill Dreskin sent out the following e-mail to Meanderers:

"It seems like a time family should come together, and since we're all part of Silvia's family we'd like to invite people to drop by 1-2:30 p.m.  tomorrow to tell Silvia stories.  This is not a memorial which can always happen later if they give up the search, just a time to be together and think about how much she means to all of us. Please let us know if you can come."  (Call Wendy at 415 457-3949 or e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net).

Here are directions to Wendy and Bill's home at 10 East Court in San Anselmo:

Westbound on Sir Francis Drake Blvd, turn right on Butterfield Road (there's a right turn only lane), then left at the first stop sign which is Rutherford, then make the second right (which is a hard, uphill right) on Camino de Herrera, and then after traveling about 300 yards make a hard right onto Hillcrest Court (which says “No Outlet”) and bear right.  Continue to the end of Hillcrest Court., and make a left onto East Court.  East Court street ends in their driveway. 

UPDATE: Search for Siliva Lange Continues At Point Reyes

Earlier this morning the Marin I-J reported that Silvia Lange was missing at Point Reyes on Sunday.  Silvia worked as a volunteer for the Marin Agricultural Land Trust.  Later this morning, Elisabeth Ptak of MALT contacted Point Reyes National Seashore Superintendent Don Neubacher.  He said that they still have a search party using helicopters, dogs, and people on the ground, but have found no sign of Silvia as yet.

RAIN CANCELS 1/26 "FINAL EXAM" HIKE

Bad weather and the bad news about Siliva Lange have prompted Wendy to cancel tomorrow's Tuesday "Final Exam" hike. 

The College of Marin Winter Meandering session is scheduled to kick off next Tuesday, February 2nd, with the Sky Trail to Mt. Wittenberg loop hike.

Silvia Lange Reported Missing at Point Reyes

The Marin I-J has reported that Silvia Lange's car was found at the North Beach parking lot at Point Reyes National Seashore.  She apparently gone there with three of her dogs, two of which were found in the car and the third was found in that area. Rescue teams were planning to search for her through the night, if necessary. (Click here to read more from the newspaper story).

Dick spoke to Wendy on Monday morning, but learned that there was no additional information about Silvia's disappearance.  Rescue officials told Wendy that additional volunteers were not needed to assist with the search.

Further information will be posted to the Meandering blog, or sent out via e-mail from Wendy, as it becomes available.

Sky Oaks to Deer Park Final Exam Hike (Jan 26) Preview

Downhill and level! Maybe we’ll see the first milkmaids of the season!

Remember to bring plate, utensils, cups, and a delicious dish to share at the post-hike luncheon.

Directions to trailhead:  Meet at Deer Park to carpool. Take Bolinas Avenue in Fairfax, turn left on Porteous. (If you see Deer Park Villa you’ve gone a bit too far, turn around.) Go to the parking lot at the end. Drivers leave food in cars at Deer Park.

Restrooms at Deer Park and portable at Sky Oaks, and porta potty en route. Carpool from St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 9:25 a.m

Weather forecast:  As of Friday, January 22, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly cloudy, rain likely, with a high near 54.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  The Martins' book, Hiking Marin, does not have a hike that matches this one.  But their hikes "C 12 Taylor-Concrete Pipe-Bullfrog FR" and "C7 Deer Park FR-Canyon-Six Points" shows the the general area where we will be hiking as does the MMWD watershed map.

RAINOUT! PIne Mt. to Elliott Preserve Hike Canceled

Today's Pine Mountain to Elliott Preserve Hike has been canceled due to bad weather.  Stay dry.  Pray for sun for next week's "Winterim Final Exam."

A Call to Action: Save Marin's Coho Salmon

In December of 2008, Dick Jordan tried to organize a “Winterim” walk along Lagunitas Creek to look for Coho Salmon.  The walk would have been led by Dick’s friend, Megan Isadore, who works as a naturalist for SPAWN, the organization which campaigns for restoration of the salmon’s habitat.  Unfortunately, the lack of early to mid-December rain meant very few fish had returned to spawn, so your outing was canceled. Rainfall this year looked promising at first, but has not been enough to prompt an upstream flood of fish.  In fact, salmon, once numerous in this area, could disappear altogether.

On Friday morning, Dick received an e-mail from Megan calling on people to attend a meeting of the Marin County Board of Supervisors at the Lagunitas School on January 21st at 7pm when the Board will consider implementing a Salmon Enhancement Plan.  Megan asked those reading her e-mail to obtain ten signatures on an attached petition (which you can obtain and download by clicking here) to the Board and to return the petitions to SPAWN.

The text of Megan’s e-mail follows below.

Pine Mountain/Elliott Preserve Shutte Hike (Jan 19) Preview

SHUTTLE HIKE - NOTE EARLY STARTING, LATE ENDING TIME - CALL OR E-MAIL WENDY IF YOU ARE COMING.
This hike starts in oak/bay/madrone woodland, passes through chaparral, then heads down to a valley with a stream, passing some serpentine rock areas. We'll check out birds and mushrooms as we go.  (Click here for the recap of our hike in this area last January).

Directions to trailhead: We need some people to meet at the end of Cascade Drive in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m. If you have time pressure after class go there as well, since the car shuttle won’t get us back until a little after 2:00 pm. I will drive those drivers to the start of the hike.

Others should meet at the trailhead by taking the Bolinas-Fairfax Road past the Meadow Club (golf course) and up to the crest of the hill. Park in the parking lot across from the Pine Mountain Fire Road. It is a large dirt parking lot on your left, and the fire road is on the right. If you start going downhill and can see Lake Alpine, you’ve gone too far.

There maybe a porta potty at the trailhead. Carpool to the trailhead (not the end of Cascade Drive) from St. Rita's at 9:25 a.m. (Wendy won't be at St. Rita's she is going early to drive to the end of Cascade Drive.)

Weather forecast: Weather forecast: As of Thurssday, January 14th, the National Weather Service forecast for Fairfax for the day of the hike was cloudy, rain likely, with a high near 54. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: We'll be hiking on both MMWD watershed lands (click here for a map that you can view, zoom in on or print) and those of the Marin County Open Space District (click here for a description of the preserve in the Cascade area of Fairfax, or click here for a map of this area).

Hiking Lake to Lake: Alpine to Bon Tempe

As we met for this first post-holiday hike were joined by two "surprise" guests:  Karen Thorsen who had not been meandering with us in ages, and Earl The Pup, who came along for part of the hike with Walter and Janet.  After our rendezvous at Bon Tempe Dam, we engaged in a version of the Abbott & Costello "Who's On First?" routine trying to figure out who was driving to the trailhead and who could take drivers back to their cars at the end of the hike since at first blush it appeared that we were one car short of the necessary vehicles.  (Click here to view a You Tube video clip of us milling about).

After finally getting the logistics sorted, we headed west, crossed over Alpine Dam, and parked at the foot of the Cataract Trail.  From there it was all up, up, and up, through the bay forest on the steep, fern lined trail, climbing step after step made from railroad ties until we a level spot along the creek after half an hour and could take a break and do our usual "roundtable" recap of our activities since mid-December.  Then it was back uphill for another fifteen to twenty minutes until we crossed Cataract Creek and turned northeast onto the Helen Markt Trail.

We traversed the slopes above Alpine Lake, heading downhill, then uphill, until reaching our lunch spot on a small rocky beach just before 12:30 p.m.  Last year when we did this hike, it never got much above 40 degrees and small patches snow that had fallen a day or two before still lingered in the shaded areas along the trail.  This time the temperate was probably below 50 degrees when we set out, but quickly climbed into the mid to upper 50's and the sun was starting to shine when we stopped to eat.  After a half-hour of loafing, we were back on the trail, skirting the edge of Alpine Lake and finally, and hour an fifteen minutes later we were walking across the top of the dam at Bon Tempe Lake enjoy a fine winter afternoon.

Among the way we saw:  A rough-skinned newt, banana slugs, cormorants, widgeons, hawks (probably two kinds), more fungi than you could throw a stick at, and some milkmaids (flowers, not the kind that sit on three-legged stools and milk cows).  Click here for Wendy's complete list of flora and fauna spotted.

RAIN CANCELS 1/12 SAN GERONIMO RIDGE HIKE

In case you didn't receive Wendy's early morning e-mail, our hike today (January 12th) on San Geronimo Ridge has been canceled due to the bad weather.  Wendy says that "if you want to do this hike and are free on Monday, January 25, feel free to join the Monday group for that."

NEW UPDATE: Weather Forecast for Monday and Tuesday

As of 3 pm today (Monday, January 11), this was the National Weather Service forecast for today through Tuesday daytime:

Monday:Late Afternoon: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 57. South wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Monday Night: Rain likely, mainly after 10pm. Cloudy, with a low around 49. Breezy, with a south wind between 21 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tuesday: Rain. High near 56. Breezy, with a south wind 26 to 29 mph decreasing to between 16 and 19 mph. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

(Click here for an updated forecast).

How Now, Cut-Out Cow?

Last spring after we did the Soulajule hike, Dick Jordan moseyed off towards Santa Rosa, stopping to take photos along the way.  The one shown at left of a "Cut-Out Cow" nailed to a fence on the Marin-Sonoma County "border" is the "Photo of the Month" in the Marin Agricultural Land Trust's January 2010 e-Newsletter. 

Winter College of Marin Tuesday Hike List Now Available

The hike list for the Winter Meanderings on Tuesday hikes through the College of Marin is now on-line.  Click here to view and download it.  If you haven't registered for the Winter series which runs from February 2nd through March 16, click here.

CORRECTIONS - San Gergonimo Ridge Hike (Jan 12) Preview

Some minor corrections to the San Geronimo Hike Preview:  Since we're doing a somewhat shorter version of the hike we did in August, we'll start off by going up the Conifer Fire Road (not the Summit Drive Fire Road as last time) to reach the San Geronimo Ridge Fire Road.  The link to the MCOSD trail map was omitted in the original hike preview: Click here to view it.

These corrections have been made to the preview as posted on the Meandering blog.

San Geronimo Ridge Shuttle Hike (Jan. 12) Preview

We scouted this hike last summer and it was a winner! We will pass through a pygmy Sargaent cypress area, grasslands, and redwood habitat. There are muddy spots if it has rained, so wear hiking boots and waterproof them. About 600' elevation gain.  THIS IS A SHUTTLE HIKE; CALL OR E-MAIL WENDY IF YOU PLAN TO GO.

Directions to meeting point:  Meet 0.2 miles past the Shafter Bridge (and Cronin Fish Viewing Area parking lot) in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. There is some parking along the road here. We'll leave some cars and carpool to Conifer Way in Woodacre.  No restrooms at trailhead. Carpool from St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m.

Directions to trailhead from meeting point:  For those who will drive to the trailhead from the meeting point, here are directions to Conifer Way: Go east on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn right on Railroad Avenue. Set your odometer when you turn right on Carson Road. At the 0.6 mile mark you will see a sign saying Ivy that makes you think the name of the street as changed. Go right and you will still be on Carson. Go 0.2 miles to the junction of Carson and Conifer Way. (There is another junction of Carson and Conifer which you will pass and ignore.) Cars that can do an "unmaintained road" can turn left on Conifer Way and go to the top to park. Others with low clearance (like the Prius!) park at Carson and Conifer and we'll walk up.

Weather forecast:  As of Friday morning, January 8, the National Weather Service forecast for this area on Tuesday, January 12 was cloudy and rain likely with a high near 57. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  On this outing we'll be hiking through the County of Marin's Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve. After starting up the Conifer Fire Road, then head west along the San Geronimo Ridge Fire Road. (Click here for the MCOS District map which shows these trails). Barry Spitz' book, Open Spaces: Lands of the Marin County Open Space District, discusses this area.

The following Google Earth image shows the area we'll be hiking through; click on it to open a larger image in your Web browser: