We scouted this hike in August of 2009 and it was a winner, but rain cancelled our plan to repeat it last winter. 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.There is an elevation gain of about 600’.
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!
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 Tuesday, January 11, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was sunny with a high near 65. (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:
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