Bear Valley to Five Brooks Hike (5/31/10) Preview

We continue our "Summer at the Seashore" series of hikes this week by starting at the Bear Valley Visitor Center in Point Reyes National Seashore and hiking south to Five Brooks. (Dick Jordan was not on our June, 2010 hike, but here's the recap from the June, 2009 trek.)

Here's Wendy's description of the outing: "We’ll start by checking out dragonflies and birds on the pond at Five Brooks, then carpool to Bear Valley. This level hike takes us through Vedanta Retreat and Stewart Ranch back to Five Brooks."  THIS IS A SHUTTLE HIKE (CALL OR E-MAIL WENDY IF YOU'RE COMING: Home: 415 457-3949 E-mail: bdreskin@comcast.net).

Directions to trailhead:  We'll meet at Five Brooks at 9:30 am. Take Sir Francis Drake to Olema, turn left onto Highway 1, and continue south until you see the right hand turn off the highway to Five Brooks. We'll leave some cars at Five Brooks, so we'll need some drivers not in a hurry to head home after the hike to drive those who left their cars at the trailhead back to Five Brooks.

Restrooms (porta-potties) at Five Brooks and (real-deal flush toilets) at Bear Valley. Carpool from St. Rita at 9:00 am.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday afternoon, May 25th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was partly sunny, with a high near 62. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: Hike "F8 Five Brooks Trailhead to Bear Valley" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, does this 4.4 mile hike in the reverse direction from our trek. Our route will roughly parallel the San Andreas Fault which splits the Olema Valley down its middle.

After about a mile and a half we'll begin to cross the 2,000 acre parcel owned by the Vedanta Society of Northern California. Later we'll skirt the the historic Stewart Ranch. This trail is popular with equestrians, and we're likely to encounter horses and cattle along the way.

The elevation change is only 350' over the length of the trail, and many sections are quite flat or downhill. (Click here to view the Rift Zone Trail on the park's South District Trail Map).

The Google Earth image below gives you a bird's eye view of the route will follow; the Bear Valley parking lot is at the far right, and "Mill Pond" at the far left is at Five Brooks. The yellow line marked "Shoreline Highway" is Highway 1. (Click on the image to enlarge it in your Web browser).

A Wet Day At Rock Spring

It was a great day to be a newt, a bad day to be a rattlesnake. And it was a lousy day to be driving, too. Normally, we have bright, sunny, and warm weather for our final "Final Exam" hurrah of the College of Marin hiking year. Last year it rained on the way to the trailhead, but the weather cleared during the hikeThis time it was like hiking in Southeast Alaska in the summer.

Dick Jordan and Wendy got stuck in major traffic backups trying to get past downtown San Anselmo. Halfway up Mount Tam from Mill Valley the visibility dropped to nearly zero as fog, clouds, and rain covered the mountain.

When we reached the intersection of the road up from Pantoll to Ridgecrest, we could not even see the Rock Spring parking lot only a few feet away across the road. It was only after driving into the parking lot that we were aware that other foolish folk had made the mistake of getting out of a warm comfortable bed to hike in Marin-Winter conditions.

The strong wind coming up the south flank of the mountain blew raindrops off the trees hanging over our parked cars, drenching us as we pulled our gear out of the trunks and back seats. We could tell right then that no matter how much the weather moderated during the course of the next four hours, the hike was going to be no picnic, and that there would be no final exam luncheon at the picnic area once our soggy slog was over.

But the news wasn't all bad for the eight of us who braved the elements to join Wendy. Much of the route is through the forest and while the trees were dripping like leaky faucets, they formed an excellent windbreak to keep us from getting chilled. And once we did a quick "round table discussion" of our last week's activities and actually set out on the trail, we quickly warmed up and forgot about the inclement weather.

Much of the area from the edge of Potrero Meadows to Laurel Dell is unforested and open to the north. But by the time we arrived there an hour or so into the hike, the rain had most stopped and the wind only gusted intermittently.

A small group of hikers that Stan happened to know passed us headed in the other direction at Potrero Meadows, followed by a solo-hiker. The sound of chain saws and axes echoed off the mountain as work crews cleared area near Potrero Camp where trees had blown down during earlier months.

At Laurel Dell we found a newt taking a swim in a small puddle. We met up with one of his cousins and a banana slug on the Cataract Trail after quickly tip-toeing over rocks stretching across the creek, trying to keep and our balance so our feet would remain dry. A little farther on we had the highlight of the day: A baby Winter Wren hopping back and forth across a fallen tree trunk, occasionally testing out his new flight feathers with a quick burst into the air before settling back down to his big, round perch.

After three-plus hours, we had finished our six-mile loop and were back to the still fog-bound parking lot. We doffed our packs and wet gear, and headed down the mountain to the Mill Valley Library where we met up with Meanderers who had not gone on the hike.  From there we carpooled up the hill to Al and Sonia's lovely home for a leisurely lunch, helping make this one of our more memorable "Final Exams."

(The wet weather prompted Dick to leave his still camera safely tucked away in his parka pocket.  But from time to time he pulled out his mini camcorder, protected from the rain with a rubberized case, to shoot video clips which he later used to produce the YouTube movie shown above in this blog post and also available on on the Meandering in Marin YouTube Channel.  Unfortunately, the brief segment he shot at lunch did not turn out --- there is audio, but no video for that clip.  The photos in this post where shot on previous year’s hikes).

Summer Hike Schedules Now Available

In case you didn't receive or misplaced Wendy's e-mail list of Monday and Tuesday summer hikes (through mid-July), you can find them on the "Upcoming Hikes" page of the Meandering blog.

There are two separate lists:  One for Monday hikes (5/23-7/18) and another for Tuesday hikes (5/24-7/12).  Dates for mid-July through August are also listed; next month Wendy will send out the detailed descriptions for those hikes.

Registration for the Fall 1 series of hikes through the College of Marin will open on August 1st.  (The first Tuesday hike of that series will be on September 6, the day after Labor Day).

Sky Trail To Bear Valley Hike (5/24) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore this week to kick off our summer of hiking in West Marin.

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. 

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. We'll go down the Old Pine Trail (which doesn't have any old pines!) to Divide Meadow, then hike back north to the Bear Valley Visitor Center on the Bear Valley Trail.  (We hiked this trail last July, but Dick Jordan wasn't along, so there is no recap; but we also did the trek on January 20, 2009 when President Obama was sworn into office, again on May 19, 2009, and also in July of 2008).

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 leave after the end of the hike to help us drive hikers back to the Sky Trail trailhead to pick up their cars.

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 Thursday morning, May 19, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 59.  (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:

Lavender-Blueberry Soup Recipe

Here's the link to the recipe for the Lavender-Blueberry Soup that I brought to yesterday's "Final Exam" luncheon. 

(It's the same one I made for the Spring 2008 "Final Exam" so some of you may already have the recipe).

Wolf Ridge Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher and Dick Jordan during last week's Wolf Ridge hike are now online. 

View them on the blog or click here for the online photo album.


The video Dick shot during the hike is on the Meandering in Marin YouTube Channel.

Chimney Rock "Home Movie" Now on YouTube!

In addition using his new Kodak Zi8 min9-camcorder to shoot a high-definition film of our April 19th hike out to Chimney Rock, Dick Jordan pulled out his iPhone 3GS and used the iPhone 8MM Vintage Camera and ReelDirector apps to make a 1920's-style "home movie" (grainy, "projector" sound in the background on one clip).  You can view it by going to the blog, clicking here, or going to our YouTube Channel.

Hiking Wolf Ridge (5/10/11) Video

You can watch a fifteen-minute video of our May 10th hike up Wolf Ridge in the GGNRA by going to the blog, clicking here, or going to our YouTube Channel.

Rock Spring "Final Exam" Hike (5/17) Preview

As we do each year, we'll wrap up the Spring College of Marin hiking series with this Mount Tamalpais State Park hike. (Click here for a recap of last year's hike.  View photos from past hikes in the online album).

Here's Wendy's outline for the hike:  “Although last year was rainy, some years we've seen eight species of butterflies including a brown elfin, Western tiger swallowtail, and lots of Propertius duskywings! Rain or shine we should see coral roots, Oakland star lily, Mount Tamalpais jewel flower, and golden banners on this mostly shady loop hike.

Bring a plate and utensils, and food to share for the Gourmet Final!"

Directions to trailhead: Go south on Highway 101 to the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit. Go west on Highway 1 and wind around a lot. At the top of the ridge, turn right onto Panoramic Highway and continue to the 4-way "crossroads." Take the middle road to Mt. Tamalpais. Continue along this road for 5-6 miles.

At the Pantoll Ranger Station the road divides. Take the upper road for about 1 mile. The road divides again. This is Rock Spring. Park here.

Driving time from College of Marin 55 minutes. Outhouse at trailhead and mid-way. (Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot around 9:10 am).

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, May 11th, the National Weather Service forecast for the area around Rock Spring on Mt. Tam was mostly cloudy, with a high near 58 and a slight chance of showers. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: The "B17 Simmons - Potrero - Arturo Trails" hike in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the trails that we'll be hiking in, although we'll probably follow a different route (Simmons to Benstein to Potrero Meadows to Laurel Dell and back up the Cataract Trail to Rock Spring). Page 6 of the state park brochure has a trail map that shows the area. The Google Earth image below shows were we'll be on the mountain. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).

Chimney Rock Video Now Online!

Video taken by Dick Jordan on our April 19th hike out to Chimney Rock in Point Reyes National Seashore is now online.

Click here to view it via the e-mail notice you received, go to our YouTube Channel to see it and other hike videos, or view it on the Meandering blog.

Meandering in Marin YouTube Channel Launched!

Meandering in Marin now has its own "channel" on You Tube.  You will find a new video window under the slideshow on the blog, or you can click here to go directly to our YouTube Channel.

If you "subscribe" to the channel you will be notified as soon as new video clips from our hikes are posted.

Zen And The Art of Meandering

What a difference a year makes.

Rain, fog, and wind.  That’s what we had last year when we hiked up to Coyote Ridge above the Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm.  This time around it was sunshine all the way from sea to sky and back again.
 
Last year the steep climb from the farm toward the ridge was through gooey, clay mud.  This year the trail was bone-dry.

Last year it was winter at Green Gulch Farm.  This year it was definitely spring.

But the major change from last year’s hike was the restoration work being done on Redwood Creek.  After we crossed over the bridge spanning the creek and headed toward Green Gulch Farm we saw changes to the Coastal Trail where it meets the creek.  Vegetation on the southern edge of the area had been removed and replanted, and the trail itself had been realigned.

When we hiked here last year we looped around the horse pasture, then entered the farm on its northern side.  This time we skirted the farm’s southern edge, then walked back across the farm to pick up the road on the north side, passing one of the farm’s truck’s and and old American Airlines aircraft cargo container.

Then looped back to the south to pick up the Middle Green Gulch Trail for the long, slow climb from sea level to Coyote Ridge, 900 feet above us.  When we reached the ridge about an hour and half and 2.5 miles after starting out, we could look back toward Muir Beach and Mt. Tam, and south to San Francisco.




The fire road runs westward and is nearly level from the junction of the Middle Green Gulch Trail and the Coyote Ridge Trail until the latter meets with Coastal Trail.  Then its down, down, down all the way to where the Pirates Cove Trail branches off to the south.
 
Last year we ate a wind-blown lunch in the saddle where these two trails meet.  This year we continued uphill beyond that trail junction and a had a choice of three grand views during lunch:  South down the coast beyond Pirates Cove, out to sea, or north to Muir Beach.

Poppies, iris, vetch, and columbine were among the flowers blooming along the trail.  The large patch of columbine that we saw on the last, downward leg of the hike was here again this year.  Debris spiders, a click beetle, a fairy moth, and black ticks were insects we spotted.

A lone killdeer greeted us at when we returned to the parking lot at hike’s end, 4.3 miles after setting out.

Green Gulch Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher and Dick Jordan during last week's hike above Green Gulch Farm are now online. 

View them on the Meandering blog or click here for the online album.

Wolf Ridge (5/10) Hike Preview

Here's Wendy's description of this annual Spring outing: "Wildflowers and views! "First of spring" flowers for this hike usually include cobweb thistle and bee plant, and we sometimes see the amazing fairy moth hanging out by oceanspray."  (Click here for a recap of last year's hike.  This is the on-line album of photos taken during our previous hikes in this area).

Directions to trailhead: From Highway 101 south bound, take the last exit before the Golden Gate Bridge. Turn right, go under the freeway, and get in the left turn lane to go through the one way tunnel with the 5 minute traffic light. Park at the end of the road. (Rodeo Beach will be on the other side of the road). Time: 40 minutes from COM. Restrooms at trailhead. (Carpoolers can meet at Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:15 am).

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, May 4, the National Weather Service forecast for this year’s hike was near perfect was Sunny, with a high near 60. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: Hike "A5 Coastal - Wolf Ridge - Miwok Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows our route for this 5 mile-plus hike with a 1,000' elevation gain, as does the "Coastal-Miwok Loop" hike in Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. (Hill 88, our probable lunch spot, is 960' above sea level with lovely views on a clear day). The Google Earth photo below shows the area. (Click on it to open a larger image in your Web browser).

West Ridgecrest Hike Photos Now On-Line!

Photos taken by Therese Fisher during last week's West Ridgecrest hike are now on-line. 

View them on the blog or in the on-line photo album.