Save $$$ On Tomorrow's Angel Island Hike

Just a reminder that you can saving money on parking in Tiburon to catch the ferry to Angel Island by meeting at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot and carpooling.  (Linda Oquist is looking for a ride from there).

Also, you can knock the $3.00 park entrance fee off the $13.50 round-trip ferry ride if you have a State Park day pass to hand to the ferry operator along with a check or cash for $10.50 as you board.

Angel Island Hike (August 30) Preview

Angel Island State Park hasn't been closed (at least not yet), so we'll head there for our last summer hike.  (The College of Marin Fall 1 hiking series begins the following week). Here's Wendy's description of the outing: Views, butterflies, and history! We'll go to the top of Mt. Livermore, eat lunch there, and take the last ferry of the day back at 3:30 p.m.

Directions to the ferry dock: We'll take the 10 a.m. ferry from Tiburon to the island. Bring cash or check (credit cards not accepted) for the ferry ($13.50 round trip,  pay as you board, includes the $3.00 park entrance fee which you can save if you have a State Park day pass). (Bring $17 in cash or check for Wendy, too!).

Allow time to park and don't miss the boat! (Although it's only 10-minute trip, the next ferry doesn't run until 11:00 a.m.). The ferry dock is at 21 Main Street. Parking gets more expensive the closer you get to the ferry. There is sometimes on-street free parking if you make a left on Mar West, the corner the library is on. (See map at left). Allow ten minutes to walk (click here to view and print Mapquest walking directions) from there to the ferry.

Here is a map of parking lots (cash only, no credit or debit cards, accepted) and the ferry dock provided by the Angel Island Association and the ferry operator:

Restrooms at ferry in Tiburon and on Angel Island. Carpool from Greenbrae Park and Ride at 9:15 a.m.

Weather forecast: As Friday, August 26, the National Weather Service forecast for Angel Island on Tuesday, August 30 was patchy fog before 11am, otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 64. . (Click here for an updated forecast).

More information on this hike: The Martin's book, Hiking Marin, sets out two hikes on the island: "A12 North Ridge Trail to Mt. Livermore" and "A13 Angel Island Perimeter Trail."

Click here to go to the Angel Island State Park page on the California State Park's Web site. Click here for on-line information provided by the Angel Island Association.

You'll find a map of the island on page 4 of the state park brochure. To listen to a podcast about Angel Island, click here.

If you have a smartphone, you can get one of free CalParks mobile apps, available for iPhone and Android.

Here's a Google Earth bird's eye view of the island:

NO HIKE - AUGUST 23

Just a reminder that there is NO HIKE on Tuesday, August 23.

The next outing will be to Angel Island on Tuesday, August 30.

Sky Trail to Laguna Trailhead Hike (8/16) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore to hike for the last time this summer.  We’ll start heading uphill on the Sky Trail, but before we reach Sky Camp, we’ll turn right and head down toward the ocean, ending at the Laguna Trailhead.

This is a shuttle hike, so CALL WENDY AT 457-3949 OR EMAIL bdreskin@comcast.net if you are coming!

Directions to the trailhead:  We’ll meet at the Laguna Trailhead to carpool back uphill to the Sky Trail.  To reach it, take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west to Olema.  Then turn right on Route 1, followed by an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. Continue past Park Headquarters (turn in if you need a restroom) and go left on Limantour Road. Turn left at the sign for the youth hostel. Follow that road until you see a right turn across a bridge to the Laguna Trailhead by the Clem Miller Education Center. Parking in the lot there.


Those who want to carpool to the trailhead should meet at St. Rita’s at 9:00 a.m.

No restrooms at the trailhead or along the trail.

Weather Forecast: Here's the National Weather Service forecast for the hike as of Monday morning, August 15: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 63. West northwest wind between 9 and 13 mph. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:   While the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, doesn’t lay out the exact route we are taking, hike “G4 Sky-Woodward Valley – Coast Trails” shows the general area.  (We won’t be doing that 9.3 mile hike). We’ll start out from the Sky Trailhead, go 0.8 miles to Junction 1 on the map hike G4, descend 2.3 miles on the Fire Lane Trail to Junction 5, then hike 0.8 miles to Junction 6 (where we left our cars in the morning) for a total hike length of 3.9 miles.  (The trails we’ll follow are on the North District Trail Map for Point Reyes National Seashore).

The "Fire Lane Trail to Limantour Beach" hike in Tracy Salcedo-Chourre’s Exploring Point Reyes Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area guidebook also shows the trails, although we won’t hike all the way to the beach.

College of Marin E-Cashier Now Available

As of at least 5:20 p.m., Tuesday, August 2nd, the College of Marin E-Cashier was working. 

You can now sign up for Fall Meandering classes and pay online.

Here are the course numbers:

FALL  2011

FALL 1

6 Mondays, 9:45am–1:45pm

Sept. 12–Oct. 17

Fee $103

CRN# 85033 EC

7 Tuesdays, 9:45am–1:45pm

Sept. 6–Oct. 18

Fee $119

CRN# 85034 EC

FALL 2

7 Mondays, 9:45am–1:45pm

Oct. 24–Dec. 5

Fee $119

CRN# 85035 EC

7 Tuesdays, 9:45am–1:45pm

Oct. 25–Dec. 6

Fee $119

CRN# 85036 EC

Fall College of Marin Registration SNAFU

If you tried to register online today (Monday, August 1st) for the Fall 1 and/or Fall 2 Meandering hiking series, you will have discovered that the "E-Cashier" is not "open", preventing you from paying your fees.

Dick Jordan spoke to the COM Registration department just before noon and learned that there is a "computer glich" (which happened once in the past) that is causing the problem.  He was advised to try to sign up on Tuesday.