Bootjack to West Point Inn Hike (10/2) Preview

A mostly shady trail takes us up to the Mountain Theater where you’ll learn the history of its construction and the tradition of drama* on the Mountain.  Lunch at the historic West Point Inn.

(*The Mountain Theater - a.k.a. The Cushing Memorial Theater- in Mount Tamalpais State Park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The natural-stone amphitheater seats 3,750 people and features the Mountain Play each spring, produced every year since 1913).  (Click here for a recap of our February 9, 2010 hike.  You can view photos from a previous hike in our online album).
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Directions to Trailhead:  Take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit off Highway 101. Go west through Tam Valley and up onto the ridge. Turn right onto Panoramic Highway and follow signs to Mt. Tamalpais.  Bootjack is about 2 miles past Mountain Home.

As you drive up the mountain, look for the Bootjack picnic area and parking lot ($8/car, $7 for seniors, if you don't have a state park pass) on your right --- if you get to Pantoll at the crest of Panoramic Highway, you've gone too far and need to turn around and drive back down the mountain. (Click here for a map of Mt. Tam that you can view and print out).

Restrooms at trailhead and lunch stop. Driving time from College of Marin: 55 minutes.  Carpoolers meet at Greenbrae Park & Ride Lot at 9:00 a.m.

Weather forecast:  Dick Jordan is still on vacation in Canada, so click here to get the weather forecast for the hike).

More on this hike:  Hike "B12 Bootjack - Rock Springs Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the trails we'll take.  (Click here to view a copy of the Mount Tamalpais State Park brochure; the park map on the last page shows the trails).

Estero Trail Hike (9/25) Preview

This week we return to Point Reyes National Seashore for our last outing of September.  This is not a loop hike, but there are marvelous views! 

We can expect some of the shorebirds and ducks that bred in Canada and Alaska to be back. (Click here for a brief recap of our July 13, 2010 hike. Here's the album of photos taken during our past hikes in this area.).

Directions to trailhead:

Turn right at Olema and make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. (Use the restrooms at the park's Visitor Center in Bear Valley if you do not want to wait until you reach those at the trailhead). Continue until you pick up Sir Francis Drake again.

Go through Inverness. Go past the turn off to the right onto Pierce Point Road, then pass Mt. Vision Road on your left, and then in one mile you'll come to the road to Estero Trail. Take this road to the parking lot at the trailhead.

Time: 1 hour from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's at 8:55 am.  Restrooms at the trailhead.

Weather forecast: Dick Jordan is Canada, so click here for to check the weather forecast for the hike). Real-time weather reporting for the Point Reyes Lighthouse is also available (click here).

More on this hike: "Hike G11 Estero - Drakes Head Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows where we'll be hiking, although not necessarily our exact route. Two hikes ("Estero Trail to Sunset Beach" and "Estero Trail to Drakes Head" in Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area also cover this area). The trails are also shown on the park's North District Hiking Trails map. The Google Earth image gives a bird's eye view of this part of the park. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).

Mountain Home to Muir Woods Hike (9/18) Preview

Here's Wendy's description of this week's hikel:  "Today we’ll hike down to Muir Woods and learn how it became a National Monument. Lunch at Camp Eastwood where you’ll hear the fascinating life story of intrepid botanist Alice Eastwood."  (Click here for a recap of our September 2008 hike. There is an online album of photos from our past hikes here.)

Note: Construction work on the road to Camp Alice Eastwood and at the camp may require us to take a "detour" on the way back, but we'll still do the hike.

Directions to trailhead: Take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit off Highway 101. Go west through Tam Valley and up onto the ridge. Turn right onto Panoramic Highway and follow signs to Mt. Tamalpais. Drive about 4 miles. When you reach Mountain Home Inn on your right, park in the parking lot across the road on your left.

Time: 50 minutes from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:00 a.m. Outhouse at trailhead and restrooms at lunch.

Weather Forecast: As of Sunday, September 16, the National Weather Service forecast for the day of the hike was patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 74. West wind 7 to 10 mph. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More On This Hike: Hike B6 – Muir Woods – TCC – Dipsea Trails and hike B7 – Panoramic – Lost – Sierra Trails in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, shows the area where we'll be hiking, but our route will not cover all of the trails taken on either of those hikes

at 11:01 AM

Mountain Lion "Sighing"; Wildllife News

Sunday afternoon the San Anselmo Police Department sent Dick Jordan's wife, Cindy, an e-mail stating that there had been a mountain lion "sighing" [sic] on Westgate Way, just above and east of The Hub.

The reason for the big cat's "sighing" was not given. Perhaps he was lamenting the Oakland Raiders drubbing by the Dolphins in Miami earlier on Sunday. Or maybe the SAPD needs to hire a copy editor.

In case you don't get the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, today's paper carried a comprehensive story by "Outdoors" writer, Tom Stienstra, on where to see wildlife at Point Reyes National Seashore. There's separate story by Stienstra about hidden "wildlife cams" at Point Reyes with pictures of several critters including one of a mountain lion who was probably stalking, and not "sighing."

Laguna Trailhead-Coast Trail Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week's Laguna Trailhead-Coast Trail hike are now online!

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

Pierce Point Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during this week's Pierce Point hike are now online!

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

Laguna Trailhead Hike (9/11) Preview

This week we return to Point Reyes National Seashore for the first hike of the Fall season.  We explore four habitats: coastal scrub, beach, marsh, and a riparian (streamside) habitat with alders and willows. Lunch at the beach. We may see some of the tule elk that have been transferred from Tomales Point.

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 Park Headquarters (stop here if you need a restroom --- there is none at the trailhead) 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. Park in the parking lot.

55 minutes from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s Church in Fairfax at 9:00 a.m.

No restrooms at trailhead. Outhouse en route before lunch.

Weather forecast:  Here is the National Weather Service forecast for the hike, as of Saturday, September 8:  Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 62. West northwest wind between 8 and 13 mph.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  We last did this hike almost exactly one year ago.  (Click here to view photos from that hike.)

From the Laguna Trailhead we'll go southwest on the Laguna Trail to its junction with the Fire Lane Trail, follow that down to the ocean, take a short “side trip” to Coast Camp to use the “facilities”, then hike northward paralleling the sea on the Coast Trail before turning back inland to the Laguna Trailhead.  Total distance covered should be approximately 5.2 miles.

The “Laguna-Coast Trail Loop” hike in Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Tracy Salcedo-Chourre describes the route we’ll take.  The trails we’ll follow are shown on the the North District Hiking Map on the Point Reyes National Seashore Website.

You will also find them on the map for hike “G4 Sky – Woodward Valley – Coast Trails” in the Martins’ book, Hiking Marin, although we are not doing that specific hike.