Sign Up for Spring Hike Series Now!

Registration for the Spring 2012 College of Marin Spring term began this past Monday, February 27th.  Be sure to sign up soon before the Tuesday Meandering class (15026 EC, or Course # 35041) fills up.


Click here for the dates and description of all of the spring hikes.

Deer Park to Phoenix Lake Hike (3/6) Preview

This is a scenic hike with lunch at Phoenix Lake.  We should see Red Larkspur, Gypsum Spring Beauty, Baby Blue Eyes, and Ground Iris  Maybe we'll hear the first orange-crowned warblers of the season!  (Click here for a recap of our hike in March 2010).

Directions to trailhead:  Go west on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to Fairfax. As you enter Fairfax, turn left at the gas station, and make an immediate right in front of the movie theater. This puts you on Broadway. Make the first left onto Bolinas Avenue. Just after it veers left, turn left on Porteous Avenue. Follow it to the parking lot at Deer Park. 

15 minutes from College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead. Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church at 9:30 a.m. (Click here for a Google Map showing the area near the trailhead and for driving directions).

Weather forecast:  As of Wednesday afternoon, February 29, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny, with a high near 60. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: Presumably we'll follow the same route as in the past. The Martin's Hiking in Marin trail guide does not have a single map and directions for our hike from Deer Park School to Phoenix Lake and back, but you can use the following two maps and hikes from their book to piece together our path:

Start off using the Martin's Hike "C6 - Deer Park Road - Yolanda Trail." Head up the Deer Park Fire Road to Oak Tree Junction, then turn left (to the south) and hike uphill on the Six Points Trail. When you reach the Six Points junction, switch to Hike "C4 - Hidden Meadow - Yolanda Trail" and hike down the Yolanda South Trail to Phoenix Lake.

Using that same hike and map, follow Shaver Grade uphill, and while doing so, refer back to the C6 hike and map to follow the Grade to Five Corners. Continue straight down Deer Park Fire Road to Boy Scout Junction. Cross the fire road and take the Junction Trail back to its intersection with Deer Park Fire Road (just where you turned off onto Six Points Trail when you were headed toward the lake).

Click here for a printable map of the MMWD watershed which shows these trails. 

Here's a Google Earth view looking from Deer Park over Bald Hill towards Phoenix Lake. We'll head from bottom to top and a little left of center in this picture to reach the lake, then turn right at the lake and go from top to bottom by starting up Fish Gulch (shown in purple lettering on the photo) and onto the Shaver Grade (shown in white lettering). Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser.

 

Spring 2012 Hike Registration Opens Monday, 2/27

Registration for the Spring 2012 College of Marin term opens on Monday February 27th.

Look for more details on the class numbers and dates from Wendy soon.

Bootjack to West Point Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week's Bootjack to Mountain Theater and West Point Inn hike are now online!

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

Sky Trail To Mt. Wittenberg Hike (2/28) 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 February 2, 2010).

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 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.  There are no restrooms at trailhead, so stop at the Bear Valley Visitor Center if you need a restroom prior to the hike; there will be pit toilets at Sky Camp which we'll reach about 10:30 a.m.

Carpoolers should depart from St. Rita's 8:45 a.m. (to allow time for a restroom break at Bear Valley), or by 9:00 a.m. at the latest if driving directly to the trailhead without stopping at Bear Valley first.

Weather forecast:  As of Tuesday evening, February 21, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was a slight chance of rain, but mostly sunny, with a high near 54. (Click here for an updated forecast). 

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, up to the top of Mt. Wittenberg, then down 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).

Steep Ravine to Dipsea Trail Hike (2/21) Preview

On this favorite February hike we should see Giant Wake Robin, Redwood Evergreen Violets, Star Lilies, Smith’s Fairy Bells, Fetid Adder’s Tongue and Calypso Rrchids! We’ll go up Steep Ravine since some of us find the ladder is easier to go up than down. Lunch at Pantoll.  (Click here for a recap of our 2010 hike).

Directions to the trailhead: Take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit off Highway 101. Go through Tam Junction, stay on Route 1, and follow signs to Muir Beach. Pass the road that goes to Muir Beach staying on Route 1 (towards Stinson Beach), pass Slide Ranch, and keep going until you see the locked gate for the Steep Ravine cabins on the west (left) side of the road. There is parking is on the east (right) side of Highway 1.

Time: 1 hour 5 minutes from COM. No restrooms at trailhead (but you can turn in at Muir Beach en route and use the ones in the parking lot).  Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 8:50 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, February 15th, the forecast for the hike was partly sunny, with a high near 55. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: If you have the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, look at their hike "B14 Dipsea - Steep Ravine Trails" which starts at Pantoll, goes down the Dipsea, up Steep Ravine, and ends back at Pantoll. Since we're beginning and ending our outing down on Highway 1, our hike will be slightly longer, but basically the reverse of the Martins' hike. (Page 6 of the Mt. Tam State Park brochure has a park map that you can "zoom in" on to see these trails). 

Bootjack to West Point Inn Hike (2/14) 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 (one at Bootjack will be closed through June, but the other should be open) 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:  As of Friday, February 10th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was partly sunny, with a high near 48.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

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).

Note that the trail closure mentioned on the Mt. Tam State Park Website is for a section of the trail between down to Muir Woods from Bootjack; our route is higher up the mountain, from Bootjack up to the Mountain Theater, east to the West Point Inn, and then back to Bootjack.

Weather Update: Audubon Canyon Ranch Hike

As of 9:22 a.m. on Monday, February 6, the National Weather Service forecast for the Audubon Canyon Ranch area on Tuesday was showers, mainly before 4pm. High near 57. Breezy, with a east southeast wind between 14 and 22 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. 

Click here for an updated forecast.

Be sure to dress warmly and wear or bring your rain gear unless the weather system has passed through Marin by early Tuesday morning.  While a good part of the hike is through a forested area and may offer some protection from the wind, both the beginning and ending sections are exposed to the elements.

Blithedale Canyon Loop Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week's Blithedale Canyon Loop hike are now online!

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

Audubon Canyon Hike (2/7) Preview

Lucky us!  We have permission to hike in Audubon Canyon Ranch Bolinas Lagoon Preserve! This is beautiful habitat, not usually open to the public. We can hope to see the first Calypso Orchids, Suncups, Star Lillies, and Mission Bells.  (Note: Depending on the rains, there may be some stream crossings walking on logs.)  Click here for a recap of last year's hike. View photos from our past hikes at Audubon Canyon ranch in this online album).

Directions to trailhead: Coming from North or Central Marin: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to Olema. Turn south (left) on Highway 1 and follow for about 10 miles to Bolinas Lagoon. Preserve will be on the left approximately 1 mile further. Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church in Fairfax at 8:45 am.

Coming from Southern Marin: From Highway 101 take the Stinson Beach exit. Follow approximately 12 miles to Stinson Beach. Continue 3 1/2 miles north to the preserve gate on right hand side of the highway.

Time: 1 hour from College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead.

Weather forecast: As of Thursday, February 2nd, the National Weather Service forecast for this hike was mostly cloudy, with a high near 59 and a chance of rain.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: If you have the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, go to hike "F18 Griffin Loop - Bird Overlook Trails" for a map of trails within the preserve. There are two major loop trails (probably about 3 miles long each) going uphill and down, and a shorter 0.8 mile loop nearer to the bottom of the hill.  On our 2009 hike we went up the Zumie's Loop Trail, then through Junction 2 on the Martin's map, and continued south to where the Griffin Loop and Bourne trails meet, descended the Griffin Loop trail to the bottom of the hill, and then looped back to the parking area.