Samuel P. Taylor State Park Hike (10/1) Preview

Here's how we'll kick off the Fall 2010 "Meandering" hikes: "Today we explore the redwood habitat, visit the Pioneer Tree which is over 500 years old, and learn some history of the area at the mill site. We’ll also see one of Marin’s few 'ghost trees,' a white redwood. We’re doing two separate loops, so you can leave your lunch in the car. We'll have a civilized lunch today with picnic tables and restrooms!"
 
(Click here for a recap of the hike we did on September 2, 2008).

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to the main entrance of Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Parking fee: $8 unless you have a State Park Pass (or a day pass from the California State Parks Foundation). 35 minutes from COM; carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s at about 9:20 am. Restrooms at trailhead and at lunch.

Weather forecast: (Dick Jordan will be in Denver, so click here for the weather forecast).

More on this hike:  Hikes "D7 Creek – Ox Trails History Loop" and D8 "Pioneer Tree – Barnabe Creek Trails" in the Martins’ book, Hiking Marin, show the area where we will be hiking.  (Click here to view and download the brochure for Samuel P. Taylor State Park; the trails are shown on page 4).

Mountain Home to Boojack Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week's Mountain Home to Bootjack hike are now online!

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

Estero Trail Hike (9/24) 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: As of Wednesday, September 18th, the weather forecast for the hike was partly sunny, with a high near 65.  (Click here for an updated forecast.) 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.

This 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).

Pierce Point Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher and Dick Jordan during this week's Mountain Home to Muir Woods hike are now online!

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

Pierce Point Panoramic Photos

We'll have more photos from this week's Pierce Point hike online in a day or so, but in the meantime,
here are some panoramic shots taken by Dick Jordan.

 

Mountain Home to Boojack (9/17) Hike Preview

Per Wendy, "this hike takes us through redwood forest, over Fern Creek, into chaparral, and finally to lunch at Bootjack. The return is fairly level and shady."  (Click here for a recap of our October 2008 hike and click here for the photo album for this 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.

45 minutes from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:00 am.  Restrooms at trailhead and Bootjack.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, September 11th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was sunny, with a high near 71. (Click here for an updated forecast.)

More on this hike:  Hike "B9 – Matt Davis – Troop 80 Trails" – in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, shows the area where we’ll be hiking.

Mountain Home to Muir Woods Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during this week's Mountain Home to Muir Woods hike are now online!

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

Tomales Point Hike (9/10) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore this coming week. Wendy says that "on this hike we'll look for the tule elk, once at the brink of extinction and now making a heartening comeback. This Point is also special for its views."  

(Click here for a recap of our September 2008 hike; here is an album of photos taken on past hikes in this area.)

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west from Fairfax. Turn right at Olema and make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road.

Continue until you pick up Sir Francis Drake again. Go through Inverness.

Where the road veers left to Drake's Beach and the lighthouse, bear right. This puts you on Pierce Point Road. Follow it to the parking lot at the end of the road.

Restrooms:  Stop at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to use the flush toilets, or pull off Pierce Point Road at the parking lots for the trails to Abbott’s Lagoon or Kehoe Beach to use the porta-potties. When you reach the parking lot for the Tomales Point Trail you can head downhill to McClure's Beach to use the pit toilet there before returning to the trailhead parking lot to meet the group.

Click here to view and print a map of the Seashore showing these roads and locations.

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes from College of Marin.  Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s at 8:35 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of the morning of Friday, September 6th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was sunny, with a high near 63. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: Hike "G18 – Tomales Point Trai"l in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, is 9.4 mile roundtrip hike to Tomales Point and back.  We’ll only do about half of that route, stopping well short of the Point.

This Google Earth image created by Theresa Fisher shows the path we'll follow out and back.