Fall Hike Details Now Online!

Click here to view and print the details for all of the Fall 1 & Fall 2 Tuesday hikes if you didn't receive Wendy's e-mail with that information.

You will also find a link to those details on the "Upcoming Hikes" page of the Meandering blog.

Remember that registration for both series of hikes begins Monday, August 4th!

Sky Trail to Bear Valley Hike (8/5) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore on Tuesday for our first hike of August.

The trail is about 7.3 miles long, but a lot of it is fairly level, so the hike is a bit easier than the distance implies.  

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.

Directions to trailhead: We’ll meet at Bear Valley at 9:20 a.m. and carpool to Sky Trail.

(Click here for a MapQuest map showing the Bear Valley meeting location; click on "Get Directions" at the top left side of the map and enter your location to get driving directions and estimated travel time from your location.)

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 drive people back to Sky Trail after we reach the Bear Valley Visitor Center and parking lot.

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.

(Click here for a MapQuest map showing St. Rita's, and directions and estimated driving time to the trailhead from there.) 

Weather forecast: As of Thursday afternoon, July 31st, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 70.  (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:

Register for Fall Hikes Monday, August 4th!

Summer isn't quite over and Wendy will be leading more hikes in August.

But on this coming Monday, August 4th, registration opens for both the Fall 1 and Fall 2 series of hikes offered through the College of Marin Community Education program.

Here are the course numbers:

Tuesday Hikes

FALL 1 -  CRN #85200

FALL 2  - CRN #85201

(If you can't make it on Tuesdays this Fall, sign up for the Monday hikes.)

Monday Hikes

FALL 1 - CRN #85198

FALL 2 - CRN #85199

Tomales Bay State Park "Final Exam" Hike (July 29) Preview

It's the end of the first half of "summer school" this coming week when we return to Tomales Bay State Park for our hike.

Here's Wendy's description of the outing: "Bishop pine forest, beach, and a favorite scenic picnic spot over-looking Tomales Bay. Bring something to share for our gourmet potluck lunch, and utensils, plate, and cup."

(Click here to view photos from past hikes in Tomales Bay State Park).

Directions to the trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn right at Olema and make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. (Stop at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to use the restrooms as there are none at the trailhead).

Continue until you pick up Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Go through Inverness and over the ridge. At the "Y" where the road veers left to Drake's Beach and the Lighthouse go straight. This puts you on Pierce Point Road.

Just BEFORE the right turn that takes you down to Heart's Desire Beach there is a dirt parking lot on the right. If you don't know it you may need to go to the road to Heart's Desire and then turn around. We'll take the Jepson/Johnson loop.

Click here for a MapQuest map that shows the parking lot for the trailhead. Click on #1 to get driving times and directions from your location.

Driving time one hour from College of Marin. Restrooms before lunch.

Carpool leaves St. Rita at 9:00 am.

Weather forecast: As of Thursday, July 24, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny with a high near 67. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: "G14 Johnstone - Jepson Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the area in which we'll be hiking. The trails are also shown on page 4 of the Tomales Bay State Park brochure. The Google Earth image below shows this part of the state park. (Click on the image to open a larger version in your Web browser).

Muddy Hollow Loop Hike (7/22) Preview

This week we return to Point Reyes National Seashore to do a loop hike from the Muddy Hollow Trailhead.

Here's Wendy's description of our upcoming hike: "This is a lovely loop wit views of Limantour Estero. We often see Tule Elk on this hike, and sometimes the endangered Myrtle's Silverspot butterfly." (Note: this hike is longer than we usually do (about 7 miles), so sometimes we make it back on time but sometimes we get back late).


Directions to the 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 (turn in if you need a restroom, there are none at the trailhead) and go left on Limantour Road.

When you see a paved road to the Hostel on the left, turn right on the dirt road to Muddy Hollow parking lot.

Click here for a Mapquest map showing the trailhead. Click on #1 to get driving times and directions from your location.

Carpool from St. Rita at 8:50 am.

Weather forecast: As of Friday, July 18th, the National Weather Service forecast for this area at thge time of our hike was patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 65. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: The Martins' book, Hiking Marin, was lasted updated in 2006, so it does not show the current trail which now only loops back to the Muddy Hollow Trailhead and no longer has an offshoot that goes to the Limantour Beach parking lot as shown on the Martins’ map. But their hike "G8 Muddy Hollow Rd - Estero Trail" does show the area where we'll be hiking.

However, the Point Reyes National Seashore's North District Hiking Map includes the new loop trail and pegs the distance at exactly 7.0 miles. The following Google Earth image shows the area (click on it to open a larger picture in your Web browser).

Drakes Bay Oyster Company to Close

According to a story by the Lunnys in today's Point Reyes Light, Drakes Bay Oyster Company will close at the end of July.

So if you were on our July 1st Bull Point Hike, you may have seen the last vestiges of oyster harvesting within Point Reyes National Seashore.

The story in the Light comes on the heels of a report in Monday's Marin-IJ that the Lunnys were discussing settlement of their lawsuit against the federal government over the decision not to renew the DBOC lease. A similar story ran in the San Francisco Chronicle.

August Hike Information Now Online!

In case you didn't get Wendy's e-mailed list of August hikes, you'll find the dates/locations on the "Upcoming Hikes" page of the Meandering blog.

To view and print complete details on each hike, click here.

JULY 15 - NO HIKE!

Just a reminder that there is no hike next week on Tuesday, July 15th.

Our next outing with be on Tuesday, July 22nd when we do the Muddy Hollow loop out at Point Reyes.

Palomarin Hike (7/8) Preview

We resume our summer hikes this coming week with another trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, this time beginning at the far southern end of the park at the Palomarin trailhead near Bolinas.

Here's Wendy's description of this outing: "This hike is not a loop, but has incredible ocean views making it well worth the drive!

We should see Bee Plant, Seep-Spring Monkey Flower, Salmonberries and more. Lunch at Bass Lake or the pond with Indian pond lillies, frogs and dragonflies." (Click here for a recap of our July 2010 hike ).

Directions to the trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west to Olema. Turn left (south) onto Route 1.

Pass Five Brooks and Dogtown, and take the unmarked right turn (onto Horseshoe Hill Road which merges with the Olema-Bolinas Road) towards the town of Bolinas.

(If you find yourself going along the shore of Bolinas Lagoon, you've driven too far south and missed the turn.)

Turn right on Mesa Road (which eventually becomes a dirt road) and follow it to the Palomarin trailhead parking lot.

(Click here for a MapQuest map that shows the trailhead. Click on #1 to get driving times and directions.)

Carpool leaves St. Rita at 8:40 a.m.

If you're coming from southern Marin you may prefer to take Route 1 north, turning left just past the end of the lagoon onto the unmarked road into the town of Bolinas, then right on to Mesa Road to get to the trailhead.

Toilets at the trailhead. If you can't wait, use the porta-potties at Five Brooks, a right turn off Highway 1 for those coming south from Olema, or for those heading north from southern Marin, turn left off the highway into Muir Beach or at the ocean overlook just to the north of it.

Weather forecast:  As of Wednesday, July 3rd, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was sunny, with a high near 70. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: The "F17 Coast Trail to Wildcat Camp" hike in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, is 11 miles long, but shows the route that we'll take up to Bass Lake, 2.7 miles from the trailhead. (The 8.5 mile "Alamere Falls and Double Point Overlook" hike in Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area says the distance to the north shore of the lake is 2.9 miles, while the park's South District Hiking Map pegs it at 2.8 miles).  We’ll retrace our steps back to the trailhead after lunch so our total hiking distance will be around 5.5-6.0 miles.