Sky Oaks MMWD Hike (12/1) Preview

This week we'll in the MMWD watershed near Fairfax. Here's Wendy's description of the hike:

"This loop starts out in oak/bay/madrone habitat, but we'll also see redwoods and some grassland. This is a good mushroom hike with Boletes, Amanitas, Waxy Caps, Milky Caps and more if we've had some rain."

(Click here for a recap of our 2010 hike. Click here for photos from past hikes.)

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard into Fairfax. Jog left and make an immediate right in front of the movie theater. The first left puts you on Bolinas Avenue. Follow this until you see the sign on your left for Lake Bon Tempe and Lake Lagunitas. Follow the road to the toll booth by Sky Oaks Ranger Station. Park at the dirt parking lot on the right, just past the toll station.

(Click here for the MMWD map and directions. Or click here for a MapQuest map showing the trailhead location. Click on #1 to get directions and driving time from your location.
 
The day use fee is $8.  You can use a credit card, $1, $5, or $10 bills and coins at the automated pay station.

Annual watershed area parking passes for Marin residents are $60 ($30 for those 62 and older). You can buy them online or at the MMWD main office in Corte Madera.

Time: 25 minutes from College of Marin. Portapotty in parking lot.  Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church at 9:25 am.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, November 25th, the weather forecast for this hike was a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast).

More on this hike: Hike "C12 Taylor-Concrete Pipe-Bullfrog FR" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the area where we will be hiking (our route may differ) in this part of the MMWD watershed.  (Click here to view and print the MMWD map of this area).

Winterim Hike Schedule Now Available!

Although we still have three hikes left in the Fall 2 College of Marin session which ends on December 8th, Wendy has just released the list of pay-if-you-go "Winterim" hikes that will take place between December 15th and January 19th and before the 2016 Winter College of Marin Meandering hikes begin.

Click here to view and print out the "Winterim" hike list.

Cost is $20/hike, payable by cash or check made out to Wendy Dreskin.

Unlike those during the College of Marin sessions, most "Winterim" hikes are one-way, shuttle hikes (call or e-mail Wendy in advance to let her know if you are coming) and rain can cancel a hike (so check your e-mail on the morning of the hike if the weather looks "iffy").

Muir Woods (Dipsea to Ben Johnson) Hike (11/24) Preview

This week we head south in the County and back into the federal parklands.  Here's Wendy's description of the hike: "Instead of racing up the Dipsea, we’ll stop to admire ancient redwoods, beautiful views, and hopefully some mushrooms."  (Click here to read the recap of our 2/10/09 hike on these trails. You can view photos taken on previous hikes.)

Directions to trailhead: From Highway 101 take the Stinson Beach exit, turn left (west) onto Shoreline Highway (Highway 1). At the junction with Loring Avenue, turn left again to continue on Shoreline Highway instead of heading into Mill Valley.

Turn right onto Panoramic Highway and left onto Muir Woods Road. Meet at Muir Woods Parking Lot #2.

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

Time: 35 minutes from College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead.

Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:00 am. (Click here for a MapQuest map showing the parking lot; click on #1 to get driving time and directions from your location.)

Weather forecast: As of Tuesday, November 17th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was a slight chance of rain, with partly sunny skies and a high near 63. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: We'll hike up the Dipsea Trail, then descend back to the floor of Muir Woods on the Ben Johnson Trail. (Click here to view and download the park trail map).

If you have Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, you'll see that she proposes hiking this route in the reverse direction (up the Ben Johnson, down the Dipsea) from our plan, but her book will at least give you an idea of what our hike will be like.

This Google Earth image shows our route and distance.

 

Here's the hike's elevation profile.

Dick Jordan: "I'll Be Back!

One of the all-time most famous lines in Hollywood movies, "I'll be back!," was first spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1984 sci-fi thriller, The Terminator.

The line proved so memorable, that the future "Governator" of California used it in several other films.


  (Click here if the YouTube player does not display)
Dick Jordan's most famous film line is "I need a dry martini at the little Vietnamese place owned by the bar girl I met in Saigon back in nineteen sixty eight."

Like Arnold, Dick will "be back" speaking that line in one of MarinTV's highlighted programs for November, The White Bag, which airs on Thanksgiving evening.

Here's the trailer for The White Bag.

(Click here if the YouTube player does not display)

In the meantime, you can catch that other martini-drinking spy speaking his most famous line, "Bond, James Bond," in the latest 007 film Spectre, now showing at a movie theater near you.

(Click here if the YouTube player does not display)

Bahia Open Space Hike (11/17) Preview

For our next hike we'll head north to the Novato area and do some bird watching on a portion of the Marin County Open Space lands. (Click here for a recap of our 2009 hike. Click here for photos taken on past hikes in this area.)

Here's Wendy's description of the outing: "This is a wonderful birding area! I'll bring a spotting scope, but bring binoculars if you have them. (If you don't have any, I have extras I can loan you.) We usually see about eight species of ducks, as well as swans, grebes, and shoregbirds.”

Directions to trailhead: Take Highway 101 and exit on Atherton Avenue in Novato. Go east, until Bugeia Lane splits left and Atherton goes right. Take Bugeia which becomes Bahia and park at the end of the street.

(Click here for a MapQuest map showing the trailhead location. Click lick on #1 to get driving directions and estimated driving time from your location).

Driving time from College of Marin: 35 minutes. No restrooms.

Carpoolers can meet at 9:20 a.m. at the Terra Linda Park & Ride lot on the east side of Highway 101 at the Smith Ranch Road exit. (Click here for a MapQuest map showing the Park & Ride location, and directions and estimated driving time to the trailhead.)
  
Weather forecast: As of Tuesday, November 10th, the weather forecast for this hike was party sunny, with a high near 64. (Click here for an updated National Weather Service forecast).

More on this hike: Hiking in this particular areas isn't covered by any of the trail guides which Dick Jordan has, but you can click here for the Marin County Open Space District's description of the Rush Creek area.

Boojtack to Mt. Theater and West Point Inn Hike (11/10) 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.

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

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 can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:00 am. (Click here for a MapQuest map showing the parking lot; click on #1 to get driving time and directions from your location.)

Weather forecast:  As of Wednesday, November 4th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny, with a high near 61.  (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).

Here's the route we'll follow and the hike profile.