July 7 - NO HIKE!

There will be no hike on Tuesday, July 7th.

Our next outing will be on Tuesday, July 14th when he hike to Bass Lake from the Palomarin Trailhead in Point Reyes National Seashore.

The Blog (and Dick Jordan) Go on "Sabbatical"

After 7-plus years and 300-plus hikes, both the Meandering blog and Dick Jordan will be going on an indefinite "sabbatical."

During this time, there will be no further hike previews published on the blog nor sent to you via e-mail from the blog. Look for Dick to join you on the trail sometime in the future.

Click here to be sure that you have the details on all remaining Summer 2015 hikes.

Bull Point Hike (6/30) Preview

This week we head through Inverness to hike on the ocean side of the Point Reyes National Seashore. Here's Wendy's description for this hike: "A beautiful but soggy (in places) walk timed to see the Coast Lilly blooming in its only site in Marin!

"Other endangered flowers we've seen other years include the Swamp Harebell, Large Flowered Lianthus, and Point Reyes Checkerbloom. We may also see Yellow-Eyed Grass, Tinker's Penny, White-Flowered Bog Orchid, and Hooker’s Evening Primrose. We've also seen the endangered Myrtle's Silverspot butterfly on this hike, and birds including Grasshopper Sparrows and Caspian Terns. Sometimes we're lucky enough to see endangered Bumblee Bee Scarab Beetles. Some off-trail walking but little elevation gain." (Click here for the recap of our Bull Point hike on July 7, 2009.).

Directions to the trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west to Olema. Turn right on Highway 1, then make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. Continue past the road to Park Headquarters (stop here for a restroom break; there are no porta-potties at the trailhead) and go left when you hit Sir Francis Drake again.

Go through Inverness. Go left at the "Y" (right takes you out to Pierce Point) and pass MCI and RCA stations on your right. The Bull Point parking lot will be on your left.

(Click here for a MapQuest map of the trailhead location and to get driving directions and times from your location.)

Carpool leaves St. Rita at 8:50 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, June 24th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was partly sunny, with a high near 59. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: Hike "H11 Bull Point and South Beach Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows this as 4.0 mile out and back hike. Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, pegs it at 3.6 miles as does the park's North District Hiking Map.

The Google Earth image below shows the area where we'll be hiking. (Click on the image to open a larger version in your Web browser).

Muir Woods Parking Plan Proposed

This week the County of Marin and the National Park Service moved closer to adopting a plan to begin reducing traffic and parking congestion at Muir Woods National Monument.

The County Board of Supervisors will hold a further hearing on the plan on Tuesday, June 30th.

In this report, the Marin I-J said that the plan "calls for a reservation system, parking limits, public transit and traffic enforcement."

More information about "Muir Woods Transportation Enhancement" can be found on this page of the County of Marin Website and in the "Muir Woods" section of the County Board of Supervisors Web page.

Take the Week Off, Hike Again on June 30th!

Just a quick reminder that there is no hike the coming Thursday, June 23rd. (The Laguna Trailhead hike was on June 16th, rather than the 23rd as originally announced.)

We resume hiking again on June 30th at Bull Point in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the summer:

• July 7 - NO HIKE
• July 14 - Palomarin, Point Reyes National Seashore
• July 21 - Angel Island State Park (instead of Bolinas Ridge)
• July 28 - Muddy Hollow Trailhead, Point Reyes National Seashore 
• August 4 - Bolinas Ridge to Randall Trail, GGNRA (changed from July 21st)
• August 11 - "Final Exam," Tomales Bay State Park
•  August 18 - NO HIKE
• August 25 - NO HIKE
• September 1 -  NO HIKE

A revised list of all of the remaining summer hike is now online! View and print it.

Mount Tam's "Ramblin' Wreck"

Georgia Tech's mascot is the "Ramblin' Wreck," a 1930 Ford Model "A" Sport Coupe.

Mount Tamalpais has its own such wreck: A 1941 Pontiac that rambled down West Ridgecrest Boulevard and, somewhere south of where our hike ends, went careening off the road and tumbled downhill towards Stinson Beach.

Where the car probably didn't meet its demise during filming of an automobile TV ad, as this KQED video report shows, it's a mystery how, when and why it when sailing through the air with the greatest of ease.


(Click here if the YouTube video player doesn't display)
Although KQED's video seems to show the rusted wreck displayed on either Google Earth or Google Maps, Dick Jordan tried without success to locate it on both.

(Click here for more reporting from KQED)

Revised Summer Hike List Now Online!

A revised list of all remaining summer hike is now online! View and print it.

The Laguna Trailhead hike is today, June 16th.

 There is no hike on June 23rd.

We resume hiking again on June 30th at Bull Point in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Sorry for the confusion!

Laguna Trailhead Hike (6/16) Preview

NOTE: THIS HIKE WAS INADVERTENTLY LISTED AS TAKING PLACE ON JUNE 23RD. IT WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 16TH; THERE WILL BE NO HIKE ON JUNE 23RD.  
This week we return to Point Reyes National Seashore.  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. (Click here to view photos from a past hike.)

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.

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

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:  As of Monday, June 15th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was a chance of drizzle before 11am. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this 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.

Updated Summer Hike Schedule Now Online!

Click here to view and print details for all remaining Tuesday summer hikes through August.

This is an updated list that corrects and adds to the one that Wendy previously sent out as well as the mid-June through July list that was e-mailed to you from the blog earlier this week.

Our next two hikes will be at the Laguna Trailhead on June 23rd and Bull Point on June 30th, both at Point Reyes National Seashore

We'll skip Tuesday, July 7th, and then hike each week until the "Final Exam" on August 11th at Tomales Bay State Park.

There will be no hikes during the remaining weeks of August.

We'll resume on September 8th when the College of Marin Fall 1 series of hikes kicks off.

No Hike on Tuesday, June 16th!

There will be no Meandering hike on Tuesday, June 23rd.

Contact Wendy if you want to go to butterfly counts in Lava Beds National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/labe/index.htm) or the Warner Mountains (http://www.summitpost.org/warner-mountains/607119) in northeastern California.

Our next Tuesday hike will be on June 30th at Bull Point in Point Reyes. 

Mid-June through July Hike Details Online!

Complete and correct details for all of the summer Tuesday Meandering hikes from June 23rd through July are now online here.

(Note that the list previously sent out by Wendy had incorrect information for the July 28th hike.)

Abbott's Lagoon Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week's Abbott's Lagoon hike are now online!

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

Tomales Bay SP Shell Beach Shuttle Hike (6/9) Preview

Something old and something new!

We’ll hike from (but not meet at) the same parking lot on Pierce Point Road that’s just before the turn to Heart’s Desire.  Sometimes there are ripe huckleberries along the trail! Wetland plants like Marsh Rosemary, Ledum and Jaumea may be in bloom.

THIS IS A SHUTTLE HIKE! CALL OR E-MAIL WENDY IF YOU'RE COMING!
Home: (415) 457-3949, E-mail: bdreskin@comcast.net.
 
Directions to the trailhead: Meet at the Shell Beach parking lot, not at the trailhead (we’ll carpool to it from the Shell Beach lot).

After you pass Inverness, take a right on Camino del Mar (there’s an inn on your left; it’s just where the road starts going uphill.) Follow it to the parking lot. (Click here for a MapQuest map showing the parking lot. Click on the purple "pin" for driving time and directions to this area from your location.)

No restrooms at trailhead; stop at the Bear Valley Visitors Center on the way if you need to powder your nose.

Meet at 8:55 a.m. to carpool from St. Rita.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, June 3rd, the National Weather Service forecast was mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Click here for an updated forecast.

More on this hike: "G15 Pierce Point Road to Shell Beach" 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 Heart's Desire and Shell Beaches as seen from the east side of Tomales Bay. (Click on the image to open a larger version in your Web browser).