MINUS TIDE OUTING ON JULY 4TH; NO HIKE ON JULY 5TH

Just a brief reminder that there is NO HIKE on Tuesday, July 5th.

Our next hike will be July 12 - Shell Beach Shuttle Hike, at Tomales Bay State Park.

(Brendon Landis Flickr Photo)

However, if you don't mind getting up in the wee hours of the morning on July 4th, you can join Wendy on a "Magic of Minus Tide" outing offered by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

The Owls of Acadia

While wandering along a boardwalk in the Wild Gardens of Acadia in Acadia National Park during his recent visit to Maine, Dick Jordan and his wife spotted three Barred Owls "hanging out" just a short distance away.

Here's a short film Dick made (and which should air on MarinTV sometime in July) of the owls and their habitat.


(Click here if the YouTube video player does not display)
Acadia National Park is located on the coast of Maine, a little less than five hours driving time north from Boston's Logan International Airport, which has non-stop flights from and to San Francisco.

(Maine Coast Near Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse)

From Boston, you can fly to Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in a little over an hour. Either way, you'll probably have to overnight in or near Boston after flying in from the Bay Area.

Connecting flights from San Francisco to Bangor, Maine will put you about an hour-plus drive west of Acadia, although flight schedules aren't very convenient and you'll probably have to bunk in Bangor for the night before driving to the park the next day.

(Dick's trip involved flying into Boston at late afternoon, then driving a rental car to Providence, Rhode Island, one hour or so to the south. After a few days there, he and his wife drove about three hours north to Portland, Maine for a three-night stay, then north to Rockland, Maine to overnight before heading to Acadia.)

(Bar Harbor Inn)

There are no accommodations within the boundaries of Acadia National park, so you'll likely be staying in one of three communities on Mount Desert Island: Bar Harbor (think of a smaller Sausalito), Northeast Harbor (where the "swells" have homes), or sleepy little Southwest Harbor (more like Point Reyes Station).

Watch July 4th Fireworks From Angel Island

Want to see the Fourth of July fireworks display over San Francisco Bay from a great seat?

(Joey Gannon Flickr Photo)

The California Parks Company has just announced this package deal:

"Special Fireworks Ferries will be transporting spectators to Angel Island State Park from Tiburon and San Francisco (Blue and Gold ferry terminal at Pier 41) departing at 5 p.m. on the Fourth of July. Cost is $120/adult and $85/child (5 – 12). Children under 5 are free.

"The price includes: round-trip ferry service, a BBQ dinner prepared by the Angel Island Cafe, on-island shuttle buses to the fireworks viewing area overlooking San Francisco Bay and back, and live music performed by Jinx Jones and Vintage Grass. Craft beer, wine and garlic fries will also be available, separately, at Angel Island’s July 4th Beer Garden. Spectators may carry blankets and compact folding chairs for fireworks viewing. 

"Following the fireworks show, shuttle buses will carry spectators back to Ayala Cove for their return ferry ride to Tiburon or San Francisco. 

"Tickets are limited and sell out quickly. They can be purchased at angelisland.com and blueandgoldfleet.com.

Coming to Mount Tam in September: "Sound Summit"

The Mountain Play will not be the only event to take place in Mount Tam's Mountain Theater this year.

(Sound Summit Photo)

On Saturday, September 17, "Sound Summit," held back in 2015, returns with another musical extravaganza.

Here's filmmaker Gary Yost's "teaster" for the event.

  Sound Summit 2016 from Gary Yost on Vimeo.
Click here for more information and to buy tickets.

Muddy Hollow Loop (6/28) Hike 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: "Great views and, we hope, some birds including American Goldfinches and Northern Harriers. Some years we see Tule Elk on this hike. There may be ripe thimbleberrries and salmon berries." (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 the teardrop icon to get driving times and directions from your location.

Carpool from St. Rita at 9:05 am.

Weather forecast: As of Thursday, June 23rd, the National Weather Service forecast for this area at the time of our hike was sunny, with a high near 64. (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).

Abbott's Lagoon Hike (6/21) Preview

This week we continue our summer hiking strategy of staying near the coast with another trip to Point Reyes National Seashore.

Here's Wendy's description for this outing: "On this lovely level walk we should see Yellow Sand Verbena, Dune Primrose, Giant Coastal Hedge Nettle, Cogweb Thistle, Heliotrope, Point Reyes Checkerbloom and more! Some years we've seen endangered Snowy Plovers, a Sora, and an Osprey carrying a fish! We also saw endangered Bumblebee Scarab Beetles, Tiger Beetles, and a Point Reyes Blue butterfly! Lunch on the beach."  (Click here for a recap of the June 2009 hike).

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 park visitor center at Bear Valley to use the restrooms if you don't want to wait to use the pit toilet at the trailhead.)

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

After you top Inverness Ridge and head down the other side, the road splits: Going left takes you the wrong way and you'll head out to Drake's Beach and the lighthouse. You want to bear to the right (Wendy says "Go straight") onto Pierce Point Road.

Pass Tomales Bay State Park. The parking area for Abbott's Lagoon will be on your left.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the location of the trailhead. Right click on the teardrop icon on the map or click on "Directions" to the left of the map to get driving times and directions from your location.

Carpool from St. Rita at 8:55 am. Pit toilets at trailhead.

Weather forecast: Dick Jordan is on vacation, so click here for an updated National Weather Service forecast. For real time weather conditions, updated every 10 minutes, at the RCA field just south of Abbott's Lagoon, click here.)

It can be windy at this beach so bring layers of clothing even if the weather forecast looks great!

More on this hike: "G16 -Beach and Lagoon Trails" from the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, shows the trails in this part of the seashore, as does Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Both books have a 3.0 mile hike at Abbott's Lagoon, although our route could be different since you can roam off-trail rather far and wide, up and down the beach, and around the upland areas. (Click here to view and print the seashore's North District Hiking Map which shows the location of the roads, trailhead, and trails).

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

Bear Valley to Five Brooks Hike (6/14) Preview

We begin our "Summer at the Seashore" series of hikes this week by starting at the Bear Valley Visitor Center in Point Reyes National Seashore and hiking south to Five Brooks. (Here's the recap from the June, 2009 trek.)

Here's Wendy's description of the outing: "We’ll start by checking out dragonflies and birds on the pond at Five Brooks, then carpool to Bear Valley. In past years we've seen Satyr Commas, Acmon Blues, Field Crescents, California Tortoise Shells, Pale Swallowtails, Western Tiger Swallowtails, and dragonflies including Cardinal Meadowhawks, Western Pondhawks, and Eight Spotted Skimmers.

This level hike takes us through Vedanta Retreat and Stewart Ranch back to Five Brooks."  

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 trailhead:  We'll meet at Five Brooks at 9:30 am. Take Sir Francis Drake to Olema, turn left onto Highway 1, and continue south until you see the right hand turn off the highway to Five Brooks.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows Five Brooks. Rigth click on the teardrop icon on the map or click on "Directions" to the left of the map to get driving time and directions from your location.

We'll leave some cars at Five Brooks, so we'll need some drivers not in a hurry to head home after the hike to drive those who left their cars at the trailhead back to Five Brooks.

Restrooms (porta-potties) at Five Brooks and (real-deal flush toilets) at Bear Valley. Carpool from St. Rita's at 8:55 am.

Weather forecast: Dick Jordan is on vacation so click here for an updated National Weather Service forecast.

More on this hike: Hike "F8 Five Brooks Trailhead to Bear Valley" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, does this 4.4 mile hike in the reverse direction from our trek. Our route will roughly parallel the San Andreas Fault which splits the Olema Valley down its middle.

After about a mile and a half we'll begin to cross the 2,000 acre parcel owned by the Vedanta Society of Northern California. Later we'll skirt the the historic Stewart Ranch. This trail is popular with equestrians, and we're likely to encounter horses and cattle along the way.

The elevation change is only 350' over the length of the trail, and many sections are quite flat or downhill. (Click here to view the Rift Zone Trail on the park's South District Hiking Map).

The Google Earth image below gives you a bird's eye view of the route will follow; the Bear Valley parking lot is at the far right, and "Mill Pond" at the far left is at Five Brooks. The yellow line marked "Shoreline Highway" is Highway 1. (Click on the image to enlarge it in your Web browser).

NO HIKE ON JUNE 7TH

Just a brief reminder that there is NO HIKE on Tuesday, June 7th.

Our next hike will be next week on June 14 - Bear Valley to Five Brooks Shuttle Hike, at Point Reyes National Seashore.