Dick Jordan's Cuba Film at Book Passage and on MarinTV.

Dick Jordan's feature-length documentary film, Cuba, Libre?, which traces the history of travel to Cuba by Americans from the early decades of the 20th century to the present day, will be shown in the Event Room of Book Passage Bookstore & Cafe on Monday, December 5th, at 7:00 p.m.

Left Coast Writers is hosting the event as part of its monthly salon meeting.

Dick and travel writers who appear in the film will be present to answer questions after the screening.

Refreshments will be served. This free event is open to the public. 

 Click here for details, and click here to watch the film's trailer.

Last January, Cuba, Libre? aired on MarinTV, the non-commercial public access station in San Rafael that serves cable TV subscribers in Central and Southern Marin County.

The station is re-running the film on Comcast Channel 26 on these dates and times in December:

• Friday            12/02/2016    10:30AM    
• Wednesday    12/07/2016    11:00 AM    
• Friday            12/09/2016      3:00 PM
• Friday            12/23/2016    11:00 PM
• Saturday        12/24/2016      5:00 PM 

Cuba, Libre? is also tentatively scheduled to be shown on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at an event to raise funds to cover the costs of renovating and restoring the historic downtown Novato Theater.

With luck, the theater reconstruction will be completed by then and Dick's film will be shown there. (If not, the screening will be held in another Novato location.)

Dick plans to return from his new home in Eugene, Oregon (where he'll be moving in mid-January) to attend the event.

Muir Woods (Dipsea to Ben Johnson) Hike (12/6) 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 early 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 (overflow parking).

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the location of the parking lot. Click on teardrop icon 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 Parking & Ride lot at 9:00 a.m. (Click here for a Google Maps map showing the parking lot on Drakes Landing Road; click on the teardrop icon to get driving time and directions from your location.)

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, November 30th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was sunny, with a high near 52. (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.

Sky Oaks MMWD Hike (11/29) 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 Google Maps map showing the trailhead location. Click on teardrop icon 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 (change not given if you overpay).

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 23rd, the weather forecast for this hike was

sunny, with a high near 62. (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).

This is one of the routes that we typically follow, although sometimes we've take a slightly different path during the final leg back to the parking lot.

Here's the hike profile (which will vary slightly, depending on the exact route taken during the post-lunch section of the hike).

Baker-Barry Tunnel Closure Early Next Year

(Baker-Barry Tunnel Courtesy of GGNRA/NPS)

The Baker-Barry Tunnel in the Marin Headlands Unit of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that connects the Sausalito side of the Headlands to the western side, including Rodeo Lagoon where we begin our annual Wolf Ridge hike in late spring, is slated to be closed for repair work next year.

Here are the details:

The Baker-Barry Tunnel, a primary route to the Marin Headlands, will close for an extended preservation project beginning Monday, January 2, 2017.

The tunnel will be closed seven days a week through early May to all users, including vehicles and bicycles.

Additional one-day closures will be scheduled in December for pre-project inspections.

The Federal Highway Administration notified the National Park Service this week of the intended closure dates. The project was previously anticipated to begin in October 2016. Exact dates, times, and date ranges are subject to variation with advance notice.

The National Park Service has established a web page for project updates: http://go.nps.gov/tunnel, including:

• an upcoming traffic management plan from the Federal Highway Administration

• suggested times to visit the Marin Headlands to avoid peak congestion

• alternative locations for Golden Gate Bridge photography

Safer Surfaces. Better Lighting.

The Baker-Barry Tunnel preservation project will bring safer surfaces and better lighting to the historic tunnel.

Current cracks and leaks in the tunnel result in a slippery film of sediment that creates a safety hazard for vehicles and bicyclists. A new tunnel LED light system will reduce energy use by an estimated 40% and create better illumination in the tunnel for vehicles and bicyclists.

The project will also replace water and sewer lines mounted in the tunnel. The outdated water and sewer lines are subject to frequent breaks, resulting in tunnel closures.

To keep informed on the project visit: http://go.nps.gov/tunnel

During the time that the tunnel is closed you'll have to follow this route to reach Rodeo Lagoon, especially if you are towing a large cannon behind you!

Bootjack to West Point Inn Hike (11/22) 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).

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, if you don't have a state park pass) on your right.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the Bootjack parking lot. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and times 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 Parking & Ride lot at 9:00 a.m. (Click here for a Google Maps map showing the parking lot on Drakes Landing Road; click on the teardrop icon to get driving time and directions from your location.)

Weather forecast:  As of Wednesday, November 16th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was a slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.  (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.

Here's the hike profile.

Sometimes instead of staring and ending at Bootjack we hike to from Mountain Home Inn to West Point and back, as we did in this short film by Dick Jordan.

  (Click here if the YouTube video player does not display)

Help Wanted: Meandering Blog Editor

Alas, alas, after the upcoming "Final Exam" hike in December, but before Christmas, updates to the Meandering blog will end as Dick Jordan begins packing up "stuff" for his move to Eugene, Oregon in January!

To prevent this "Bah, Humbug!" Scrooge moment from happening, a new blog editor will have to be found.

The main part of the editor's "job" is posting the preview for next week's hike. This typically involves copying and pasting the preview from the last time the hike was done, updating the weather forecast, and perhaps the links to Google Maps or other Websites. Understanding basic HTML editing would be helpful, but not essential.

The new editor would have to have a Google Account (which anyone who uses "gmail" already has).

So, if you've always hankered for a job as a journalist, now's your chance!

To apply for the job, just send an e-mail to Dick (rhjordan@earthlink.net). (No need to submit a resume, or your salary and benefit requirements since there are none for this position).

He'll contact you about how to do the basic tasks and be available via e-mail or phone to help you learn "the ropes" of being a blogger.

Railroading on Mount Tam

On some of our hikes on Mount Tamalpais we walk along sections of the old railway line that ran up and down the mountain.

Marin filmmaker, Gary Yost, who has produced several short movies about the mountain, has just released a new one that immortalizes the railroad in song.

"The Old Railroad Grade" by Dore Coller from Gary Yost on Vimeo.
You can learn more about those days of yore from this book available in Marin County libraries or from Amazon.com (which will pay Dick Jordan a few pennies if you buy it through this link).

'

Bahia Open Space Hike (11/15) Preview

For our next hike we'll head north to the Novato area and do some birdwatching on a portion of the Marin County Open Space lands, usually beginning with a check of the hummingbird feeders at a home near the trailhead. (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 ten species of ducks, as well as stilts, avocets, grebes, raptors and shorebirds.”

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 Google Maps map showing the trailhead location. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and estimated driving time from your location).

Driving time from College of Marin: 35 minutes. No restrooms at trailhead, but Dick Jordan suggests using one at Starbuck's in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center just south of downtown Novato where you can also pick up beverages and food items if you need them.

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 Google Maps map showing the Park & Ride location. Click on the teardrop icon to get, directions and estimated driving from your location.)
  
Weather forecast: As of Thursday, November 10th, the weather forecast for this hike was a slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. (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.

This map shows the route we generally follow.

Here's the hike profile.

Bootjack Loop Hike (11/8) Preview

We return to Mount Tamalpais this week to repeat a hike was last did in January of this year.

The hike description is simple: "A mostly shady trail opens up to an incredible vista at a sunny (we hope!) lunch spot overlooking the ocean!

"We'll take Bootjack Trail to Van Wyk Meadow, TCC Trail to the Dipsea Trail, and the Old Mine Trail back."

Click here for photos taken on past hikes along these trails.

This map shows the route we'll follow.

Here's the hike's profile showing the elevation changes.

 (Click on the Map or Profile to View a Larger Image)

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.

As you drive up the mountain, look for the Bootjack picnic area and parking lot ($8/car, if you don't have a state park pass) on your right.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the Bootjack parking lot. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and times 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). 

50 minutes from the College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead.

Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Parking & Ride lot at 9:00 a.m. (Click here for a Google Maps map showing the parking lot on Drakes Landing Road; click on the teardrop icon to get driving time and directions from your location.)

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, November 2nd, the National Weather Service forecast was a slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. (Click here for an updated forecast.)