NO HIKE - JANUARY 3RD

Just a quick reminder that there is no hike on Tuesday, January 3rd.

The next "Winterim" hike will be on Tuesday, January 10th from Sky Trail to Bear Valley in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Happy New Year from the Meandering Blog!

Winter Hiking Series Signup Starts Tuesday, January 3rd!

Registration for Winter 2017 College of Marin Hiking Series opens next Tuesday, January 3rd.  

You can sign up: 

•  Online 
• By phone (415 455-9305)
• By U.S. mail (print out and complete registration form and mail to Community Education, 835 College Avenue, Kentfield, CA 94904)
• Or in-person (Mon-Thurs 9 a.m. - Noon, 1-4 p.m., Fri 9 a.m. - Noon) at the Kentfield campus (Student Services Building, Room 145) or Indian Valley campus (Building 7, Room 194)

Here's the class information for both the Monday and Tuesday hikes:

Monday Hikes

Course No: EC 2941
6 Mondays, Jan 30-March 13
Time: 9:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Fee: $122/ESCOM members pay $103

Tuesday Hikes

Course No: EC 2548
7 Tuesdays, Jan 31-March 14
Time: 9:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Fee: $142/ESCOM members pay $120

If you want to sign up for other College of Marin Community Education courses, click here to view and download a copy of the Winter 2017 Course Schedule.

Happy Trails to You!
 

DECEMBER 27 - NO HIKE!

Just a quick reminder that there is no hike on Tuesday, December 27th.

The next "Winterim" hike will be on Tuesday, January 10th.

Enjoy the holidays!

See you in 2017!

WINTER COLLEGE OF MARIN REGISTRATION COMING UP!

Registration for Winter 2017 College of Marin Hiking Series Open Tuesday, January 3rd.  You will be able to sign up online, by phone, or in-person.

Early Registration for Winter 2017 For ESCOM Gold Card Members will take place Monday, December 12th through Friday, December 16th during Community Education office hours.

Register in-person at either the Kentfield Campus, Student Services, Room 145, or the Indian Valley Campus, Building 7, Room 194 Monday-Thursday 9am-Noon and 1-4pm and Friday 9am-Noon

You may be able to register by phone by calling 415-485-9305.

Alpine Dam to Bon Tempe Dam Hike (12/20) Preview

We hike along a creek with lovely cascades and ferns. This is usually an interesting mushroom hike – in past years we've seen Toothed Jelly Fungus, Rosy Gomphidius, Cowboy's Handkerchief, and The Prince! The start is uphill with some stairs (but we’ll find lots to look at on the way), the end is level, and in between it’s up and down!

We end up at the Bon Tempe Dam.  (Click here for a recap of our January 2010 hike). Note the early start time (9:15 am). Carpool leaves St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 8:55 a.m. We sometimes get back late on this hike. If you must be back at 1:45 pm it's safer to skip this one.

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! 

Directions to trailhead:  Take the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Turn in as you would to go to Lake Lagunitas.

After the ranger station at Sky Oaks (but before Shaver Grade) there is an unpaved road to the right. Take this to Lake Bon Tempe and park at the lot near the foot of the dam.  

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

MEET HERE AT 9:15 a.m. Porta potties are in the parking lot. From here we’ll carpool to the trailhead (near Alpine Dam).

We’ll need people who are not in a rush to take the driver’s back to their cars parked near Alpine Dam.

Do not pay the day use fee at the Sky Oaks entrance if you plan to take people to the trailhead.

If you are going to leave your car in the lot by Bon Tempe Dam, stop at the two automated pay station machines which are now at the parking area on the right just beyond the entrance station and pay the $8 day use fee unless have an MMWD Watershed pass.
 
You can use a credit card, $1, $5, or $10 bills (but not coins or $20 bills) at the automated pay station which will not give you change 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. 

Weather forecast:  As of Tuesday, December 13th, the National Weather Service forecast for this area during the hike was mostly sunny, with a high near 553. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: There is no comparable hike in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, but we'll begin our hike just past the dam at Alpine Lake and head east on the Helen Markt Trail, eventually pick up one of the fire roads, and wind our way back to Bon Tempe Lake. (Click here to view, zoom in on, or print a map of the MWWD watershed lands).

"Winterim" Hike Schedule Now Online!

Until the Winter College of Marin series of hikes begin at the end of January, Wendy will be running a series of by-the-week one-way shuttle hikes on these dates:

• December 20 - Lake Alpine
• December 27 - NO HIKE
• January 3 - NO HIKE.
• January 10 - Sky Trail to Bear Valley
• January 17 - Pine Mountain/Elliott Preserve
• January 24 - Sky Oaks to Deer Park "Final Exam"

Cost is $20/hike. Unlike the COM series, rain cancels.

Click here for detailed information.

Lake Lagunitas “Final Exam” Hike (12/13) Preview

We return to the MMWD watershed for our final hike of the 2016 Fall "2" session.

Here's what we'll be doing:  "We make a partial circle around the lake, looking for Ring-Neck ducks, Mergansers, Grebes and other birds, and then make a loop past Pilot Knob, returning on Southern Marin Line. We usually see newts and some interesting mushrooms on this hike."

"Bring your contribution to our gourmet feast, plus a plate, utensils, and a cup." (Click here for a recap of our December 2009 "Final Exam" hike at this location or 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 old toll booth by Sky Oaks Ranger Station.

Click here for the MMWD map and directions. Or click here for a Google Maps map showing the trailhead location; click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and estimated travel time from your location.

Unless you have an MMWD pass, continue past the old toll booth, pull over at the parking area on the right and pay the day use fee, and then continue driving until you reach the end of the road.
 
The day use fee is $8.  You can use a credit card, $1, $5, or $10 bills (but not coins or $20 bills) at the automated pay station which will not give you change back 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: 30 minutes from College of Marin. Outhouse in parking lot.

Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church at 9:20 a.m. Click here for a Google Maps map showing St. Rita's ("A") and directions and estimated driving time to the trailhead.

Weather forecast:  As of Wednesday December 7th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 59. (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast.)

More on this hike:  Hike "C16 - Lakeview FR to Pilot Knob" in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, sets out a shorter hike than we'll be doing; instead of following the Pilot Knob trail back to the parking lot, we'll take a longer route back by continuing eastward and then looping back the west, picking up the Southern Marin Line Road (called the Filter Plant Road on the Martin's map). (Click here to view, zoom in on, and print a map of the MMWD watershed lands).

Here's the route we'll follow.

Here's the hike profile.