Winter 2017 Tuesday Hike Details Now Online!

The Winter 2017 College of Marin series of hikes kicks off next week!

If you didn't receive or mislaid the detailed hike information Wendy sent out via e-mail, you'll find it online here.

Lake Bon Tempe, Rocky Ridge Hike (1/31) Preview

As far as Dick Jordan (writing from far-flung Eugene, Oregon) can recall, the Tuesday Meanderers have never done this hike in the MMWD Watershed in the past nine years.

Here's Wendy's description of the hike: "After we cross the dam we have about an hour of uphill walking, but we’ll take it slowly admiring the sweeping views of the lakes and checking out the early wildflowers. Lunch by the lake."

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 Sky Oaks Ranger Station. Pull over and park on the right and pay the $8 day-use fee (unless you own an MMWD pass). You can use a credit card, $1, $5, or $10 bills (but not coins or $20 bills) 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.

Then continue driving toward Lake Lagunitas. When you reach the right turn marked Lake Bon Tempe, turn right onto a dirt road that takes you to the parking lot by the dam. 

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the trailhead at the Bon Tempe dam.  Click on the teardrop icon to get directions and driving times from your location.

Portables at trailhead. Time: 25 minutes from COM.

25 minutes from the College of Marin to Deer Park School. Carpool from St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecast for the day of the hike was a slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast.)

More on this hike: Dick thinks he may have done this hike with his wife and a friend some years back. Unfortunately, he no longer owns a copy of the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, which may or may not have details on the hike.

However, the Hiking Project Website shows a hike that may be the one that Wendy plans to do (although perhaps in the reverse direction).

How to Get to Marin Headlands During Tunnel Closure

As you may know, work is being done on the tunnel that leads from the Sausalito side of Marin to Rodeo Lagoon and the surrounding area of the Marin Headlands.

Here's a map (courtesy of The Marine Mammal Center, where Dick Jordan's wife, Cindy, was a volunteer) that shows how to get to that area until the tunnel is re-open to traffic.

(Dick hasn't seen any marine mammals meandering around Eugene, but knows that they are probably lurking inside of the privately-owned "Sea Lion Caves" just about an hour's drive to the west at Florence, Oregon.)

Sky Oaks to Deer Park “Final Exam” (1/24) Preview

This hike has some short uphill stretches, but much of it is downhill or fairly level. Maybe we’ll see the first milkmaids of the season! (Click here for a recap of the hike we did in October of 2009).

Remember to bring plate, utensils, cups, and a delicious dish to share at the post-hike luncheon.

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:  Meet at Deer Park School to carpool. Take Bolinas Avenue in Fairfax, turn left on Porteous. (If you see the sign for Deer Park Villa you’ve gone a bit too far on Bolinas Avenue, so turn around, head back toward town, and turn right on Porteous.)

Go to the parking lot at the end of Porteous. (Click here for a Google Maps map showing the location of Deer Park School; click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and estimated driving time from your location.)

Shuttle drivers will take us to the parking area just beyond the Sky Oaks entrance and leave their cars there. They'll leave their food in the cars we'll leave behind at Deer Park School.
 
If you are going to shuttle hikers from Deer Park to Sky Oaks, use one of the two automated pay station machines at the parking area to 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.

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.

20 minutes from the College of Marin to Deer Park School. Carpool from St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 9:25 a.m.

Restrooms at Deer Park and portable (hopefully) at Sky Oaks, and porta-potty en route. 

Weather forecast:  As of Tuesday, January 17th, the National Weather Service forecast for the day of the hike was a slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Click here for an updated forecast for the day of the hike..

More on this hike:  The Martins' book, Hiking Marin, does not have a hike that matches this one.  But their hikes "C 12 Taylor-Concrete Pipe-Bullfrog FR" and "C7 Deer Park FR-Canyon-Six Points" shows the the general area where we will be hiking as does the MMWD watershed trail map.

Pine Mt./Elliott Preserve Hike (1/17) Preview

SHUTTLE HIKE - NOTE EARLY STARTING, LATE ENDING TIME

 
CALL WENDY AT 457-3949 or send her an e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net if you are coming!

We'll continue the new year with this annual "Winterim" hike.
 
This one-way shuttle hike starts in oak/bay/madrone woodland, passes through chaparral, then heads down to a valley with a stream, passing some serpentine rock areas. We'll check out birds and mushrooms as we go.  Maybe we'll see the first Milkmaids, or beat our earliest Indian Warrior sighting which was January 6th! (Click here for the recap of our hike in this area in January of 2009. There are a few photos from a past hike in this area in one our online albums.)


Directions to trailhead: We need some people to meet at the end of Cascade Drive in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m. (Click here for a Google Maps map with that location and click on the teardrop icon to get directions to it). If you have time pressure after class go there as well, since the car shuttle won’t get us back to the trailhead until a little after 2:00 pm. Wendy will drive those drivers to the start of the hike.

Others should meet at the trailhead by taking the Bolinas-Fairfax Road past the Meadow Club golf course and up to the crest of the hill. (Click here for a Google Maps map with that location and click on the teardrop icon  to get directions to it.)

Park in the parking lot across from the Pine Mountain Fire Road where the Azalea Hill Trail begins. It is a large dirt parking lot on your left, and the fire road is on the right. If you start going downhill and can see Lake Alpine, you’ve gone too far.  There may or may not be a porta-potty at the trailhead.

Carpool to the trailhead (not the end of Cascade Drive) will leave from St. Rita's at 9:25 a.m. (Wendy won't be at St. Rita's she is going early to drive to the end of Cascade Drive).

Weather forecast: Dick Jordan is up in Eugene and the new "blogmaster" hasn't taken over yet, so click here for an updated forecast for the day of the hike.. Note that unlike College of Marin sessions hikes, rain can cancel "Winterim" outings. So on the morning of the hike, check your e-mail before you leave home to see if Wendy has cancelled the hike. She'll phone those who don't have e-mail.

More on this hike: We'll be hiking on both MMWD watershed lands (click here for a map that you can view, zoom in on or print) and those of the Marin County Open Space District (click here for a description of the preserve (now called Cascade Canyon Open Space Preserve instead of Elliott Preserve) on the District's Website, or click here for a map of this area)

Wendy Gets I-J Hike Coulmn Job!

Good news (Marin I-J wise).

As Dick Jordan noted last week, his Facebook Friend, Vicki Larson, who writes for the Marin I-J, said that the newspaper is looking for an experienced hiker and writer to write a weekly column about hiking in Marin (apparently the person who has been doing it for 25 years is leaving the gig).

As luck would have it, Vicki knows Wendy, who will begin the gig starting in March based on her prior writing experience and without the newspaper even interviewing her.

Congrats, Wendy!

Write About Hiking for the Marin I-J!

Ever dream about being a newspaper reporter?

(Mike Licht Flickr Photo; Kansas City Star Newsroom)

 Now's your chance to make that dream come true!

Dick Jordan's Facebook Friend, Vicki Larson, who writes for the Marin I-J, says that the newspaper is looking for an experienced hiker and writer to write a weekly column about hiking in Marin (apparently the person who has been doing it for 25 years is leaving the gig).

If this interests you, contact Vicki via e-mail at vlarson@marinij.com.

Sky Trail to Bear Valley Hike (1/10) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore on Tuesday, January 10th for our first "Winterim" outing of 2017.

The trail is about 7.3 miles long, but a lot of it is fairly level, so the hike is a bit easier than the distance implies.  

This is a shuttle hike, so CALL WENDY AT 415-457-3949 or 415-517-0488 or send her an e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net if you are coming! 

Note the earlier than usual meeting time at Bear Valley.

Directions to trailhead: We’ll meet at Bear Valley at 9:20 a.m. and carpool to Sky Trail. (Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the Bear Valley Vistor Center; park in the lot next to the restrooms by the Earthquake trail. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and time from your location.)

(If you are running late, you drive directly to the Sky Trail trailhed. 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). 

When we get to Mt. Wittenberg we’ll go down Old Pine to the Bear Valley Trail (which is always soggy, whether it has rained recently or not, so waterproof your boots!

We’ll need some people who are not in a rush to drive people back to Sky Trail after we reach the Bear Valley Visitor Center and parking lot.

Restrooms at Bear Valley, none at Sky Trail trailhead, but some as we pass Coast Camp.

Carpool leaves St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 8:45 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Tuesday, January 3rd, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  "G3 Sky Trailhead to Bear Valley" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, is a version of this hike although we usually go straight at Junction #1 shown on their map and continue on to Sky Camp rather than take the detour up to Mt. Wittenberg (which we do on a separate loop hike from the Sky Trail trailhead) and then back down to the Sky Trail before continuing on to the Old Pine Trail, Divide Meadow and on to Bear Valley.  (Click here for the Seashore's South District Hiking Map which shows these trails).

The following Google Earth image gives a bird's eye view of where we'll be hiking: