Sky Oaks, MMWD (11/28/2017)

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 mostly 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).

Bahia Open Space, Novato (11/21/2017)

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. (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 Friday, November 17th, the weather forecast for this hike was a chance of rain, mostly cloudy with a high near 67. (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.

Dipsea to Ben Johnson (11/14/2017)

This week we head south in the County and back into the federal park lands.  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 mostly sunny, with a high near 58. (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.

Indian Tree Open Space Hike (11/7/2107) Preview

Indian Tree Open Space Hike (11/7/2107) Preview

This week we head north and east to the Novato area to hike in the Indian Tree Open Space Preserve.
  

Here's Wendy's hike description:  "We hike a pretty loop trail with views and a grove of old redwoods that escaped logging. If there has been rain you may want boots for this hike, or be prepared to rock hop a few streams." We have lunch in a redwood grove.

(Click here to read the recap of our hike in this area on February 3, 2009. You can view photos from past hikes in this area by clicking here.)

Directions:  Take Highway 101 north. Exit at DeLong Ave, which becomes Diablo Ave for a short stretch. Go west on Novato Blvd. Turn left (south) on Wilson Ave, right (west) on Vineyard Ave. The trail starts where the paved road turns into a dirt road, shown on this Google Maps map. (Click on the teardrop icon to get directions and driving time from your location.

Time: 35 minutes from College of Marin. No restrooms at trailhead, but you could stop at Starbucks in the small shopping center at the intersection of San Marin Drive and San Andreas Drive, just before the Kaiser Permanente clinic.

Carpoolers meet at 9:15 am at the Park & Ride lot on the east side of Highway 101 at Smith Ranch Road in the Terra Linda area north of the Marin Civic Center and downtown San Rafael.

Weather forecast: As of Friday, November 3rd, the National Weather Service forecast for Tuesday's hike was partly sunny, with a high near 59. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: The Marin County Open Space District operates the preserve on a portion of this area (the North Marin Water District owns adjacent land) and its Web site provides a viewable/printable trail map.

Barry Spitz's book, Open Spaces (Marin County Open Space District, 2000) describes the area and contains a map similar to that found on the MCOSD Web site.

The "E9 Deer Camp - Big Trees Trails hike in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, is much longer (7.2 miles) than the one we'll actually take, but shows the general area where we'll be hiking.