Lake Lagunitas MMWD 12/4/18

We return to the MMWD watershed for our final hike of the 2018 Fall "2" session.

Here's what Wendy says 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. Turn left on Pacheco and make an immediate right in front of the movie theater onto Broadway. 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, Sky Oaks Rd. 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 Thursday November 29th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was a chance of showers. Partly sunny with a high near 53.  (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.

Dipsea to Ben Johnson/Muir Woods 11/27/18

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 a chance of rain. Cloudy with a high near 62. (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.

Some lovely little birds

Since we've been prevented from hiking thesepast two weeks, I thought you might like to see some feathery friends. This is from the blog, The Natural History of Bodega Bay. The Natural History of Bodega Head

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Late afternoon baths Posted: 17 Nov 2018 08:00 PM PST We haven't spent much time outside lately because of the wildfire smoke and poor air quality, but at times there have been quite a few birds visiting the water bath in our yard.  Here's a sampler (photos taken through the kitchen window on 17 November 2018).  [Click in the images for larger versions.]   Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)   Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) Townsend's Warbler (Setophaga townsendi) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)   Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

Sky Oaks, MMWD 11/20/18

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 which puts you on Broadway, the street that parallels the parkway. Make the first left onto Bolinas Avenue. Follow this until you see the sign on your left for Lake Bon Tempe and Lake Lagunitas. Turn left and 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 Thursday, November 15th, the weather forecast for this hike was mostly sunny, with a high near 60. (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).

ROCKY RIDGE HIKE 11/13/18

Here's an earlier description of this 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 Saturday 11/10/18, the National Weather Service forecast for the day of the hike was mostly sunny with a high near 69. (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast.)

More on this hike:  The Martins' book, Hiking Marin, describes a hike called Kent Trail - Rocky Ridge FR C14. It is unclear which route we will be taking.

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

Bahia Open Space, Novato 11/6/18

ELECTION DAY - BE SURE TO VOTE on 11/6/18

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. See the note at the bottom for more information about restrooms, courtesy of Janice Low.

Carpoolers used to meet at the Terra Linda Park & Ride lot on the east side of Highway 101 at the Smith Ranch Road exit. This Park & Ride has permanently closed. The next closest Park & Ride is in Novato. (Click here for a Google Maps map showing the Park & Ride location in Novato. Click on the teardrop icon to get, directions and estimated driving from your location.)

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, November 1st, the weather forecast for this hike was sunny with a high near 80. (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 I have, 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.

More restroom information from Janice Low:

Re: Public bathrooms near Bahia:

1.Trader Joe's and Starbucks along with two gas stations (Shell and Chevron) are located on Redwood Blvd and Olive.

Directions:  Take the Atherton/San Marin turn off from HWY 101.  Redwood Blvd is just West  of the freeway.

Drive south on Redwood three (or four) blocks and you will see the corner with the gas stations and Starbucks.

To get to Bahia, return to Redwood and go north.  Turn right, going over the freeway and straight into Atherton Ave.

Then follow Wendy's directions again.

2. Whole Foods is right off the DeLong Exit from HWY 101.  It's immediately on the west side before crossing any street.  

You'll need to find the public parking entrance t o access the store.

To get to Bahia, go back to Hwy 101 and go North one freeway exit to Atherton.  Follow Wendy's directions again.

Tuesday Members Only: If you miss any of the above, you can come to my house in Bahia.  There's all vinyl floors on the way to my bathroom.

I'm 604 Andale Avenue.  Proceed two minutes on Topaz.  At the second mini-park (with the rail fence) turn right onto Andale Avenue. Click here for a Google Map showing the location.

 I'll wait until 9:30 to leave..