Wendy offers a flat hike on Fridays to those who prefer a hike with less elevation. The Flat Friday Schedule for Fall 2019 follows:
FALL SESSION 2019
10 AM to 1 PM Bring lunch! $175
No refunds for absences but you can bring a guest to a hike as a makeup, or have a friend fill in for you.
Please bring a copy of the attached release to the first class.
Remember, unlike Meandering in Marin, rain cancels! I will email by 7:15 AM is the weather is dubious.
AUGUST 30 Cross Marin Trail SHUTTLE HIKE
Today we hike along the old bed of the North Pacific Coast Railroad, which used to run from Larkspur to Cazadero. Meet at the main entrance to Samuel P.Taylor State Park. We'll leave two shuttle cars and drive to the start of the hike. If you want to drive to the start of the hike, continue west on Sir Francis Drake to Platform Bridge Rd. Sir Francis Drake goes over a bridge (you'll see railings on the side of the road). Watch for an unmarked road right after the bridge, and turn right. Turn left and you'll see some parking places on the left.
This is paved bike trail, so easy walking. 3.2 miles, much of it through redwoods but there are some sunny stretches so bring a hat.
No restrooms at trailhead, but restrooms at the end of the hike. Carpool from St. Rita’s Church in Fairfax at 9:35.
SEPTEMBER 6 Tennessee Valley GGNA
This level trail is paved part of the way. We might see some migrating hawks. If you have time, you can go up to Hawk Hill after the hike.
Take the Stinson Beach exit from 101. Follow signs to Stinson Beach and Muir Woods, then turn left on Tennessee Valley Road and take it to the parking lot at the end. Time: 40 minutes from College of Marin. Portable at trailhead. Carpool from Greenbrae Park and Ride at 9:35.
SEPTEMBER 13 Bear Valley
Walk the trail where in the 1880s visitors could take an excursion by wagon “for miles and miles through a tree canopied glen, banked with ferns.” Lunch in Divide Meadow.
Take Sir Francis Drake Blvd. west to Olema. Turn right on Rt.1, then make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Rd. Turn in where the sign says Park Headquarters. Park in the parking lot on your left.
Restrooms at trailhead. Carpool from St. Rita’s Church in Fairfax at 9:25.
SEPTEMBER 20 Dogtown to Randall Trail, Shuttle hike
The Olema Valley trail parallels Pine Gulch Creek. Bay trees will be getting nuts, toyons will have small green berries. We could see Satyr commas, Mylitta crescents, Field Crescents, CA Ringlets, and CA Sisters.
Meet at the Randall Trail on Rt 1 and we’ll carpool to the bottom of the McCurdy trail near Dogtown. Take Sir Francis Drake to Olema. Turn left on Route 1 and go 6 miles south to the Randall Trailhead. Park in one of the large dirt pullouts on either side of the road. Note: The sign for the Randall Trail is aligned parallel to Highway 1 on the east side of the road and can easily be missed.
Meet at St. Rita’s at 9:15 to carpool. No restrooms at trailhead. There is a portable in the parking lot at Rt. 1 and Sir Francis Drake, or turn in to Bear Valley for flush toilets.
SEPTEMBER 27 China Camp State Park - Shuttle hike
Wetlands and oak woodlands. This park is also of historical interest as the site of a Chinese fishing village.
From 101 take the San Pedro Road exit and go east for three miles. Turn in at the sign that says China Camp State Park Back Ranch Campground. Stop at the short-term parking and pay. You can pay the hiking fee, not the parking fee. Then go back out and turn right. Continue east on San Pedro Rd. to where the sign on your right says Miwok Meadows. Park along the road. We will need two cars to meet me at the China Camp Point parking lot, just uphill from China Camp Village. Then we can leave two cars and take one back to Miwok Meadows. The drivers of those cars will drive people back to Miwok Meadows after the hike.
No restrooms at trailhead, but you can turn in at the Back Ranch Campground sign and go past the short-term parking, past the day use parking area, to the campground parking area. There are restrooms there. There will also be restrooms at lunch. Carpool from Mission and Irwin (can only enter by turning left from Irwin and making a right into the parking lot) 9:45.
OCTOBER 4 Las Gallinas Water Reclamation Ponds
Most of the ducks should be back from breeding grounds and molted out of their eclipse plumage, so it’s a good time to check out ducks, grebes, gallinules, marsh wrens, and other birds that frequent the ponds. Bring binoculars if you have them, and I'll have extras to loan.
Take the Smith Ranch Rd Exit from Hway 101 and go east. Just before the large sign that says McInnis Park, turn left into what looks like a parking lot but actually has a road continuing out the other end. Park in the small lot on the left, or if there's no room, turn around and park on the road.
Portables in parking lot. Carpool from Mission and Irwin (can only enter by turning left from Irwin and making a right into the parking lot) 9:40
OCTOBER 11 Hamilton Wetlands, Novato FINAL EXAM
Migrants are back now, and we should also see some resident egrets, herons and raptors. Bring binoculars if you have them, and I'll have extras to loan. Bring something to share for our gourmet Final Exam, and plates, flatware and a cup.
101 North to Nave Drive. Right on Mail Gate Rd, left on Palm, right on Hangar Drive. Park in the lot on your right just before the children's playground.
Portable at trailhead, restrooms near where we have lunch. Carpool from Mission and Irwin (can only enter by turning left from Irwin and making a right into the parking lot) 9:30
Please let me know if you want to be removed from the mailing list for this class.
This week we move south and east of Point Reyes National Seashore to take one of our hikes in the GGNRA.
