Cranberry Soup Recipe

Click here to view and print the recipe for the cranberry soup Dick Jordan brought to today's "Final Exam" hike around Lake Lagunitas.

Winter College of Marin Hike Registration

Winter 2013 College of Marin class registration (including signup for the Meandering in Marin on Tuesday hikes) begins on January 2, 2013.

The Winter 2013 College of Marin Community Education class schedule (in PDF format) will be available online at the College of Marin Website on or after December 20, 2012.

Wendy will be sending out more information on hike dates and course numbers.

Lake Lagunitas “Final Exam” Hike (12/11) Preview

We return to the MMWD watershed for our final hike of the Fall 2012 "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. This is often a good mushroom hike if we've had rain. 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).

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. (Click here for the MMWD map and directions). The continue past to toll booth until you reach the end of the room.

The day use fee is $8.  You can use $1, $5, or $10 bills and coins at the automated pay station, or a Visa or Mastercard. Annual entrance passes are normally $60 ($30 for those 62 and older), but after September 1st you can buy one for half of those prices and the pass will be valid through January 31, 2013.  (You can pay the annual pass fee at the automated pay station.  Keep one part of the receipt which is a temporary pass good for two weeks, then: 1) stop at the Sky Oaks Ranger Station on the way out and ask them to send the other half of your receipt to the main office in Corte Madera which will issue the permanent pass and mail it to you, or 2) send or take the receipt to the main office yourself).

Time: 30 minutes from College of Marin. Outhouse in parking lot.  Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church at 9:20 a.m.

Weather forecast:  As of Thursday December 6, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was sunny, with a high near 65. (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).

Although this is the final hike of the College of Marin Fall 2 session, we'll do the first "Winterim" hike on December 18 up Sky Trail to Bear Valley.

After taking a holiday break from hiking, we'll meet again for the second "Winterim" hike on January 8, Pine Mountain to the Elliott Nature Preserve.

Bahia Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during this week's Bahia hike near Novato are now online!

View them on the Meandering blog or click here for the on-line album.