View them on the Meandering blog or click here for the on-line album.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Rock Spring "Final Exam" Hike Photos Now Online!
View them on the Meandering blog or click here for the on-line album.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wolf Ridge Hike Photos Now Online!
View them on the Meandering blog or click here for the on-line album.
Rock Spring "Final Exam" Hike (5/15) Preview
As we do each year, we'll wrap up the Spring College of Marin hiking series with this Mount Tamalpais State Park hike. (Click here 
for a recap of our 2010 hike. View photos from past hikes in the online album).
Here's Wendy's outline for the hike: “Although last year was rainy, some years we've seen eight species of butterflies including a brown elfin, Western tiger swallowtail, and lots of Propertius duskywings! Rain or shine we should see Coral Roots, Oakland Star Lily, Mount Tamalpais Jewel Flower, and Golden Banners on this mostly shady loop hike.
Bring a plate and utensils, and food to share for the Gourmet Final!"
Directions to trailhead: Go south on Highway 101 to the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit. Go west on Highway 1 and wind around a lot. At the top of the ridge, turn right onto Panoramic Highway and continue to the 4-way "crossroads." Take the middle road to Mt. Tamalpais. Continue along this road for 5-6 miles.
At the Pantoll Ranger Station the road divides. Take the upper road for about 1 mile. The road divides again. This is Rock Spring. Park here.
Driving time from College of Marin 55 minutes. Outhouse at trailhead and mid-way. (Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:10 am).
Weather forecast: As of Friday, May 11th, the National Weather Service forecast for the area around Rock Spring on Mt. Tam was sunny, with a high near 70. (Click here for an updated forecast).
More on this hike: The "B17 Simmons - Potrero - Arturo Trails" hike in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the trails that we'll be hiking on, although we'll probably follow a different route (Simmons to Benstein to Potrero Meadows to Laurel Dell and back up the Cataract Trail to Rock Spring). Page 6 of the state park brochure has a trail map that shows the area. The Google Earth image below shows were we'll be on the mountain. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).
for a recap of our 2010 hike. View photos from past hikes in the online album).Here's Wendy's outline for the hike: “Although last year was rainy, some years we've seen eight species of butterflies including a brown elfin, Western tiger swallowtail, and lots of Propertius duskywings! Rain or shine we should see Coral Roots, Oakland Star Lily, Mount Tamalpais Jewel Flower, and Golden Banners on this mostly shady loop hike.
Bring a plate and utensils, and food to share for the Gourmet Final!"
Directions to trailhead: Go south on Highway 101 to the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit. Go west on Highway 1 and wind around a lot. At the top of the ridge, turn right onto Panoramic Highway and continue to the 4-way "crossroads." Take the middle road to Mt. Tamalpais. Continue along this road for 5-6 miles.
At the Pantoll Ranger Station the road divides. Take the upper road for about 1 mile. The road divides again. This is Rock Spring. Park here.
Driving time from College of Marin 55 minutes. Outhouse at trailhead and mid-way. (Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:10 am).
Weather forecast: As of Friday, May 11th, the National Weather Service forecast for the area around Rock Spring on Mt. Tam was sunny, with a high near 70. (Click here for an updated forecast).
More on this hike: The "B17 Simmons - Potrero - Arturo Trails" hike in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the trails that we'll be hiking on, although we'll probably follow a different route (Simmons to Benstein to Potrero Meadows to Laurel Dell and back up the Cataract Trail to Rock Spring). Page 6 of the state park brochure has a trail map that shows the area. The Google Earth image below shows were we'll be on the mountain. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).
Sunday, May 6, 2012
West Ridgecrest Hike (5/8) Preview
This week we return again to West Marin. On this hike (not a loop)
we’ll explore a section of the Coastal Trail with views of Stinson
Beach and Bolinas Lagoon. When Ridgecrest Boulevard opened as a toll
road in the 1920s it was proclaimed California’s “Most Scenic Drive.”
It’s even better hiking! Clintonia could be in bloom by now! (Click here for the recap of our 2010 hike. Photos from that hike are in this on-line album.)
Directions to trailhead: THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
- Take the Fairfax Bolinas Road from Fairfax to Ridgecrest
Boulevard. Park at the junction with the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. (About 1
hour driving time from the College of Marin; car poolers can meet at St.
Rita’s by 9:00 am); OR
- Take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit off Highway 101. Go west through Tam Valley and up onto the ridge. Turn right onto Panoramic Highway and follow signs to Mt. Tamalpais. Turn left at Rock Springs onto Ridgecrest Boulevard. Park on left at junction with the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. (Driving time from College of Marin about 1 hour).
Weather forecast: As of Sunday, May 6th, the National Weather Service forecast for the time of the hike was sunny, with a high near 73. Light north northwest wind. (Click here for an updated forecast).
More on this hike: This hike isn’t mentioned in any of Dick Jordan’s trail guides, but we’ll be hiking south on the Coastal Trail which parallels Ridgecrest Boulevard until we reach the junction with the McKennan Gulch Trail (which heads downhill to Bolinas Lagoon) and then we will retrace our steps back north.
(Click here and go to page 6 of the Mt. Tam State Park brochure for the park map; click on the percentage magnification box at the top of the page and increase to about 125%-150% to get a good view of the trail which runs just west of the road).
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