Mountain Lion "Sighing"; Wildllife News

Sunday afternoon the San Anselmo Police Department sent Dick Jordan's wife, Cindy, an e-mail stating that there had been a mountain lion "sighing" [sic] on Westgate Way, just above and east of The Hub.

The reason for the big cat's "sighing" was not given. Perhaps he was lamenting the Oakland Raiders drubbing by the Dolphins in Miami earlier on Sunday. Or maybe the SAPD needs to hire a copy editor.

In case you don't get the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, today's paper carried a comprehensive story by "Outdoors" writer, Tom Stienstra, on where to see wildlife at Point Reyes National Seashore. There's separate story by Stienstra about hidden "wildlife cams" at Point Reyes with pictures of several critters including one of a mountain lion who was probably stalking, and not "sighing."

Laguna Trailhead-Coast Trail Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during last week's Laguna Trailhead-Coast Trail hike are now online!

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

Pierce Point Hike Photos Now Online!

Photos taken by Theresa Fisher during this week's Pierce Point hike are now online!

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

Laguna Trailhead Hike (9/11) Preview

This week we return to Point Reyes National Seashore for the first hike of the Fall season.  We explore four habitats: coastal scrub, beach, marsh, and a riparian (streamside) habitat with alders and willows. Lunch at the beach. We may see some of the tule elk that have been transferred from Tomales Point.

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. west to Olema. Turn right on Route 1, then make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. Continue past Park Headquarters (stop here if you need a restroom --- there is none at the trailhead) and go left on Limantour Road.

Turn left at the sign for the youth hostel. Follow that road until you see a right turn across a bridge to the Laguna Trailhead by the Clem Miller Education Center. Park in the parking lot.

55 minutes from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s Church in Fairfax at 9:00 a.m.

No restrooms at trailhead. Outhouse en route before lunch.

Weather forecast:  Here is the National Weather Service forecast for the hike, as of Saturday, September 8:  Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 62. West northwest wind between 8 and 13 mph.  (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  We last did this hike almost exactly one year ago.  (Click here to view photos from that hike.)

From the Laguna Trailhead we'll go southwest on the Laguna Trail to its junction with the Fire Lane Trail, follow that down to the ocean, take a short “side trip” to Coast Camp to use the “facilities”, then hike northward paralleling the sea on the Coast Trail before turning back inland to the Laguna Trailhead.  Total distance covered should be approximately 5.2 miles.

The “Laguna-Coast Trail Loop” hike in Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Tracy Salcedo-Chourre describes the route we’ll take.  The trails we’ll follow are shown on the the North District Hiking Map on the Point Reyes National Seashore Website.

You will also find them on the map for hike “G4 Sky – Woodward Valley – Coast Trails” in the Martins’ book, Hiking Marin, although we are not doing that specific hike.