Pine Mt./Elliott Preserve Hike (1/7) Preview

SHUTTLE HIKE - NOTE EARLY STARTING, LATE ENDING TIME
 
CALL WENDY AT 457-3949 or send her an e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net if you are coming!
 
This one-way shuttle hike starts in oak/bay/madrone woodland, passes through chaparral, then heads down to a valley with a stream, passing some serpentine rock areas. We'll check out birds and mushrooms as we go.  (Click here for the recap of our hike in this area in January of 2009. There are a few photos from a past hike in this area in one our online albums.)


Directions to trailhead: We need some people to meet at the end of Cascade Drive in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m. (Click here for a MapQuest map with that location and click on the #1 to get directions to it). If you have time pressure after class go there as well, since the car shuttle won’t get us back to the trailhead until a little after 2:00 pm. Wendy will drive those drivers to the start of the hike.

Others should meet at the trailhead by taking the Bolinas-Fairfax Road past the Meadow Club (golf course) and up to the crest of the hill. (Click here for a MapQuest map with that location and click on the #1 to get directions to it).

Park in the parking lot across from the Pine Mountain Fire Road. It is a large dirt parking lot on your left, and the fire road is on the right. If you start going downhill and can see Lake Alpine, you’ve gone too far.  There may or may not be a porta-potty at the trailhead.

Carpool to the trailhead (not the end of Cascade Drive) will leave from St. Rita's at 9:25 a.m. (Wendy won't be at St. Rita's she is going early to drive to the end of Cascade Drive).

Weather forecast: As of Thursday, January 2nd, the National Weather Service forecast for Fairfax on the day of the hike was partly sunny, with a high near 60. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: We'll be hiking on both MMWD watershed lands (click here for a map that you can view, zoom in on or print) and those of the Marin County Open Space District (click here for a description of the preserve (now called Cascade Canyon Open Space Preserve insttead of Elliott Preserve) on the District's Website, or click here for a map of this area).

Hike Registration SNAFU!

On the morning of Thursday, January 2nd, Theresa Fisher and Dick Jordan tried unsuccessfully to register for the Winter Meandering hike series through the College of Marin Community Education Website.

Both got the following error message:

"You have no registration date. Your registration date will be assigned by the next business day at COM.

"This may be one to five days depending on the date of your application submission. During the College Winter break, your registration date will be assigned by Monday, January 6th, 2014.

"Thank you for your patience while we assign the registration date to your student portal account."

Dick has a call into the Community Education department office seeking an explanation of this computer SNAFU and will post any response he gets on the Meandering blog.

This Weather's For The Birds!

Since more sunny and dry weather is forecast for the next several days, and because the holidays are officially over and our "winterim" Meanders don't resume until next Tuesday, January 7th, now is a great time to head to Sacramento Valley wildlife refuges for waterfowl viewing.

Dick Jordan and his wife, Cindy, spent two days there last week. A docent at the federal Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge south of Willows, California said that because of the scant rainfall, more ducks seem to be hanging out on refuges such as the state-run Gray Lodge Wildlife Area north of Yuba City and east of the Sacramento River, than those such as SRNWR on the west side. However, there seem to be lots of Snow Geese at refuges on either side of the river.

Both of those refuges are about 2.5-3 hours drive from Marin. The outlet stores in Vacaville provide a convenient stop along the way to buy gas or use a restroom.

If you make an early start you can probably visit both in a day and get back home sometime in the evening.

Gray Lodge

Dick and Cindy usually leave Marin in mid-morning, make a "pit stop" and get gas in Live Oak, then head to Gray Lodge, have lunch at a picnic table near the parking lot for birders, and spend a couple of hours or so driving the "auto route" through the refuge, or hiking on some of the trails in it, before heading north and west to overnight at Willows.
 

A viewing platform can be reached from a trail leading north from the parking lot at the beginning of the auto tour, and there are a couple of "blinds" along the auto route.

Porta-potties are located at just a few places in the refuge, and there is no potable water. Day use fee is $4/person unless you have a pass from the Fish & Game or other entity. (As far as Dick knows, state park passes aren't accepted.) Click here for a MapQuest map that shows the refuge location.

(If you head south from Gray Lodge towards Sutter Buttes, and circle west around the Buttes on your way back to I-5, you may see Sand Hill Cranes flying or in the fields next to the road).

Overnight Stops

In Willows, Dick and Cindy recommend staying at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and having dinner at the Old Highway 99 Steak House. Yuba City is a good place to overnight if you go to Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge first, and Gray Lodge last, or if you want to hit Gray Lodge early in the morning.

On day two, they have a complimentary breakfast at the Holiday Inn, pick up sandwiches at the adjacent Subway (Willows isn't noted for its dining options), and then head 7 miles south to the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge. Click here for a map showing the refuge location.

Two bonuses from an overnight stay: 1) At the end of the day just before sunset you may see thousands of geese flying into the refuges after feeding in nearby rice feeds; 2) you may be treated to a spectacular sunset if high clouds float in the sky above the valley or mountains to the west.

Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge

That refuge has a small visitor center (closed Mondays through February) with "stuffed" birds on display, and books and other items for sale in its gift shop. Restrooms with flush toilets (but no potable water) and picnic tables are located at the visitor center. There is a pit toilet next to a viewing platform about half-way around the auto route.

The day use fee is $6. Holders of a Federal Duck Stamp ($15) or an America the Beautiful - Interagency Annual, Senior, Access or Volunteer Pass (or the past equivalent Golden Age Pass) enter free

There is a hiking trail around ponds near the visitor center. It takes a couple of hours or so to drive the auto tour route, and on it you're may see some upland birds such as pheasants, river otters or raccoons, and raptors (including eagles, if you're luck) as well as ducks, geese, coots, and perhaps some grebes.

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge

If you tour either the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge or Gray Lodge in the morning, you'll probably have time to visit the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge in the afternoon.

Winter COM Hike Registration Starts Tomorrow!

Registration for the Winter 2014 Meandering in Marin hike series starts tomorrow, Thursday, January 2, 2014, and you can find information on the hike course numbers, fees, and dates on the Community Education section of the college Website.

Click here for information on the Tuesday hike series.

Click here for information on the Monday hike series.