Audubon Canyon Ranch 2/27/18

Lucky us!  We have permission to hike in Audubon Canyon Ranch Bolinas Lagoon Preserve! This is a beautiful habitat, not usually open to the public.

(Click here for a recap of our 2011 hike. View photos from our past hikes at Audubon Canyon ranch in this online album).

Directions to trailhead:   

Coming from North or Central Marin:  Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to Olema. Turn south (left) on Highway 1 and continue on for about 10 miles to Bolinas Lagoon. The preserve will be on the left approximately 1 mile further south. The Preserve will be on the left approximately 1 mile further. The entrance will be closed with a gate. Go south of the entrance and go in the exit.

Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church in Fairfax at 8:45 am.

Coming from Southern Marin:  From Highway 101 take the Stinson Beach exit. Follow the signs and Highway 1 approximately 12 miles to Stinson Beach. Continue 3 1/2 miles north to the parking lot exit just before the preserve gate on right hand side of the highway. If you don't know where it is, you may have to drive to the official entrance and turn around.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the location of Audubon Canyon Ranch. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving times and directions from your location.

Time: 1 hour from College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead.

Weather forecast: As of Saturday, February 24th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny with a high near 59. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: If you have the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, go to hike "F18 Griffin Loop - Bird Overlook Trails" for a map of trails within the preserve.

There are two major loop trails (probably about 3 miles long each) going uphill and down, and a shorter 0.8 mile loop nearer to the bottom of the hill.

On our 2009 hike we went up the Zumie's Loop Trail, then through Junction 2 on the Martin's map, and continued south to where the Griffin Loop and Bourne trails meet, descended the Griffin Loop trail to the bottom of the hill, and then looped back to the parking area. 

CORRECTION - REGISTRATION BEGINS MARCH 5, 2018

Spring 2018 is coming!

The Spring 2018 Quarter schedule will be mailed starting Tuesday February 27, 2018.

Registration for the College of Marin Community Education courses, including the Meandering in Marin Spring series, starts on March 5, 2018 at 9:00am, not Feb. 26th

Here is the information you'll need to sign up:

EC | Meandering in Marin: Natural History and Hiking

If you enjoy getting exercise, socializing with a congenial group, and learning about birds, flowers, butterflies, and mushrooms, come join the Meanderers. The instructor will send field trip itineraries to enrolled students before the first class.

3251| Dreskin | OFF | TBA
7 Mondays 9:45am–1:45pm | Apr 2-May 14

3252 | Dreskin | OFF | TBA
7 Tuesdays 9:45am–1:45pm | Apr 3- May 15

$155 | ESCOM $131 per course

Steep Ravine - Dipsea (2/20/18)

We usually see Giant Wake Robin, Redwood Evergreen Violets, Star Lilies, Smith’s Fairy Bells, Fetid Adder’s Tongue and Calypso Orchids during the favorite February hike.

We’ll go up Steep Ravine since some of us find the ladder is easier to go up than down. Lunch at Pantoll.  (Click here for a recap of our 2010 hike).

Directions to the trailhead: Please note construction on Highway 1. You cannot reach Steep Ravine from the south. Highway 1 (State Route 1) is still closed between Muir Beach and Stinson Beach due to storm damage. Access to Steep Ravine is allowed past the barricades on the north (Stinson Beach) side of the closure.

From Highway 101, take Highway 1 north to Panoramic Highway back to Highway 1 in Stinson Beach. Go left at the T intersection onto southbound Highway 1 and Steep Ravine will be on your right after the barricades.

If you are coming from the north on Highway 1, simply continue south on Highway 1 through Stinson Beach and Steep Ravine will be on your right after the barricades. The barricades are near the intersection and will have a sign which reads "Local Traffic Only". You can go around them to proceed to Steep Ravine.

There is parking on the east side of Highway 1. Click here for a MapQuest map that shows the location Steep Ravine Trailhead and parking area on Highway 1; click on #1 to get driving directions and time from your location.

Time: 1 hour 5 minutes from College of Marin.

Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 8:50 a.m.(Click here for a MapQuest map showing the parking lot; click on #1 to get driving time and directions from your location.)

Weather forecast: As of Saturday, February 187h, the forecast for the hike was sunny with a high near 48. (Click here for an updated forecast.)

More on this hike: If you have the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, look at their hike "B14 Dipsea - Steep Ravine Trails" which starts at Pantoll, goes down the Dipsea, up Steep Ravine, and ends back at Pantoll.

Since we're beginning and ending our outing down on Highway 1, our hike will be slightly longer, but basically the reverse of the Martins' hike. (Page 6 of the Mt. Tam State Park brochure has a park map that you can "zoom in" on to see these trails).

Blithdale Canyon Loop, Mill Valley (2/13/18)

This week we head to the the eastern side of Southern Marin near Mill Valley. 

Here's Wendy's description of the hike:  "A loop with great views of Mt. Tamalpais! Early wildflowers and probably a 9 fern day! My favorite Star Lily patch in all Marin." (Click here to read a re-cap of our 2010 hike. View the online album of photos taken on past hikes on these trails.)

Directions to trailhead:  Take East Blithedale exit from Highway 101. Where you cross Throckmorton it becomes West Blithedale. Go 0.9 miles and look for parking at Marsh Drive and West Blithedale on both the left and the right sides of the street.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the parking area near the trailhead. Click on the teardrop icon get driving time and directions from your location. 

Time: 30 minutes from the College of Marin.

Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Parking & Ride lot at 9:10 a.m.

 No restrooms at trailhead. 
Weather forecast:  As of Saturday, February 10th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was  sunny, with a high near 63. (Click here for an updated forecast.)

More on this hike: Hike "B1 Blithedale Ridge - Corte Madera Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the area we will be hiking in although our route may differ slightly from the one they set out for their hike. (This area is also shown on the maps of the Marin County Open Space District's Baltimore Canyon Preserve and Blithedale Summit Preserve.)

Here's the route we will follow.

Here's the hike profile.

This Google Earth image shows Marsh Drive and West Blithedale Avenue in Mill Valley where we'll meet to start our hike. We'll head up to the ridge at the top of the picture (which looks east over Corte Madera and Larkspur to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge), hike along it, then double back to our starting point. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).