Lake Bon Tempe, Rocky Ridge (1/30/18)

Here's Wendy's description of the hike: "After we cross the dam we have about an hour of uphill walking, but we’ll take it slowly admiring the sweeping views of the lakes and checking out the early wildflowers. Lunch by the lake."

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard into Fairfax. Turn onto Pacheco and then make an immediate right on Center. (This puts you on the street that parallels SF Drake but is on the other side of the parkade.) Make the first left onto Bolinas Ave. Follow the Bolinas-Fairfax Rd for about 1 mile. When you  see the sign on your left for Lake Bon Tempe and Lake Lagunitas, turn left onto Sky Oaks Blvd.

Follow the road to the Sky Oaks Ranger Station. Pull over and park on the right and pay the $8 day-use fee (unless you own an MMWD pass). You can use a credit card, $1, $5, or $10 bills (but not coins or $20 bills) at the automated pay station.

Annual watershed area parking passes for Marin residents are $60 ($30 for those 62 and older). You can buy them online or at the MMWD main office in Corte Madera.

Then continue driving toward Lake Lagunitas. When you reach the right turn marked Lake Bon Tempe, turn right onto a dirt road that takes you to the parking lot below the dam. 

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the trailhead at the Bon Tempe dam.  Click on the teardrop icon to get directions and driving times from your location.

Portables at trailhead. Time: 25 minutes from COM.

25 minutes from the College of Marin to Deer Park School. Carpool from St. Rita Church in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecast for the day of the hike was party sunny with a high near 58. (Click here for an updated National Weather service forecast.)

HIKE CANCELLED - NO HIKE ON JANUARY 23, 2018

Since Wendy's husband, Bill, will have a hip replacement on Monday, January 22, 2018, there will be no hike on either Monday or Tuesday, January 22 or 23, 2018.

The College of Marin Meandering class begins Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at Lake Bon Tempe.

Pine Mt./Elliott Preserve Hike (1/16/2018) Preview

SHUTTLE HIKE - NOTE EARLY STARTING, LATE ENDING TIME   CALL WENDY AT 415-457-3949 or send her an e-mail her at bdreskin@comcast.net if you are coming!
We'll continue the new year with this annual "Winterim" hike.   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.  Little Carson Falls is a detour which is steep in parts and can be slippery if it rains. We may or may not go to the falls depending on the group's decision. Due to a lack of good places to stop on the Repack fire road, lunch will be early (around 11:30) or late (around 1). (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 two people to meet at the end of Cascade Drive in Fairfax at 9:20 a.m. (Click here for a Google Maps map with that location and click on the teardrop icon 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 Sir Frances Drake Blvd to Fairfax. Turn left at the first gas station and make an immediate right in front of the movie theater. Turn right on Bolinas Ave. Drive 2.6 miles to pass the Meadow Club and continue on for 1.3 miles until the top of the ridge. Park in the large gravel parking lot on the left side of the road. If you start going downhill and see Lake Alpine, you've gone too far. (Click here for a Google Maps map with that location and click on the teardrop icon  to get directions to it.)

Weather forecast: The weather forecast for Tuesday is a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Click here for an updated forecast for the day of the hike.. Note that unlike College of Marin sessions hikes, rain can cancel "Winterim" outings. So on the morning of the hike, check your e-mail before you leave home to see if Wendy has cancelled the hike. She'll phone those who don't have e-mail.

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 instead of Elliott Preserve) on the District's Website, or click here for a map of this area)

Reminder - Hike on Monday Jan 8, 2018, no hike Tuesday Jan 9, 2018

Until the Winter College of Marin series of hikes begin, Wendy will be running a series of by-the-week one-way shuttle hikes. UNLIKE CLASSES THROUGH COM, RAIN CANCELS!  $22/class. Wendy says: "Please email or call to let me know if you will be there since these are shuttle hikes, and also so I can let you know if there is a rain cancellation.  In case of questionable weather, look for an email around 7 AM."

Following are the January Winterim hikes remaining.

January 8 - Lake Alpine

January 9 - NO HIKE

January 15 - NO HIKE

January 16 - Pine Mountain/Elliott Preserve

January 22 - Sky Oaks to Deer Park

January 23 - Sky Oaks to Deer Park "Final Exam" 

JANUARY 8  LAKE ALPINE

SHUTTLE HIKE

     We hike along a creek with lovely cascades and ferns.  This is usually an interesting mushroom hike as well. The start is uphill with some stairs (but we’ll find lots to look at on the way), the end is level - and in between it’s up and down!  We end up at the Bon Tempe Dam.  We may get back late (about 3 PM) so this is not a good hike for you if you have to be back at 1:45. 

     Take the Fairfax-Bolinas Rd. Turn in as you would to go to Lake Lagunitas. After the ranger station at Sky Oaks (but before Shaver Grade) there is an unpaved road to the right. Take this to Lake Bon Tempe and park. We’ll carpool to the trailhead. Do not pay if you plan to take people to the trailhead.  We’ll need people who are not in a rush to take the drivers back to their cars.

      Portables are in the parking lot for Lake Bon Tempe.