Bay Area Hiking!'s topics - tribe.net

Dipsea Steps!

mikmms — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:19:05 GMT

Such fun!
Why didn't you guys TELL me about those?!
http://www.millvalleyhistoricalsociety.org/dipsea-steps.jpg
Got stung by a yellow jacket but it was worth it to come out panting on Panoramic and go "Oh, I'm HERE, I get it!" I was so giddy when I got back down to the Old Mill Park that I went back up the first set of steps again.

Yay!
Stay tuned for a hike from Mill Valley to the East Peak or Muir Woods or some such thing. I hafta go get married first (July 12). But stay tuned!
:)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 7 replies

Mountain lion attacks man in Palo Alto

curmudgeon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:57:36 GMT

By Joshua Molina
Mercury News
Article Launched: 07/14/2008 01:33:26 AM PDT

A bizarre weekend mountain lion attack has Palo Alto residents on edge, forcing city officials to close two parks and call in a tracker who specializes in catching big cats.

Although mountain lions have been spotted in the city many times before, authorities said it was the first known attack on a human in Palo Alto history.

A man in his 50s told police that he was walking Saturday about 5:30 p.m. along a ridge trail on the backside of Foothills Park when he felt a force push him from behind and send him tumbling down. His fall was broken, however, when he hit a tree.

The mountain lion fell more than 15 feet into the creek below before scampering away, the hiker said.

"He miscalculated the terrain and the size of the prey," Palo Alto police agent Dan Ryan said. The victim, who asked that his name not be released, suffered only cuts and bruises from the fall, Ryan said.

Following the attack, officials closed the park as well as the nearby Enid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, where a mountain lion was also spotted on Saturday.

In 2004, Palo Alto police fatally shot a mountain lion as it lounged in a camphor tree in a residential neighborhood, triggering protests from animal rights activists.

The tracker is based in Salinas.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_9875323?nclick_check%253D1.26E4614FF05F7DA661F4B8AE791D3D02.html

( I list the whole thing here because The San Jose Mercury-News requires you register to see articles. I'm not trying to raise an alarm. Just find it interesting. Kind of follows the previous coyote post. I think we just need to be careful.)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

Camping on Angel Island

cooldawn — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:40:42 GMT

We went camping there last week and it was beautiful - especially after the last ferry left and all the critters came out! Anyway, it really refueled my love of hiking. My goal is to get a bit more conditioned so we can hit one of the sites further from the cove next time - namely I need to build up my endurance while carrying a full pack.

So what are some of your fav "flatter" hikes?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

it's damn hot in Monterey County!

tedschram — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:43:08 GMT

I was just down in Big Sur, and as soon as you get away from the coast it's ^%#@ing hot!. Of course half of it is on fire right now too . . .

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Mills Creek Ranch Road

Gary the No-Trash Cougar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:47:23 GMT

Went hiking here on Sunday with my girlfriend. We were actually heading for Purisima Creek Redwoods, but this was on the way so we stopped here instead. There was absolutely no one around and it was very peaceful. Mills Creek Ranch Road is in Burleigh Murray State Park in Half Moon Bay and the trail leads to the old Mills Dairy Barn. This thing is huge and is built into the hillside! It's a mix of English and Italian architectural design. Sundry other bits of antique farming equipment are set up on display around it. And as always, the things I enjoyed most about this hike were the trees, wildflowers and other foliage. Being a total hort-head I was excited to sees lots of horsetail, which was the first time I've seen it growing wild in the Bay Area. Horsetail is interesting because it's a "living fossil." It is the only surviving genus of it's class. The particular species I spotted on this trail could easily pass for a pine sapling, if you just look at it real quick.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

I've been enjoying the chilly weather

tedschram — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:00:18 GMT

Call me crazy, but I've been enjoying this bout of cooler weather we've been having. I just hope it lasts thru a little bit of June so I can go hiking in Big Sur and Henry Coe before it gets too damn hot!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Mt Tam to Stinson Beach Saturday, 6/14

mikmms — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:50:05 GMT

Hey!
If you'd like to join us for a rare opportunity to hike an all-downhill (or nearly all--see below) route from Mt Tam's East Peak to Stinson Beach, please RSVP soon and let us know if you can drive! We need twice as much car space as we have hikers, of course...Speak up soon so we can work all this out...

Cheers!

:)
Mike

June 14
The Beach and the Forest III
Mt Tam and Stinson Beach (Marin Headlands)
3.2, 10 or 13 Miles (Your choice!)
What could be cooler than hiking from a fabulous Bay Area Summit to the beach?!
For those who wish to do the 13 mile grand tour, we will park a car or two at Stinson Beach at 9am and then drive back to the Mountain Home Inn to depart on foot at 9:30am, climbing 3 steep miles to the East Peak of Mount Tam via the Hoo Koo Ee Koo and Vic Haun Trails.
For the 10 Mile hike, join us at the East Peak at 11am when we depart to head down the Fern Creek Trail to the Nora Trail to the Matt Davis Trail to Pantoll Station.
For the 3.2 miler, join us at Pantoll Station at 2pm and we'll hike on down to the beach.
The map is at the bottom of this PDF.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MtTamalpaisBrochure.pdf
Please RSVP particularly soon if you're interested in this one especially, and let me know which version appeals!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Hiking groups in the Bay Area?

ladyjo — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:33:30 GMT

I'll be spending the summer in the Bay area (I'm swiss) and I'd been interested in going hiking a few times.

What hiking group are there? Do you have websites I could visit?

Thanks!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 5 replies

4th of July hike

Le4Life — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:43:12 GMT

Anyone planning anything? My next trip to the Bay Area, I'm gonna try to get a few extra days off work so I can have time to do an all-day hike. I'm up for like a 10-miler.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Some May/June Hikes for All REVISED

mikmms — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:52:59 GMT

Early RSVPs are appreciated whenever possible! Even just to give me a vague idea of who's/how-many're interested... :)

If you want to come but aren't sure how you'll get there, e-mail me--we'll work it out! There's usually a BART pick-up somewhere and often it works out that service to the door just makes sense.

Note: There're some pretty intense hike organizers aren't there. This is not one of those groups. No one is too fast or too slow; if you want to come out, come out! We won't leave you in the dust or begrudge your speediness if you wish to charge ahead. The point is to get folks onto the trail to enjoy themselves in whatever way each hiker wishes: fast/slow/pensive/chatty/etc. Just be reasonably mindful of the other hikers temperaments (i.e. don't babble cheerfully at a naturey introvert trying to soak in a rapture of woodsy contemplation)...Everyone takes breaks when they like, eats when they like, etc....

It's lovely out there!
______________________________________
May 17
East Bay Ridge Views I
My new FAVORITE Bay Area View Hike!
Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park (Hayward)
6.6 Miles
From the High Ridge Loop Trail I saw hundreds of ground squirrels and hundreds of cows, and from a single vantage point I could see Mission Peak, Mount Umunhum, Moffett Field, the Dumbarton Bridge, the San Mateo Bridge, San Bruno Mountain, Mount Davidson, Sutro Tower and Mount Tamalpais!!!!! Astonishing! This is a must-hike for the California-Ecosystem-connoisseur and we should do it while these "golden" hills are still greenish--the first 4 miles are shadeless yet gorgeous. The last couple of miles are a lovely trail through meadows and a historic ranch site. http://www.ebparks.org/parks/garin

May 25 (Sunday)
The Beach and the Forest II
Limantour Loop(Point Reyes)
10 Miles
We'll be doing the hike in blue on this pdf: http://kermitbubbleboy.net/reyeshike.pdf
This picture is from the last time we did this one:
http://people.tribe.net/mikmms/photos/ba20d81e-6a63-45a0-9347-b03a0c9ca7ff
It was unbelievable.

May 31
Cool, Shady Stream-Trail
Stream Trail Loop (Redwood RP, Oakland)
3.5-4 miles
The Stream Trail is a true gem. The hike is 90% easy, with 1/3 mile steep climb at the beginning (Orchard to French Trail) and a short, steep descent halfway through.

June 14
The Beach and the Forest III
Mt Tam and Stinson Beach (Marin Headlands)
3.2, 10 or 13 Miles (Your choice!)
What could be cooler than hiking from a fabulous Bay Area Summit to the beach?!
For those who wish to do the 13 mile grand tour, we will park a car or two at Stinson Beach at 9am and then drive back to the Mountain Home Inn to depart on foot at 9:30am, climbing 3 steep miles to the East Peak of Mount Tam via the Hoo Koo Ee Koo and Vic Haun Trails.
For the 10 Mile hike, join us at the East Peak at 11am when we depart to head down the Fern Creek Trail to the Nora Trail to the Matt Davis Trail to Pantoll Station.
For the 3.2 miler, join us at Pantoll Station at 2pm and we'll hike on down to the beach.
The map is at the bottom of this PDF.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MtTamalpaisBrochure.pdf
Please RSVP particularly soon if you're interested in this one especially, and let me know which version appeals!

June 21
East Bay Ridge Views II
Briones Crest Loop (Orinda)
6.5 Miles
Unique views of Mt Diablo, the Carquinez Strait, and lots of cows and wildflowers dotting serene rolling hills.
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/briones

:)
Mike

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

Coyotes!

tedschram — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:42:27 GMT

so now we're seeing more and more coyotes in and around the urban parts of the Bay Area. I've seen plenty of them in the hills near my place (Emerald Hills), but they're getting into the city and causing problems. They're getting used to people, and in SoCal they've even tried to run off with babies (no, really)! What should we do about it? Have you ever encountered aggressive coyotes on the trail? Granted, they're less of a problem than an aggressive mountain lion, but still . . .

here's a nifty article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/12/BAVM104771.DTL

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 24 replies

Costanoa, CA (below Halfmoon Bay above Santa Cruz)

Mitzo — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:42:06 GMT

So my wife and I are trying out the Costanoa tent cabins and I wondering if anyone knew of a "DONT MISS" spot(s) to hike around the campsite or general area?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Arnold's NOT going to close 48 state parks now!!

tedschram — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:40:29 GMT

http://www.savestateparks.org/cspf-statement-on-revise.html

Finally, the Governor woke up to what tens of thousands of Californians throughout the state have been saying for months– that our precious state park resources are not to be taken for granted and it's essential to keep the doors to our state parks open and keep lifeguards on our state beaches. It's clear that the May Revise is responding to the overwhelming statewide outcry opposing the closure of state parks.

The Governor's proposal is headed in the right direction and staves off an immediate crisis for our state parks. But whether "cage-rattling" or not, the Governor's original threat to close 48 state parks and reduce staffing on 16 highly-used state beaches showed how woefully underfunded our state park system has been for years.

All Californians should be able to afford to visit their state parks and should not have to worry, year-to-year, that their parks are in danger of being shut down. The Governor and the Legislature should be working to identify long-term funding solutions that support our state parks, address the more than $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance backlog, and keep them open and accessible for all Californians. The California State Parks Foundation and our partners in the Save Our State Parks campaign will continue to fight for those long-term solutions and urge the Governor and Legislature to join us in that effort.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Coe on Saturday the 17th?

BnB — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:40:15 GMT

I feel bad for competing with - wait, what's his name this week, Timothy something? :) :P - and his East Bay hike, but as a south bay dude who prolly won't have another chance to hit Coe while it's still spring, I'm thinking of doing that Saturday.

Plans are fluid at this point, but can solidify easily enough if there's interest. If you want to join me, please PM me.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Full moon hike? May 20th-23rd

Le4Life — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:25:08 GMT

This month's full moon is on Tues the 20th. Do full moons last for a few days usually? If so, I'll be coming into town Fri evening the 23rd and would love to do a hike with someone!!! I miss the Bay Area trails so much!!!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Henry Coe burned areas now open!!

tedschram — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:12:33 GMT

apparently it's all been open since February. Now ya' know, so go go go!!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Big Basin Waterfalls??

crystellini — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:08:47 GMT

Has anyone hiked the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail? Here's the Weekend Sherpa take on the hike. I'm thinking next weekend, but I'd love to hear some personal accounts of the trek before I take off.

Deep in beautiful Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a series of waterfalls that even Indiana Jones would be keen to find. Discover them by taking the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, a solid 11-mile loop Big Basin Waterfalls - Golden Cascade Falls (round-trip) that leads through towering redwoods, across multiple wooden bridges, and past fern canyons to the marquee highlight: three raging waterfalls, all within a mile of each other. First up is the photogenic park favorite, Berry Creek Falls; its 70-foot drop is spectacular after the recent rains. Take a breather on a wooden platform bench, then continue along the creek-side trail to Silver Falls. You can get up close to this one, feeling the mist while climbing the wet and muddy rock stairs that hug its slope. Last up is Golden Cascade Falls, a multi-tiered rushing watercourse that gets its deep orange hue from the rock minerals. Grab a seat on the trunk of a giant fallen tree and savor your waterfall hat trick.

To complete the 11-mile loop: From the Visitors Center, start on the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. After about 4 miles, turn right on Berry Creek Falls Trail. Follow this past all three waterfalls, then turn right on Sunset Trail, which takes you back to the Visitors Center. Allow at least six hours to complete this loop.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 15 replies

Devil's Gulch in Samuel P. Taylor State Park

MissPixxieStyx — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:27:01 GMT

Does anyone know the story behind Devil's Gulch in Samuel P. Taylor State Park? I wrote to the State Parks, but never heard back from them after they said they were going to research it. What I want to know specifically is why it has that name.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Have you seen my underware?

dandysparkle — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:55:15 GMT

I am looking for a good pair a panties to wear when hiking... (After trekking several miles in pairs that just are not living up to my expectations, I am desperate... One's undergarments should not be able to climb better than the person wearing them...)

I am hoping to find something that is breathable and VERY comfortable. They don't have to look fabulous, so I am hoping that I am not asking for the impossible... If Granny can hike happily, then so will I...

I am female, of average size and build... Though if it came to it, I would happily wear underpants made for guys if they did the job as wonderfully for me as they have for you...

I am hoping that there is something that has natural fibers in it for breath-ability... Something that moves with me, rather than pinches... And something that does not want to climb to the grand canyons of my contours... And if they were a little on the low side, I would be over the moon, but still hope to prevent mooning my fellow hikers...

Suggestions?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 10 replies

Trekking Poles

mikmms — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:47:23 GMT

Thinking about purchasing trekking poles for the first time. Never had them, but I hear they really help folks with knee issues. My knees have bounced back wonderfully after a shaky year (2006?) following an injury from hopping down Mt. Diablo nonchalantly one Fall...but I'd like to keep my knees healthy into a ripe old age... Any advice? Shopping suggestions?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Upcoming Hikes All Around the Bay

mikmms — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:08:30 GMT

Here we go again!

Easy, Medium and Hard hikes all over the Bay Area!
These are low-to-no-pressure groups--folks can run ahead with their stopwatches and headphones, dawdle and snack endlessly, take pictures, meditate, ruminate, trot, saunter, chat, not-chat...you-name-it. We just get there and enjoy the place however we each see fit, in a manner that won't hinder anyone else from doing the same.

*Let us know if you're coming so we know to look for you! That is, if you do not RSVP we may change plans and you won't know; so PLEASE RSVP if you intend to come and we'll make darn sure to keep you apprised of any and all scheduling and route adjustments!!

We'll also be happy get you a ride if you need one. :)

--------------------------------
**Note: 2 Easy Wildflower Hikes!
--------------------------------

Saturday, March 29
Mount Tamalpais (Marin Headlands)
6 mile East Peak Loop plus West Point Inn
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MtTamalpaisBrochure.pdf
Mountain Home Inn, Hogback, HookooEekoo, Temelpa, Fern Creek, Old Railroad, West Point Inn, Matt Davis, Hogback, Mountain Home Inn...
It's calling. We must return!

April 19, 2008
**Chimney Rock (Point Reyes, southwestern tip)
1.5 miles
http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/upload/map_park.pdf
This is a short one for wildflower enthusiasts, but if we can get multiple vehicles, perhaps we can have a contingent do the Bull Point Trail and/or the Estero Trail (just North of Chimney Rock).
"The dramatic seabluff at Chimney Rock offers a continuing series of wildflower blooms from April through early May. Yellow goldfields, buttercups, and footsteps-of-spring; blue irises and lupines; pink checker mallows; orange poppies; red paintbrushes; and unusual brown Point Reyes chocolate lilies are but a few of the many species that decorate this level, 1.5-mile round-trip hike." from http://www.baynature.com/2002apriljune/wildflowers_2002apriljune.html

April 26
My new FAVORITE Bay Area View Hike!
Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park (Hayward)
6.6 Miles
From the High Ridge Loop Trail I saw hundreds of ground squirrels and hundreds of cows, and from a single vantage point I could see Mission Peak (Fremont), Mount Umunhum (South San Jose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P3030017MtUmunhumSnow_crwb.jpg ), Moffett Field (Mountain View) The Dumbarton Bridge, The San Mateo Bridge, San Bruno Mountain, Mt Davidson, Sutro Tower and Mount Tamalpais!!!!! Astonishing! This is a must-hike for the California-Ecosystem-connoisseur and we should do it while these "golden" hills are still green--the first 4 miles are shadeless yet gorgeous.

May 4
**Morgan Territory (Livermore)
4.64 Miles
http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/morgan.html
http://www.ebparks.org/files/EBRPD_files/brochure/morgan_terr_map.pdf

"MORGAN TERRITORY REGIONAL PRESERVE: In addition to wildflowers, spectacular vistas of the Livermore Valley, Mount Diablo and glimpses of the San Joaquin Valley beyond, are why wildflower enthusiasts give this lesser-known park high marks. From its almost 40 miles of trails, color seekers can find the scarlet monkey flower, tidy tips, and the obligatory mix of poppies and lupines, among many others, in their full spring glory" from http://www.totalescape.com/tripez/wildfl.html

May 10
Berry Creek Falls (Big Basin State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains)
13ish Miles (6.5ish east and then back west--starts and ends at the beach!!!)
http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/bbrdo.html
One book says this is 10.5 miles, this site says it's 14. All of them say it's not too hard. I did it once before and LOVED it, not because it killed me but because it was lovely; in addition to Berry Creek Falls we also saw Silver Falls, Cascade Falls and Golden Falls! So, there you go!

E-mail me to arrange transportation and meeting places/times or with any questions at all!
Woohoo!
:)
Mike

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 13 replies

Carrizo Plain National Monument

tedschram — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:47:36 GMT

we might go to the newly formed Carrizo Plain National Monument to see the San Andreas Fault. Has anyone ever been there? Any reviews? Thoughts?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Northbay carpool to Marin Headlands hike this Saturday, 3/29

MoLess — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:08:15 GMT

I'm coming from Petaluma if anyone wants to ride with. Parking lots are bound to be busy this time of year! Conversely, I can ride along if someone else is already driving.

Leslie

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

overnight to hot spring backpacking suggestion?

locustgirl — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:56:24 GMT

i'm looking to do an easy overnight backpack trip within about 4 or 5 hours from here. say a short hike in, camp/soak then short hike out the next day. anyone got a suggestion?
thanks!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

California plant/tree life field guide?

Mud — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:13:17 GMT

I'm in the market for a handy dandy field guide I can tote around with me while hiking the back roads. Something that doesn't weigh more than I do but still has the nifty pictures that make identifying all the great plant/tree life in our beautiful forests easy. Does anyone have recommendations? I'd lug a hardback around with me if I had to so if you know of an awesome book that might be on the heavy side I'd still like to hear about it. Thanks for reading!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 11 replies

Rainy Hiking Saturday?

mikmms — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:07:25 GMT

I've been really enjoying hiking in the rain (mostly in Redwood and Joaquin Miller parks). I find that a little steepness keeps me warm and a little foresty cover keeps the elements...gentle? I want to do something new Saturday. Any suggestions for damp, creeky, foresty, maybe even waterfallful goodness? My shoes have found a permanent spot in the garage so the mud doesn't deter me.

Arnold Snarb, are you still about? Can you describe that route from the coast to Berry Ceek Falls? I'd really like to do that in this weather...

If anyone wants to come Saturday, My car's fixed! Woohoo!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Forest of Nisene Marks SP

tedschram — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:19:28 GMT

Has anyone been to this park, in Santa Cruz county just outside of Aptos? Any info on the trail closure in there? Anyone ever camp up at the trail camp? I might go this weekend if I can make it a 3-day!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

East Bay Waterfalls

Curry — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:41:22 GMT

Given all this rain the waterfalls should be great.
I would like to know about waterfalls in the east bay that I could visit or hike to.
I'm sure some have been posted before, but I do not remember.
Names and directions would be helpful. Thanks

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 5 replies

Briones last weekend...

iMosaicmix — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:51:17 GMT

The weekend was fantastic weather, so on Sunday I went out to Briones & the Alhambra Valley staging area for a ~2mile hike.

Anyone else get any hiking done this weekend?

This week is supposed to be good weather, similar to the weekend so get on out there people!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Solo Trip

Lorenzo-g — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:38:11 GMT

I need to do a few days in the woods on my lonesome.

Id prefer open country to woods and somewhere not to far from the BA.

Trinity Alps perhaps, anyone have any input or suggestions/

Cheers

G

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 5 replies

I gotta get out backpacking soon!!

tedschram — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:08:53 GMT

but with this work schedule and all this other stuff coming up, I just don't know when I'll find the time!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Marin hiking covered in New York Times

MrRedwood — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:01:11 GMT

It appears that this Sunday (3 Feb 2008) the New York Times will include an article on hiking in Marin, titled "A Wild Ramble, Near the Golden Gate." It is already viewable online at http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/travel/03Explorer.html

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Hikes for romantics in the Bay Area

tom — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:33:47 GMT

Hi all, wanted to let you know I posted an item on my hiking blog about combining hiking and dating and wanted to invite any contributions you might want to add. Here's the link:

http://www.tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/index.php/2008/01/28/hiking-for-romantics-hopeless-and-otherwise/

I posted some obvious tips but anything more sophisticated -- or funny, tragic, or absurd -- would be great. Plus: where do you like to go around here for hiking dates?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Cataract Falls, Mt .Tamalpais [Lost sunglasses...]

MrRedwood — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:28:04 GMT

The constant dismal rains we've had for the past weeks or so have the inevitable silver lining: waterfalls are gushing again.

So on Saturday, once it hit home that the day was turning out quite nice, relatively speaking, I headed up to Marin's favorite quick-fix for thundering water, Cataract Falls.

I've posted some pictures, in case you need proof of what you know has to be true: the gully is a thousand shades of the vibrant, garish green of moss and fern, with air so laden with fragrant mist that a deep breath is intoxicating. The trails are at least half mud. (See a few of my photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mrredwood/CataractFallsMtTamalpais -- and, if you go, bring a tripod if you own one).

As you probably know, there are at least four ways to get to the cataract.

The toughest is to come all the way uphill from Fairfax/Alpine Lake Rd (trailhead about 37.959121,-122.609847). I'm not sure of the status of this route: the heavy winds accompanying our storms might have blown down quite a few trees, and the lakes might be high enough to cover the trail in some places.

The trailhead at 37.936642, -122.638557, recommended by Tom Stienstra in his Foghorn book, and by Jane Huber on bahiker ( http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/cataractfalls.html ), is currently inaccessible to vehicles: downed trees have closed the Bolinas-Fairfax road.

The quickest route in is using the Laurel Dell fire road, coming off Ridgecrest Blvd at 37.919251, -122.628783. Stienstra refers to this as the Laurel Dell loop, and it's pretty easy to be down to the cascade and back to the trailhead in ninety minutes or so.

Or, for a longer and more scenic route, the Cataract Trail starts at Rock Springs at 37.910918, -122.612792.

Frustratingly, I'll be heading back to the same place as soon as possible (given that my only transport is a motorcycle, which makes the riding/hiking/riding combo potentially quite uncomfortable). I lost my sunglasses somewhere between the Laurel Dell picnic area and the falls, and my precious prescription Raybans are worth a repeat trip to try to find them, as futile as that seems. If I find them, I might celebrate by doing the Steep Ravine, too.

But: if anyone else does this trip and find my glasses, you know how to contact me, right?

And if anyone wants to go with me tomorrow, drop me a line!
--
Richard

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Friday Diablo hike?

Parisa — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:47:49 GMT

Anyone up for a potentially snowy hike on the various peaks of Diablo this Friday? If so, PM me...I think I will be going regardless.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Good camping places in the North Bay?

Calvaleigh — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:27:24 GMT

So, there's been this request amongst a group of my friends for me to take them camping (I've been deemed "the only good driver" that any of them know, so the request is of me) and I was wondering if anyone knew of any good camping spots (yes, in this lovely, cold weather) that were located in the North Bay.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

Bay Area state parks on guv's hit list!

tedschram — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:59:19 GMT

due to the budget crisis facing the state govt., a few local state parks are being threatened with closure!! here's the article:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/01/17/MN5TUF5D3.DTL

(01-17) 05:05 PST -- Chronicle Outdoors Writer Tom Stienstra has chosen five state park gems that would be dearly missed if they are closed as part of state budget cuts.

How about you? Which park would you miss most from the list of parks targeted in Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed budget?

Check out a map of parks on the hit list at links.sfgate.com/ZCAR. And go to this story's Comments section to stick up for your favorite recreation spot.

Here are Tom's picks:

The best campground in the Bay Area to watch a meteor shower is on the dark, ridge-top flat at Henry W. Coe State Park east of Morgan Hill.

The best fishing at a state park in California is at Clear Lake State Park, where the nearby tule-lined shore provides a rare opportunity for scads of bluegill and a bass of a lifetime.

One of the prettiest views of the north Sierra is from Eureka Peak at Plumas-Eureka State Park. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, Portola Redwoods is like a quiet decompression chamber for Bay Area visitors. In the Redwood Empire, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park provides a camp for vacationers, as well as hikes to cliff-top perches and secluded beaches.

In the cost-cutting budget that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent to the Legislature, all five of these state parks, along with dozens of others, would be closed to the public.

Portola Redwoods State Park, San Mateo County
The public needs more parks in the Bay Area, not fewer. Yet Portola, which provides hiking and camping amid redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of La Honda, is on the closure list. It can be tough to get a campsite reservation at nearby parks, especially at Portola, and for good reason: Spend a night here, and you'll feel like you're a million miles away from all your problems. Highlights include hikes to see the Shell Tree (pictured above), a fire-ravaged redwood that is 17 feet in diameter, along with a pretty second-growth forest, and the opportunity to extend hikes to a matrix of trails in neighboring parks. The headwaters of Pescadero Creek run through the park, and in early summer, I've seen it full of steelhead smolt. The park is filled with cathedral groves of redwoods, but on one trip, rangers told me about a 300-foot redwood here, one of the tallest trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The only reason I can think that Portola got put on the list is a long-term issue with the water system for the restrooms and coin showers.

Projected savings: About $161,000

Contact: Portola Redwoods State Park, (650) 948-9098; www.parks.ca.gov

Henry W. Coe State Park, Santa Clara County
Maybe Coe was an easy one to pick off because of the horrific wildfire last year that burned more than half the park. Yet the place is huge, 87,000 acres, with three access points an hour's drive apart, and 350 miles of ranch roads and trails for biking, hiking, horseback riding and camping, and more than 100 ponds for bass fishing and swimming. Watching the burned landscape explode back to life each spring will be a landmark event for years. With all the new forage, wildlife populations will thrive. On a personal level, closing Coe would break my heart. It has the best mountain biking-to-bass fishing in small remote lakes of any public land in California. The volunteers that support this park are among the most passionate in California. I can hear them now: "What? Close Henry Coe? Over my dead body!"

Projected savings: About $67,000

Contact: Henry W. Coe State Park, (408) 779-2728; www.coepark.org

Clear Lake State Park, Lake County
This is the No. 1 park and campground at Clear Lake, once voted the top bass fishing lake in America. The park is on the west side of the lake, along a tule-lined shore with deep coves, bays and points - perfect as a base camp for a fishing trip. I've had many fantastic trips here catching bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish, including right from shore along a protected slough near the boat launch. The campground provides coin-operated showers, a big plus. A nature trail is routed through the site of what was once a Pomo Village. This protected landscape is a mix of oak woodlands, riparian habitat and wetlands, all with lake frontage. That attracts an array of birds - residents and migrants, songbirds and waterfowl. Hot summer temperatures keep the campground from filling. Maybe that's why it got flagged by the governor's office.

Projected savings: About $333,000

Contact: Clear Lake State Park, (707) 279-4293; www.parks. ca.gov

Plumas-Eureka State Park, Plumas County
Where else can you find a gorgeous park where the campground isn't completely full all summer? Plumas-Eureka, near the town of Graeagle, is one of only a handful. The camp is at 5,200 feet, a perfect launch point for hiking and exploring the park's 5,500 beautiful acres. The feature trek is the ambitious (but short) 1,100-foot climb (3-mile round trip) from pretty Eureka Lake to 7,447-foot Eureka Peak. The payoff is a fantastic 360-degree view of countless mountain tops, crowned by Mount Elwell (7,818 feet) above the Gold Lakes Basin. Another great hike is the Upper Jamison Trail, with access to the Lake Basin Recreation Area and your choice of many pristine lakes and campsites for backpackers. In the spring and early summer, Little Jamison Falls is a little-known gem. Perhaps this park got tabbed for closure because there is no direct driving route to southern Plumas County, unlike Tahoe to the south.

Projected savings: About $109,000

Contact: Plumas-Eureka State Park, (530)836-2380; www.parks. ca.gov

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Del Norte County
Driving north on Highway 101 up through the Redwood Empire is the fantasy of vacationers from across America. Along the way, Del Norte Coast Redwoods provides the ideal layover camp for many. There is a series of loop roads set in forest with 145 campsites, and even on weekends, you can often find a campsite, and reservations always seem easy to come by. There are several excellent loop trails in the park, but the feature trek is the Last Chance section of the Coastal Trail. It climbs to dramatic cliff-top lookouts with views that extend to forever across the ocean. The Footsteps Rock Trail and Damnation Trail (both signed) provide tricky routes down the face that lead to the most secluded state park beaches in California. It's a big park, 6,400 acres, that extends from beach to cliffs to forest. It's a resource not only for Californians, but for all Americans who dream of touring the Redwood Empire.

Projected savings: About $189,000.

Contact: Redwood National and State Parks, (707) 465-2146 or (707) 464-6101; www.nps.gov/redw

E-mail Tom Stienstra at tstienstra@sfchronicle.com.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 15 replies

Oppose the closing of 48 state parks!!

tedschram — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:23:23 GMT

a letter-writing form to CA state legislators:
ga3.org/campaign/KeepStateParksOpen

from this website:
www.calparks.org/

see the other thread to get the full story on the proposed parks closures:
http://bayareahiking.tribe.net/thread/427b13be-7308-4cce-998a-cfe72cac776c

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

Ano Nuevo ELEPHANT SEALS! 12/23 MUST RESERVE NOW!!

mikmms — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:00:11 GMT

When I reserved tickets there were 15 spots left--I had originally planned to go on the 16th but there are already hardly any spaces left!!!
-----------------------------------------------------
Ano Nuevo State Reserve
3 Miles
December 23rd, 12:30 PM
Ranger-Led Group (barely a hike, I realize, but SO worth the trip!)
'Tis the Season--What better way to escape the holiday crazies than to wander amongst the genuine wonder and horror (sad but true) of elephant seal life?

Reserve today--you can do it on-line!!! It's $5 per person and $6 to park. I have a few extra tickets and plan to carpool--e-mail me if you'd like to join this carload or if tix are sold out when you check.
Honestly, if you can't come at this time, do yourself a favor and make a reservation for some other time that's available! This is a true California treasure of an experience!

Seal Info:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1115

Reserve Info:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523

If you'd like to join us, remember, reserve for DECEMBER 23 @ 12:30 PM from this link:
http://anonuevo.reserveamerica.com/avail/search.jsp?tours.selectedTours=1

If you get something at 12:00 or 1:00 and want to carpool, speak up too; we can get you there and back for sure.

Looking forward to seeing folks out there! RSVPing helps that happen :)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Long, beautiful hike recommendations anyone?

Calvaleigh — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:24:31 GMT

Okay, I'm actually going to have time to go hiking starting in a couple of weeks, and we'll have guests who I'm not sure are up to ENORMOUS hills (although some are okay), but like to walk really long distances--any ideas for Bay Area stuff?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 13 replies

The MASSIVE hike this sunday

snarb — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:58:38 GMT

Meet at the Five Brooks Trailhead at about 10AM, its between Olema and Dogtown in Marin, and leads to Alamere Falls. Hit me for details.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 7 replies

Thanksgiving Wkd

Le4Life — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:58:29 GMT

I'll be in the bay Area so anyone wanna do a hike? If so, raise your hand and I'll see if something can be organized.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 8 replies

EBMUD Permit Hiking: Rocky Ridge Loop

mikmms — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:21:10 GMT

Has anyone done this trail or does anyone have any experience with EBMud permit only hiking trails? The Rocky Ridge Loop and King's Canyon trail in the South Watershed are beckoning to me for some inexplicable reason (they're east of Redwood Regional Park and West of Las Trampas Regional Park..around the San Leandro Reservoir...?
There's a pdf of what I'm talking about here:
http://www.ebmud.com/services/recreation/east_bay/trails/default.htm
Anyone interested...December of January...?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

are you in san jose

Raj — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:36:28 GMT

hey lookin for some people who'd be interested in hiking trips around san jose.peace.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 7 replies

Bay Area Hiking Yahoo Group

mikmms — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:13:35 GMT

Has anyone done any of the hikes with folks on the BayAreaHiking yahoo group? I'm often tempted but then the leaders often sound a little...intense... What's the scoop? Which of those folks are good-natured peeps who wish to share the joy...?

Just a thought: as a sometime hike "leader" myself, I'd rather hear positive things than negative. Let's not talk about who sucks--someone probably loves 'em--just who's big fun!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

Henry Coe fire website

tedschram — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:31:50 GMT

http://coefire2007.info/welcome.html

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Where can we go to see the oil spill?

tedschram — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:08:58 GMT

for real, seriously, I want to go have a look at the oil spill, I want to see what everyone's talking about, but not get in the way or get too close. Of course I'd rather there was no oil spill at alll, but as long as it's here, I'm curious to see it up close. Where are some good spots to go see it up close?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 5 replies

Anything going on this Weekend?

dandysparkle — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:11:01 GMT

Was wondering...
(Am feeling the need to be out in the open with fresh air... Have been cooped up for far too long.)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Muir Beach hike (Sunday, 11 Nov) with the sfbaycafe folks

MrRedwood — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:01:39 GMT

Just FYI, another agglomeration of folks that hike in the BA are going to Muir Beach, this Sunday.

See the post at http://www.sfbaycafe.org/

Here's this gist, although more details are included in the evite:
> Hi all,
> This will be about 8 mile moderate hike at this beautiful place
> through forests, ridges with great views and with fun people
> starting at Muir beach.
>
> WHERE: Muir Beach
> WHEN: SUNDAY, Nov 11, 2007 at 11:00AM [at the Muir Beach parking lot]
>
> Check the evite for further details and to respond
>
> http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/swtguy747@aol.com/hiking_11112007
>
> Please respond to the evite to be kept updated of any changes.
>
> See u soon! :)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

October 13 - Hike with the Bay Area Hiking Club!

snarb — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:41:20 GMT

Saturday October 13! Hike around Muir Beach Overlook. This is a beautiful beach with amazing vistas. At 11AM, we will meet at The Muir Beach overlook, as depicted here: http://www.nps.gov/archive/muwo/mube/muir_overlook.htm

We start at the overlook and hike about a mile to Heather Cut-Off. Trail, but we don’t take it, instead we continue up the hill toward Cardiac hill, and then descend Stapelveldt, Ben Johnston and Hillside trails and exit out of Muir Woods. Take the Redwoods trail around Kent Valley and up the Heather cut-off --- Here we mosey through Slide ranch to the coast along the Owl and other unmarked trails. From this beach we can cover the last 1-mile back to the overlook.

That’s 10.6 miles.
Let’s set up some carpools for this hike. The hike will take about 5 hours with breaks.

This is a map of the area: http://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map-muwo-2.pdfb

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 5 replies

Oct. 13 Los Gatos hills beckon

mikmms — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:51:33 GMT

Gonna hike up that ridge near Lexington Reservoir (Los Gatos) and see what we can see.

About ten miles.

Limekiln trail to Kennedy Trail to Priest Rock Trail. A while back one of those trails was closed--if it still is, we'll make it an out and back of about the same length.
http://www.openspace.org/preserves/maps/pr_sierra_azul.pdf
Message me for details.

:)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 7 replies

Henry Coe State Park closed areas

tedschram — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:40:44 GMT

So I got a message from someone at Henry Coe State Park to answer my question of specifically what parts are closed and what parts are open. The park has this information at the HQ. I haven't found a detailed map online showing this, and it's not on their website. In fact, this post may be the first online listing of this information. This list might be incomplete and misspelled.

Trails/areas in Henry Coe State Park that are closed due to the 2007 Lick Fire:

middle ridge trail below fish trail
blue ridge
hobbes road beyond middle fork / coyote creek
kruger trail
poverty flat trail & poverty flat
willow ridge trail
mississippi lake
coit lake
orestimba wilderness
west of Kaiser-Aetna road
willow ridge road
northeast of center flats road

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Henry Coe! :(

mikmms — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:51:31 GMT

So sad :(
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2007/0911/20070911_093421_LICK-FIRE-Monday-091107.jpg

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 8 replies

SF Hills, Angel Island, Mt. Tam, Redwood

mikmms — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:50:20 GMT

August 25th SF City Hill Climb
_____________________________
10-ish Miles BUT the great thing about City hikes is you can stop for coffee or hop on a bus or cab just about anytime you want! If you don't know the buses, we'll help you out. Do one hill or all of them or anything in-between. We're meeting at a coffee shop at 10am; I'm just wearing sneakers...

Meeting at Martha Brothers on Cortland @ 10am.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=745+Cortland+Ave.+San+Francisco&sll=37.77916,-122.42009&sspn=0.801022,1.697388&ie=UTF8&ll=37.740449,-122.414947&spn=0.006261,0.013261&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

Free unregulated street parking on many of the streets of Bernal Heights, woohoo! Read the signs with care...

Hiking up Bernal Hill, Mt. Davidson, Twin Peaks, Tank Hill, Monument Hill, Buena Vista Park and Corona Heights, then back to Cortland....

Ignore the map--our hike is half as far as the one shown there, but there's a goofy record of lots these places over at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&FriendID=6093222&blogMonth=8&blogDay=14&blogYear=2007

____________________________________________________
September 2nd
Angel Island--the paved loop plus the Mt Livermore "summit" hike

8.6 Miles (Time Permitting--we may only do 6 or 7 miles in order to catch the last Ferry)
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/468/files/AngelIslandPDFRev0905.pdf

We'll do the Sunset Trail to Mt. Livermore, and then the North Ridge Trail down to the Perimeter Road which we'll do clockwise (folks who want to skip the Perimeter trip will can easily go counter-clockwise the other way to the Ferries).
This one is all about the views--the perimeter road is paved and full of strollers and bikes, but Angel Island is an amazing vantage point.
Get Ferry Tickets here:
http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/Ferry/Angel/angelislandsummerschedule.cfm
Folks can meet at the SF Ferry Building at 10:45 to take the 11:20 Ferry.
Return ferry leaves Angel Island at 3:55.
Here's a little more info (but not the jike we're doing) http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/angelisland.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 8th
Mt Tam East Peak plus Inspiration Point

Meet at 10:30am. Mountain Home Inn/Throckmorton Fire Station parking off Panoramic Higway (see brochure link:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MtTamalpaisBrochure.pdf )
Hogback to Hoo Koo Ee Koo to Temelpa trail up and Fern Trail Down, approx. 10 miles. Kinda tough but scenic as all get out. Check out the photo from last winter: http://bayareahiking.tribe.net/photos/768fd893-d226-4c1a-9927-d74a99717ac3
View it full size if you have time!
---------------------------------------------------------------------

September 23rd
Redwood Regional Park--Stream Trail Loop

This one's 3.5 miles but for folks interested in something longer we might make it a double loop after returning to the trailhead, heading out for another 7 miles further up to the ridge trail perhaps...
11am Meet near the Fishway Interpretive Site at the first parking area after the Redwood Gate entrance off Redwood Road (see map).
http://www.ebparks.org/files/EBRPD_files/brochure/redwood_map_full.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let us know if you're coming so we know to look for you!
We'll get you a ride if you need one.
These are low-to-no-pressure groups--folks can run ahead with their stopwatches and headphones, dawdle and snack endlessly, take pictures, meditate, trot, ruminate, chat, not-chat, you name it. We just get there and enjoy the place however we each see fit, trying not to hinder anyone else from doing the same.
Cheers!

:)
Mike

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 20 replies

Moderator...?

iMosaicmix — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:11:30 GMT

Seems we lost our moderator, so in the Tribe way, here is the thread to pick a new one.

I would be willing to do the task.

Qualifiers: I'm a former Boy Scout and love to hike around the Bay Area. I am also on Tribe a lot and would have no problem making sure the Tribe has no issues (not that this Tribe is a prime spot for spam & trolling).

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 11 replies

Good news in the East Bay

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:04:42 GMT

This is great news....the views from this property are some of the best in the Bay Area...sweeping views of the bay, Mt. Diablo...to the Sierras and Mt. Tam....

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/19/BAGLS8JOB.DTL

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Treasure Island or hiking?

Parisa — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:08:16 GMT

Would anyone like to hike around the Tenessee Valley area to Tenessee Cove this Saturday in Marin? It could be a short or long hike. I know it conflicts with the music festival on Treasure Island but it's a much cheaper way to spend a Saturday.

I'm still trying to decide myself and am just assessing the level of interest.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 7 replies

Lassen/Shasta-Trinity Forest Service Recreation Guides

tektite — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:42:42 GMT

A few weeks ago I was up at Lassen. I ended up stopping into the Forest Service info office just north of the park. I admitted I am a rock geek, and they whipped out this self-guided roadside geology tour of the medicine lake highlands. It was great! I finally looked it up online, and it turns out they have tons of these sorts of things. I never knew that, so I thought maybe some other people might find them of interest:

Shasta-Trinity National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/maps/rog-index.shtml

Lassen National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen/maps/
(not as many)

My one caveat was that their handouts made some roads appear bigger than they really were, and some of the mileage was off. But still cool!

BTW, I had been up to lassen at least half a dozen times in recent years, but this was the first time I went to the subway cave (forest, not park) and the hat creek valley roadside overlook. I strongly recommend both as side diversions if you are on your way from the main park road to/from the Butte Lake area -- the cave is a 1/3 mile lava tube you can walk through. The overlook provides this amazing view of the cascades from Brokeoff & Lassen to Shasta and beyond.

Cian

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

New To Northern Cali!

Whisperfae — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:54:04 GMT

Hello everybody!
I just moved up to Fort Bragg from L.A. and am LOVING it!!!
I've been here three weeks and have been doing lots of local hikes in Russian Gulch State Park, Jug Handle reserve, Glass Beach, MacKerricher.....
But I am really interested in the Lost Coast trail... Where is it?!? What is it?
Also what are the best day hikes and backpacking trails you know in Mendocino county? Anybody know where I can go find some of the old growth redwood groves locally? What other things are up here that I absolutely need to go check out?
Wildlife viewing is a particular interest of mine....
Thanks in advance!!!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 4 replies

Any Weekday hikers out there?

ARhythmMethodist — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:51:35 GMT

Looking for North Bay hikers during the week.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Suggestions for Hiking Half dome for the first time

Mariana — Thu, 31 May 2007 18:06:19 GMT

We are going up June 21-24 for the first time.
Any suggestions of what to bring?
Clothes wise, food wise, camp equipment wise.

Thank you!!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 32 replies

Hiking and swimming?

Aaron — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:24:29 GMT

Does anyone know of any hiking in the east bay area where you can also go swimming? My son and I go swimming at the local public pool but we would rather go somewhere that does not have chlorine in the water, i.e. rivers, lakes, and ponds. We also like to go hiking so it would be nice to combine the 2 activities.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 18 replies

Any Reptile Experts Out There?

Lorenzo-g — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:59:14 GMT

I was walking at Edgewood Reserve in San Carlos about a month or so ago, somewhere thats loaded with snakes. If you go at the right time your pretty much guaranteed to spot at least a couple of interesting specimens.

Anyway, on this particular morning I spotted what Ive since identified as a Coastal Boa, it was about 2 1/2" long and was pretty much indigo black with torquoise markings, really beautiful and not at all bothered by my getting as closer look as possible.

Upon further rearch Ive discovered that this guy was way out of what is considered its usual range.

Anybody else spotted one of these or know if they are typically found in are neighbourhood

Heres a photo from the California Herps website.

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/images/ltroseofuscatb.jpg

Cheers

Grahame

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 4 replies

Tioga Pass & Tuolumne Meadows Area Camping??

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:14:28 GMT

Hi,

Anyone have any suggestions for tent camping along Tioga Pass Tuolumne Meadows areas. I've only backpacked out but never tent camped in for a few days and done only day hikes. Going with a few friends soon and was wondering if anyone had some good suggestions. Thanks!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 5 replies

last minute hiking plans to Tennessee Valley

Parisa — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 03:32:50 GMT

Anyone interested in doing a moderate hike tomorrow (Saturday) to Tennessee Valley? I've never been. I live in Oakland and can drive. If so, shoot me an email.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 11 replies

zion/grand canyon camping and hiking

gish — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:38:45 GMT

I am going to Las Vegas for a few days and since I don't gamble, I was thinking of getting a car and hitting Zion and Grand Canyon North Rim. I have never been to either and wanted to see if anyone had some tips of things that I just have to do and see when I am there.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 11 replies

Waterfall hikes?

kalikat — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 21:23:53 GMT

Anybody know of any waterfall hikes out there? There must be some good ones with all the rain we have been having....
marcia

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 23 replies

what's in your daypack?

cooldawn — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:07:19 GMT

If ya ran across my similar post in great outdoors, yep it's me again

So when you go on an all day hike, what's in your pack? I'm taking my kids on their first long hike during our next camping trip (we've done short ones w/o packs or just food/water/first aid kit) and they are old enough to carry their own packs... just trying to get an idea of what other peoples standard gear is so I can see how it matches up with what I'm thinkin'.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 7 replies

Aug-Dec. Celebrating the Peaks and Strolling the Meadows

mikmms — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 05:18:46 GMT

Hey there!
Lotsa change in Mike's world this fall, so I'm anchoring my schedule around a series of beloved hikes!
About two years ago I set upon the vague goal of climbing up every Bay Area summit I could find, and this fall I'm going to recap the progress in roughly the same order, with one super-easy hike thrown in each month for good measure (super-easy = 3-4 miles rated 1 or 2 out of 5 for difficulty...and btw my hard hikes are definitely hard by day-hiker standards, not by hardcore backpacker standards).

The purpose of THIS announcement is to give YOU the opportunity to tell me which hikes interest you before I schedule them, so that you can also tell me if there is a Saturday or Sunday you already know you CAN'T do it, so I can schedule it with you in mind if at all possible. Hip Hip!
Here's the monthly breakdown:
___________________________________________
Late Aug:

Urban SF Hill Tour
8-9 Mile Loop
Bernal Hill; Corona Heights, Twin Peaks, Mount Davidson

___________________________________________
September

Easy:
Redwood Regional Park-Stream Trail Loop
3.5 Miles, Oakland Hills

Medium:
Angel Island--Mount Livermore!
6 Miles, Amazing SF Views and a Ferry Ride

Hard:
Mt. Tamalpais--East Peak + Inspiration Point
10 Miles,

___________________________________________
October

Easy:
Grass Valley Loop--Chabot Regional Park
2.8 Miles, East Bay

Medium:
Mission Peak Regional Preserve
7 Miles, Fremont

Hard:
Mt Diablo State Park
14 Miles, East Bay

___________________________________________
November

Easy:
Long Ridge Loop--Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
4.6 Miles, Skyline (Peninsula)

Medium:
Brooks Creek Trail/Montara Mountain--McNee Ranch
7 Miles, Montara (Peninsula)

Hard:
Mt El Sombroso (kinda)--Sierra Azule Open Space Preserve
13 Miles, Los Gatos (kinda)

___________________________________________
December

Easy:
Ano Nuevo State Preserve
3 Miles, Pescadero-ish RANGER-LED ELEPHANT SEAL VIEWING TRIP!!!

Medium:
Wildcat Peak, Tilden Park
4 Miles (min.), Berkeley

Hard:
Mt. St. Helena, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
10.6 Miles, Napa
___________________________________________
If something strikes your fancy but there are weekends you can't do it during the given month, let me know and I'll try to accomodate! Also, if you like the destination but not the mileage, let me know that and maybe we'll rearrange the route. RSVPs solidify my schedule, so if you're interested, do say hello!

Cheers all!
See you out there!

:)
Mike

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 6 replies

Mendocino Beaches?

sarita75 — Fri, 25 May 2007 19:36:12 GMT

Any suggestions for hikes around beaches (not overly strenous) between Mendocino/Ft. Bragg and Stinson? Websites would be great as well. Thanks!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 6 replies

healdsburg area hiking,.....

Rhea — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Hi hikers: reading posts I can see there are some extremely knowledgeable folks out there,....and I am moving to a new area so I am losing the "backyard" I know like the palm of my hand (Napa Valley).

Anyone familiar with hikes around the Healdsburg area? I know from online there are lots of spots to check out. I am also a solo hiker so without good familiarity of the area want to know if there are spots its great and fine to set out on one's own and other's where I shouldn't.

Coastal, hills, creeks, etc. I love all terrain.

Thank You! -Rhea

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

July 22, Point Reyes Double Loop

mikmms — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 05:29:00 GMT

We're going to do the easier, side-approach to Mount Wittenberg from Limantour road (a four mile loop) and then from the same trailhead we will do a 9 or 11.5 mile loop down to the coast (we'll only do the 11 mile loop if it's the unanimously popular choice). Come for either or both!

Here's a map of the route:
http://kermitbubbleboy.net/reyeshike.pdf

Come one, come all! You can sprint, saunter, snack, chat, pontificate, hang with the group, extend the fringe...you name it. As long as you don't interfere with others' doing just whichever of the above activities floats their boat, you are most welcome!

E-mail/message me for more info!

Mud set this one in motion. Yay Mud!

:)
Cheers all!

Mike

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 13 replies

Safe Hiking for one... Ideas?

Jade — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:48:18 GMT

I was wondering if anyone here knows of good places to hike by yourself...

My boyfriend and I just broke up as of Memorial Day and I need to get out by my self. The problem is that I have a bad knee and don't trust it on long hikes... I will go on almost any day hike as long as there are others there but if there isn't anyone for miles well, it could be a challenge. Right now I really want to be able to go alone to be able to think and get back in touch with my own mind.

I really enjoy Muir Woods and that area because of the greenery and water (and mountainous dirt trails) but trails in Contra Costa County would be appreciated.

Thank you all!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 23 replies

Camping, hiking and swimming?

Jeremy — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:56:17 GMT

Where is there to camp, hike and swim (preferably skinny dip) somewhere within about 3 hours from the city? Thanks.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 6 replies

Djerassi Artist Ranch Open House July 29th 1-5 pm

spectral — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:20:53 GMT

This place is awesome. I spent a month there on an artist's residence several years back. Large scale sculptures, earthworks and installations abound. Tasty treats, dance, music and readings of prose and poetry at the artist's barn and main house. One of those places you must experience while living in the bay area!

More info:
http://www.djerassi.org/openhouse.html

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Two-Heel Drive site now focused exclusively on Bay Area hikes

tom — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:05:47 GMT

Wanted to let y'all know my hiking site is now devoted strictly to Bay Area hikes.

I'm writing a about a new hike every week, with write-ups posted either on Sundays or Mondays.

A few recent hikes:

Angel Island: http://tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/archives/2007/07/15/latest_hike_ang.html

Portola Redwoods State Park: http://tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/archives/2007/07/08/latest_hike_por.html

Big Basin: http://tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/archives/2007/06/17/big_basin_from.html

I've also been writing a column at the Mercury News about local hikes.
Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/tommangan

OK, shameless self-promotion over.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Saturday July 14 hike around Muir Beach Overlook. 10 miles

snarb — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:10:54 GMT

Hike with the San Francisco Bay Area Hiking Club!

Saturday July 14 hike around Muir Beach Overlook. This is a beautiful beach with amazing vistas. At 11AM, we will meet at The Muir Beach overlook, as depicted here: http://www.nps.gov/archive/muwo/mube/muir_overlook.htm

We start at the overlook and hike about a mile to Heather Cut-Off. trail and a fun, switchback decent to the horse camp. 1.2 miles. From here we take the Redwood Creek trail to the entrance of Muir Woods. I have a pass for us. 1.2 miles. Now we take the hillside, Ben Johnson and Stapelveldt trails up the fun ascent covered by redwoods. 2.1 miles. Here we find Cardiac Hill and descend the Coastal trail to Heather cut-off. 2.1 miles. Here we mosey through Slide ranch to the coast along the Owl and other unmarked trails. 2 miles. From this beach we can cover the last 1-mile back to the overlook.

That’s 10.6 miles.
Let’s set up some carpools for this hike. The hike will take about 5 hours with breaks.

This is a map of the area: http://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map-muwo-2.pdfb

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Llamas and Hiking

Mud — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:51:39 GMT

I just want to spread the word on a new and disturbing trend in the national park system. Recently I've noticed that there are trails that are closed to llamas. (http://www.nps.gov/pore/parkmgmt/upload/lawsandpolicies_compendium_llamamap.pdf) This is unacceptable! Llama owners unite! We must protest this travesty of justice!

However, seeing as how I'm a lawful hiker, I will make do without my llama for the time being. I would like suggestions on trails suitable for both the novice and experienced hiker in the Point Reyes area. Specifically I'm looking at the trails shown in the llama blacklisting map linked above. (Bear Valley visitor center trailhead area) I'd like to have two loops. One easy <5 mile hike for new hikers and then a second more challenging trail for the more experienced hikers. Any help would be appreciated.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 6 replies

Hiking for berries

Kate — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:11:35 GMT

I hesitate to tell people about this little gem of a hike, but it is a public park after all so I'm kicking down. The Willow Creek Watershed sits on about 5000 acres near the mouth of the Russian River (south side). Access is via Freezeout Road in Duncans Mills.
And the berries........ ther is just nothing like a long hike with bush after bush of delicious warm fresh berries along the way, and the random spring of drinking water bubbling out of the ground.
Last evening we did a 3 hour loop and ate blackberries (both the delicious native variety and the big juicy ones non-natives we're all used to), salmonberries, thimbleberries and gooseberries (a little sour still) and strawberries.
Couple that with redwoods, rollinggrasy fields, and stunning ocean views....Absolutely divine.
-Kate

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Beginner-Friendly hikes! Black Diamond Mines 6/9 and Tilden Park 6/23

mikmms — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:20:48 GMT

The idea;
We hike double loops, first with a 3-4 mile beginner loop so folks who want to start (or restart) hiking can come have fun with something hikey and outdoorsy but not painful...and then a 7-10 mile loop departing from the same trailhead for those who enjoy a little more oomph!

So here's the scoop:
__________________________________________________
JUNE 9
BLACK DIAMOND MINES!! (Antioch)
http://www.ebparks.org/resources/pdf/trails/b_diamond_map.pdf
http://www.ebparks.org/resources/pdf/trails/b_diamond_text.pdf
First we do this 3.5 mile loop:
http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/bdm.html
and then we have lunch and folks who want to bid adieu do that...and then we do a larger 7 mile loop past the Prospect Tunnel (bring a flashlight!) Per BAHiker:
"...Most mine entrances are barred, but bring a flashlight to explore 200 feet of Prospect Tunnel's 400-foot passage..."

VERY excited!
If you'd like the details of the route I've planned, e-mail me!
Departing the trailhead at 11am or ealier if everyone who's RSVP'd is present
This will be toasty.
___________________________________________
June 23rd
TILDEN PARK (Berkeley?!)
Regular hiker Ron knows the park well and is going to plan a four miler followed by a 7-10 miler for Saturday the 23rd. He showed me around the park a few weeks ago and I was quite startled how much more there is to Tilden than I had thought! These might be loops or out-and-backs (we'll try for loops if possible) or one of each, but no matter what the park is beautiful and easily accessible. Join us! Trailhead details to follow...let me know if you're interested already though, please!

____________________________________________

For both hikes we'll be leaving SF at 9:30am; if you'd like a ride, just send me a message. My car fills up fast! In spite of the lack of A/C...
These groups are always fun. Come do what you will, we'll get you there if you'd like to go!--no one gets left behind or judged if they prefer to be less social or super speedy or whatever. Enjoy!
Bring lots of water, lunch/snacks you need, sunscreen...

Hey! If you've come before and feel comfortable letting folks know what it's like it...reply to this post and encourage on-the-fence folks to give us a try.

Cheers all!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 11 replies

looking for trail running companions in the santa cruz area

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 04:21:22 GMT

i am fit, but new to trail running and would like to increase my time/distance and number of week days on our local trails. i started trail running due to a shoulder/neck problem that made rowing/paddling difficult~ and i love our local trails! i am running or jog walking 3-5 miles and ttypically go to wilder or arana gulch/harbor. i have also been up at rancho del oso. i also try to get in a fast, hard hike in the 9-12 mile range every week or so, time permitting.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply

Exact coordinates off low-tide hot springs near Slide Ranch

snarb — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:43:48 GMT

Is anyone willing to divulge? or to me personally, I will not RESPEAK!

thanks in advance!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

grover hot springs

captain-girlie-pants — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:17:40 GMT

anyone been? it's near kirkwood. i'm going this weekend and i'm looking for hike ideas. i know the state campground has hot springs.....there's gotta be some "after hours" springs we can go to. sanks!

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 3 replies

Easy weekend trips from SF?

tektite — Mon, 14 May 2007 06:33:59 GMT

Ok, I'm bored and need to new places to inspire me. A friend and I are trying to find spots to go for a weekend of car camping and day hikes, not more than 2-3 hours in the car from the east bay (Oakland/Berkeley). Right now I want to go somewhere in early june, and I don't want to bake. Ideas? Recommendations of places to go? (places not to go?)

Been to Henry Coe, Sam P Taylor, Salt Point, Sugarloaf Ridge.

My friend was thinking Portola SP or Butano SP.

Been to Pinnacles, but not in a few years. I was thinking early June might be too hot? (Did part of the high peaks trail in mid-July one year, and I think some brain cells melted.)

Been to Big Basin -- would go again, but figure it books up way ahead?

Thanks!
Cian

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 4 replies

Radical Backpacking

fucko — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:12:02 GMT

I must

For the adventurous creative expressive or simply silly outdoor people.
http://tribes.tribe.net/radicalbackpack

oxo
fko

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

needed: Picnics and Solitude

Skiles (Sky) — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:52:46 GMT

Hey there hikers--

Am somewhat new to the Bay Area and am wondering if you have any favorite hikes to great picnic spots--either in the city or anywhere in the Bay Area. One with a view would be divine (or near a lake!).

Also, where are good places to find solitude? (again within a three hour driving distance of SF)
Am thinking of a hiking trail, lake and/or beach (or really any little nook or cranny) where there aren't so many bodies, lots of trees, sand, ocean, cliffs or sky. Perhaps even an overnight hike.

Thanks for any and all suggestions!
Skiles

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 4 replies

What are you waiting for? Go hiking!

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:01:08 GMT

If you live in the bay area, you are interested in hiking and you are a member of this tribe but you don't go on the hikes posted here then there is no time like the present to start! I highly recommed Milfus' hikes. I used to enjoy them when I lived in the bay area and now I find its too painful to look at this tribe and see what hikes he's doing because I wish I could be there! He's very reliable and organized and good at making newcomers feel comfortable. (and he chooses some great hikes)

I'm pretty sure that he's not an axe murderer. I did see a bunch of bloody axes and dismembered human body parts in the back of his car but I'm sure there's a totally reasonable explanation for it. :)

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 4 replies

High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew trip June 20-24, 2007

Candace — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:01:12 GMT

We are just a few weeks away from our first High Sierra trail maintenance event for the summer of 2007 and we need more volunteers.
For more about the HSVTC group, check out their website at www.trailcrew.org.

A full list of this season's work trips are listed on the discussion group link.

I've gone on trips with this group for the past 3 years. I met a lot of good people, and the area's that we get to do the trail work on are stunning!

Cheers,

Candace

***********************
June 20 through June 24 is the date for our first base camp trail maintenance event for the summer. Our base camp will be at the group campground near the corrals at Thomas A. Edison Lake. Our recon team has just returned from Edison Lake and report there are a number of trails (Grave Yard Cut Off, Devils Bath Tub, Mono Meadow, Bear Creek Cut Off and Corbett Lake) that need our attention so don’t miss a chance to help improve our forest trails under the direction of experienced Trail Crew Leaders. Work activities will be available for all skill and fitness levels including helping in our kitchen. This base camp trip is well known for its excellent food and a wonderful community camp fire in the evening. Register now for any or all of the long weekend.

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 0 replies

Half Dome Next Week??

Wed, 23 May 2007 22:50:22 GMT

The weather in Yosemite. It's lovely. They just put the cables up on Half Dome. I was thinking of a 3 day 2 night trip next week if the weather holds. One day up to Little Yosemite Valley and find a nice spot along the Merced River- about a 3-4 hour hike up, lounge around. Over night there. It's about 2 hours from there to the bass of Half Dome. Up the cables, spend 4 or 5 hours on top to soak in the views. Back to the base camp. Over night and hike down in the am and back in the bay area by evening. I'm going again with friends in Sept. too. I've got an awesome pic of me and some friends on the tip from a few years ago on my profile page. I'm in the blue hat standing next to the edge, we're kind of small in the photo since it was taken by someone from a distance.

Anyone spontaneous want to go?

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 2 replies

Sunday, June 17th anyone?

Le4Life — Fri, 18 May 2007 21:05:46 GMT

Mike, Adam, and others,

I'll be back in the lovely Bay Area June 14th to the 20th. I can't wait to get the fuck away from LA for a week!!! There was a major forest fire down here that destroyed my usualy trail, so I have have been suffering withdrawal lately. Anyway if anyone is up for something on Sunday the 17th that would be great!!! You know I don't really care where we go. i'm up for anything

posted in Bay Area Hiking! - 1 reply