Pacific Trail Society
January through April 2004 Hikes
In
honor of the winter wet stuff, the theme for our hike is water whether it’s
hiking past the falls of Cataract Creek and Rock Springs or recuperating to
Jazz sounds at Mill Valley’s Sweetwater Saloon. We'll meet in Mill Valley make our way up Zig Zag, Matt Davis,
Nora, Rock Springs, Alice Eastwood, Arturo, Kent, High Marsh, Cataract trails
and then back to Mill Valley. For those
interested, liquid sounding jazz saxophonist Jules Broussard is playing at
Sweetwater Saloon at 4pm with a $5 cover charge. This will be a long day at a fast pace for experienced hikers
with steep climbs and descents. Bring
two water bottles, lunch, snacks, layered clothing, a hat, sunscreen, and money
for Sweetwater Saloon. The group meets
at 10:30 and hike starts at 10:45 in front of the Library on Throckmorton
Avenue and Elma Street in Mill Valley.
Directions:
Take
the East Blithedale exit from Highway 101 coming from north or south and go
west on Blithedale about two miles to Throckmorton in the heart of
downtown. Turn left on Throckmorton and
wind through downtown a few blocks to Old Mill Park and the library on your left.
For
more information, contact Jennie by email at jennie65@hotmail.com.
Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
This is a
moderate 7-8 mile hike with waterfalls, views and wildflowers. Meet at Rock
Springs parking lot at 10:30; hike begins at 10:45.
Directions:
Take the
Stinson Beach/Hwy 1 exit from 101. After 1 mile, turn left at stoplight
(staying on Hwy 1). After 2.5 miles, turn right onto Panoramic Hwy. At the
Pantoll Ranger Station, take a right up the mountain approx. 1 mile to Rock
Spring parking lot. Bring water, hat, sunscreen, lunch, layered clothing and
rain jacket. Rain cancels.
For more
information contact Theo at tt4366@mindspring.com
at least 24 hours before the hike. RAIN CANCELS. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Hike along the beach and up in to the hills on the strenuous 10+ mile
hike. This is a beautiful hike with the beach, lush forests and open
hills. Meet at 11:00 at the Limantour Beach parking lot; hike leaves at
11:15
Directions:
Take 101 north to Sir Frances Drake, go west to Olema. At Olema,
turn right and go 1/8 mile for a left onto Bear Valley Road. Take Bear
Valley Road until Limantour Beach turn off. Drive takes about 1 1/2 hours
from San Francisco. Please contact leader if you can take a carpooler.
For more
information, contact Gail at ggdesign@sbcglobal.net
at least 24 hours before hike. RAIN CANCELS. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Join us on
a fast-paced Mt. Tam South Side-North Side hike of about 9 miles. We'll start
at Mt. Home and take lesser known (steep) trails to our first rest at East Peak
and shoot over to Rifle Camp for lunch and then down to West Point Inn for
afternoon cocoa or tea and back to Mt. Home.
Hike meets at the Mt Home Inn parking lot at 8:45 and leaves at 9:00.
Back by 3.
Directions:
Take the
Stinson Beach/Hwy 1 exit from 101 in Mill Valley. After 1 mile, turn left at
stoplight (staying on Hwy 1). After 2.5 miles, turn right onto Panoramic Hwy
and go 3 miles to the parking lot across from the Mt. Home Inn. It will take
about 30 minutes to get to the meeting spot from the GG Bridge.
For more
information, contact JD at jdrows@comcast.net.
On day of hike only, call me at 415-302-8005. Check the date on the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes/calendar
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Mt.
Saint Helena is one of that Bay Area‚s highest peaks at 4,343 above sea
level. Unlike Mt. Tam and Diablo
however, the only way to reach the summit and enjoy the amazing 360-degree view
is under the power of your own muscles.
The best time to do this moderate 10.6 mile and 2,100 foot climb is
during the cooler temperatures of winter.
Further indulge in the volcanic action that formed Mt. Saint Helena with
an optional mud bath in Calistoga. Meet at 10:30, hike starts at 10:45 sharp.
Directions:
From
Highway 29/128 in Calistoga, turn North on Hwy 29 and drive 8 miles to the
signed trailhead. Park in the pull outs
on either side of the road.
For
more information, contact Jennie at jennie65@hotmail.com. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Join us on a one-way briskly paced shuttle-car hike for 17-miles with a
meet-up at Palomarin, shuttling half the cars (& all the hikers) to the
trailhead at the hostel near Limantour Beach. We'll walk down to the
Beach and follow trails mostly along the coast but with sufficient biodiversity
to soothe the demands of even the most jaded hiking beast. Hike meets at the
Palomarin parking lot at 8:45 and leaves at 9:00. Back at Palomarin before
dark. For this distance, experienced hikers only.
Directions:
From Hwy 101 in Marin County, exit Hwy 1/Mill Valley/Stinson Beach.
Drive on Shoreline Hwy to the junction with Almonte, about 1 mile.
Turn left and drive about 2.5 miles to the junction with Panoramic.
Continue straight on Hwy 1 about 13 miles to an undersigned junction with
Olema-Bolinas Road (just past Bolinas Marsh). Turn left. At the T intersection,
turn left (street sign says Olema-Bolinas Road both ways), drive about 1 mile,
and then turn left. Drive to the next stop sign, and then turn right onto Mesa
Road. Drive about 4 miles, and then continue the last 1-mile on the dirt road
to the trailhead at the end of the road.
For more information, contact JD at jdrows@comcast.net. On day of hike only, call me at
415-302-8005. Check the date on the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes/calendar
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
A 12-mile strenuous loop
hike up and down Mt. Tam via enchanting redwood forests, chaparral-covered
slopes and babbling brooks. Bring water/lunch; wear hiking shoes/layered
clothing. Group meets at 10:30 and the hike starts at 10:45.
Directions:
101 North, exit Mill
Valley/Stinson Beach, at the T junction, make a right on Miller Ave all way to
Mill Valley downtown, left on Throckmorton for about 0.3 mile. Meet at the
entrance to the Mill Valley Elementary School on Throckmorton across from Old
Mill Park in Mill Valley.
For more information, contact Joel
at joel2cox@earthlink.net. Check the
calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
While we'll
meet at Bear Valley, we'll take less traveled routes and cover far more terrain
than necessary for a strenuous and fast-paced trek through Pt. Reyes' landscape
of meadows, marshes, forests and beaches. Be prepared for all sorts of things
underfoot (including rocks to scramble and tides to dodge) and plenty of
elevation gain. Distance: 15 miles. Meet at 10:30 at the Bear Valley trailhead;
hike leaves at 10:45 and ends around 5 pm. Come with layered clothing, water
(2+ liters), lunch & snacks. Water and bathrooms are at Bear Valley
trailhead only.
Directions:
Sir Francis
Drake to Olema. Turn right at Hwy 1; take the first left on Bear Valley Road;
take the next left for the Bear Valley Park Headquarters and parking lot.
For more
information, contact Jo at blafnout@yahoo.com.
HEAVY RAIN CANCELS. Carpooling needs and offers will be listed on the
calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes/calendar,
plus any hike changes or announcements.
Hike down
to Stinson Beach through open meadows with spectacular views. We will
picnic on the beach then hike back up along the Steep Ravine trail. Meet
at 11:00 at the Pan Toll Ranger Station; hike leaves at 11:15. Parking is
available at the Ranger Station. Please contact leader if you can take a
carpooler.
For more
information, contact Gail at ggdesign@sbcglobal.net
at least 24 hours before hike. RAIN CANCELS. Check the
calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Join us for a journey to the zendo the old fashioned
way. Shake off the sins of Saturday night and meet us at the trailhead
parking lot in Tennessee Valley at 8:30 for an 8:45 pilgrimage over Coyote
Ridge to Green Gulch Zen Center. There we will sit for the Dharma talk and take
tea before hiking on to lunch overlooking the ocean. This is a moderate
8-mile hike with two steep 1000-ft climbs and some mind twisting
teachings. Bring water, hat, sunscreen, lunch, layered clothing and money
(in case the monks bake muffins that day).
Directions:
Take Hwy 101 to the Stinson Beach/Hwy 1 Exit and follow Hwy
1 for about 1/2 mile and go left on Tennessee Valley Road following it to the
end.
For more information, contact Chris at chrischouteau@earthlink.net or Liv at livimset@yahoo.com. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Soggy
footing and glorious wildflowers are expected on this challenging hike.
Approx.10 miles with a 2,400-foot climb and some notably steep sections. Meet
at 10:15, hike leaves at 10:30. Bring plenty of food, water and attire appropriate
for wet conditions.
Directions:
Take 24 E
to the 680 split. Take I-680 N towards Sacramento. Keep right after the split.
Take first exit after split for Ygnacio Valley Road; follow East for 7.5 miles.
Turn right onto Clayton Road, go 1 mile. Turn right onto Mitchell Canyon Road;
follow to end. Go through stop sign and park in main staging area at the end of
the drive.
For more information, contact Liv at livimset@yahoo.com. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Explore
deep into the East Bay's backcountry through the Sunol and Ohlone Regional
Wilderness areas. We will hike from the Sunol ranger station, across Rose
Peak to Del Valle, along the way visiting such places as Little Yosemite and
Schleiper Rock. A car shuttle will take us back to the starting point at
Sunol. Expect wildflowers in profusion, wildlife sightings, and if the weather
is clear we will see all the mountains of the greater Bay Area. This will
be a long day at a fast pace - 20 miles and 4,000 feet elevation gain.
Bring food, layers, and at least 2 liters of water, more if the weather
will be hot. There is no water available along the trail. Meet at
9:45 at the Sunol Ranger Station Visitors Center, we will leave promptly at
10:00.
Directions:
From 580
east take 680 south to the second Sunol exit (Highway 84). Turn left,
under the freeway, and follow Calaveras road to the park turnoff (left) at
Geary Road, then to the park entrance.
Please RSVP
to Joel by Friday April 9 at joel2cox@earthlink.net
so we know how many people to accommodate on the car shuttle. Also, let Joel know if you can take
carpoolers or help with setting up the car shuttle. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
A car shuttle brings us to the pass on Mt. St. Helena for
this moderate, 5-hour hike. We ascend a ridge and traverse the top of the
palisades, a steep escarpment of volcanic origin, from which we will have sweeping
views of the Napa Valley. We descend to Calistoga through fields of flowers and
stands of pine and oak; 10 miles total. Meet at the crossroads of Highway 29
and the Silverado Trail at 11:00.
Directions:
Drive north on I-80. Exit onto American Canyon Road and head
west. Turn right onto Highway 29 and proceed through to the east end of
Calistoga to the Silverado Trail. The start of the hike is a 1.5-hour drive
from the SF Bay Area.
For more information, contact Mary at 510-841-4468 or mtnmusic@earthlink.net.
Check the
calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
Portola Redwoods State Park's 3000+ acres nestled at the
base of Butano Ridge lie along the northeast side of Pescadero Creek on ridges
bisected by Peters, Evans, Evergreen and Slate creeks. The park is a
natural stream basin of mixed evergreen forest, featuring old growth and second
growth redwoods, with an understory of fern and huckleberry. Our hike
will take us on a moderately strenuous 12 mile out and back to the Peters Creek
Canyon, which contains some of the most spectacular old growth redwoods in the
Santa Cruz Mountains. The canyon's grove, located at the confluence of
the Bear and Peters creeks, is a magical place of magnificent monarch redwoods
-- many at least 12 feet in diameter --- pervaded by a hushed silence broken
only by the sounds of the creek slapping against rocks and tree roots, fallen
logs and boulders. These giant trees -- some of the biggest and oldest in
the state -- are well worth the trip to behold.
Directions:
South on 280 to Page Mill Road west. Crossing Skyline
Drive, Page Mill becomes Alpine Road. Proceed to Portola State Park Road,
turn left and continue to the park entrance. Allow at least 1 & 1/2
hours to get to this location from SF. Meet in front of the park office
and visitor center at 10:15; hike begins at 10:30. Estimated finish time around
4:00.
For more information, contact David G. at dmg@phillaw.com. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
May 1, Saturday Night - Moonlight Hike at Tennessee Valley
Experience
the wonder of Tennessee Valley and Muir Beach under the full moon (well,
getting there). We will hike 6 to 7 miles with some climbing. Meet at the
Tennessee Valley parking lot at 6:45 PM; hike begins 7:00 PM.
Directions:
Take the
Stinson Beach/Hwy 1 exit from 101 in Mill Valley. Go one-half mile and turn
left on Tennessee Valley Road and then 2 miles to the parking lot.
For more
information, contact Theo at tt4366@mindspring.com.
RAIN CANCELS. Check the calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ptshikes
24 hours before the hike for any changes or announcements.
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