Spring showers, flowers and adventures

Oh, the majesty of the Redwoods!

Mt. Wittenberg is the highest Point in Point Reyes National Seashore, about 1,000 ft. gain in elevation. Since I'm going to need to climb almost a mile in elevation gain from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim I have been looking for steep hills around me to climb. Monday, March 25, was the day I set out to do this one. It was a beautiful day for a hike, and the only thing that worried me was that I might run into a tree across the trail that would force me to retrace my steps. As usual on my midweek hikes, I saw very few other hikers, but enough to let me know I wasn't alone out there.

Looking out from Mt. Wittenberg, March 25.

A path through the trees on the way back down.

Looking out to Tomales Bay.

The trees on the top obscure the views, but still beautiful.

A pretty rock along the way.

One of many banana slugs I saw on the trail.

Many more than I see at Samuel P Taylor.

Point Reyes Station at a distance.

The first real obstacle on the trail, only a couple of miles from the end of my 6 mile loop.

From this vantage point I wondered if I would have to retreat back up the mountain.

When I got close I found a little path around the fallen tree to the left.

On the other side with the up rooted tree behind me.

A much less obstructive obstacle.

The roots of another tree that uprooted and fell on the trail.

Looking across the beautiful West Marin Hills.

One of Point Reyes Seashore's Morgan Horses close to the end of my hike.

Deer sharing the horse pasture.

Close up of a couple of the deer.

Here is the route I took. It was much longer going down, but less steep.

I much prefer climbing up steep than going down steep.

What animal do you think is responsible for the most deaths annually in the U.S.?

If you can read this chart you will see that Deer are by far the most dangerous!

I learned about the deadliness of deer many years ago (25 I think) when a woman was killed by a mountain lion near Cool, California. I was teaching school at the time in a rural area and my students, and everyone actually, became quite worried about the possibility of a mountain lion attack. It is true that a large majority of those killed by deer involve automobile accidents, but there are many that involve actual attacks by what we think of as docile "Bambi." Some of those attacks are by bucks during the rutting season, but there are several by does protecting their fawns. I have learned to stay clear of a mother dear if I know or suspect her fawn is nearby.

Tuesday, March 26 we headed to Petaluma to visit our dear friend Gil Vieira who is soon to be 98 years old. Gil and his wife Dottie retired to Colfax after his career as a United Methodist Pastor and her career as a public school teacher. Dottie passed away a few years ago and Gil now lives near family in Sonoma County. His wit and sense of humor are still well in place.

Me, Rob and Gil

March 28, 2024

Early morning sun through the trees at Samuel P Taylor State Park.

Rob and I were married 54 years ago on March 28. On the occasion of our 54th wedding anniversary we "worked" in the park and went out for pizza to celebrate in Point Reyes Station.

Bench waterfall up again after rain, March 28.

Sally, Melody and Bill.

Some of our regular walkers in the park.

March 29, at the entrance to Camp Taylor.

This is the only entrance and exit to the park for visitors, so campers who wanted to leave early had to wait a bit for this fallen Redwood tree to be cleared from the roadway.

Part of the tree being carried away.

Moon shine coming through the clouds at San Geronimo Presbyterian Church.

Easter Sunrise Service, March 31.

Beautiful blossoms at sunrise.

Another loop trail at Point Reyes National Seashore, April 1.

I would head to the right on the Inverness Ridge Trail, then take Drake's View Trail and come back to the start up the Bayview Trail - 5 miles or so, with a good climb.

Harlequin Flowers along the trail- new to me!

Western Blue-eyed Grass

Some Douglas Iris

A view of Drake's Bay from the Inverness Trail.

Heading down the Drake's View Trail - not much view through these trees!

Looking out to the beautiful hills of West Marin as I climbed up Bayview Trail.

Paintbrush along the trail.

Chasmanthe, a lily.

Sun Cups

Scarlet Pimpernel

Red Flowering Currant.

Another view of Drake's Bay not long before finishing the loop.

This is our fourth year here in Marin County, and though we've been to or near Stinson Beach several times we had never ventured into the little town of Bolinas which is situated across an estuary from Stinson Beach. The story is told that the locals don't want too many visitors so they have repeatedly removed the road sign directing travelers on Highway 1 to Bolinas. I'm not sure how true that is, but there is no road sign to direct folks there. When we visited Bolinas on April 2 we found a charming little town with a number of businesses that welcomed tourists, a lovely beach, and a small labyrinth in a town park. They probably get just the right number of tourists without advertising, and would get too many for the limited space if it were promoted more.

Looking out to the ocean from a bench on the estuary.

What's that in the water?

An otter? Or?

It's a Cormorant!

Not sure of the veracity of this sign.

Hmmm....

A picture of the bench we sat on.

This was on the wall in the hotel restaurant where we had lunch.

The labyrinth in the Bolinas Park.

Yes, I walked it.

Wednesday, April 3, I would head to Potter Valley to spend the night with my sister Elizabeth on the way to Eureka where I would work on an ecumenical 72 hour Cursillo retreat filling in for another Protestant pastor who had to back out at the last minute in the planning stage of the retreat. I enjoyed the weekend working alongside a Catholic priest and Deacon and reconnecting with old friends. I was worried that my energy might wane with the long hours awake and short hours asleep, but I did fine working the retreat and driving to and from, but it took me several days after my return to recover from it all!

It's snowing!

Thursday morning, March 4, Elizabeth and I went out to breakfast in Potter Valley before I headed further north and it was snowing! I was a little nervous about what I might encounter further north on Highway 101 where I have encountered snow before. I am an experienced driver in the snow and have the right vehicle for it, but from the time I first drove in the snow as a teenager, it is the inexperienced drivers with unprepared vehicles that make me cautious. There was some snow on the side of the road near Willits, and a beautiful dusting on the trees around Laytonville, but by the time I drove through it had stopped snowing, and I even got to go for a dry walk in the Redwoods at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

An old time "RV" truck made out of a Redwood Tree.

This is in the visitor center at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

This is one of the best state park visitor centers anywhere, and I found an ample selection of postcards.

A mosaic in the museum.

A Humboldt County Trillium!

This was the reason I chose to stop here instead of Founders Grove where I usually stop on my way to and from Eureka, but there are no Trilliums at Founders Grove and I knew there would be some here!

The beautiful trail across from the Visitor Center.

Even though I live for half the year or more in a Redwood Forest,

I never tire of the magic and power of these amazing and beautiful trees!

Another pretty Trillium.

Much bigger than the ones in Marin County.

After arriving in Eureka for the retreat I had a break long enough to go for a walk to Sequoia Park for more Redwood trees and Trilliums!

This is a trail I walked to from our house about once a week when we lived in Eureka.

And it's the first place I remember seeing Trilliums.

And on this day, I found again what I was looking for!

One of many pretty ones.

And one not yet open.

There are other pretty flowers in the park!

Framing the scene.

When the retreat ended late Sunday afternoon I headed south on 101, stopping for the night at my sister's in Potter Valley, and then stopping at a sculpture Garden at the Geyersville exit that we have passed many times. It was very interesting to walk amongst the various works of art before I got back on the road to head back to Camp Taylor where I would pause briefly before Rob and I headed to Colfax for the teeth cleanings we had expected on January 2.

A fish on a pole.

Probably the biggest sculpture there.

Lots of butterflies made by school children.

I should have paid more attention to the names.

A Lilac blooming in the yard in Colfax, April 9.

I love Lilacs, and I wanted them for my wedding, but the date of their blooming is not precise and the florist said she couldn't plan for them, so my bouquet was made of roses. It turned out the lilacs in our yard in Grass Valley were in full bloom on March 28, 1970, so my mother cut bouquets of them to decorate the reception hall.

Some of the tulips I had secretly planted in December to surprise Ruth.

Redbud in the wild near our Colfax area property.

We returned north to Eureka April 18-20 to attend the memorial service for a friend who had passed away suddenly two weeks prior. Bev was one who made a point of keeping in touch after we left Eureka in 2020, and she and her husband even camped nearby us a couple of times. Her health had been declining significantly the past few years, and though her passing is sad for her friends and family, it is also a release from suffering. She had a kind and generous spirit, and we are thankful we got to attend her service. While in Eureka we stayed with Rob's sister Dolores and brother-in-law Jerome, and I of course went for walks in the neighborhood. Their home is close to Sequoia Park, so I went there to check on my beloved Trilliums and to see if there were any Wood Ducks.

A lilac bush in the neighborhood.

Beautiful, fragrant blossoms.

When we lived in Eureka I learned where all the lilac bushes were and while they were blooming I would make the rounds to all of them, and enjoyed breathing in their fragrance.

The woods of Sequoia Park.

Golden sunlight through the trees.

A group of Trilliums among the Redwood Sorrel.

A Wood Duck trio, but no babies.

I also took a walk over to the grounds of the local Hospice House. I had heard they had a lovely path through the Redwoods there, but had never walked on it.

The path leading into the forest.

A Gazebo.

Some nature art.

A small and unusual Labyrinth.

What was unusual about this one is that you could enter on one side and exit the other.

Monday, April 22, after returning to Camp Taylor I decided I needed to do a serious training hike with my fully loaded backpack. I began with the pack on my back while I did morning camp check, then headed up Pioneer Tree Trail and then on to the very steep climb up to Barnabe Peak. All together I carried the pack about 9 miles with an elevation gain of over 1600 feet. The hike out of the Grand Canyon that I was training for will be 7 1/2 miles and 4,600 feet in elevation gain. Though I only hiked about a third of the elevation gain I will have to do next week, 1,200 feet of the hike up Barnabe Peak is at least as steep. Yes, it was hard and tiring, but at the top I didn't feel any less able to keep going than at the beginning. I just need to stop fretting about it, and just be wise and persistent!

Some Monkey Flowers along the way up to Barnabe.

The side of Barnabe Peak is much more exposed than here amongst the Redwood Trees of Camp Taylor. Where there is shade many of the flowers are similar, but in the exposed areas there is a different variety including the Monkey Flowers and lots of Poppies and Vetch.

Poppies, Vetch and a Dandelion.

See the Bumblebees amongst the Vetch?

Approaching Barnabe Peak.

Looking back to Kent Lake, nice and full.

Mt. Diablo in the background.

And there is Mt. Tamalpais.

Hogweed Blooming.

Looking out across Tomales Bay.

A very strange place for a No Parking sign!

There are no cars allowed on this fire trail, not sure how or why such a sign is here.

Me still smiling after 6 plus miles of carrying a loaded backpack.

Tuesday, April 23 through 25 I headed down to the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos to assist in leadership of a retreat for active United Methodist pastors. The work is easy and good, it's a good time to connect with active and some retired clergy, and the retreat grounds are beautiful. Two of my favorite hiking buddies were there also so we walked "laps" on the lovely grounds.

Beautiful green vegetation and cloudy blue sky.

The labyrinth, a bit overgrown.

The Labyrinth got mowed before we left.

Looking across the Bay from the Jesuit Retreat Center meeting room.

A deer on the Retreat Center Grounds.

After the retreat ended I headed to Big Basin State Park to pick up Erin to then go to Pinole for granddaughter Sophia's 11th birthday family dinner at Original Mel's Diner. I thought we'd have time to come back to Camp Taylor and pick up Rob, but alas the traffic proved daunting and Erin and I barely made it in time for dinner.

Erin with Sophia enjoying the cherry from her birthday Sundae.

There is a Marin Transit bus stop right in front of our campground entrance and I have been intrigued with taking the bus somewhere. At the retreat in Los Altos I connected with a retired pastor friend, Judith, who lives in Alameda. She invited me to come visit her so on Monday, April 29, I walked out of our campsite and hopped on the bus headed to San Rafael, then changed buses and headed into San Francisco where Judith would meet me at the transit station and we'd take a bus together back to Alameda.

Heading onto the Golden Gate Bridge on the Bus.

The Ferry Building from the city side.

I got to the city a couple of hours early so walked around for awhile.

Seeing Coit Tower on the hill I decided it would be a good training walk.

Looking back down on my way up the many stairs

I made it to Coit Tower.

And saw beautiful views all around.

Here are Alcatraz and Angel Islands from the base of Coit Tower.

A squirrel in Alameda.

We arrived in Alameda in time to find a lovely restaurant with garden seating for lunch, then walked the few blocks to Judith's lovely apartment in a restored Victorian house. After spending the night, Judith showed me more of her lovely city and then I hopped on a ferry that would take me back to San Francisco where I would meet another ferry to Larkspur, then the Smart Train (free for seniors) to San Rafael, and a bus back to Camp Taylor. I had enough time between the train and bus to walk to Trader Joe's and do a little grocery shopping before getting on the west bound bus. A very successful adventure that involved no riding in or driving a car. I could get used to public transportation!

On the ferry about to leave Alameda.

Approaching San Francisco.

The Ferry Building from the Bay side.

Leaving San Francisco.

Passing Angel Island.

And back at Camp Taylor, walking back to our campsite.

So, this was interesting.

It looks like a section of a pedestrian bridge. There were three trucks like this that we followed and played a bit of leap frog with on the Lucas Valley Road heading from Nicasio to Terra Linda Wednesday morning, May 1. The curious thing was that this road is quite curvy and mountainous and we have no idea where these may have been coming from or going to. We lost them in front of us when we got to some traffic signals so it seems they may have gotten on the freeway. Questions: Were they newly manufactured? And if so, where? West Marin??? Was this really the best route for them to get to 101? I doubt we'll ever solve the mysteries, but we had some fun trying.