Sixth Winter at Samuel P Taylor State Park, Part 1
The beautiful sign in front of our campsite.
Made and gifted to us by a friend.
And our campsite - home for six months.
As I write this we have been back at Samuel P Taylor State Park for over 3 months. Obviously I have gotten behind in writing these blog posts, and the more behind I get, the more I procrastinate working on them. I am determined to get a post published today, Ground Hog Day, when the word from Punxsutawney Phil is that we will have six more weeks of winter. This post will not be comprehensive of our time here, but will at least be a beginning reflection of this sixth season living in the cool, damp redwoods of Marin County. We do love it here, but I think as I age the cold is more noticeable. For the most part we stay warm in our cozy motorhome, but when the temperature outside dips to the low 40s or into the 30s the little space heater we use has a hard time warming us. We do have a propane furnace, but because we have to drive out to refill our propane tank we like to conserve that fuel. I know, this is a first world problem, and I won't complain😀 My favorite way of warming up continues to be going for a hike.
Wild Cat Canyon Creek, November 2, 2025
We arrived in the park late in the afternoon, November 1 so I didn't go to check out the Pioneer Tree Traill until the next day. I found the trail closed because of work to restore the trail, but I went around the barricade to follow the seasonal creek in Wild Cat Canyon to the bench that has been my morning destination for our previous seasons here. Because of some rain in October there was a trickle of water flowing over the little waterfall by the bench. When we arrived here in November 2020 the creek bed was dry because the rains hadn't started yet. The rains did come that season and the water flowed, but not much. The winter of 2020-21 was far below normal precipitation.
A spider web reflecting the sun.
Looking upstream on Lagunitas Creek.
Though the Pioneer Tree Trail was closed, I went around the barricades a couple of more times. I was really curious to see how work had progressed on the much needed rehabilitation since we left last spring. Crews had apparently been working on the trail most of the time we were gone, and the trail had been closed to the public most of that time. The Pioneer Tree Trail is very popular and I imagine lots of visitors to the park were disappointed when they couldn't hike it. It would be December before it opened again, and there was and still is work to be done. It has been a combined effort of the California Conservation Corps and the California State Parks Crew to do the amazing work that is being done.
A fence along the trail keeping hikers out of some sensitive area.
No post holes dug here!
The posts are instead anchored to heavy Redwood rounds.
A new beautiful boardwalk over a wet area near where the old Pioneer Tree used to stand.
This boardwalk will eventually get some low side rails.
An interesting fungus along the trail.
What I call the most beautiful waterfall in the park.
As viewed from across the swollen Lagunitas Creek.
A Chinook Salmon, November 7.
The rains signal the salmon to head up the creek from Tomales Bay, and during the first week or so of November there were lots of salmon spotted spawning. They were predominantly Chinook Salmon with a few Coho mixed in. Coho season generally doesn't start in force until December. The fishery people from Marin Water that I spoke to in November were very encouraged by what looked to be a good Coho season. In December following rains over Christmas some Coho were spotted, but as it turned out the Salmon count was pretty low.
Rains bring interesting fungus as well.
More fungus.
And a pretty yellow, fall Maple leave.
Pelicans and Sea Gulls on Limantour Beach, November 10.
The weather was so nice that I chose to go barefoot for my walk.
And what a beautiful walk it was!
I told myself I'd be back every week, but alas I haven't been back!
Mushrooms back in camp on November 10.
Convertible mittens I finally finished for Erin.
Both mittens are made from the same skein of yarn!
Naomi and Sophia
Obviously the weather was beautiful as the girls play in the water.
On a makeshift raft.
Wilderness and city?
Naomi carrying gathered supplies with the San Francisco Skyline in the background.
On Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, Rob and I headed over to Yountville to spend the day volunteering at the California Veterans' Home. We had a lovely time assisting veterans to attend special activities that day, walking the grounds, and visiting with the residents there. As a veteran Rob is qualified to live at the veterans home, and as his spouse I can as well. A "Home" somewhere is still a ways off in the future we think, and we have toured many options, but the Yountville Veterans' Home checks all the boxes of what we want in the future. It offers a continuum of care from independent living to skilled nursing. It's on a beautiful over 600 acre campus complete with a wonderful diverse community, nature trails, golf course and bowling alley. We've visited there twice now, and we hope to be able to volunteer some more to get a good feel for the home.
Turkeys on the grounds of the Veterans' Home.
Back at Camp Taylor.
Don't those leaves look fake?
When I went to remove what I thought was a paper leaf garland I found they were all real leaves twisted together. Very Creative!
On November 18-20 I headed to the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos to help provide leadership for a clergy retreat. I enjoyed the time with colleagues, active and retired, and walking the beautiful grounds there.
The retreat center's labyrinth.
The last time I was here in the spring this was pretty overgrown.
Mushrooms near our Colfax home, November 24.
Went to the house on our "weekend."
Rob, Naomi, and Sophia playing a game, Thanksgiving.
Once again we celebrated Thanksgiving outside at Camp Taylor.
Frying won tons.
Won tons have been our family's appetizer tradition on Thanksgiving for the past 45 years. Shawn did bring his propane turkey air fryer so there was a turkey, and way too many sides. Shawn and I don't eat meat and Naomi and Sophia don't like turkey, so we're seriously considering won tons for the main dish next year!
Monday, December 1, I had an appointment in San Rafael so I extended my trip to "town" to explore a park I'd not been to before, Lagoon Park, behind the Marin Civic Center.
A Great Blue Heron at the Lagoon.
The Lagoon Pond.
The flyer for Erin's band concert on Sunday, December 7, at Cabrillo College.
Erin in her Santa hat playing the clarinet.
Part of Erin's "groupies" after the concert, including family and friends.
Where we stayed for two nights after the concert.
This was at least our third time staying in what is said to be a haunted lodge.
So far we've not been aware of any ghosts.
We were in the James Dean building at the Lodge.
And of course I took an early morning walk.
In the past I have gone well past this gate.
But not this time!
Too many intimidating signs!
Monday, December 8, we played tourist with Erin and went to Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz to see the monarchs. And went for a hike north of Santa Cruz.
Here is one Monarch with not the usual patterns we associate with the Monarchs.
And there's a clump in a tree.
Rob walking down the trail in a nearby, newly opened, nature area.
Erin's home complete with Christmas lights.
One of the murals in downtown Boulder Creek.
I'm ending this post here so that I'll publish it today, February 2. More to come of our Sixth Winter at Camp Taylor and beyond, including how we celebrated Hanukah, Christmas and New Years. And more pictures of the California pets.
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