First off, I would like to thank all of you for the emails and words of encouragement and interest in this project. It's been a great support to me and motivation to keep going.
Now, the trip. I will be traveling with Matt Hall, one of my friends from HP. We'll be doing an abbreviated version of the trail, since we only have Saturday and Sunday, and I would like to reach the beach.
We will be driving out Friday night and placing one car at Waddell Beach and then driving a second car back to the Waterman Gap Campground. We'll start out from Waterman Gap Saturday, just outside of Big Basin in Castle Rock State Park. From there we have a 9.8 mile hike to Jay Campground, by the Big Basin Headquarters. From there we have a 13.3 mile hike to Waddell Beach and the end of the trail, 1200' down from Waterman Gap. Near the bottom we have the option of taking a short loop to see some gorgeous waterfalls at the bottom.
A map of Big Basin can be found here. A map of Castle Rock State Park, where Waterman Gap is, can be found here.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Desolation Wilderness Permits
Just a quick reminder: if you are interested in the July 24-26 trip to Desolation Wilderness, please contact me soon. The permits are available this Thursday and I would like to get them as soon as possible.
Also, I have booked campsites for the Skyline-to-Sea trail. There are still four spaces available if you would like to come.
UPDATE: The reservations have been made. I have reservations for 6, with 4 (including me) already signed up. The ranger said there were plenty of additional reservations available, so don't be shy about more people. Please let me know if you want to bring kids or dogs.
We will be camping on Saturday by Aloha Lake (area 33). We are allowed to camp off the road on Friday night, just not right by the Echo Trailhead.
Also, I have booked campsites for the Skyline-to-Sea trail. There are still four spaces available if you would like to come.
UPDATE: The reservations have been made. I have reservations for 6, with 4 (including me) already signed up. The ranger said there were plenty of additional reservations available, so don't be shy about more people. Please let me know if you want to bring kids or dogs.
We will be camping on Saturday by Aloha Lake (area 33). We are allowed to camp off the road on Friday night, just not right by the Echo Trailhead.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mt. Tamalpias Trip Log
A couple quick notes about the trip before I start the report.
It was a dark and stormy nig... morning. Okay, so it was kind of bright, but I definitely just wanted to go back to bed and sleep through the rain. Even so, I got up and headed out about 9am from my apartment to Mt. Tam.
It actually took me longer to get there than I thought, what with driving through the winding roads of Mill Valley, but I arrived at Pan Toll Campground (or Pantoll; I've seen it both ways) around 11:30 and got checked in.
Around noon, I hit the Matt Davis trail and headed east toward the East Peak. I connected into the Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Trail (the coolest trail name in the park), up Vic Huan Trail, and lastly up Temelpa Trail to the top of the East Peak. A summitted around 2:30pm.
The view from the top of the mountain is spectacular. I could see all of Marin, Stinson Beach, Oakland, San Francisco and most of the Bay - almost to San Jose.
There is a short trail, the Verna Dunshee Trail (0.7 miles), around the top of the mountain, and the Plank Trail (0.3 miles) leads to the very peak, where the fire lookout is. The peak is also very developed, with a visitors' center, restrooms, and even a snack bar.
It turns out that in 1896 a railroad was completed that would take tourists to the top of the mountain. It was called the "Crookedest Railroad in the World," at one point paralleling itself five times in 200 yards. A tavern and an inn were also built at the top for guests. Luminaries such as John Muir and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were among the visitors.
I headed back down after exploring the top and talking to ranger in their visitors' center. I took the Fern Creek trail down to the Old Railroad Grade. That led me to the West Point Inn, a cute little place with detached cottages and views of the Bay. From there I took the Spring Trail to the Mountain Theater.
The Mountain Theater is an amphitheater made of tiered stones. It is pretty cool and apparently they still have shows out there.
From there I took Bootjack Trail back to Pan Toll and arrived about 5:30pm.
Chad showed up a bit later, and we got catch up over dinner and cigars.
Day 2:
Chad and I took off down the Dipsea Trail. About a mile from Stinson Beach we ran into some runners. There were three circuits, a 7 mile, a 25k, and a marathon. We had to make way several times for the runners both on Dipsea, and when we were climbing the Matt Davis Trail back to camp. The Matt Davis Trail should really only be taken west to the beach, not east, because the trail climbs about 1200 feet in about 2 miles, making it very steep.
The trails around Mt. Tam are beautiful, typically surrounded by tall oaks, pines and redwoods, passing creeks covered in ferns. Matt Davis crosses two large meadows with beautiful views of the surrounding areas. Much of the east-side of the mountain is covered in low brush, live oak, and manzanita.
After returning to camp for lunch, we took a quick loop following the TCC and Alpine trails. Finally, we drove up to the top so Chad could the view from there.
We both took off about 5pm to head our separate ways.
I'll upload the trip pictures tomorrow.
UPDATE: Pictures have been uploaded to http://picasaweb.google.com/jheckey/MtTam. Please take a look.
- Remember in my last post how I said you plan carefully. This does not stop applying. It goes faster, but I forgot my climbing rope (just in case), and almost forgot my camera and my sleeping bag. PLAN EVERY TIME!
- Despite remembering my camera, I still forgot to charge it. So the photos that will be posted are horrible. But horrible beats nothing. Most of the time.
- The trail map for Mt. Tam State Park doesn't list mileage information, and I was writing it down as I went, so all distances are approximate and designed to make me look better. :-)
It was a dark and stormy nig... morning. Okay, so it was kind of bright, but I definitely just wanted to go back to bed and sleep through the rain. Even so, I got up and headed out about 9am from my apartment to Mt. Tam.
It actually took me longer to get there than I thought, what with driving through the winding roads of Mill Valley, but I arrived at Pan Toll Campground (or Pantoll; I've seen it both ways) around 11:30 and got checked in.
Around noon, I hit the Matt Davis trail and headed east toward the East Peak. I connected into the Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Trail (the coolest trail name in the park), up Vic Huan Trail, and lastly up Temelpa Trail to the top of the East Peak. A summitted around 2:30pm.
The view from the top of the mountain is spectacular. I could see all of Marin, Stinson Beach, Oakland, San Francisco and most of the Bay - almost to San Jose.
There is a short trail, the Verna Dunshee Trail (0.7 miles), around the top of the mountain, and the Plank Trail (0.3 miles) leads to the very peak, where the fire lookout is. The peak is also very developed, with a visitors' center, restrooms, and even a snack bar.
It turns out that in 1896 a railroad was completed that would take tourists to the top of the mountain. It was called the "Crookedest Railroad in the World," at one point paralleling itself five times in 200 yards. A tavern and an inn were also built at the top for guests. Luminaries such as John Muir and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were among the visitors.
I headed back down after exploring the top and talking to ranger in their visitors' center. I took the Fern Creek trail down to the Old Railroad Grade. That led me to the West Point Inn, a cute little place with detached cottages and views of the Bay. From there I took the Spring Trail to the Mountain Theater.
The Mountain Theater is an amphitheater made of tiered stones. It is pretty cool and apparently they still have shows out there.
From there I took Bootjack Trail back to Pan Toll and arrived about 5:30pm.
Chad showed up a bit later, and we got catch up over dinner and cigars.
Day 2:
Chad and I took off down the Dipsea Trail. About a mile from Stinson Beach we ran into some runners. There were three circuits, a 7 mile, a 25k, and a marathon. We had to make way several times for the runners both on Dipsea, and when we were climbing the Matt Davis Trail back to camp. The Matt Davis Trail should really only be taken west to the beach, not east, because the trail climbs about 1200 feet in about 2 miles, making it very steep.
The trails around Mt. Tam are beautiful, typically surrounded by tall oaks, pines and redwoods, passing creeks covered in ferns. Matt Davis crosses two large meadows with beautiful views of the surrounding areas. Much of the east-side of the mountain is covered in low brush, live oak, and manzanita.
After returning to camp for lunch, we took a quick loop following the TCC and Alpine trails. Finally, we drove up to the top so Chad could the view from there.
We both took off about 5pm to head our separate ways.
I'll upload the trip pictures tomorrow.
UPDATE: Pictures have been uploaded to http://picasaweb.google.com/jheckey/MtTam. Please take a look.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Backpacking 101
So, my take on backpacking is fourfold:
Be prepared is the mantra of the Boy Scouts. They do this more than I do, so I think they should know something about it. The basic idea is to go over every aspect of the trip and figure out what you should and shouldn't bring. If you are in doubt, bring it and make the final determination at the trailhead (this is especially true of things like rain gear). You should have a plan, contact information, a backup plan, a first aid kit, and a contingency plan. This gets easier as you do it more.
Be comfortable means taking gear that fits well and operates effectively. The most important pieces of gear are your boots/shoes, socks, backpack, and sleeping bag. Everything else is personal preference. A final note: AVOID COTTON! There are many alternatives, wool, silk, and synthetics, that can be bought for very reasonable prices. The goal is to wick sweat and moisture away from the body. That means you will be warmer, drier, and chafe less or not at all.
Travel light means taking only what you need for the trip. Just enough food, only enough clothes, no unnecessary gear. Feel free to bring more than you need to the trailhead, but do a final packing before heading off. And feel free to keep a final change of clothes in the car, it cuts down on stinky rides home.
Lastly, here are some packing lists that I have found. Feel free to follow them as closely as you want, I will gladly go over them with you to make sure you are prepared and not spending more than you should.
That's the brain dump. I'll be talking more later on specific topics (e.g., backpacks, sleeping bags, foot care, etc.) later.
- Leave no trace
- Be prepared
- Be comfortable
- Travel light
Be prepared is the mantra of the Boy Scouts. They do this more than I do, so I think they should know something about it. The basic idea is to go over every aspect of the trip and figure out what you should and shouldn't bring. If you are in doubt, bring it and make the final determination at the trailhead (this is especially true of things like rain gear). You should have a plan, contact information, a backup plan, a first aid kit, and a contingency plan. This gets easier as you do it more.
Be comfortable means taking gear that fits well and operates effectively. The most important pieces of gear are your boots/shoes, socks, backpack, and sleeping bag. Everything else is personal preference. A final note: AVOID COTTON! There are many alternatives, wool, silk, and synthetics, that can be bought for very reasonable prices. The goal is to wick sweat and moisture away from the body. That means you will be warmer, drier, and chafe less or not at all.
Travel light means taking only what you need for the trip. Just enough food, only enough clothes, no unnecessary gear. Feel free to bring more than you need to the trailhead, but do a final packing before heading off. And feel free to keep a final change of clothes in the car, it cuts down on stinky rides home.
Lastly, here are some packing lists that I have found. Feel free to follow them as closely as you want, I will gladly go over them with you to make sure you are prepared and not spending more than you should.
That's the brain dump. I'll be talking more later on specific topics (e.g., backpacks, sleeping bags, foot care, etc.) later.
Mt. Tam and Muir Woods Flight Plan
Alright my friends, here's the breakdown for this weekend's trip. (Eek! I'm already behind!)
I will driving down to Pantoll Campground in the Mt. Tam State Park tomorrow, arriving around 10am. The Pantoll Ranger Station can be reached at 415-388-2070. An annoying map of the area can be found at the Mt Tam website. There is also this brochure, which has a very complicated map on page 6.
My buddy Chad Pry, who some of you may remember from UOP, will be joining me Friday evening for dinner and camping. Saturday we will both go hiking and then leave for our respective Easter festivities.
We will be sticking to the trails, but have no set plan. The trails I'm interested in are the Matt Davis, Bootjack, and pretty much everything that will get to the top of Mt. Tam.
Happy Trails!
I will driving down to Pantoll Campground in the Mt. Tam State Park tomorrow, arriving around 10am. The Pantoll Ranger Station can be reached at 415-388-2070. An annoying map of the area can be found at the Mt Tam website. There is also this brochure, which has a very complicated map on page 6.
My buddy Chad Pry, who some of you may remember from UOP, will be joining me Friday evening for dinner and camping. Saturday we will both go hiking and then leave for our respective Easter festivities.
We will be sticking to the trails, but have no set plan. The trails I'm interested in are the Matt Davis, Bootjack, and pretty much everything that will get to the top of Mt. Tam.
Happy Trails!
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