Hiking Hints (Learned the Hard Way)

*Always tell someone where you will be hiking, in case you don't come back!
*Always carry a cell phone. Most areas get cell coverage because many trails go along mountain tops.
*Always have a trail map of the hiking area. Many trails are very poorly marked.
*Don't wander off the trail. There is likely to be poison oak in the brush. Learn to recognize it, but remember it is still active in the winter when all it is a stick.
*Use a walking stick for steep trails. It saves strain on the knees and can double as a weapon if you encounter mountain lions or wild boar. (Which you most likely won't)
*Always take water with you.
*Use sunblock or you will end up looking like a piece of rawhide.
*Keep granola bars or other non-perishable snacks in your pocket or backpack.
*Have a jacket with you that can be tied around your waist in case of chilly weather.
*Ibuprofen is an essential item for your pocket also.
*In cold weather kleenex comes in handy for your nose. It's an essential for women too on long hikes with small bladders.
*A pedometer is a fun item to use so you can brag to your friends about how far you walked!
*Leave enough time so that you will not be caught with the sun setting and you're still out on the trail.
*Avoid walking through tall grass. Ticks love to wait on a stalk of grass and jump on your leg as you pass. Ticks infected with Lyme disease have been found in the Santa Cruz Mountains and other areas of California. Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease. (A tick remover is a handy device for your backpack.)
*If you do encounter a Mountain Lion, calmly repeat "nice kitty, kitty" while backing away slowly.
*Be careful where you sit and put your hands, especially around sunny rocks. Rattlesnakes like to sunbathe there and will resent your intrusion. (A snake bite kit is another handy item to carry.) By the way, you probably won't die if you get bit by a rattlesnake.
*One of the most important items to carry is Chapstick. Huffing and puffing uphill can really dry out your lips.
*Sucking on hard candy can help with a dry mouth from all that huffing and puffing too.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

First Hikes in Marin

So after we went to Muir Woods, (see below) we followed the signs to Mt. Tamalpais. We had heard it was a great place to hike. We parked on the side of the road and walked up a trail to this hill. The higher we went, the more spectacular the views. We will definitely come back here for a better look at the park.



Rarely do you see the Pacific Ocean looking this blue and clear. (Thanks to 100 degree weather.)

The hills look like they're planted in wheat.



See San Francisco's Sutro Tower in the distance?

Now we could see the city itself along with the ocean and the bay.


Anyone know the name of this little bay in the SF Bay?



Shellee and her sister and Mom were visiting in SF and invited me to meet them at Muir Woods in Marin County. Muir Woods is a National Monument and you can tell it has more money than the State Parks. (The bridges are finished hardwood!) The Redwoods are not as big as in the Santa Cruz Mountains but it's a peaceful, pretty place. And they have soda-fountain diet coke, which is a huge step above what I'm used to in hiking! It happened to be about 100 degrees this day, but it didn't feel that hot because we were mostly in the shade. I hate to sound like Ronald Reagan but it is kinda true that "you've seen one Redwood, you've seen them all," so I didn't take alot of pictures! At least if you've seen one Redwood on this blog, they all look pretty similar. The hike we took was 5 miles and went to over 1200 feet in elevation. It was pretty hard, especially in the heat. I must say that Shellee fared better than me and Cheryl. (Shellee is a runner.) Gives me something to aim towards.

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This is the view of the ocean from the Dipsea Trail.
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4 comments:

Shellee said...

Thank you so much for not only meeting me to hike, but packing me food and drink. It was a lot of fun chatting with you, and it made me want to come back with Danny. I loved the climb, and view was pretty incredible. Don't forget to plan another Utah hiking trip. I'll be sure to tag along. Maybe Mt. Olympus?

June 21, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Shellee said...

I forgot to mention how good it smelled. Like fresh redwood...

June 21, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Gail said...

wow, looks beautiful, I dunno, I can never get enough of the redwoods. Love em.

June 25, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Gail said...

and holy schmoly the colours of that other hike are AMAZING. well done. We had 116F with 75% humidity.. not nice.

June 25, 2008 at 2:17 PM

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