Date: April 21, 2013
Location: Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, CA
This was a figure 8 hike on a beautiful and sunny (albeit eventually quite hot) April Sunday with West Point Inn at the center of 8. It was a cool and beautiful morning when I got to the Pantoll Ranger Station by public transportation (GGT Bus #80 to Marin Transit Hub and then the 10:00 a.m. West Marin Stagecoach #61 to the Ranger Station) at around 10:45 a.m. Having obtained a trail map, and studied it, at around 11:20 a.m., I set out and followed the Old Stage Rd. to West Point Inn, passing near the Bootjack Day Use Area en route. This is an exposed gravel road with great open vistas. The conditions were a bit hazy and thus occluded the distant views. A faint coniferous scent was in the air. The sun was really beating down by this time, and I started to regret having forgotten to bring sunscreen. On reaching West Point Inn, I tarried a bit on one of the benches, enjoying the view, and listening to the live music going on in the inn porch, before heading further on the Old Railroad Grade downhill/eastwards, eventually turning left on to Fern Creek Trail at around 1:00 p.m. After the gravel roads, this was a real hiking trail!
The initial stretch along the edge of Fern Creek is shaded, which was a relief, but it soon becomes exposed with no protection from the sun. I followed it all the way up to the East Peak parking lot, and from there followed the remaining segment of trail (I think it is called the Plank Walk though the planks end after barely a couple hundred odd level feet, and one must follow a nice old-fashioned rocky trail the rest of the way) up to the summit overlook. It was around 1:45 p.m. As is my usual habit, I lingered longer at the summit than I had originally budgeted, and headed back more than a half hour later. On the way back, I followed the Fern Creek Trail till the intersection with the Tavern Pump trail, switched on to it and continued till it opens out on to the Old Railroad Grade (uphill from West Point Inn...I had not traversed this segment on my way to East Peak) which I descended to get to West Point Inn. Here I switched to the Nora Trail which descends down well-shaded slopes and makes its way through stands of redwood. Near a creek, this meets the Matt Davis Trail, on to which I turned right. Matt Davis trail crosses a couple of creeks while making its way through the redwoods, and then emerges out on to a stretch with low shrubbery and views of grasslands. I followed the trail back to Pantoll Ranger Station passing through Bootjack en route. At 4:45 p.m., I was back here I had started.
Location: Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, CA
This was a figure 8 hike on a beautiful and sunny (albeit eventually quite hot) April Sunday with West Point Inn at the center of 8. It was a cool and beautiful morning when I got to the Pantoll Ranger Station by public transportation (GGT Bus #80 to Marin Transit Hub and then the 10:00 a.m. West Marin Stagecoach #61 to the Ranger Station) at around 10:45 a.m. Having obtained a trail map, and studied it, at around 11:20 a.m., I set out and followed the Old Stage Rd. to West Point Inn, passing near the Bootjack Day Use Area en route. This is an exposed gravel road with great open vistas. The conditions were a bit hazy and thus occluded the distant views. A faint coniferous scent was in the air. The sun was really beating down by this time, and I started to regret having forgotten to bring sunscreen. On reaching West Point Inn, I tarried a bit on one of the benches, enjoying the view, and listening to the live music going on in the inn porch, before heading further on the Old Railroad Grade downhill/eastwards, eventually turning left on to Fern Creek Trail at around 1:00 p.m. After the gravel roads, this was a real hiking trail!
The initial stretch along the edge of Fern Creek is shaded, which was a relief, but it soon becomes exposed with no protection from the sun. I followed it all the way up to the East Peak parking lot, and from there followed the remaining segment of trail (I think it is called the Plank Walk though the planks end after barely a couple hundred odd level feet, and one must follow a nice old-fashioned rocky trail the rest of the way) up to the summit overlook. It was around 1:45 p.m. As is my usual habit, I lingered longer at the summit than I had originally budgeted, and headed back more than a half hour later. On the way back, I followed the Fern Creek Trail till the intersection with the Tavern Pump trail, switched on to it and continued till it opens out on to the Old Railroad Grade (uphill from West Point Inn...I had not traversed this segment on my way to East Peak) which I descended to get to West Point Inn. Here I switched to the Nora Trail which descends down well-shaded slopes and makes its way through stands of redwood. Near a creek, this meets the Matt Davis Trail, on to which I turned right. Matt Davis trail crosses a couple of creeks while making its way through the redwoods, and then emerges out on to a stretch with low shrubbery and views of grasslands. I followed the trail back to Pantoll Ranger Station passing through Bootjack en route. At 4:45 p.m., I was back here I had started.
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| View from Old Stage Road |
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| Pretty flower! |
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| West Point Inn |
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| Steps on Fern Creek Trail |
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| USGS marker on East Peak |
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| Mt. Tam Overlook |
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| Wildflowers on East Peak |
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| View of lake (or reservoir?) from East Peak (with telephoto lens) |
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| View of the bay from East Peak |
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| Gravity Car Barn; Mt. Tam Overlook is visible in the background |
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| Gorgeous view of SF from Old Railroad Grade |
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| Another panoramic view |
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| A creek that crosses the Matt Davis Trail |
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