Weekend catch-ups

I haven't been keeping up with the weekend stories much. Here's the pictorial version (attached) -- they are from a trip to Point Reyes. Chimney Rock--i never want to do the tour bus thing again, that bus ride makes me queasy -- i'll make a terrible old person trying to do the cross-country greyhound tour. So you all are warned --i'm NEVER giving up driving!!

I also walked from the embarcadero area (where i work) to the Palace of Fine Arts (appx 3 miles) -- too cold to do that again. Will wait til it gets warmer. And will have to find out why it's called that -- i'll go around to the front next time.

and finally -- photos from this past weekend's little jaunt to Point Bonita Lighthouse, which is located outside the Golden Gate Bridge on the north peninsula (the Marin headlands). Since it's outside of the Bridge & bay, from the lighthouse one can look back & see both Bridge & Bay, w/ Alcatraz n all dat. And it was a VERY clear day for the view, too. It had rained the day before, & was cold & windy on Sunday. The lighthouse was closed initially, then open for 20 minutes (because they close the bridge (in the photo) to the lighthouse when it gets windy; even in the best of conditions, only 2 ppl are allowed on the bridge at a time), then closed the bridge & lighthouse again, so we lucky few got into the lighthouse that day. By extension, you are among the lucky few to see the view too, via my camera. Below in the surf were harbour seals (mostly on the rocks, quite a few in the water, NONE on the beach -- go figure) & jellyfish -- i think these are moon jellies (translucent, aka common jellyfish) & sea nettles (aka brown jellyfish) or something like that. I particularly enjoyed watching the seals' interactions. Even in the water, they clustered, sought each other out, etc.

Y'all feel free to write me about your adventures, too, now -- your stories are always welcome on this side of the screen. =)

Take care.

til next weekend~
kh

Alamere Falls (Palomarin hike)

People here walk incredibly fast. Now i know why Leslie zipped through the Hawai`i hikes at the same speed she zips through the office – she is, after all, from the Bay area. These dang speed-walkers! The only ones slower than me are the homeless, and that's because they're not trying to get anywhere in particular. Even the elderly & i think the midgets walk faster than I.

So on Saturday, after speeding through SF (or trying to) throughout the week, I decided I wanted to go on a hike. A 13-mile hike, no less, and figured it could be done in 6 hours, no problem. I'm guessing Nona would have passed on this one. Or at least insisted on an earlier start, which would have been prudent. I'm all for impulse, though, forget that planning stuff. I did mention 13 miles, though, didn't i?

Last year, I had been told at the Point Reyes visitors' center that the best time to see Alamere falls is in Feb/March, when the snows are melting and the cascade is fuller. The bay area had some rain the prior weekend, so this sunshiny weekend seemed like the prime opportunity. Kenneth was up for a hike, too, & it was good to have company – especially one who remembered to bring a flashlight in case we were still on the trail after dark. Good thing. I forgot to bring one, and we were still in the wooded area after dark, despite trying to do the trek back at double-time. Not only was I glad for the company and flashlight, but also for the twilight, and for the light of the moon that was strong enough to cast shadows, and take away the scaredy-cat feeling long enough for me to enjoy the stars during the walk.

I was hoping to spy a bobcat, bear, mountain lion, or maybe even an elk that had lost its way from Washington state...there's a field called Wildcat Campsite near the end of the hike—with a name like that, there OUGHT to be either bobcats or mountain lions, right? Didn't see any. But we did get to see a deer, some brown bunnies here & there, ducks on the lakes, lavender butterflies (very pretty, but too quick to photograph & i didn't have enough time to try), and a gull showing off its starfish (gulls eat the insides). And a waterfall.

Although Kenneth enjoyed the hike (but not the accompanying aches & pains that go with it), i'm not sure he'd want to go again, but I'd definitely do it again, starting at an earlier hour or maybe when there are more daylight hours in a day. Or maybe at a warmer time. I had wanted to get to the top of the falls, but we were short on time. However, i've had time to look up on the internet one of the signs we saw on the trail regarding a shortcut – per the 'net, looks like that shortcut chops 4 miles ( 2 miles each way) off the hike, & lands you at the top of the falls – good deal!! There's a crevice by which to climb down the bluffs to the beach to get to the base of the falls where it then runs into the sea. Gorgeous! Good thing we got there late, too, though, cuz the low sun angle provided the rainbow!

Of course, if those San Franciscans were on the hike, they'd all have speed-walked back to the car well before sunset. Midgets & seniors & all. I wonder if i'll ever get the hang of walking that fast.

Hope y'all like the photos, and are enjoying yet another fantastic week as we wend our way to the next weekend adventure!

--kh