Peak Wildflower&Waterfall Time on Mt.Tam-Is Now!

Instead of chasing wildflowers today we'll be chasing waterfalls along Cateract Creek.
This Saturday's Mt.Tam hike is threatened by rain. On rainy days I head for the deep woods and there we will be protected. We'll be out of the wind and soaking rains. But I wear nylon/synthetic bottoms so I can still walk easily instead of regular wet pants. A water resistant hat is also good to wear. And you need good tread on your hitting boots. All modern hiking boots are chemically treated to be water resistant. Don't let the rain deter you, but drive cautiously.

I've been asked several times about bringing dogs. Dogs are not permitted on Calif.State Park hiking trails.

The field of Lupine in the photo was taken on Mt.Tam at the peak of the bloom a year or two ago. The only way to predict in advance, and for only a short time in advance, at that, is to go out there and look at least once, a week between the end of March and Mid-April to later in April. (I'll talk a little more about this during the hike, because I've been making this prediction every year since 1995.) Here is a photo and video clip, slide-show of the April 4th WF hike on the Coastal Tr. Take a look.

A way to maximize our time out there is to do a little car shuttle. We will initially meet at Rock Spring Trailhead. Leave a couple of cars there and drive two miles down W.Ridgecrest Rd. to Laurel Dell Trailhead to start the hike.

Distance will be 4-5 miles. Elev.gain about 900'. (Please wear hiking boots, required to reduce the chances of a sprained ankle or worse. I have two new pairs to lend. Really, hiking boots are required.)

*Don't be a No-Show and have your membership in the Group canceled or being charged in the future with an event fee, as part of the No-Show policy. See the,*No-Show policies at the bottom.

(By not reading this entire event description you risk wasting your time and more.)
In a short distance, total four or five miles, we'll see many different wildflowers in bloom.
Pack some snacks, fruit, water, hat, sunscreen and sturdy hiking boots required.

Take some wildflower photos, in one of the best areas for wildflower viewing.
The little guides linked below will help ID some of the spring wildflowers in bloom.

Mt.Tam Chaparral WF brochure.
https://www.friendsofmttam.org/wp-content/uploads/chaparralbrochure-cb.pdf

Here's a link to Common WFs of Mt.Tam brochure-
https://www.friendsofmttam.org/wp-content/uploads/flowerbrochurefinal-cb.pdf

Here's a link to Rare Endemic WFs of Mt.Tam brochure-
https://www.friendsofmttam.org/wp-content/uploads/rareendemicsfinal-cb.pdf

On the way home I love to stop at the Good Earth Natural Foods super-market at the first traffic light heading east on Shoreline Hwy. into Tam Junction it is on the right. The Chai Lattes are fabulous and they have delicious hot food and baked goods. Meet there afterwards. Sitting outside is like being on vacation, surrounded by the high hills there.

Because the hiking trails on Mt.Tam are very uneven. Making for unstable footing, caused by big rocks underfoot, big tree roots growing across and along the trails and in some cases trails that slant sideways instead of being level from side to side. All of these tripping hazards, require secure foot and ankle support.
Why risk a sprained ankle or worse? When wearing hiking boots will greatly lessen the risk.

Make sure your GPS is routing you through Mill Valley and not Fairfax.

Dogs are not permitted on Calif.State Park hiking trails.

*(Don't be a no-show or your membership will be canceled.)
It's good to give out name tags which I do. I fill out the name tags 24 hours before the meeting time. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile, (only visible to the organizer) you'll be canceled from this Meetup.
To cancel your RSVP beforehand, look for the, "Edit Attendance", tab, at the bottom right hand corner of the screen, on a notebook, and left bottom on a phone. --- RSVP cancellations must be at least 24 hrs. in advance of the event start time, or a no-show is recorded.