Walking for exercise & Potluck brunch & swim after.

Let's meet & walk for exercise. We'll start at 8:30 am and end about 10:15 am, with 4 miles and an overall approximate 500 feet elevation gain!

Wear a hat, bring water, and use hiking poles. During the spring, we walk almost 4 miles in about an hour and a half. The ground can be really slippery from loose pebbles or clay mud. Wear shoes that can take brief steep slippery slopes.

Two dangers of Mendocino County are 1. Poison Oak - If you easily get a rash, wear long sleeves, long pants, and stay on the trail. After, change and wash clothes in soap & water. For skin my favorite poison oak oil stripping products are Technu, and Fels Naptha (a hard bar laundry soap). 2. Rattlesnakes. - always look before you step, and look before you step over a log, and look before you step through brushy areas. As a meetup, I've seen two in 10 years. Once Max saw it first on the Rafello drive area, and 2nd time walking with Alison close to the dam on the south end of the trail.

Dogs on leash are allowed in the Lake Mendocino area. There are a lot of stickers that attach to dogs. It's hot out there and we'll get a walk in, dogs and all.

Most of us have a walking routine in-between the Monday meetups. I recommend walking every day to be ready to hike with us for two hours on Monday. It's called Walking for Exercise, and a good check-in for the rest of our committed daily walks or big walking adventures.

Today, July 14th, we will have one of our special gatherings at a private home after. Potluck brunch, and wear a swim suit. Instructions to the private home, about 5 miles from the hike, will be given during the meetup.

David Nelson took the picture of a typical spillway scene. This hill is the destination for our getting the best workout while walking and enjoying our chats.