Ring Mountain, Tiburon, 3 miles or 6 miles

Ring Mountain is Trip 4 in the Geologic Trips: San Francisco Bay Area (https://www.amazon.com/Geologic-Trips-San-Francisco-Area/dp/0966131649). The trip is subtitled "Exotic Blocks -- Thermometers in the Subduction Zone."

Don't worry about the 50 person limit. Our hikes tend to end up with 15-25 people (given the number of no-shows). I'll email out a reminder the last week asking people to change their RSVP if they can't make it.

Gather at 9:45, we'll leave at 10:00 promptly. I'll email my cell number to the YES RSVP list the day before the hike. Cell coverage SHOULD be good, in case you get there late and want to try to catch up with us.

We'll start at the Parking lot on Paradise Drive on the far north side of the mountain (see the Google map), then hike up to the two stops on from the Geologic Trips book (Taylor Road and Ring Mountain summit). Ring Mountain is 602', and we're starting at the bay, so we're climbing 600'. After these two stops, we'll hike back past Turtle Rock, and those who want a three mile hike can return down Phyllis Ellman Trail to the parking lot. The rest of us will hike along the Ring Mountain Fire Road, then loop back through the Tiburon neighborhoods (see Google map).

Download a PDF trail map (https://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/PK/Main/os/pdf/RingMountainWeb.pdf) of Ring Mountain and Tiburaon Ridge Open Space Reserves (PDF).
A complete Google map can be found here (https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=37.914037,-122.495112&spn=0.025224,0.051627&t=p&z=15&msid=104378039710734503991.00047e918110c13fda80f).
Bay Nature article on Ring Mountain Geology. (https://baynature.org/articles/apr-jun-2007/ring-mountain-rocks)
Prof. Jim Locke's Ring Mountain Geology page. (https://www.marin.edu/~jim/ring/)
Rock carvings on Ring Mountain. (https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=19244)
Northern Cal Geologic Society page on Ring Mountain (https://www.ncgeolsoc.org/Field%20Trips/Tiburon%20Peninsula%20FT/TiburonPeninsulaFT.htm) (great photos)
Great photomicrographs of thin sections (https://mathsci.solano.edu/users/mfeighne/vol1.page2.htm) taken by Howard Day and Warren Gray.

Last year we got to the top at about noon, a bit slower pace than usual but everyone was having a good time. Not sure what our pace will be this year, but no one is left behind (although occasionally individuals realize they need to turn back due to time or fitness).

Price
I ask a $1 donation to help cover the cost of running the group. I pass around a "hat" at the start of the hike, so I don't keep track of who paid--it's on the honor system.

Kids are welcome, and the shorter version of this hike may be ideal for them.

Due to too many bad experiences, dogs are not allowed on my hikes.

I'll be coming from the east bay on the Golden Gate Transit bus line 42 to near San Quentin, then a five-mile ride to Ring Mountain. If anyone wants to join me, I'll be on the 8:13 bus from El Cerrito Del Norte BART (but I'm not sure how many bikes they can hold on each bus--anyone taken this bus before, will they allow bikes inside if the 2-bike rack is full?).

Note: The Ring Mountain map listing on Meetup is just a bit west of our meeting place--use the Google map link above to get the correct location.