Salt Point State Park tidepools and rocks (near Jenner: 2 hour drive each way)

Caution: The map location on Meetup is not accurate when I creaed this event. Here is a link to the actual park: http://goo.gl/maps/UbKU

OK, it will be spring, so time for a road trip. Salt Point is about two hours from the Berkeley, so "adjust your clocks accordingly." :-) With this long of a drive, I don't want to set a specific amount of time we'll be hiking, but we'll mix tidepooling and hiking and leave in time to get home before dark (sunset is 8:15, but I suspect we'll get home before that). The low tide that day is at 9:00, so we'll start in the tidepools, then find a reasonable short hike (2-4 miles). I'll probably have my granddaughter with me, so other kids are invited too (although I suspect the long drive will limit the number of kids). So, on to the geology:

Salt Point State Park provides the visitor an opportunity to view geologic processes in operation today and to take a trip through time and space, to explore the millions of years of earth history recorded in the rocks, to see the evidence of great plates colliding and passing, and to see rocks that formed deep on the ocean floors, composed of materials eroded from mountains long sinced vanished. A geologic field guide to the coast between Gerstle Cove and Stump Beach is available for purchase at the Visitor's Center at the park.( http://www.geologyfieldtrips.com/saltpointlake.htm )

Here's a few links:

http://www.fortrossinterpretive.org/TEXT/Geology%20of%20Salt%20Point.pdf (a very thorough document, written by a former professor of mine.) http://baynature.org/videos/salt-point-geology-and-history (complete with video) http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=453 http://www.parks.ca.gov/mediagallery/?page_id=453&viewtype=7 (link to brochure with good map) I've camped here before while on my bike, but not done a lot of rock viewing, so this trip will be exploratory for us all.

Tentative itinerary:

We'll start with some tidepooling and explolring rocks along the ocean (10:00-11:30/Noon)
Lunch A hike upland. Options include:
Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve is just a couple miles up Highway 1 and the season starts "late April." Up to the Pygmy forest: this looks like about 3-4 miles round trip and 5-600 feet elevation gain. See the brochure linked above for hiking trails. If you want a well planned-out hike, this may not be for you. We'll see what the weather looks like, and how many big and small people RSVP.

Please RSVP only if you really plan on attending. Four or so hours of driving is a lot, and many people will need/want carpools, so please don't take up space "just in case" you feel like going when the weekend approaches :-) I set the limit at 30 with a waiting list if we get more than that.

Camping: I have set up a camping event Friday night (https://www.meetup.com/SF-Bay-Area-Geology-Hiking/events/16904409/), so please RSVP for that Meetup as well if you'd like to camp. I cannot camp Saturday night, but Davy has reserved a site for Saturday night, so you're welcome to stay Saturday night if you desire (be sure to RSVP to that Meetup event so you have a space).