4 miles: Don Edwards Refuge & Coyote Hills: Chert, quarry, and wetlands.
Details
Coyote Hills Regional Park and Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge are located at the east end of the Dumbarton Bridge. We will explore the banded chert outcroppings in the area, as well as enjoy the wildlife (flora and fauna) we will undoubtedly see.
WHAT? An afternoon hike? Yes, we're trying out this one with a later start time. Sleep in, have a relaxing Sunday brunch, then meet us for an afternoon hike. I won't do this all the time, but we'll see how many people like it.
The hike should be about 4 miles, mostly flat (highest point is about 250 feet). We'll do a 'figure 8,' so you have the option of bailing after about 2.5 miles when we pass the parking lot for our second loop. You can see the route here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27004915 Ending times are never guaranteed, but we usually average about 2MPH with stops, so I think we'll be done around 3/3:30.
We'll peer into the Coyote Hills Quarry (which is no longer active), and maybe be able to see the new campground that is under construction there.
Trying to squeeze this hike in between rains, today (3/11) it looks like we might not get rain on the 18th.
As usual, the first 15 minutes will be an introduction to the overall geology of the SF Bay Area, then we'll take off hiking about 1:00.
Kids are welcome, but dogs are not.
Carpools are encouraged; leave a comment below if you can offer a ride or a butt to fill a seat. Union City BART is the closest BART station, so that may be a good carpool meeting point.
I have turned this Meetup group into a fundraiser for the American Modeling Teachers Association, so please bring $2 (or more) to support the work of this great science teacher organization (https://modelinginstruction.org/)--feel free to bring a check if you'd like :-)
Here are some interesting links about the area:
http://www.intres.com/dumbarton-quarry-regional-recreation-area-to-open-in-2019-featuring-new-maintenance-facility-designed-by-interactive-resources/