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| Hiking | 9.21 Miles |
1,864 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.21 Miles | 3 Hrs 55 Mns | | 2.58 mph |
| 1,864 ft AEG | 21 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Today was a very good day to hit Point Reyes because temperatures were in the 60s while the inner East Bay where I live was sweltering in the 90s. I didn't see a soul on any of the trails, and only about a dozen people scattered around the large summit area.
I saw a western terrestrial garter snake, a bunch of raptors including an osprey, a bunch of brush rabbits, scrub jays and California quail. The super-dense Bishop pine forest is always a trip.
The Bishop pine forest consists of large groves of small pines only about 1-3' apart. These pines require fire to open the cones, and they burn like gasoline. The oily sap from the trees helps form a hard crust over the soil so it doesn't wash away during the winter rainy season. There is a foot-deep accumulation of needles and duff everywhere, and the place looks like a tinderbox. Of course the humidity was well over 50% so we probably won't have to worry about wildfires here until September.
Low clouds prevented any views the last time I was here so today's clear sky was a welcome change. I'd definitely do this hike again, maybe add Limantour Spit or the Estero Trail.
Took Bayview up to its trailhead then Inverness Ridge to the summit. Bucklin is a steep way down, and it was in bad shape. Only one tree across the trail, but it was very overgrown with LOTS of poison oak. I'm surprised my legs aren't itch-tastic right now. Maybe the bug juice I coated my lower legs with also works against poison oak? I walked through a lot of 2-foot-high brush today while wearing shorts and this is the height of tick season. Nada  |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Saw a lot of blue lupine, Mount Vision ceonathus (AKA the Point Reyes creeper), Point Reyes blennosperma, sticky monkeyflower and coast Indian paintbrush. |
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Route Editor
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