 |
| Viewpoint of San Francisco Bay at top of Mount Tamalpais, Marin County, CA |
The redwoods arched high above us, shrouded in fog so
thick it almost felt like rain. It had an ethereal quality, as if we
had entered a fairytale. And although it was mid-July, we wore two layers of
jackets to keep warm. We were at the Pantoll Ranger Station picnic area in
Mount Tamalpais State Park in Marin County, California. Marin County just
across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. (We had come to the park
across the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge, about a 40 minute drive from Oakland.)
 |
| Redwood forest at Pantoll Campground, Mt. Tamalpais State Park. |
After eating our sandwiches, we set out on a short
hike on the Old Mine trail, one of a number of trails that begin at the Pantoll
parking area.
 |
| Start of Old Mine trail. |
 |
| Moss at start of Old Mine trail. |
The trail, mostly level, winds through the forest, hugging the
hillside. The damp environment is perfect for mosses and ferns covering the
forest floor. Little by little the fog began to lift.
 |
| A wooden bridge crosses a seasonal creek on the Old Mine Trail. |
About a quarter of a mile along the trail we passed a sign that marks the spot where miners had once staked a claim, hoping to find gold. (They didn’t.)
 |
| Coastal hills and fog over the Pacific. View from end of Old Mine Trail. |
As we got nearer to
the end of the Old Mine trail where it intersects with the Dipsea Trail, the trees began to thin to open space and we found ourselves at an overlook of the coastal hills.
 |
| The Veterans' Bench at the end of the Old Mine trail provides a place to rest and a view of the coastal hills. |
But on the day of our hike, the famous
San Francisco fog still shrouded the coast so the water of the Pacific wasn’t visible. However,
the sun was beginning to come out the sky turning blue.
 |
| We spotted a flock of wild turkeys on the hillside behind the Veterans' Bench and walked up a narrow trail for a closer look. |
After a short rest to admire the view, we turned around and retraced our steps. The total distance of the Old Mine Trail hike is one mile. By the time we returned
to the Pantoll parking lot the sky was blue, the trees were no longer surrounded by mist and it was time
to take our sweaters off.
We got back in our car and continued up the narrow,
curvy road to the top of the mountain. There, after parking near the Visitor
Center, we followed the path a short distance to the overlook. The view is spectacular!
 |
| Bridge to overlook of Bay Area. |
 |
| Looking East past Tiburon and Angel Island to the hills of Oakland on the other side of San Francisco Bay. |
At 2571 feet--the highest
peak in the San Francisco Bay area--Mount Tamalpais dominates the Marin skyline. For 37 years my parents looked up at Mount Tamalpais every day from the windows of their
house in Mill Valley. Some days it was covered in fog; other days bathed in sunshine; occasionally, on a cold winter day, it would be dusted in snow. Over the years during my visits to Mill Valley we made many excursions to the park. It is still one of my favorite places in the Bay Area to enjoy the outdoors.
 |
| Numerous hiking trails begin at Pantoll Ranger Station. |
 |
| Ferns growing on tree bark. |
