Marin Highlands - Hike and Hops (Marin County, California)

Continuing my long weekend in the Bay Area, I had signed up to do something called Hike and Hops with REI in the Marin Highlands. I've been to nearby Muir Woods before, but I know there is an amazing network of trails above the coast in this area and this seemed like a great opportunity to get some exposure to it.

I'm glad the group met fairly early as parking was not an issue. Arriving at the Muir Beach trail head at about 8:45, I quickly find the rest of the group and we get through all of the introductions and formalities before hitting the trail. The group is about 18 strong with hikers of all experience and ability. Knowing this would be the case, I had decided to add some weight to my pack just to up the ante a little bit. My laptop and a number of books from my weekend events raise my day pack weight to probably around 30 pounds - not exactly heavy, but still better than nothing.

As expected the pace is a little slower than I like, but good conversation with both the guides and other hikers keeps my attention. We make our way up the well-worn trails to a nice vista point overlooking the rocky California Coast below and the endless Pacific Ocean beyond. The views are sweeping. I get a shot of a red-headed turkey vulture perched just a few feet from the trail, rather oblivious to our large group. 

We continue down the path towards Pirates Cove and there decide to take a small break. Through our conversation, David, one of the guides learned that I had just recently become a certified Leave No Trace trainer and mentioned that while he normally offers a few comments on the philosophy, he would welcome me to give a short talk about it. While I only received the training about two weeks ago, it seems like a wonderful opportunity to put my it to use and I agree.

David gives me a quick introduction and the stage, overlooking the rolling breakers below, is mine. I try to keep my comments brief, but touch on the seven principles of Leave No Trace, focusing primarily on 'Travel on Durable Surfaces', as it seems most applicable to our current location. I explain how repeated compacting of the ground prevents vegetation from growing and over time can expand a once small trail into a ugly, lifeless multi-track road. I finish with a comment about just trying to get humans to consider the consequences of their actions when they are in the outdoors. I think my little talk was well received as I am thanked and asked related questions throughout the rest of the day. It felt good to have the opportunity to inspire people, even with a spur-of-the-moment little three-minute spiel.

We break and hit the tail again, heading back up the rolling hillsides and back in the general direction of the Pelican Inn. From here, we are offered a great shot of the San Francisco skyline through the green hills, including the iconic Transamerica Pyramid. Continuing on, the trail takes us through the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, which is a small retreat near Muir Beach that focuses on farming and Buddhist practice. 

Finally, arriving at our destination, the Pelican Inn, we take up residence on the lawn and continue our conversations while our guides order some pitchers of beer and appetizer plates for us. While it takes a while to get our food and beverage due to the crowd, when we finally do get it, it is most welcomed. Lagunitas Pelican Pale Ale is quite refreshing and makes for a great reward for such a hike. I think everyone had a great deal of fun and was able to see some good sites on our little 5.5 mile trek.