Inspiration Point, Tilden - June 2009

Hello everyone.

So Ben and Melissa are out of town for the upcoming full moon, so I was honored to be asked to organize our monthly luminescent expedition.

It's not especially creative but I've never been to Inspiration Point in Tilden on one of these, so that seems like a good spot. I'll be coming from a weekend away at Desolation Wilderness, but perhaps RSVP.

Meet at the parking lot of the Inspiration Point Trail in Tilden Park at 8:30. Hope to see a good first days of summer turn out.

Here are some directions:

Once you're In Berkeley take Martin Luther King to Marin. (MLK turns into "the Alameda.")

Go RIGHT up Marin.

It's a little tricky when you hit "the Circle", but stay on Marin

Right on Grizzly Peak

Left on Shasta

Then shortly after, inside the park gate, RIGHT to stay on Shasta Rd.

Veer LEFT on E Park Drive (About a mile)

At Wildcat Canyon Rd. slight left and you should be there.

Hopefully there's no curfew, but we've worked around that before. Even if there is our cars won't get locked in. Refreshments will be provided.

umm, Lunarly yours,

Will

Alpine Lake, MMWD - May 9, 2009

You are invited to join a full moon hike this Saturday. We will meet at 8:00pm for a hike along the shores of Alpine Lake and up into the hillsides of the Marin Municipal Water District. The green hills, redwood groves, and spring wildflowers will be soaked in the full moon's light. Sweeping views of a moonlit lake, Mt. Tam and the Marin mountains can be expected. The weather forecast calls for warm, clear skies. What more could one ask for?

The hike will be on the long-ish side (~5 miles) but the pace will be leisurely and a comfortable stopping point midway will afford an opportunity to rest, reflect, and refresh. Good walking shoes and a jacket or long sleeves are encouraged. Feel free to invite like-minded individuals but do RSVP with your need-a-ride/have-a-ride information.

Directions:
Take Highway 101 North to the Central San Rafael Exit. Make a left turn on Third Street. Stay on Third. It will turn into Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Stay on Sir Francis Drake until you get to Fairfax town limits. You will go over a small hill and as you head down look for a “Valero” gas station on your left. Make a left immediately after the gas station at the wooden “Fairfax” sign (the cross-street is Pacheco). At the stop sign make a right onto Broadway. At the next stop sign make a left onto Bolinas Rd. Go up Bolinas road approximately 1.5 miles (you will pass the Deer Park Villa restaurant). At 700 Bolinas Road there is a wooden sign on your left saying “Lake Lagunitas”. Make that left turn onto Sky Oaks Road; go up approximately 1/4 mile (If you miss the Sky Oaks Road turn-off and you get to the Meadow Club golf course you have gone too far). Once past the entrance kiosk, drive about 0.4 mile, and turn right (to Bon Tempe) at a signed junction onto a gravel road. Drive about 0.3 mile to the trailhead and parking. If access at the entrance kiosk is blocked, seek parking wherever convenient.

Marin Headlands - April 8, 2009

The moon's light is fast gathering strength; we expect it to be full this Wednesday night. You are invited to join in a hike to enjoy the Moon's luminescence over the sweeping landscape of Marin's Headlands. Meeting at 6:45pm at the Headlands Center for the Arts, we will hike up the Miwok trail from the lagoon towards Gerbode Valley. If lucky, we may be able to catch both celestial orbs in the sky at the same time. The hike will be a stiff climb with sweeping views of the coastal spring -- green hillsides and flowering lupines, monkeyflower, and paintrush -- as well as views of moonlit Marin and the San Francisco Bay.

The Headlands offer an open yet rugged landscape where earth meets sea. This month's hike will be part of the proJECT Space Walks series curated by Genine Lentine with the Headlands Center for the Arts and will include a demo and presentation of the Civil Twilight Collective's Lunar Resonant Streetlight. Bring warm clothes as it is often windy. A pad of paper and pen are also encouraged on this hike for those interested in reflective writing or moon-lit sketching. Feel free to invite like-minded individuals but do RSVP with your need-a-ride/have-a-ride information.














Directions:
Take Highway 101 North to the Alexander Avenue exit just after the Golden Gate Bridge. Bear right, toward Sausalito. Take the first left turn to the tunnel. Follow Bunker Road for 2 miles. Fork left onto Field Road. Take the first left onto Bodsworth Road and another left onto Simmonds Road. Headlands Center for the Arts, Building 944 is the second building on the left hand side of the road.

More info:
Civil Twilight Collective
ProJECT Spacewalks

Ring Mountain, Tiburon - March 10, 2009

This Tuesday, those among us who are willing and able, are invited to join in a hike up to the top of Tiburon's Ring Mountain. Soaring 600' above the bay, Ring Mountain affords one of the better moon views of the inner bay area, with solid 360 degree views of Mt. Tam, Mt. Diablo, the San Francisco skyline. The hike will wind its way up a jeep road past open grasslands with oaks and manzanita arriving at an open perch on a ridgeline ringed by gigantic serpentinite boulders. It's a relatively short hike but with a good steep pull up the hill. This outcrop of wilderness in the middle of the bay area is the relic of an impressive anti-development campaign on the part of local citizens and the Nature Conservancy in the early 1980s. Local neighbor Shira Katz will lead the hike and be available for Q & A.

We'll assemble at 7:30pm in the parking lot of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church of Tiburon. Bring warmclothes as it's often windy; feel free to invite likeminded others; and please do RSVP if you plan to attend to let me know if you need/have a ride. Drinks will be served at the summit.

Directions: Take 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County. Exit at Blithedale Ave/Tiburon Blvd/Highway 131. Turn right on 131/Tiburon Blvd and travel 1.7 miles. Turn left on Trestle Glen Blvd and travel .5 miles. Turn left on Shepherd Way and look for the church parking lot immediately on your right.

Fort Funston, SF - Feb 9th, 2009

You are invited to join on a full moon-lit hike along the beach at Fort Funston this Monday, Feb 9th. Fort Funston is located along a rugged stretch of coastal headlands, sand, and dunes south of ocean beach in San Francisco. Formerly a battery emplacement and Nike base, it's now a part of the GGNRA. We'll hike through the Fort south toward San Mateo County onto the beach to enjoy the ocean air and moonlit waters. Please plan to arrive at 8:30pm; our hike will not be long -- probably a mile each way with little to no elevation gain. Refreshments will be served at the turnaround spot. Feel free to invite like minded individuals. The weather forecast calls for some cloudiness, some winds, and perhaps some light showers so dress appropriately. However, despite the inclement weather, the moon is scheduled to make an appearance and we will look forward to finding a good spot to enjoy that view.

Directions: Take I280 southbound from San Francisco to Exit 49 for Junipero Serra/John Daly Blvd. Turn right (west) on John Daly Blvd and drive 1.4 miles to CA 35 (Skyline Blvd). Turn right (north) on CA 35 and drive past John Muir Drive, then take the first right (signed Fort Funston). Bear right and continue to the parking lot. click here for Google Map

Purisima Creek OSP - January 10th, 2009

All,

You are invited to join on a full moon hike this Saturday evening. We'll meet at 7:30pm at Purisima Creek Redwoods in the mountains above San Mateo to hike, talk, and enjoy the light of the full moon on the mountains around us. "Purisima" means most pure; the early spanish believed this area to have a purifying effect and named the creek and associated canyon to honor the virgin mary. As for us, we will walk moon-shadowed by towering redwoods and enjoy occasional views of the coast and Half Moon Bay.

There will be a few miles of hiking and some elevation climbing so bring some good shoes and some warm clothes for our ridgeline restbreak. Feel free to bring like-minded others. Drinks will be provided at an appropriate half-way point. Please RSVP to let me know if you need or can offer a ride.

Directions:
Take Highway 92 west from the San Mateo Bridge (if coming from the east bay) or from I280 (if coming from SF) to the Skyline Boulevard, highway 35 exist. Travel south on Skyline for 4.5 miles. Turn right into the parking lot at Purisma Creek Redwoods Preserve (if you get to the Redwood Trail turn off or Tunitas Creek Road junction you've gone too far).

Claremont Canyon - Dec. 13, 2008

Winter is upon us - the days are short and the nights are long and cold. However, there may be cause to venture forth at night. Please join Melissa and me for a hike up into the east bay hills under the full moon's light on Saturday December 13th. The hike will start at 6:30pm and will commence in the hills just above Berkeley's Claremont Hotel. The hike will be steep and stiff but, weather permitting, will offer us a majestic view out to the moonlit bay area with only a half hour hike each way.

For those looking to recover from the hike -- or unable to join the hike -- we will be offering some nighttime refreshments and winter cheer (and limited backyard moon viewing) at our new house starting at 8:15pm. We look forward to a good housewarming! Please do RSVP if you can make either component.

Although a full moon happens every month, this one will appear about 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than the other full moons seen so far this year. The full moon will be the closest lunar perigee since 1993, at 221,560 miles (356,566 kilometers) from Earth. [The moon's farthest apogee for the year will occur a couple weeks later on December 26, when the natural satellite will be 252,650 miles (406,601 kilometers) from Earth.]

Directions:

Full Moon Hike (5:45pm) - From Highway 24, take the Claremont Ave exit. Turn left on Claremont and drive 1.6 miles. When you pass Ashby and the Claremont Hotel, the road will narrow down. Look for Stonewall Road. Turn left and park. The trailhead is about 200 meters past Claremont.