The Fog Dodgers invite all residents and visitors of the Mendocino Coast to join us on our weekly group runs and walks. We have runners and walkers of all abilities (and even some bikers) and we have only one "rule" - we start at exactly 8:00 a.m. on Sundays. Exercise at your own pace (1/2 hour out, 1/2 hour back) and experience the fresh Mendocino coastal air.

Fog Dodgers provides a fun, safe way to explore some of our local trails and back roads and to meet new friends. You can find out where we're going to be by reading the bottom of last week's post, then clicking on the "Our Routes" tab above. We average 15-20 persons each Sunday and typically half will go to breakfast together afterwards at a nearby restaurant.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Van Damme State Park


Mendocino, J. Loomis

Don't know if it was the weather (beautiful and 59 degrees) or that it was one of our favorite locations, but we had a larger turnout than I expected.  Welcome back to Peter N. and Pat T.  They had been gone about a year (not together).  Thanks to Shari and Peter for bringing guests Bonnie and Wes and lastly, guests Roberta and Jim.

Normally, I don't have to write down the names until I get home and then I have Nancy to double check my memory.  Today though, I admit to turning around early so that I could get back to a piece of paper and pen to write down all the names.  It was a great morning for walking and running and I'm really happy that we had so many nice people come.  Also present were: Ginny, Terry, Nancy T., Roger, John, Rod, Gay, Mark, Mike, Neil, Melissa I., Cheryl, Orah, Steve, Nancy B., Rick, Geri, Craig, Kathy, Steve, Charlene, Ron, Suzanne, Henry, Tonita, Fran, Greg, Nancy and Tom (37!  and that's a record folks!)  Our previous record turnout was 36, a few years back at Big River.
Mendocino, J. Loomis


IN 2 WEEKS, 7/14/13, JACKSON STATE FOREST ROAD 450, POTLUCK BREAKFAST PICNIC FOLLOWING!!   I hope that we can get a turnout like today's for this.  I guarantee that you're going to like John's place and the picnic area he has created.  Bring anything you like but remember that if it needs reheating, it will have to go on a grill or share very limited electrical.  Also, please bring your own carafe of coffee, as we will not have coffee makers going.  Another reminder and any additional info needed in next week's blog.


Van Damme State Park, J. Loomis

NEXT SUNDAY, July 7th @ 8:00 A.M.:    
BIG RIVER LOGGING ROAD, see "Our
Routes" above.  

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.


 Van Damme State Park, J. Loomis












EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Caspar Creek Logging Roads

It was a "warm" 56 degrees this morning at 8:00.  We walked and ran the Caspar Creek logging roads. A light rain/drizzle fell on us at the start but had stopped prior to the turn around points.  It was really, just another "perfect" morning for walking and running.  Maybe that's the reason so many banana slugs were upon the roadway?



all photos, compliments of John


Thank you Melissa, for bringing Nichole.   Nichole lives locally and hopefully will join us again.  Others present this morning:  John, Joel, Ginny, Terry, Nancy B., Rick, Nancy T., Roger, Gay, Mark, Geri, Greg, Tom T., Fran, Shari, Peter, Charlene, Ron, Nancy and Tom (22).

We all know that John is a very energetic and creative person.  Just this past week, he was gone all week in Santa Cruz, taking another ceramics class.  While gone from home, he still never misses a run. Well, a few months back, John wanted to have a place to host a wedding reception for his son, and so he created a beautiful picnic area, downhill from his house, which is in the redwood forest, off Simpson Lane.  He built nine picnic tables and one of those (World's Largest Salmon BBQ type) huge bbq''s, cleared trees and reseeded grass, and created a really nice area.  On JULY 14TH,  John would like to host a Potluck Breakfast Picnic after our run/walk.  More on it in the next couple of blogs but we hope that the date is open for you and that you're able to attend.


NEXT SUNDAY, June 30th @ 8:00 A.M.:  VAN DAMME STATE PARK, see "Our Routes" above.

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Russian Gulch State Park



Happy Father's Day to all the dads!   John was out of town to be with his family today and so I'm pulling one of his earlier photos out of the file for today's venue.

It was a perfect run/walk morning at Russian Gulch, 51 degrees, overcast and calm.  Ginny made it to the waterfall and back this morning while Terry and Joel completed the whole waterfall loop trail!

Thanks to Orah and Steve for bringing Hector back and also Gabe.   Others present were:  Neil, Fran, Nancy B., Rick, Sarah, Ginny, Terry, Joel, Cheryl, Rod, Kathy, Steve, Nancy T., Roger, Suzi, Nancy and Tom (21).

Next Sunday is the fourth Sunday of the month.  That means that I would normally say that we'll go to either Navarro Ridge Road or Caspar Logging Road.   There is a community breakfast at each of those venues on the fourth Sunday.  Closer for most of us and with more trail options, dog friendly and with much easier parking would be Caspar Logging Road, and so,

NEXT SUNDAY, June 23 @ 8:00 A.M.:  CASPAR LOGGING ROAD, see "Our Routes" above.

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Big River Logging Road

I don't know if anybody caught my error last week.  I thought we hadn't been to Big River for over a month and therefore chose it for this week's run/walk.   I had been having computer problems, maybe mental also?, because it had been only two weeks.   I was away in Oregon and, as I said, having a computer death.   Anyway, we had a good turnout this morning and everyone seemed happy.


 It was 51 degrees at Big River and that means mosquitoes!  They seem to come out whenever the temperature gets around or above 50.   It was an overcast and drizzly morning, good for running.
  I want to thank Tonita for bringing guests, Zonia, Shelley and Sandra.  Charlene and Ron brought Caroline and Richard for their second (at least) visit, thank you.  Also present:  Tom T., Bob J., Fran, Dorothy, Cheryl N., Neil, Orah, Steve, Joe, Bob, John, Greg, Ginny, Terry, Geri, Suzanne, Henry, Rick C., Cheryl, Rod, Nancy and Tom (30).

John went salmon fishing this week and caught a nice 21 lb. fish and the buoy picture here.  All of the pictures here are from John and taken near our run/walk today, thanks John!   I'm adding another photo here, after the blog was posted, so I hope it comes out.  A lot of you were looking at this guy in the river just before our run/walk this morning:

It has been 11 weeks since we met at Russian Gulch, so let's try it next week.   Those that want to walk their dogs can do so everywhere except in Fern Canyon.  That leaves plenty of roads and trails.

NEXT SUNDAY, June 16th,  @ 8:00 A.M.:  RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK,  see "Our Routes" above.

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Hare Creek, JSF Rd. 400


This morning, it was 54 degrees and with beautiful blue skies and calm winds, at least at Hare Creek.  The carnival is in town, and high winds at sea make for a quiet harbor.  Thanks, John for the photos.


My feet feel a little tender from stepping on so many rocks while wearing my new minimalist "barefoot" shoes on this very rocky road but all in all, it was a great morning run.  Lots of dogs with us today and I think we all had fun.

Present were:  (not in alphabetical or any kind of order) Randy E, Joel, Bob, Terry, Ginny, John, Ron, Henry, Geri, Chuck, Sabine and Sean (welcome back!), Nancy T., Roger, Rick B., Gay, Mark, Craig, Greg, Shari, Peter, Linda, Tom T., Nancy and Tom (25).

David's Restaurant has become a popular place for Sunday morning groups.  Kira, always with a "can do" attitude, made room for us by combining tables and chairs from all over the place, and we had a very nice post walk/run breakfast.

I returned from our short trip and found my pc dead.  It had lived a long life but I decided it best to buy a new Mac.  It has a 27 inch screen and so I now think that I either need longer arms or new glasses.  Point of this story is that, I lost my RunLog program with the old pc and without being able to scroll back thru the blogs here
while composing a new blog entry, I'm having trouble remembering
where we've met over the past few months.  I think it's been at least
a month since we met at Big River and so,

NEXT SUNDAY, June 9th @ 8:00 A.M.: BIG RIVER LOGGING ROAD, see "Our Routes" above.

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:00 A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.