BIG RIVER

It's feeling like spring. Our hike at BIG RIVER yesterday drew a large group. Hiking were Eric, John, Sky, Diana, Jeff, Jean, Nancy, Tom, Toni, Joe, Charlene, Bob, Kim, Doug, Mark, Barbara, Beth, and Bob (18). There was a sense of the rain, which came that evening, but overall a nice relatively warm day with minimal wind, which can often be an issue at BIG RIVER.

John's photos:

Big-River-Estuary-marsh

Big-River-Horses

Big-River-Horses-3

Big-River-View-East

Big-River-Morning

Big-river-West

Big-River-another-view

Big-River-Fog-and-Trees

Bottom-Vase

NEXT SUNDAY, April 13 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, CASPAR LOGGING ROAD. You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.

POMO BLUFFS PARK

We were fortunate this morning, I guess.  Earlier weather forecasts called for 60% chance of rain, along with gale force winds.  The rain pretty much passed through during the night and all we were left with was the gale force winds.  In actuality, the wind was "only" gusting around 25 mph.  It was kind of funny, that as we were standing in the parking lot before the walk, we could not stand still, as the wind was pushing us around.

John has sent in some photos taken today.  In the first one, you can see by the way we were dressed, what kind of day it was.

                              Jeff, playing the role of Napoleon for the day.  It was very windy.

  The wind flattened out the ocean here in Noyo Bay.  Look closely and on the far point is Johnson Rock.

Because of the wind, we chose to not try walking across the Noyo Bridge.  Jeff suggested going the opposite direction and checking out Hare Creek Beach.  It was a good choice, nice trail, clean beach and more water in Hare Creek than you'd usually find.  Jeff did a good job of "cracking" a large Bull Kelp, just as good cowboy would.  John gave me a photo of the creek and beach but I can't get it to load here.

Present today: Charlene, Diana, Jeff, Mark, Eric, John, Beth, Bob, Nancy and Tom (10).  Following the walk, five of us enjoyed breakfast at Homestyle Cafe.

I don't know what it is but I can't get about five photos from John and one from Diana to load onto the blog.  I guess it's some kind of Apple vs. Android feud or something.  I asked John to help me out, so maybe I can edit them in later.  For now though I'm quitting!

Okay, John has resolved the photo issue.  Thanks John for the photos and your help.  Above is Hare Creek as it flows across the beach.

From Hare Creek looking North at the Todd's Point area.  I watched the guy spend several years building this large home.  Sadly, he died just prior to it's completion.

                                                                      Resting Man

                                                                       Splayed trees

NEXT SUNDAY, April 6th @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, (by request), BIG RIVER, You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.

WARD AVENUE

Maybe because of better weather or maybe because of a more preferred location, but a decent crowd showed up at WARD AVENUE today for our fogdodgers hike. Hiking were Nancy, Tom, Toni, Joe, John, Eric, Diana, Jeff, Charlene, Kim, Bowie, Sky, Shari, Fran, and Jean (14).

Afterwards a few went to the Caspar Community Center for breakfast while five others went to Denny's.

Below are pictures from John.  I think I've got them in reverse order and without titles, left to you for interpretation.  They were all taken on this date and I believe all are at or near our walk today.  You can click on photos to enlarge.  John takes great photos. 

NEXT SUNDAY, March 30 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, POMO BLUFFS. You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.

WARD AVENUE

A few hearty souls met this morning at PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE.There was light but pretty steady rain and significant wind mostly from the South but we did our duty and walked up and down the haul road. It was suggested that I list all who did NOT attend, but let me just say that those hiking were John, Eric, Sky, Nancy, Tom, and Joe (6).

 Four of us then ate at Denny's, which was relatively empty.

John took some pictures:

A-rainy-sunday-morning

The-few-brave-Fog-dodgers

Pudding-creek-outflow

Pudding-Creek-Trestle

Ebb-and-Flow

NEXT SUNDAY, March 21 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, WARD AVENUE. You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.

RUSSIAN GULCH

Several Fogdodgers are away from the area but a decent number showed up for our hike last Sunday at RUSSIAN GULCH. The campground is closed but we all appreciated the work that has been done on the trail that was once full of mud and water. Hiking were John, Eric, Joe, Jean, Fran, Shari, Mark, Charlene, Sky, Zelda, Beth, and Bob. On the way back we saw an osprey starting a nest in a tall dead tree.

Seven of us went to breakfast at Saint Anthony's, or "breakfast at Tony's" as some would say. This time the wait for french toast was decent.

John had provided lots of photos:

Russian-Gulch-Spring-Alders

Russian-Gulch-Trail-along-the-creek

Early-Morning-Caspar-Bay

Spring Bloom

Caspar-Point

Spring-Flower

NEXT SUNDAY, March 16 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE. You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.

BIG RIVER

REMEMBER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD SATURDAY NIGHT SO YOU DON'T SHOW UP AN HOUR LATE,

 It looked like bad weather today for our walk at BIG RIVER but actually the wind was very light along the road and there was no drizzle. Later, just after breakfast, we got some drizzle and a short period of rain, so I guess we really lucked out. Hiking were Frank, John, Joe, Fran, Jean, Eric, Shari, Kelly, Charlene, Bob, and Sky.

Then most of us went to the fundraiser breakfast at the Presbyterian Church where we were joined by Beth, Bob, and Peter.

Here are John's photos for the day:

Big-River-Alders

Big-River-Blustery-Day

Big-River-Little-Water-Fall

Big-River-View-East

Big-River-seagull

Big-River-Sparrow

Pancake-Mix

Pancake-Server

NEXT SUNDAY, March 9 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, RUSSIAN GULCH. You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.

NAVARRO RIDGE

Given a light drizzle a goodly number of fogdodgers congregated at NAVARRO RIDGE today. At the start of the walk it was pretty dry but by the time we got back to the grange it was sprinkling. Hiking were Diana, Jeff, John, Beth, Bob, Nancy, Tom, Joe, Fran, Jean, Eric, and Shari (12).

Afterwards ten of us enjoyed the blackberry topping on our pancakes at breakfast at the grange.

Jean asked me to add this info about a benefit pancake breakfast she is proposing we attend next Sunday:

"The free pancake breakfast is being provided by the Ordinary Radicals, the youth group from Mendocino Presbyterian Church. They are looking to fund their mission trip to Puerto Rico in the spring. While this is a free breakfast I strongly encourage donating generously to the group. I remember enjoying last year’s blueberry pancake breakfast and I assume it will be the same this year."

John's photos:

Navarro-Chimney-Sweep

Navarro-Barn

Navarro-Mom-and-calf

Belted-Galloway

View-of-Big-River

Caspar-Pond-Feb

NEXT SUNDAY, March 2 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, BIG RIVER as requested by Jean. Jean is proposing that those who want to go to breakfast come the the Presbyterian church in Mendocino. They are having a pancake breakfast raising support for a youth trip to Puerto Rico. You can click on the "Our Routes" tab at the top to get directions, if needed.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.: COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station.