Ron Jahelka Trail (Big River)

Thank you, John, for this morning's pic! It was a beautiful morning. A bit cold, 38, at the start, with the normal morning down canyon breeze, but just a little ways up the road and everything was perfect. A nice, large, happy group of people this morning including: guests of Nancy and Rick B., Martin and Ronna; Larry T., Johnny, Rod, actually 2 Rods, Geri, Cindy, Jim, Gay, Mark, Toni, Jan, Marc, Bob, John, Charlene, Ron, Nancy T., Roger, Kathy, Steve, Nancy and Tom (26), and I hope I got everyone.

You may remember the movie, Groundhog Day? Well, this next Thursday is Groundhog Day, and so in keeping with the theme of that movie, we will do the same walk and run next Sunday. We always seem to get a nice turnout at Big River anyway and this way, I don't have to make any decision as to where to meet. Good luck to Johnny, running the Trinidad to Clam Beach Race and to Ron, running a race in beautiful, warm Hawaii!

Johnny and Brad had guests visiting this weekend and by the time we had breakfast at David's, there were 20 Fog Dodger related patrons. It was a very nice breakfast, Kira.

NEXT SUNDAY, FEB 5TH @ 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.

NAVARRO RIDGE ROAD

Thanks, John L., for the photo. It "captures" the morning and Navarro Ridge.

I finally get to say, it wasn't a perfect morning for running and walking today. It's been awhile now, one perfect day after another. Today, it was raining, 42 degrees and a little windy. Going out, the wind and rain were right in your face but coming back was really quite nice.

Present today were: Charlene, Ron, Laurie, Tanya, John, Nancy and Tom (7). Five stayed for breakfast at the Whitesboro Grange. Hopefully, Brent was able to join them.

There are showers predicted for most of the next week or we'd go to Van Damme again. Instead,

NEXT SUNDAY, DATE @ 8:00 A.M.: BIG RIVER LOGGING ROAD (RON JAHELKA TRAIL), along Big River.

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. The mornings are getting lighter, no more 7:15 starts.

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

Russian Gulch 1/15/12

I received these photos from Roger after posting the blog earlier. They're too good to not get into the blog. I think you'll agree. Remember, you can click on any photo and get a much larger, yet still beautiful image.

Russian Gulch State Park

This morning, we ran and walked in Russian Gulch State Park. For those of us that followed the creek, it was a very muddy trek. For everyone, it was a beautiful, dry, brisk 37 degree morning. We had a nice turnout and I'm not sure I saw everyone before we took off. I think that we had: Fran, Dorothy, Megan, Rick, Tanya, Laurie, John, Rod, Geri, Cindy, .Jim, Cheryl (?), Neil, Gay, Mark, Nancy T., Roger, Nancy B., Rick, Toni, Randy, Nancy and Tom (23)

Photos: Compliments of J. Loomis

NEXT SUNDAY, 1/22/12 @ 8:00 A.M.: NAVARRO RIDGE ROAD, See "Our Routes" above.

THIS TUESDAY @ 7:15 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

NEXT THURSDAY @ 7:15 A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.

The Ron Jahelka Trail

Photos by J. Loomis

There's something called "equivalent temperature" or something like that. It has to do with the ambient temperature and how it feels due to wind chill. All I can say, is that at 37 degrees, with a little breeze blowing this morning, there was no holding the Fog Dodgers back from jumping the gun! I was trying to explain to our guests, Heather and Ryan that we have only one rule, that is, "To be punctual". Well, anyway, we were very close, just a few seconds early. I hope that wasn't the reason that our other new guests, Megan and Rick S., missed our start by just a bit. Besides those four, present were: Elaine, Laurie, Johnny, Bob, John, Orah, Steve, Nancy B., Rick, Toni, Gay, Mark, Geri, Nancy and Tom (19). After getting a half mile or so up the river, it was actually a very nice morning for a walk or run. Big River was, as usual, beautiful.

The Fog Dodgers started out as a running group. It was nice today to see an almost equal numbers of runners and walkers.

NEXT SUNDAY, 1/15/12 @ 8:00 A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, see "Our Routes" above.

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:15A.M.: RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:15A.M.: VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.

New Year's Day at Van Damme

A great start to the new year! We had a perfect coastal winter morning today. It was 41 degrees with bright blue skies and only that little breeze that always comes out of the canyons as the day begins to warm. Present were: Elaine, Geri, Charlene, Ron (Happy Birthday!!!), Bob, John, Tanya, Randy F., Nancy and Tom (10).

Fern Canyon was pretty. Only the berries, black and thimble, have leaves remaining and they are yellow and contrast a lot with the ferns and evergreens.

If you want an e-mail that says where we were and where we are going to be, join the Fog Dodgers Yahoo Group by sending me an email requesting an invite. Membership has to be by invite in order to keep spammers from posting messages or getting in to the group.

Photo by J. Loomis

NEXT SUNDAY, 1/8/12 @ 8:00 A.M.: Ron Jahelka Trail, aka Big River Logging Road, see "Our Routes" above.

EVERY TUESDAY @ 7:15 A.M. (thru 1/17): RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, beginning on Point Cabrillo Drive, 1/10 of a mile north of its south end.

EVERY THURSDAY @ 7:15 A.M. (thru 1/19): VAN DAMME STATE PARK, beginning at the beach.