WARD AVENUE

         
We ran, walked and biked today at Ward Avenue.  It was foggy and damp at the beginning but sunny and nice when we finished.  The ocean was all stirred up and very pretty and it seemed that there were more Coastal Trail visitors today than there has been for quite some time.  It's pretty hot inland, so I'm sure everyone was enjoying the fog.





Thanks to John, again, for today's photos.  I like the way goats are always getting up on top of things.  The egret photo was taken at Pudding Creek and the sun flowers, near John's home.

Present today:   Neil, Nancy T., Shari, Joe, Charlene, Ron, Scott, Fran, Bob, John, Deb, Sam, Pat, Leon, Susan and Bruce (they were early and I'm counting them!), Nancy and Tom (18).

Next weekend is Labor Day, so we'll go into the forest and away from the crowds.

NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th @ 8:00 A.M.:  GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, CASPAR LOGGING ROAD.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:00 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and near Harvest at Mendocino on Thursdays.

COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE

It was very foggy this morning along the coast.  John's photo to the right shows just how.  But inland just a mile, it was sunny.  All very normal for a summer day.  We were fortunate to have so many almost perfect days lately, while so much of the country is having much worse.





John photographed this PG&E helicopter over his house.  It was over our's also, and probably your's. It came in so close to our lot, I thought it was looking for a place to land, very exciting!

Present today: Scott (but we missed him at the start), Shari, Marie Teresa, Pat, Leon, Neil, Toni, Joe, Charlene, Ron, John, Deb, Sam, Nancy and Tom (15).







John labeled these two photos, Garden Delights and Backlit Floral.  He grows many fruits and vegetables at his place.














I think that next week we will go to Ward Avenue again.  It makes for a good run, walk or bike ride. But the following Sunday will be the Labor Day Weekend and we will go to the Caspar Logging Road, to stay away from the crowds.









NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 30th @ 8:00 A.M.:  GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, WARD AVENUE.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:00 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and near Harvest at Mendocino on Thursdays.

RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK

For only the second time this year, we ran, walked and biked at Russian Gulch. The last time we were there was March 22, five whole months ago!  We had kind of stopped going there because of a muddy, overgrown Fern Canyon Trail.  Well, don't ask me how I know this, but if you ventured into Fern Canyon today, beyond the plastic barricade at the end of the campground, there is trail renovation work going on to make it ADA accessible and it is fantastic!  When the work is finished, we will be returning to Russian Gulch often.

Thank you, John, for all of today's photos.

Great Blue Heron

                                          

California Sea Lions, probably at Caspar South

Caspar Bay

If anyone has checked out the new trail at Ten Mile River (The Old Smith Ranch Trail) I would like to know if it would be suitable for the Fog Dodgers.  I think it's just a couple of miles long but I haven't tried it out. https://www.mendocinolandtrust.org/trails/northern-coastal-trails/ten-mile-estuary/                                                                             

White Butterfly (Cabbage moth?) on broccoli

Present today:  Marie Teresa, Pat, Leon, Fran, Charlene, Ron, Joe, Gay, Mark, Sam, John, Bob, Nancy and Tom (14).

fishing in Caspar Bay

NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 23RD @ 8:00 A.M.:  GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE, that's the entry behind the Fire Station.  Hope to see you there!  I think that the next week (8/30), we will go back to Ward Ave.  It's been quite awhile since we started there.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:00 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and near Harvest at Mendocino on Thursdays.

COASTAL TRAIL - SOUTH

It was a little foggy right along the shoreline this morning, but warm enough, about 52 degrees, that it all felt good for whatever you wanted to do.  Some chose running, some walked and some biked.  By the time we finished at 9:00, it was sunshine and time to eat!


                                   
John once again, was out early and took some interesting and pretty pictures.  Thanks John.

First photo:  Commercial Salmon troller, docked on the Noyo River.












Near the docked boat were a couple of deer.  I think they like the salt.


Present today:  Thanks Pat and Leon, for bringing Marie Teresa for her second visit, Cindy, Fran, Shari, Peter, Toni, Joe, Charlene, Ron, Neil, Bob, John, Cheryl, Scott, Nancy and Tom (18).









Harbor Seal, sunlight reflecting on the river






Below, is a Dahlia with guest from John's garden.


               





To the right:
California Sister, (I didn't know that) we seem to have a lot of these around here right now.


We are still limited in venues due to mosquitoes, trail erosion, poison oak and parking.  So, what we're going to do next week, is return to Russian Gulch.  We haven't been there for a long time due to several of the above factors.  But, I think by not necessarily running and walking up Fern Canyon, but instead going down the hill and to the beach or around the campground, if you're a runner or walker.  Walkers and bike riders can get enough distance and exercise by
going west to the picnic area or by using all the adjacent roads (P.C. Drive, Fern, Cypress, etc.).
It will work and it will be fun!  Hope to see you. 




NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 16th @ 8:00 A.M.:  GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK, (if you've forgotten about that, check out "Our Routes" at the top of the page.)

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:00 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and near Harvest at Mendocino on Thursdays.

COASTAL TRAIL - LAKE CLEONE

We met and started this morning's run/walk/ bike from the parking lot at Lake Cleone, MacKerricher State Park.  Town is very busy this weekend and by starting at 8 and from this location, we at least avoided a lot of people.   It seems busier in town than it should and I wonder if people aren't trying to get in a last trip to the coast before everything gets shut down again due to Coronavirus??  Maybe they're just here because of our great weather.


Fran suggested today's location and I think it was good.  I was biking and we went south towards Noyo.  I think the walkers probably checked out Laguna Point.  The runners all went towards town.  It had been a long time since we started from this location and we'll use it more, since it seems to work well.







The weather was perfect, very little wind and it must have been around 55 degrees.  When I'm in my truck, I have no outside air temp sensor.

Thanks to John again, for all of today's photos.

Lake (?) Cleone, J. Loomis

Present today:  Fran, Pat, Leon, Gay, Mark, Shari, Charlene, Ron, Joe, John, Deb, Sam, Scott, Nancy and Tom (15).













Next week, we will start on the south end of the Coastal Trail, or almost so.  The end of the trail just west of Taco Bell.  I hope the weather is as nice as it was today.

Fishing in the mist, J. Loomis

NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 9th @ 8:00 A.M.:  GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, COASTAL TRAIL - SOUTH (Taco Bell).

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:00 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and near Harvest at Mendocion on Thursdays.