COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE - We started out from the dirt parking lot behind the Ft Bragg fire station and headed north along the coast trail. Hikers were Doug, Kim, & Bowie, Nancy, Tom, Diana, Jeff, Sky, John, Charlene, Joe, Ginny, Terry, and two hikers from long ago, Beth Bosc and Bob Deines. The morning was a bit cold, a little wind, but we all warmed up soon.

Five of the hikers plus Toni went out to breakfast at the Homestyle Cafe. Note that service was a bit slow because they had just received some takeout orders that kept the kitchen very busy.

Here are Johns photos for the day:

Horizon-View-Fort-Bragg

Reef-behind-the-Old-Mill

Noyo-Bridge-Christmas-Eve

Noyo-River-Seagull

Verna-Jean

Back-in-the-Redwoods

NEXT SUNDAY, December 31 (New Year's Eve) @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, SOUTH HARBOR. Head east on Highway 20 and turn left on South Harbor Drive (the third left turn, second after the turn into the Boatyard shopping center). Drive down the hill and meet in the large parking lot on the right. We can walk east then north along the Noyo River on Basin Street going as far as Dolphin Isle and/or a bit to the west to Tommy's Marine.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.

It was a rainy, windy morning as we started out on the BIG RIVER ROAD. The rain did mostly let up as we started to walk. In spite of the weather it was good to get out and get some exercise. Hiking were Sky, Eric, Bob, Joe, Nancy, Tom, Diana and Jeff. I thought it interesting to see the shift in automobiles within the Fogdodgers. We had three electric cars, one hybrid and one fuel-efficient car among the six cars of our group if I got this right. Perhaps there's hope for a shift away from fossil fuels.

Here are John's photos for the day, a couple to get us in the holiday spirit:

Christmas-Star

Mendocino-Christmas-Window

Mendocino-Morning

Fog-Dodgers-Motly-Crew

Big-River-Bay-Area

Big-River-Estuary

NEXT SUNDAY, December 24 (Christmas Eve) @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE (FIRE STATION). 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.

MENDOCINO HEADLANDS AND TOWNSHIP

We had a great walk this morning all around Mendocino.  Starting on Heeser Drive and with a temperature of 38, the ocean was very flat and the view seemed endless under bright sunny skies.  We were cold and happy!

                                                                              Doors

Thanks to John for all of today's photos.

                                                                         Bull-Dog

                                                               School Street, Mendocino

                                                        Christmas at the Botanical Gardens

                                          Joe Moura's Lion (next door to the Botanical Gardens)

Present today:  Cindy, Mark, Shari, Charlene, Deb, Sam, John, Kim, Doug, Diana, Jeff, Eric, Bob, Claudette, Nancy and Tom (16).

Presently, there's a slight chance of rain for next Sunday.  I guess that it doesn't really matter what location I choose, we have no indoor venues.  Let's go to Big River!  Big River is probably our most favorite but sometimes we can't go there because of the mosquitoes.  This time of the year that is not a problem.  So,

NEXT SUNDAY, DEC. 17TH @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, BIG RIVER 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.

Well, it's been pretty rainy lately and we got a little bit of it this morning. Through the light rain we hiked north from Pomo Bluffs across the Noyo and up the Coastal Trail. Hiking were Charlene, John, Deb, Sam, Nancy, Tom, Diana, Jeff, Eric and Joe. Sky joined the group on the north side of the Noyo. We did get some pretty wet feet near Noyo River Grill, but otherwise not too bad and the weather was warmer than it's been recently.

 

John's photos for the day:

 Windshield-Wipers

Tods-Point

Pomo-Seagull

Walking-Back-Pomo-Trail

Elk-Barn

NEXT SUNDAY, December 10 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, MENDOCINO HEADLANDS. 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.

Brisk! That was the weather up on the Navaro Ridge. From the Whitesboro Grange Hall parking lot we hiked east along the Navaro Ridge Road into a slight, cold wind, watching out for cars, especially those going east as they were driving into a brilliant sunrise. Hikers we Charlene, Eric, Sky, John, Deb, Sam, Nancy, Tom, and Joe.

Of course the highlight of this route is the Whitesboro Grange's pancake breakfast with the blackberry pancake sauce. Seven of us attended their breakfast, which is normally on the 4th Sunday each month.

John's photos for the week:

Whitesboro-Grange

Navarrio-Barn-Sunrise

Navarro-Barn

Mendocino-Bay

Chapman-Point-Sea

Backyard-Deer

NEXT SUNDAY, December 3 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, POMO BLUFFS - NOYO BAY. 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.

A few hearty souls showed up at Ward Avenue to hike along the coast to the south. It was sunny and slightly chilly, but overall very nice. The surf was raging but the winds were light. The tide seemed high, but would get a couple of feet higher around 2pm. Hiking were Charlene, Sky, Nancy, Tom, John, Eric and Joe.

Three of us went to Denny's for breakfast and used our AARP discounts. Hopefully next Sunday the Whitesboro Grange will be offering their pancake breakfast with the famous blackberry syrup.

A note from Fran: Rick and Nancy Banker's son, Sam, has ordered a headstone and hopes that it will be ready for a dual ceremony at the Caspar Cemetery sometime in December.  Rick and Nancy's ashes will be interred together.  Sam Banker will keep Fran posted.

John has some nice photos for the season:

Two-Turkeys

Navarro-Turkey-in-the-straw

Ward-Ave-Deer

Mackerricher-Sunrise

Ho-Ho-Ho

Joe-Taking-Roll

NEXT SUNDAY, November 26 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, NAVARRO RIDGE ROAD. The hope is that the Whitesboro Grange will be serving their pancake breakfast. 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.

PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE (HAUL ROAD)

This Sunday we walked from the south end of the Pudding Creek Trestle up the haul road well beyond Virgin Creek. It was a brisk morning with very heavy surf. Hiking were Barbara, John, Diana, Jeff, Nancy, Tom, Deb, Sam, Toni, Joe, Eric, Shari, Charlene, Fran, Sky, Bob, and Ginny and Terry, who have not hiked with us since 2018. One could definitely feel the change of season.

Afterwards several went to breakfast at Denny's.

John got some nice photos including one of a great blue heron hunting near the bluff:
Blue-Heron-Nov-12

Pudding-Creek-Nov-12

Virgin-Creek-Nov-12-1 of 2

Virgin-Creek-Nov-12-2 of 2

Nov.-12-23-Amanita

Life-Dependency

NEXT SUNDAY, November 19 @ 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.

BIG RIVER ROAD (a.k.a. THE RON JAHELKA TRAIL)

 It's a good time of year to hike Big River: no mosquitos; nice and cool, but we were spared the icy winds; and the road is in pretty good shape. This time we had a new hiker, Mark Alexander, who was trying out Fogdodgers. Besides Mark, there were Deb, Sam, Bob, Charlene, Shari, Nancy, Tom, John, Sky, Joe and Kim, with a very confused Bowie, looking for his other master. There has been a lot of work at the old quarry on the north side of the road. On returning from the hike we were greeted by Sam with libations: samples of his home pressed cider. Quite a treat!

Afterwards eight of us went to the Good Life Cafe where a couple of us tried one of the specials, huckleberry pancakes.

John's photos for the day:

Sams-Open-Bar-Apple-Juice

Big-River-Road-Patterns

Big-River-Looking-west

Fog-Dodgers-Head-of-the-pack

Patterns-on-a-stone

Big-River-Nov.-Morning

Blue-Greens

NEXT SUNDAY, November 12 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE (HAUL 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.

COASTAL TRAIL-SOUTH

It was a beautiful day on the coastal trail if a bit chilly and a little windy. We started at the south end and hiked north up past the Crow's Nest. Present were Nancy, Tom, Diana, Jeff, Cindy, Eric, John, Fran, Jean, Kim, Doug, Bowie, Sky, Toni and Joe. Cheryl and Scott came by a little later as well.

Afterwards seven of us went to breakfast at the Laurel Deli.

Here are John's photos for the week:

Halloween-Moon

Morning-Moon-Set-Noyo

Noyo-Out-to-Sea

Noyo-Bridge

NEXT SUNDAY, November 5 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, BIG RIVER ROAD (a.k.a. THE RON JAHELKA TRAIL). 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.