PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE

It was a really nice morning, sunny and calm, a little hazy, I guess that's because the ocean was all kind of bumpy.  Lots of fishing boats, all kind of clustered, as if a salmon bite is on.

                                                    Pathway at Pudding Creek

Thanks to John for the photos today, all except for the trestle photo below, thanks to Ron for it.

                                                         Pudding Creek Trestle

Our friends from Chico, Greg and Keith, were here today.  Also present: Toni, Joe, Diana, Jeff, Shari, Pat, Leon, Charlene, Bob, Nancy and Tom (13).

                                        Hummingbird on a sunflower, J. Loomis photo

                                                             Red-winged blackbird

                                                 Great blue heron, Pudding Creek

Town has been very busy lately, much more so than pre-pandemic.  I guess everyone is enjoying travel again, and also getting away from the heat inland.  There's another good minus tide next Sunday, so I think we'll meet at Ward Avenue.  There won't be quite so many people there and if you want to walk on the beach, there will be a lot of it.  

This past week, the mosquitoes of Big River came out with a vengeance, so Big River is out for awhile.

SUNDAY, JULY 25TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, WARD AVENUE, ( You can always click on "Our Routes" at the top of the page to find out more about our venue and where to park.)

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

COASTAL TRAIL - SOUTH

It was pretty foggy this morning, yet we had a good turnout and a good time.  It was really nice, in that we had 3, maybe 4, new people join us.  Thanks for coming, Diana, Jeff, Linda, and I think someone said that Linda's husband was present, but I'm not sure on that one.   Nice thing about these people, they are all locals and said they would come back!

John's picture above depicts what type of morning it was.  Thanks, John, for all of today's photos.

Three miles inland, no more fog, just blue skies.  I think we were lucky to have the fog, at least when you here about the record heat inland.

                                                           Dahlias in full bloom

Also present today: Gay, Mark, Jean, Fran, Pat, Leon,Kim, Doug, John, Susan, Bruce, Deb, Sam, Nancy and Tom (18).

                                                           Hairy Woodpecker, male

                                                       Dragon lillies at John's house

This morning, Gravel Pit Road was mentioned a couple of times and by different persons.  We haven't been to that location for a very long time.  I would like to return but when last there, the road was covered with fairly large loose rock and then, of course, there is the hill.  If someone has been there recently, I'd like to know what conditions are like now.

Next week, we'll meet at the Pudding Creek Trestle.  It's always a safe place to meet, since it works for running, walking or biking, and dogs are allowed.  Hope to see you there.

SUNDAY, JULY 18TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE, ( You can always click on "Our Routes" at the top of the page to find out more about our venue and where to park.)

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

CASPAR LOGGING ROAD

Happy Independence Day to all!  Thanks to John for all of today's photos!

Fourth of July Floral

We met on Caspar Logging Road this morning.  As I expected, we weren't exactly free to choose our course.  There were several Security Cars there to block timber harvest protesters from going into the controversial timber harvest area.

                                           Canada Geese on the Caspar Duck Pond

We were told that we couldn't use the main roads but could use the bicycle/hiking single tracks.  I'm not sure what the logic is in that, maybe to keep us from carrying in tree stands or chain saws??

                                       Great Blue Heron on the Caspar Duck Pond

Fran's son, Steve, rejoined us again, thanks Fran.  Also present: Jean, Toni, Joe, Bob, John, Pat, Leon, Nancy and Tom (11).

This morning's weather was perfect, 53, calm and overcast.  Next week, we will use the Coastal Trail, starting west of Taco Bell.  Long range weather forecasts are not perfect but right now, it calls for next Sunday to be very nice.  I hope to see you then.

SUNDAY, JULY 11TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, COASTAL TRAIL - SOUTH (Taco Bell).  You can always click on "Our Routes" at the top of the page to find out more about our venue and where to park.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and on Big River Logging Road on Thursdays.

WARD AVENUE

                                          Low tide at Ward Avenue, J. Loomis photo

This photo from John was taken on an earlier date but the tide was just as low today, maybe even lower!  A few Fog Dodgers took advantage of the tide and ran or walked the beach.

                                       Ward Avenue Sand Dollar, J. Loomis photo

I know that Bob found a few intact sand dollars during his run.  Most sand dollars seem to get broken by the time they are washed ashore.  They are pretty fragile and the surf or the seagulls seem to take their toll.  

                                 Ward Avenue Turkey Vulture, J. Loomis photo

Present today:  Jean, Kim, Doug, Shari, Toni, Joe, Susan, Bruce, Bob, Deb, Sam, Nancy and Tom (13).  I think it was 54 degrees, overcast and calm.  We can be thankful for our coastal stratus (overcast) clouds, as the rest of the west coast is contending with 100+ degree weather.

                                            Lake Cleone, J. Loomis photo

                                                     Water Woes, J. Loomis

               It seems that everyone is concerned about the drought.

Next Sunday is the 4th of July.  I'd like to avoid the large number of people that will be on the coast.  So, I'm picking Caspar Logging Road for our run/walk/bike.  Lately, there have been logging protests and road and trail closures in the Caspar area, so we may have to improvise and get creative.  Maybe we will walk and run back west to the Duck Pond, or check out Fern Drive and Orchard Roads, I just don't know???  I look forward to seeing you.

SUNDAY, JULY 4TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, CASPAR LOGGING ROAD (see paragraph above).  You can always click on "Our Routes" at the top of the page to find out more about our venue and where to park.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and on Big River Logging Road on Thursdays.

POINT CABRILLO LIGHTHOUSE

For a change, this morning we started at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.  We had not been there for a very long time.  Several that I spoke with liked the venue.  For runners, it's a hard run, with a lot of uphill.

John and Bruce have submitted photos today, thank you both!  But before I post their photos, I want to put up an oldie from 2007, and to say happy anniversary to Bob, first joining in with our Fog Dodgers 6/19/2005, sixteen years!

                                         Fog Dodgers on Easter morning, 2007

                                        Caspar Duck Pond and Logging Road

It was about 52 degrees and foggy when we started.  No wind, so it was good for us.  Present today: Pat, Charlene, Barbara, Jean, Bob, Deb, Sam, Kim, Doug, Susan, Bruce, John, Joe, Nancy and Tom (15).

      

      Lighthouse Road, B. Piercy photos                                        Pt. Cabrillo Light, J. Loomis

I'm not skilled enough to overcome "Blogger" when arranging photos.  Blogger has a mind of it's own, so these photos just show up wherever.  Thanks again, to Bruce and John for sending them in.

                                                           

                                                                          Caspar Creek, J. Loomis photo

   

                                                                                  Turkey Vulture, J. Loomis

Next Sunday, there's going to be another real good minus tide (-1.6 at 8:05), so we will meet at Ward Avenue.  If you'd like to walk on the beach, this would be the time to do it!

                                                Caspar Deer, J. Loomis photo

SUNDAY, JUNE 27TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN, WALK AND BIKE, WARD AVENUE.   You can always click on "Our Routes" at the top of the page to find out more about our venue and where to park.

EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, GROUP RUN/WALK @ 7:30 A.M.:  Beginning behind the Fort Bragg Fire Station on Tuesdays and on Big River Logging Road on Thursdays.

COASTAL TRAIL - NORTH

Coming up on 23 years of Fog Dodger Sundays soon.  In all that time, we've only had one other start that was as warm as this morning's 61 degrees.  It was too warm for Bob and Nancy, being the only runners, but for the rest of us, it was a beautiful morning!

I don't know how early John arrived but evidently the traffic was light.  His picture above is in sharp contrast to the number of cars at our starting point.  I have never seen the Glass Beach parking lot as full as this morning, though most of the people arrived after our 8:00 start.

                                         Pudding Creek Trestle, J. Loomis photo

Present today:  Cheryl and Scott (coincidentally, but I'm counting them anyway), Fran, Charlene, Jean, Toni, Joe, Kim, Doug, Gay, Mark, Pat, Deb, Sam, Bob, John, Nancy and Tom (18).

                              Great Blue Heron at Pudding Creek, J. Loomis photo

                Yellow garage door, from earlier times when we had carriage houses.

     Foxglove, J. Loomis photo

The three photos above are from a Fort Bragg alley.  It shows how John's eye can catch the beauty or something interesting almost everywhere he goes!

Next week, we'll meet at the parking lot for the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.  We've only been to this location twice before.  I think that at 8:00 in the morning, we will have the place pretty much to ourselves.  It's a gentle downhill walk or run all the way to the ocean and then, you just go back to where you started.  The coves on each side of the lighthouse are beautiful.

SUNDAY, JUNE 20TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, POINT CABRILLO LIGHTHOUSE.  We don't have a map for this one in our blog but it's easy to find.  We'll start from the Parking Lot just above the lighthouse, on Point Cabrillo Dr., between Caspar Beach and Russian Gulch State Park

JACKSON STATE FOREST ROAD 450

Today, we walked and ran on Road 450, Jackson State Forest.  I had said last week, that this road could be really muddy or sandy.  Today, it was pretty nice, a little sandy in spots but not bad at all.  In another month or two, I think it will be too sandy.  Everyone seemed to like it though, so we'll try not to stay away for so long.  It will need just a little bit of rain to firm up the sand before we go back.  It is very, very windy today, and Rd. 450 was a good place to be!

                                  

An old water wheel, I think used by the city of Fort Bragg.  It is in a gulch near us today.  Thanks to John for today's photos.  This water wheel is near his place.  

                          I think the artichoke, peas and plums are all from John's back yard.

                                    Red wing blackbird, Simpson Lane, J. Loomis photo

Present today:  Susan, Bruce, Kim, Doug, Shari, Fran, Jean, Pat, Toni, Joe, Bob, Nancy and Tom (13)

For next Sunday, I was going to pick the Point Cabrillo Lighhouse.  We haven't been out there for a very long time.  But, there's a little rain in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, so the grass around there could be kind of boggy, it gets that way.  So, let's meet at the Glass Beach  parking lot.  Hope to see you there!

SUNDAY, JUNE 13TH @ 8:OO A.M., GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE,  COASTAL TRAIL - NORTH.   You can always click on "Our Routes" at the top of the page to find out more about our venue and where to park.