MENDOCINO HEADLANDS AND TOWN

I don’t know who is posting for the group today but it was a small gathering. Charlene, Skye, Jeff, Diane, Cindy Jean & myself walking through beautiful Mendocino!

Shari

Thank You Shari for the Fog Dodger Report.  Many were out and about enjoying the Spring Weather

I will enclose a few iconic Mendocino Pictures of town.

John

NEXT SUNDAY, (4/23/2023) @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, (Pudding Creek Foot Bridge-north of Glass Beach at end of road at foot bridge). 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.

POINT CABRILLO LIGHTHOUSE

This Sunday Morning was a brilliant sunny greeting for the Easter Holiday.  Some celebrate with religious ceremony, others hunt for chocolate easter eggs, and some just celebrate the Springtime season.  Gardening, enjoying some dry mornings, blue skies, and warmer temperatures.  The Fog Dodgers celebrated this Easter with a nice casual walk down to Cabrillo Point Lite Station.  The sky was a brilliant blue, the tan, green grasses and daffodils were up, the ocean was like the sky and quite a site to see.  No damage was seen on the Light Station from the past recent storms other than a boarded-up ocean facing door.

                                                Caspar Lite Station with sunrise moon set

                                                       Caspar Bay looking west

 

                                                        Caspar Creek looking east

                                        A favorite Caspar Pond usually with duck, and geese

                                    And of course, the partial deer herd in Caspar

It is nice to see the insects about and early morning daisy's.  It is Springtime Happy Easter

                                                                    Easter baskets

                                                                    small group today
Present today:  Kim, Doug, Charlene, Shari, Peter, Nancy, Tom and John (8).

NEXT SUNDAY, April 16TH @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, MENDOCINO HEADLANDS, starting from the Heeser Drive restrooms.

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

COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE

Middle, meaning the middle access point for our beautiful Coastal Trail.  That's where we started this morning, under blue skies, sunshine and a little chill.  It was a beautiful morning and maybe that is why everyone seemed a little happier!  We have certainly had our share of grey, rainy days.

                                       

                                          The Guest House Museum in Fort Bragg

Thanks to John for all of today's photos.  They're all from the local area or from Highway 20, just east.

                                                 "Busy" Franklin St. in Fort Bragg

It was nice this morning for me, Tom, to see:  Nancy, Kim, Doug, Shari, John, Sky, Cheryl, Scott, Charlene, Jean, and Bob (12).  It's "travel time" for many of our group.  Good weather (?), flowers and the kids are still in school (mostly), so there may be fewer of us on Sundays, but keep on coming, it will always be good.

Town Hall and Courtyard.  Do you remember when the library, sheriff's sub and courthouse were in this building?

          The Little Red School House, used not too long ago.  It's out Hwy. 20, milepost 17.5

Another Hwy. 20 shot.  This barn (milepost 30) once stood on walls but now lays on the ground.  It is almost completely down now.

I'm not sure where this was taken but I'm guessing that it is another creation by John.  He says it is, "Big Copper Fish".

Now the hard part:

I'm trying to figure out where to meet next Sunday.  It's about time to pick some place around Mendocino  but we did Big River last week, Van Damme's Fern Canyon is closed due to trail damage, parking at Russian Gulch is too muddy, it will be Easter, and I tend to avoid town on holidays.  How about, 

 

NEXT SUNDAY, April 9 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, POINT CABRILLO LIGHTHOUSE.   This one is not listed in the "Our Routes" file but I think everyone knows where it is. We'll start from the parking lot on Point Cabrillo Dr., just above the lighthouse.

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

BIG RIVER LOGGING ROAD

Big River Road, where we hiked today, often has a chilly wind or mosquitoes. Today neither were present and a sizable group of Fogdodgers showed up. Present were Charlene, Shari, Barbara, John, Sky, Jeff, Diana, Tom, Nancy, Toni, Joe, Kim, Doug, and Bowie. It was cool, but not windy, and this made for nice walking. A beautiful sunny day. The puddles along the trail had mostly dried up but the road from the highway to the parking area is getting pretty rough again. It must be hard for them to keep the road in decent shape.

After the walk 8 of us went to breakfast at the Good Life. We all sat together at a long table (4 tables placed together I think). By that time a slight wind was picking up in Mendocino, so we appreciated the propane heaters in the tent at the Good Life.

Here are some of the pictures John sent me:

Big-River-Spring

Early-Morning-Sunshine

Dogs-are-Welcoome-Fog-Dodgers (Bowie)

and some houses in Mendocino

Mendocino-Home

45340-Mendocino

44940-Mendocino

10577-Mendocino

And, for good measure, the old church in Caspar

Caspar-Church (not on today's hike)

NEXT SUNDAY, Sunday, April 2 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE,  COASTAL TRAIL - MIDDLE (FIRE STATION). (Maybe some whales will finally show up) 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

In spite of a light rain a decent number of Fog Dodgers showed up to hike the south coastal trail. Present were Nancy, Tom, John, Charlene, Diana, Jeff, Sky, Kim and Doug, along with Bowie, and Joe. Scott and Cheryl joined the group on the way back to the parking lot and we did catch a glimpse of Bob running by us early on in the hike. The drizzle came and went but it was not cold or windy, so, all in all, not a bad day for a morning walk. Toni did not make it so we were not treated to an early morning exclusive tour of the Crows Nest. Maybe some time in the future.

John supplied these photos:

Rhododendrons

Wood-Fire-Morning

Joe-D.-on-Fog-Dodger-Walk

 

Noyo-Bridge-on-Misty-Morning

After the walk five of us ate breakfast together at the Home Style Cafe. We got the round table this time, a treat!

NEXT SUNDAY, March 26 @ 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.

COASTAL TRAIL - NORTH

At Glass Beach it looked like it was going to be pretty wet, but turned out to be just a light sprinkle. Seven of us showed up and hiked south on the coastal trail. In attendance were Nancy, Tom, Deb, Sam, Charlene, Sky and Joe. It was good to get out in spite of all the rain we have been having. No one reported whales, though Toni saw several on a pelagic trip she took last Wednesday.

After returning to the parking lot at Glass Beach six of us added a bit more walking, going a few blocks up to Denny's at the corner for breakfast.

John did not make the hike "due to time and weather" but he did send some pictures to be added to the blog, including a couple of his ceramic sculptures:

 Sidewalk-Surfer-on-the-Downhill

Shadow-Boy

Skunk-Train (back when No 45 was running and the water tower was genuine)

Sunset- 2 Geese-Fort-Bragg

Kite-Girl

Juggling-Clown-on-octagon

NEXT SUNDAY, March 19 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, COASTAL TRAIL - SOUTH (Taco Bell). If Toni makes it she will give us a short tour of the Crow's Nest. Look forward to that especially if you have not been there. Some interesting pinniped skeletons and the double deck tide pool aquarium. 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

DON'T FORGET TO ADVANCE YOUR CLOCKS FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS.

 

Probably because of early morning hail and rain only 7 of us showed up at the Ward avenue parking area: Shari, Charlene, John, Sky, Joe and Toni, with Sarah running. By 8 AM all was clear and there were decent periods of sunshine, so the walk turned out to be beautiful, not windy and an easy walk to the south until we got to the place where Lake Cleone was spilling across the road through a gap in the dune and out across the beach to the sea. Turning around a bit early, we walked a bit through the campground on our way back to the haul road. We got back to the parking lot just as slight sprinkles were commencing. 

Only Toni and Joe went to breakfast at the Laurel Deli.

A couple of photos from John, including a fanciful address sign on Pine Street near the park:

 Happy-Address-Post

Pudding-Creek

 

Rainbow-at-Ward-Ave (the storm was just coming in at the end of the hike)

DON'T FORGET TO ADVANCE YOUR CLOCKS FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. 

 

NEXT SUNDAY, March 12 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, COASTAL TRAIL - NORTH (GLASS BEACH). 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.