The PUDDING CREEK TRESTLE walk attracted a decent number of Fogdodgers this morning in spite of a light drizzle. Hiking were Nancy, Tom, Toni, Joe, Diana, Jeff, Deb, Beth, Bob, Eric, John, Sky, Kim, Doug and Bowie. It was pretty warm for the winter season and the winds were light. Pudding Creek was swollen and muddy as it entered the ocean where large brown breakers attacked the beach. The rain is picking up later in the day.

Afterwards some went to breakfast at Denny's and a couple went to Cucina Verona.

Some photos from John:

Pudding-Creek-outflow

Pudding-Creek-Bridge

Connections

Tattered-Calif.-Flag-haul-road

Wheres-my-other-one

Guest-House-Museum

NEXT SUNDAY, January 28 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, WARD AVENUE (sorry for the confusion about Van Damme vs Russian Gulch). 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.

I decent crowd gathered to walk at RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK. It was too mushy/muddy to take the path out to the point for those who prefer that route, but the main path down the road, under the bridge and east through the (empty, closed for the season) campground was all paved and graveled so it made for easy walking. Hiking were Nancy, Tom, Toni, Joe, Diana, Jeff, Deb, Sam, Beth, both Bobs, Charlene, Shari, Eric, and John. The creek was rushing, but we didn't make it to the waterfall.

Afterwards for breakfast some went to St Anthony's in Mendocino and a couple went to the MacCallum House.

John's photos:

Russian-Gulch--Bay-Bridge

Under-Bridge

Missing-a-tire

Caspar-River-East

Caspar-Bay-River-Run

Bull-Kelp

Puddle-View (this one should be upside down)

And one from Shari (on her way to Hawaii this Wednesday) from days gone by

NEXT SUNDAY, January 21 @ 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.

Well winter is here for sure. It was a pretty cold morning, with some saying they had awakened to sub 40 degrees. But that didn't keep a group of dedicated hikers from showing up at CASPAR LOGGING ROAD. Hiking were Deb, Sam, Nancy, Tom, Eric, Charlene, Fran Sky, John, Joe, and barely making it in time, Shari. The nice cool weather kept us moving briskly.

 And.... Bob was spotted running by Denny's when four of us went out to breakfast there.

John's photos for the day, including some extras from Caspar:

Artist-Perspective

Caspar Turkeys

Caspar-Farm-House (the John Simpson Ross House - coincidentally I am right now modeling this very house in N scale for my model railroad diorama of Caspar early in the 20th century)

Caspar Barn East side Fern Creek

Caspar Fog-Misty-Rain

Caspar Run Sept Barn

Caspar-Water-Tower

Tree-or-Barn

NEXT SUNDAY, January 14 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK. 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.

SOUTH HARBOR It was a beautiful day down in the harbor. We started walking toward the ocean and were greeted with a dock loaded with over a dozen young bull sea lions all barking vigorously. We turned around and walked up river with some of us getting well beyond Dolphin Isle. Lots to see. Hiking were Sky and his son, Damon, Shari, Deb, Sam, Nancy, Tom, Toni, Joe, Beth, Bob, and John. The next time we come here it was suggested that we start further up the hill so as to add a bit of distance to this walk and an uphill climb at the end.

Afterwards, seven of us went to breakfast at the Homestyle Cafe. This time the cafe was relatively uncrowded, so we got our food more quickly than the last time.

John's photos and one from Toni, the fungus photo:

Noyo-Bay-South-Point

Caution-Duck-Crossing

Harbor-Patrol-Giving-free-pass-to-Fog-Dodgers

Lounging-Harbor-Seals

Pretty Fungus

Joe-holding-up-the-Christine

NEXT SUNDAY, January 7 @ 8:00 A.M.: GROUP RUN/WALK/BIKE, CASPAR LOGGING ROAD (JACKSON STATE FOREST ROAD 500). 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 - 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.