MT. TAMALPAIS - JUNE 13, 2009

Today’s adventure was Mt. Tamalpais. This was the hike that got me hooked several years ago and is still my favorite hike. There are several trails which allows you to “create your own hike” each time you go. Today we began at Muir Woods, which has a mile long ADA compliant Board Walk. This is a popular place for tourists to come to see the California Redwoods. The park charges a fee of $5 per person to enter at the Board Walk. Since this is one of God’s most beautiful creations, it is well worth the price. If that isn’t enough to get you to fork out the $5, there are clean restrooms you can use before you begin your journey. For those of you that still don’t want to pay the $5, there are several other places you can begin your hike without having to pay anything.










Before we go any further, I should warn you that there are some very disturbing photos that may offend your sense of fashion. I would like to take this opportunity to explain why someone would go out in public dressed like you see me today. When hiking, it should be all about comfort and safety, not fashion. Proper hiking attire is important and is not cheap. Shoes with good support are a must. The shoes I am wearing are like walking on a cloud. These shoes retail for $120, however, if you are willing to purchase them in baby poop green, the price drops to $30. Bugs flying in your face as you walk is very annoying. To remedy this without spraying your face with bug spray, you can purchase hats treated with insect repellant. These hats can get pricey, unless of course, you are willing to wear the lovely green hat you see me in, which was only $14. The sun is brutal out there and it is important to be protected from the sun’s evil rays. To avoid sunburn without constantly re-applying sunscreen, you can wear shirts and pants that have built in sunscreen and as a bonus are treated with insect repellant. Once again, these can get very expensive. However, if you keep your eyes open these items can be purchased for next to nothing. The shirt I am wearing was reduced from $75 to $15 and the pants from $90 to 30. At those prices does it really matter if they are in your size or if they match? Ok to recap: shoes $30, hat $14, shirt $15, pants $30, the day hiking in comfort priceless. Bottom line, I haven't lost my sense of fashion, I am just cheap.















The unfamiliar face you see with Polly is Cindy, our guest hiker today. She was invited on a seven mile hike which turned into a twelve mile hike. This change of plans didn't seem to phase her at all. We did hear her whine once when she saw the hill we were about to climb. The ability to whine at the appropriate time is very important in order to fully enjoy a hike. Cindy proved that she knew exactly when to whine and therefore has been granted an open invitation to go hiking with us anytime.





All avid hikers know the importance of a good stick. All eleven year old hikers believe if one stick is good, three are better.










Our quest for the perfect lunch spot was a huge success today.










Does anyone know what to do if a snake is spotted but disappears into the bushes before you were able to determine if it was poisonous? Why, you try poking at it of course. If you are lucky and make it mad enough, it will fight back and show itself which will give you the opportunity to properly identify it. Please do not try this unless you are a trained expert like we imagine ourselves to be.











I believe that smile on Polly's face means she senses Bart is get ready to give our guest his lecture on finding your direction by reading the sun. If I am reading Polly correctly, she is about to ditch CIndy without a word of warning.













Do I know my sister or what?














That's right Cindy have a seat. This could take a while.















I believe someone was trying to impress that pretty girl.















Mt. Tamalpias offers everything needed for the perfect hike.

You have the ocean view.




















The man made obstacle course.






















natures obstacle course.
















and a place to take a break from adults.















You never know what you might see.

Somebody needs to tell him he is not taking that bear home.













.




There really isn't much left to say. It is impossible to stand in the middle of these woods and not say it was the best day ever.








































Can you identify these two people? Two among us took a tumble today. Since our hiking rules state if there is no proof such as a picture of the incident, the fall doesn’t count. However, I believe if you look closely enough, you can see the dirt on their pants where they hit the ground. Since this is circumstantial and not proof positive, I am not allowed to disclose the names of these two individuals.