Marin County, California

A TALE OF THREE HIKES & A VISIT TO THE FAIR

Marin County was established in 1850 as one of the original 27 counties. The origin of the name is disputed: it may have been a corrupted term for marina for it's location in the San Francisco Bay but then again it may have been a number of things. Current population logs in at 247,289 in an area of 520 square miles.

I am in Marin very frequently. My boat resides in the county (a fact the Marin County Tax Collector is all too aware of.)

Part One: The Hikes

In early April I planned three hikes intending to "officially" explore the area. I would hike the Marin hills several times weekly if time allowed so this was no hardship. First on my agenda was a Full Moon Hike to Pt. Bonita Lighthouse. We had signed up for this ranger-led walk well in advance and were anticipating a repeat of a great time we had several years ago. Mother Nature intervened and our plans were squelched by high winds, hail and driving rain. Not ideal conditions to hike out to a light house situated on a ocean side precipice. This was abnormal for the area and the time of year and I was forced to sit at home and dream of my next two hikes.

Second was the infamous 15 mile Double Dipsea. Tom Steinstra writes in California Hiking "...you get a glimpse of both heaven and hell...The annual Dipsea Race has turned this trail into something of a legend." The grueling Mill Valley to Stinson Beach trail is enough for most one way but we lingered to have luch at the Parkside Cafe in Stinson Beach and turned around to slog the trail home. This took most of the day but was great fun. The 1985 Bruce Dern movie "On the Edge" is a lousy film but offers spectacular views of the mountain and race which are worth viewing.

The next day I returned to the Mt. Tamalpais and trekked up to the West Point Inn for their pancake breakfast. They hold these fundraiser breakfasts to maintain the West Point Inn and they're always a good time. One can also stay overnight, something I've never done but hope to do one day. Fueled up on we circled down the trail through the 4,000 seat Cushing Memorial amphitheater, home to the annual Mountain Play and made our way down the slope.

PART TWO: THE FAIR

The Marin County Fair is the epitome of county fairs. You've got your rides, you've got your barnyard exhibits and livestock competitions, you've got your fair food (does cotton candy really count as food?) and flowers. There are bands playing and fireworks exploding overhead. What more can you ask for?

We were there for opening day to see the current version of CCR: Creedence Clearwater Revisited. We lingered in the Wizard's Challenge, where Daniel reveled in the interactive displays. The animal exhibits caught out attention where Daniel tried his hand at goat milking and we all laughed at the pig races (The Ham Bone Express, "swiftest swine off the line") which were just too silly.

Siskiyou County, California

Siskiyou County was established in 1852. The population is a mere 44,301 people and an estimated 2,000 black bears. Yreka, the county seat, is the only city that has a population exceeding 5,000.

I traverse Siskiyou County several times annually on the I-5 corridor. Mt. Shasta dominants the county and recreational opportunities abound. We had spectacular views of the snow capped mountian while on our hike up to Castle Crags in Shasta County.

Most of my trips involve only gas and food stops but I throughly enjoyed the Shasta Sunset dinner Train. We departed McCloud on a very snowy April 1st. I also spent a rather bizarre night in a broken down motel in Happy Camp that has undoubtedly been condemned by now. John & I stayed there after a marathon hike in the Marble Mountains (see picture below) which was one of our more memorable escapades.

My official 2009 visit was a stop for breakfast at the Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta City. There are about 30 Black Bear Diner but the original was in Mt. Shasta City. They lay it on heavy with the bear motif but no actual bears put in an appearance.