Mt. Tamalpais, California

One request I had for Carolee was that we hike around Muir Woods while we were visiting. After looking at some of the trail options, we decided to go to Mt. Tamalpais, which surrounds Muir Woods. We had originally planned to enter Muir Woods from the north, but after looking at the elevation changes, decided against it. We really didn't feel like doing a super extreme uphill hike on the way back.

We chose one of the suggested 2 hour hikes that were posted at the Pantoll Ranger Station, starting with the TCC Trail and cutting to the Alpine Trail via Bootjack. I have no words to describe how amazing it was. Photos can not do this area justice. The trail we chose varied nicely in plant life and terrain, giving us a lovely sampling of what the area offered. We even passed over a babbling teeny waterfall that fed into a creek. (Donovan took video of it.)

We spent way more than the estimated two hours in the hike because we were looking at everything in amazement. We made friends with banana slugs, wondered at the moss, and stood in silence as we watched birds jumping from tree to tree in search of food.

If you are ever in this area, I highly recommend talking a hike through Mt. Tamalpais. They have short 1.5 hour walks as well as longer 4 to 6 hour hikes, depending on what you are looking for. After we finished walking through lalaland, we rewarded ourselves with some oysters, ice cream, and a walk on the beach. But, I'll talk about all that next post!