Point Reyes Weekend

You Mon Tsang July 29th, 2008

The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes.

Early morning low tides accompany the new moon’s rise on Friday, August 1st

Saturday, August 2nd -0.9 feet   6:23 am
Sunday, August 3rd -0.5 feet 7:01 am

The annual Perseid meteor shower approaches with showers to be seen throughout the week of August 10, peaking on Tuesday night, August 12th.  They appear to radiate from the northeastern sky and the constellation of Perseus, named for the son of Zeus who rescued wife Andromeda from a sea monster!  A bright waxing moon may interfere with viewing but early risers should be able to catch the show of falling stars.

The peak harbor seal molting season is now when they are particularly social, massing in large groups on shores and sand bars such as the Bolinas Lagoon.  While molting they look brighter as they lose their old fur which comes off in large patches. In the autumn they will return to their more solitary life at sea.

Flags are half staff in the park to honor Olympic National Park firefighter Andrew Palmer (18 years old) who died in the line of duty this week at Shasta Trinity National Forest.  Park staff have been sent to assist at Yosemite National Park; if you are heading that way, check the park website at nps.gov/yose or (209) 372-0200 for an update on travel conditions.

Exotic color along Bear Valley Trail are the brilliant orange-red Crocosmia sp./Montbretia or South African Lily, a colorful migrant from South Africa.  Huckleberries are abundant this year; larger than usual it seems.  Lots to be found along Old Pine Trails and in Tomales Bay State Park.

A special booksigning is coming up for the new edition of “The Natural History of Point Reyes Peninsula”; author Jules Evens will be signing copies on August 2nd at the Red Barn Classroom at Bear Valley at 2:30 pm.

Thanks to the NPS Park Service.

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You Mon Tsang July 28th, 2008

Every year in the wintertime, I would grab a beach chair and find a space in Point Reyes Station and wait for the Tour of California to pass through. I would try to time it right, but inevitably I would wait for about 60-90 minutes and then many, many support cars come through, then a few bike leaders fly through and then the large group of bikers (peloton) whizzed by sounding like a torrid bunch of robot bees! It was brief and noisy but pretty cool.

The MarinIJ reports that the 2009 Tour of California will bypass West Marin next year.

Instead, the third stage of the nine-stage event will begin in Sausalito and immediately leave Marin, working its way across the Golden Gate Bridge and finishing in Santa Cruz. The stage is to take place on the Presidents Day holiday, Feb. 16. …the tour has targeted a race over the Golden Gate Bridge since the event started in 2006. He called it “a great gift” for cyclists to race across it. … For national and international television coverage for the event, racing over the Golden Gate Bridge is a scene-stealer. “One of the iconic images of Northern California is the Golden Gate Bridge, so to have the race actually going over the bridge is a coup for the race”…

That’s too bad, I looked forward to the race each year.

Photo Jef Poskanzer

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You Mon Tsang July 27th, 2008

Point Reyes Oak Tree, originally uploaded by Charlene Burge.

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You Mon Tsang July 22nd, 2008

The Slow Food movement is defined:

Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work, and that all people should have access to this good and clean food.

Given the agriculture and culinary experiences in West Marin, slow food proponents should love the Point Reyes area and indeed they do.  A huge Slow Food confab over Labor Day weekend will happen in San Francisco and two of the ten “slow journeys” will head to West Marin.

The Marin Creameries tour, which features cheese, oysters and wine (count me in!) is already sold out (oh no).  As of this writing, the Mysterious Bolinas tour, which features the wonderful and quirky farms of Bolinas still has some room.

• Food , Green , Slow Food , Sustainable
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You Mon Tsang July 20th, 2008

Click on this panoramic of Alamere Falls for a bigger version.

Alamere Falls Panorama, originally uploaded by tychay.

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You Mon Tsang July 15th, 2008

The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes. Here is the issue from 2008-07-15:

The full moon rises on Friday July 18 with a few early morning daylight low tides:

Friday, July 18 6:03 am -0.6
Saturday, July 19 6:35 am -0.6
Sunday, July 20 7:04 am -0.5
Monday, July 21 7:37 -0.3

This moon is ‘the moon of much ripening’ for the Mohawk people of the eastern states; true of California as the first ripe blackberries are appearing along the Earthquake Trail and roadsides.

If you are walking the low tide along Tomales Bay, you may see some bright yellow disks in the lowest intertidal areas. The disks are part of a study conducted by Bodega Marine Lab and the Student Conservation Association summer program They are measuring erosional force of water and how it affects the native Olympia oyster population; disks are placed on the east shores and west shores of the bay for comparative measurements.

High temperatures last week contributed to the seasonal die off of jellyfish. Moon jellies, clear blobs with four white crescents on the top have been washing ashore along the local beaches as well as the ice tea colored Lions Mane jellies. As surface dwellers, they are susceptible to even a few degrees change in water temperatures. The brownish Lions mane jellies tentacles can cause an allergic reaction so best to avoid them even when washed up onshore.

Mark your calendars for the 28th annual Big Time Festival on Saturday July 26 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Kule Loklo, the Coast Miwok Exhibit near Bear Valley Visitor Center. Dancers from the Intertribal Pomo and Dry Creek Pomo bands will be demonstrating along with basketmakers Julia Parker, flintknappers, and shell bead makers. Bring a picnic to enjoy the day, no dogs or alcoholic beverages at this event.

Thanks to the NPS Park Service.

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You Mon Tsang July 13th, 2008

Sunset at McClures Beach, originally uploaded by Pat Ulrich.

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You Mon Tsang July 7th, 2008

If you spend enough time in Point Reyes or in Northern California, you will fun into the iceplant. This plant looks harmless enough, but in fact, there is two-year program to remove this South African invader around the Point Reyes Lighthouse. As described by the new blog from students at the Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center,

One of the largest concerns with Iceplant today is actually what it was brought here to do in the first place: stabilize soil.

Iceplant mats are great for stabilizing loose blowing sand, but it turns out that this isn’t going to earn it a gold star. In dune habitats, stable sand hurts native plants and animals adapted to live in a more free dune life.

Read more…

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You Mon Tsang July 6th, 2008

I love this photo; it captures Tomales Bay perfectly for me!

Lump Sum of Our Lives, originally uploaded by Miwok..

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You Mon Tsang July 1st, 2008

The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes. Here is the issue from 2008-07-01:

The new moon rises on July 2nd at 7:19 pm and the earth will be at aphelion on July 4th, the farthest point in its annual orbit of the sun – Some early morning daylight low tides occur:

Thursday, July 3rd 5:58 am -1.8 feet
Sunday, July 6th  8:13 am -0.8
Friday, July 4th 6:45 am -1.7 feet
Saturday, July 5th 7:30 am -1.3 feet

A tough summer for the snowy plovers but they are not giving up; 16 nests have been made with five hatched and 15 chicks but only one chick still alive.  There are hopes of four more chicks being hidden in a nest with dad.

Monkeyflowers are the latest wildflowers to bloom; look low alongside roadways for the bright yellow Seep Spring Monkeyflowers who like dampness; look higher up for the orange Sticky Monkeyflowers.

A permit for a training bike ride had been issued for Saturday July 12th at Bear Valley Picnic area. Expect some congestion as groups of bike riders move through the area to Abbots Lagoon in the morning.

Seal protection measures are lifted for this year – the annual closure of Drakes Estero and South Blue Gums Beach from March 1st to June 30th ended this week.

All park visitor centers are open Friday July 4th.  No fireworks are permitted in Marin County and in the national seashore.  Legal fireworks may be seen at the Marin County Fair – one of the park’s electric vehicles will be on display at the fair as part of 24 alternative fuel vehicles.

The free weekends in July shuttle bus between Olema Campground and Limantour Beach begins this weekend.  Schedules have been posted at the Olema Campground and at Bear Valley Visitor Center.

Saturday, July 5th park archivist Carol DeRooy and local historian Dewey Livingston will be signing copies of their new history picture guide to Point Reyes from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

Thanks to the NPS Park Service.

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