Tennessee Valley Golden Gate Loop Trail

Tennessee Valley Golden Gate Loop trail was an average distance hike that overlapped with another trail I hiked not so long ago. It was quite a bit shorter, but still had lovely views of the ocean, especially on a clear day like today.

The length of the hike was just under 6 miles with about 1,300 ft elevation gain. Some sections were pretty steep (stairs) and others merely "rolling hills". This is one of the more popular trails. It was pretty crowded and the parking lot filled up pretty quickly in the morning. Several school buses were waiting as students hiked to the beach just a mile or so away.

What I loved about this hike is watching the fog from above. If you are lucky and there is some fog by the beach, you might be able to feel much further up than you really are!

Overall, a pleasant hike by the beach with a bit of cardio.

Muir Woods via the Bootjack Trail

Another trail in Muir Woods... This one was starting from an official parking lot with a $10 fee. The group of women I was going to be hiking with gathered by the bathroom and waited 30 minutes for a lady who was "running a few minutes late". I could not believe the host was so disrespectful of everyone's time. Am I too impatient? Perhaps... I can tell you that at the very next intersection that the leader made the wrong turn, I headed down my own path, and fast! 

Don't get me wrong, I respect leaders of hikes I go on, but those who can't even follow the Alltrails lose me right there and then. The hike was mostly downhill on the way to Muir Woods, so I almost jogged trying to lose the group. This was not that hard as their hiking speed was way below my typical 2.5 miles/hr, and let's be realistic, I am slow overall.

I did slow down when I finally reached the lower elevation and the area highly trafficked with people on the main trail of Muir Woods. I stopped for a few minutes remembering coming here with my prior partner back in 2011, almost exactly 10 years ago. So much has changed...

Small stream

The second part of the trail was the elevation gain. And for some reason I did not realize just how much of it will be on this hike. Out of shape, I was really struggling, but made it all the way back to the parking lot. 

This is a really beautiful hike, totally worth repeating!

Heart Lake Trail & Ney Springs in Mt. Shasta

Heart Lake Trail is another trail in Mt. Shasta area that is highly popular and well-reviewed. It's just under 3 miles round trip with around 800 ft elevation gain and a promise of amazing views. I had to check it out. I arrived at the parking lot early in the morning, and the lot was already pretty filled up.

I started the hike right at the level of the lake and slowly gained elevation. 

The trail wraps around the lake in a semi-circle. Surrounded by the hills, the sounds of humans kayaking and their barking dog were bouncing around in the "pit" hopefully deterring nearby bears. I was pretty alert though.

Alertness never hurt anyone, because about half way into the hike, I found this guy peacefully crossing the trail. I allowed him lots of space and time as he slowly crawled into the grass away from the trail and I continued my hike.

Beautiful rattlesnake :)

Soon I found another smaller body of water.

I saw the top of the mountain and my destination and didn't stop here for too long. I wanted to see the final view. And again, it did not disappoint.

I stayed there for a while until a couple of people got to the same spot. It was time to head down. As I was walking down, I encountered more and more people. At the base of the lake, it was a picnic paradise with people lounging on their chairs on the "beach" or their parking spots. 

I decided to stop at Ney Springs and Faery Falls trail on the way back to the house. It is a mile and a half round trip in-and-out trail with around 250 ft elevation gain. Unfortunately, I can't say too many great things about this one. It was overcrowded, unimpressive and just a waste of time. I honestly think that people spoil the experience in nature with their loudness and the desire to show off their selfies. 

After waiting for a few minutes until people disappear from my shot, I was able to capture just the nature without humans - so much better!

McCloud Waterfalls and Burney Falls in Mt. Shasta

Today I woke up with sky covered by smoke from all the fires in the area. I wasn't really sure what to do since the hikes I planned for today were pretty strenuous with vista on top of the mountain. I knew that there would not be any vista due to poor visibility, so I changed my plans and decided to drive to McCloud Waterfalls. I didn't really expect much since this has been one of the driest years in California, but the waterfalls managed to surprise me. 

I arrived at the parking lot and immediately saw dozens of fliers posted all over the campground about daily sightings of bears. I was the third car in the parking lot, so I knew the trail was not going to be very busy. I am not easily discouraged to hike in bear territories (most of forests have bears and mountain lions), but this was a bit unnerving. I started the hike fully alert of my surroundings. The first view of the lower falls was right at the beginning of the trail. A few people were fishing there.

You can see the slight yellow hue to these photos. This is smoke in the air. You could smell it, you could see it. The nature continues to exist though, and I hike on to the next waterfalls. 

About a mile and a half into the hike, the middle waterfalls can be heard from a distance. Soon I see slowly trickling water (well, it's still a waterfall, but I believe it's at its lowest levels). The air is nice and cool by the flowing water. 

I continued the hike uphill as the weather was getting warmer and warmer - it was going to be in mid-90s today. As I reached another parking lot, this one for the upper falls, I started seeing more people starting their morning hike at 10 am. This is usually when the trails get a bit crowded, but with smoke in the air and it being a weekday, there were still few people around. I made it all the way to the upper falls.

I didn't stay too long and headed back to the trailhead. A woman with her dog who was originally in the parking lot with me said she was glad to follow someone as she was afraid to hike by herself with all these bear sighting warnings. It made me a bit proud to push myself further beyond my fears and hike on.

As I reached the parking lot, I knew my hiking for today was not over. I drove another 30 minutes to Burney Falls. Again, I did not expect much, but what I saw reenergized me for the rest of my trip. When I arrived at the site, I noticed a toll booth as you would typically see in National Parks. Parking was $10. I quickly found a spot and after a short bathroom break headed to the falls.

The sound was what amazed me here. I don't think that the video will even portray the vibrations I felt through the ground. I can't describe the feeling of coolness and lightness I felt at that moment. It was very crowded, but even with crowds I felt like the energy from the falls lightened me.

I made a loop and came back to the parking lot. More and more people arrived, which was my signal to get out of there!

Lake Siskiyou Trail in Mt. Shasta

I wanted to take a vacation, but for the first time in my career had no idea where to go. Maybe just stay at home? Too boring... Someone at work said they had a vacation home in Mt. Shasta and offered it to me for a week. I initially was a bit hesitant, but one they said I could bring my cat with me, I decided to go. I had no plan, no itinerary. I was just going there...

As soon as I got to the house, I knew there will be some hiking done here. The sunsets were incredible and nature was all around for a good hike.

Lake Siskiyou Trail was the first trail that came up on Alltrails. After taking a relaxing Monday off, I was on my way hiking on Tuesday. Located just 12 minutes from the house, the trail was pretty highly trafficked, even on a weekday. It was a loop around the lake, and the views were really nice from the very beginning of the trail.

Such an interesting bridge!

You just can't beat the view of the water, forest and mountains combined in one picture.

The weather was getting warmer, and soon the insects appeared. Yeah, those tiny little bugs that annoy the crap out of you! I had my trusted head net with me, so I was pretty protected from those creatures, but still pretty annoying!

As I crossed the midline of the lake (half way around), the insects surprisingly disappeared, and what was left was the view of Mt. Shasta and the lake. 

Unfortunately, humans often spoil any nature experience, and as a motor boat passed by blasting loud music, all peace somehow disappeared. I really need to train myself better to ignore people and noise they create constantly to avoid peace to be disturbed. Or maybe I am overly sensitive and non-social... Whatever the case is, I got up from a picnic table and finished the hike with a shopping at a local grocery store that was insanely overpriced, but incredibly diverse and delicious (Berryvale Natural Food Store).

Sunset Beach Trail

Sunset Beach Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore was on my list for a few months. It is favorited and positively reviewed by many Alltrails users, and when a friend of mine came to visit for the weekend, it was the first trail on my mind to hike together.

We got to the trailhead early enough to see only a few cars in the dirt parking lot. The beginning of the hike was relatively flat with the views of open field with few trees in sight. Soon enough we were in the middle of the forest with tall trees surrounding us, although this section did not last long as we reached the bridge over what used to be a full body of water at some point. 

As we crossed the bridge, we continued the hike along the shore, but on the other side. The water was pretty shallow to the point that some birds could stand on the bottom fishing.

With a few hills ahead the overall elevation gain was under 1,000 ft, a relatively easy hike. The trail ended abruptly on Alltrails, and there was no end in sight for it in real life, so we went with the navigation app and turned around. It was a peaceful walk (I don't even know that I would call it a hike), but not one that I would repeat again.

We got to the parking lot and headed to Marin French Cheese Company for a picnic. We bought 5 different cheeses, a fig preserve and delicious rosemary crackers. This was a great way to have lunch!

We also met a wonderful black duck who insistently begged for food (and against better judgement, got it).

After a stop for wine tasting at Adobe Winery (2 for 1 wine tasting with Sonoma Passport) and dinner at The Block, which is a "must visit" when in the area - very unique and unlikely to just stop by place - we headed back to Napa for a well-deserved dessert at home and an episode of "Grace and Frankie" by the fireplace. A perfect way to spend a day!

Greenpicker and Stewart Loop in Point Reyes

Organized by another hiking group, the Greenpicker and Stewart Loop hike was supposed to be a 12 miler. It did not end up that way as the group leader modified the route. I must admit I didn't argue with that decision.

The hike was rather fast-paced, and another woman and I were the last hikers at almost every stop. I really do believe in hiking your own hike. It was a rather peaceful trail in the depth of Point Reyes National Seashore forest. Tall trees, green grass (yes! in California and in the summer!) and muddy trails! Who would have thought that I would be wiping mud from the bottom of my hiking shoes? I even stepped in a puddle deep enough to have soaked my top part of the shoe that was not waterproof. 

As we got to another intersection (and there were quite a few of those!), there was a sign notifying hikers of yellow jackets on the trail. We decided to proceed, and two of hikers in our group got stung several times by the darn insects. I honestly could not believe it was not me as my luck is just bad when it comes to anything, really. Gratitude, gratitude...

I enjoyed this trail, but it was not my favorite one in Point Reyes. I think if we had gone closer to the beach, I would have found it more relaxing, but a combination of same landscape and the thrill of avoiding nasty insects just did not put this trail on top of my "must come back" list. Maybe I am just getting spoiled by the beauty of nature I have seen...