Across Pine Mountain toward Carson Falls
Our trek to Carson Falls near Mt. Tam last Sunday was the second of three great hikes we did in one day. Our choice to stay at a hotel somewhat nearby in Mill Valley the night before really paid off.
Carson Falls is one of the celebrated "Three Cs" in the Mt. Tamalpais watershed. There's Cataract Falls, which we hiked in the morning; Carson Falls; and Cascade Falls. We've been to each of them at least twice before.
I don't know that we've been to Carson Falls on a day like today, though. Compared to the wet, lush, rain forest ambience of hiking Cataract Falls this morning- which is absolutely the best way to enjoy it- our hike to Carson has a completely different vibe. The patchy morning clouds burned off as we drove back a few miles to the trailhead, revealing everything for miles beneath a clear, blue sky. And where the Carson Falls trail climbs straight into a narrow, wet canyon, the trail to Carson Falls begins with a long, gradual ascent over Pine Mountain.
Once we passed the fake taco truck at the trailhead we crested a small rise and could see the rest of Pine Mountain ahead of us. I don't know that we've been here on such a clear day before. Usually it's been overcast, even a bit rainy. The last time we were here it sleeted on us!
Gloomy weather shortens your perspective. You can't see that far off, so you focus on what's around you. Today felt totally different because we could see so much around us and so far ahead. Like that hilltop a mile away in the picture... surely we weren't going to have to hike all the way up that, right? It never felt like we hiked so far before. Alas, yes, that's where we'd have to go. At least it's beautiful and not sleeting today.
The distance views atop Pine Ridge were unexpected and amazing. At first we could only see Pine ahead of us and Tam behind us. As we slowly climbed to the top the views got better and better. Tam remained in the picture (the flattened triangular peak a bit in from the right) and soon we could see the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge crossing the north bay, the towers of downtown Oakland almost 30 miles away, and even the double peak of Mt. Diablo ( bit in from the left) in the hazy distance 50 miles away.
We know the way to Carson Falls. We've stood at unmarked crossroads in the drizzling rain enough in the past to have committed it to memory. It continued to amuse me, though, that while I remembered all the turns I forgot how far the climb up Pine Ridge was. Soon enough, though, it was time to start heading down the other side. We turned from Pine Ridge Road (a blocked-off fire road) to Oatley Ridge Road then met the narrow foot trail down into the canyon for Carson Falls.
This is a steep section leading down to the falls. It was coming up this steep part years ago that it sleeted on us. Ahh, fond memories!
Another thing I don't particular recall from hiking in crummy weather in the past is wildflowers on the trail. There weren't exactly a ton of them out here Sunday, but there were some. Deep in the shade we saw a few of these. They're... purple flowers. I suck at identifying flowers. And I'd look it up, but Google sucks at identifying flowers, too.
Update: I remembered the reason things don't grow well along most of Pine Ridge is the serpentine. There's a lot of serpentine rock in this ridge. It's poisonous to most growing things, so the plants that thrive here are only the hardiest varieties and even they don't grow big.
Update 2: This flower is an iris. I figured that out not by searching on characteristics like "purple flower with 3 and 6 petals" (which I tried, unsuccessfully) but by trying a few guesses of flower names and finding pictures that match. Several small patches of wildflowers grow on a hillside where there's little exposed serpentine (see note above).
Stay tuned, we're almost to the falls!
Carson Falls is one of the celebrated "Three Cs" in the Mt. Tamalpais watershed. There's Cataract Falls, which we hiked in the morning; Carson Falls; and Cascade Falls. We've been to each of them at least twice before.
I don't know that we've been to Carson Falls on a day like today, though. Compared to the wet, lush, rain forest ambience of hiking Cataract Falls this morning- which is absolutely the best way to enjoy it- our hike to Carson has a completely different vibe. The patchy morning clouds burned off as we drove back a few miles to the trailhead, revealing everything for miles beneath a clear, blue sky. And where the Carson Falls trail climbs straight into a narrow, wet canyon, the trail to Carson Falls begins with a long, gradual ascent over Pine Mountain.
Once we passed the fake taco truck at the trailhead we crested a small rise and could see the rest of Pine Mountain ahead of us. I don't know that we've been here on such a clear day before. Usually it's been overcast, even a bit rainy. The last time we were here it sleeted on us!
Gloomy weather shortens your perspective. You can't see that far off, so you focus on what's around you. Today felt totally different because we could see so much around us and so far ahead. Like that hilltop a mile away in the picture... surely we weren't going to have to hike all the way up that, right? It never felt like we hiked so far before. Alas, yes, that's where we'd have to go. At least it's beautiful and not sleeting today.
The distance views atop Pine Ridge were unexpected and amazing. At first we could only see Pine ahead of us and Tam behind us. As we slowly climbed to the top the views got better and better. Tam remained in the picture (the flattened triangular peak a bit in from the right) and soon we could see the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge crossing the north bay, the towers of downtown Oakland almost 30 miles away, and even the double peak of Mt. Diablo ( bit in from the left) in the hazy distance 50 miles away.
We know the way to Carson Falls. We've stood at unmarked crossroads in the drizzling rain enough in the past to have committed it to memory. It continued to amuse me, though, that while I remembered all the turns I forgot how far the climb up Pine Ridge was. Soon enough, though, it was time to start heading down the other side. We turned from Pine Ridge Road (a blocked-off fire road) to Oatley Ridge Road then met the narrow foot trail down into the canyon for Carson Falls.
This is a steep section leading down to the falls. It was coming up this steep part years ago that it sleeted on us. Ahh, fond memories!
Another thing I don't particular recall from hiking in crummy weather in the past is wildflowers on the trail. There weren't exactly a ton of them out here Sunday, but there were some. Deep in the shade we saw a few of these. They're... purple flowers. I suck at identifying flowers. And I'd look it up, but Google sucks at identifying flowers, too.
Update: I remembered the reason things don't grow well along most of Pine Ridge is the serpentine. There's a lot of serpentine rock in this ridge. It's poisonous to most growing things, so the plants that thrive here are only the hardiest varieties and even they don't grow big.
Update 2: This flower is an iris. I figured that out not by searching on characteristics like "purple flower with 3 and 6 petals" (which I tried, unsuccessfully) but by trying a few guesses of flower names and finding pictures that match. Several small patches of wildflowers grow on a hillside where there's little exposed serpentine (see note above).
Stay tuned, we're almost to the falls!