This Saturday’s hike was a 3.5 hour buddy group hike on Mt. Tamalpais. During the season, a few of our team hikes (with everyone in the SF Bay Area on the team) are replaced with buddy hikes (with our smaller geographic group). So we were hiking with the team members from San Francisco and the North Bay (Marin-area).

It was hot, in the 80s at least with beating down sun. Much of the 8+ mile hike though was thankfully under the shade of trees. And with great views. I wish I had a scanner to scan our trail map in case those of you in the Bay Area wanted some trail ideas, but alas I’m scanner-less. If you have a Mt. Tam park map, we basically left from Mountain Home Inn following the Matt Davis Trail. Left on the Bootjack Trail to the Troop 80 Trail. You could make the hike a shorter loop by continuing on that path back to Mountain Home Inn, but what we did was turnaround and go back the way we came at an hour and 45 minutes to get our full three and a half hours.

Under the shade of trees on Mt. Tam (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

Mt. Diablo in the distance beyond the fog (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

Can you make out Sutro Tower on the hillside across the Bay? (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

Goofing around at Bootjack, where we made a quick stop to unzip our pants to shorts and eat some trail food. (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

My lizard friend, frozen with fear. (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

My lizard friend in profile. (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

Our buddy group on one of the many wooden bridges we crossed. Sadly, this is a state park and if funding is cut/parks are closed, there will be no one to maintain these bridges. (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

A babbling brook (or is it a creek?). (credit: Johanna Hoadley)

Next week is July 4 weekend and I’ll be missing the team hike (going to my friend and honoree Noah’s wedding out of town – Congrats Noah!). But hopefully this week I’ll get in some tough workouts and get in some walking over the holiday weekend so I don’t feel too far behind the rest of the team.