Jenn and I are taking a trip to Hawaii but she had to work, so I spent a few days with her in San Francisco.  Yesterday, I went to Muir Woods even though we’ve been before.

It was chilly in San Francisco so I brought a jacket but never did need it in the woods.  It was just about perfect weather, though the Golden Gate Bridge was completely obscured by fog.  Not that I could have snapped a photo anyway, traffic wasn’t slow enough.  The park was pretty busy (I thought) for a Tuesday and I had to park in a gravel overflow lot.  I just got a new phone (iphone se) with a much better camera and purchased a set of lenses (from photojojo) for it in the hopes I could take some nice pictures.

I decided to hike the Panoramic Trail since I hadn’t before.  It starts with the Canopy View Trail which was fantastic.  I really enjoyed viewing the redwoods as I climbed.  Muir Woods is a beautiful place and it was pretty tranquil in spite of the crowds.

Once the Canopy Trail ends, the Panoramic Trail begins.  At this point, the trees have thinned and the trail has reached peak elevation.  It was sunny and pleasantly warm.  A sign in the woods said you could see the ocean (later I was told the trees are too tall) but I couldn’t see through the fog between the mountains.  It’s interesting to see the forest stretch out in the valley before you.  

The Panoramic Trail and the Sun Trail are higher elevation and the trail cuts through dry, brown grasses.  It reminded me of the vegetation atop San Bruno.  It started getting warm and the trail goes near the road.  I really just wanted to get back into the trees.  I forgot to take a picture of the map BEFORE I hiked up the trail.  I got a little confused by the signs when I reached the end of the Sun Trail.

Once I got back to the park, I followed the Redwood Creek Trail and the Hillside Trail.  This route really is my favorite here.

There’s something special about a hike through the redwoods.  The faint scent of pine, the lush green carpet of clovers and ferns, the babbling of Redwood Creek and the relative quiet of the groves make Muir Woods a rare and calming place.