If you have not already done
so, it is not too late. One of the
wonderful experiences Mt. Tamalpais State Park offers is the walk
from Pantoll to Stinson Beach on the Matt Davis Trail on the cusp
of Winter and Spring. In early February it is still winter at
Pantoll.
There can be a chill in the air that nips at your
fingers and nose. The open hillsides along the Matt Davis Trail
lie dormant even as you pass the split at Coastal Trail. You
then enter the tree forest again and descend steeply downhill
toward Stinson Beach. You must look with an open eye and an
undistracted mind. If you do, you will witness an amazing
transformation as the warmer climate of the coast, at a lower
elevation, transforms Winter into Spring. You will be rewarded
by seeing some of the first evidences and flowers of Spring. It
is even more spectacular in March because, by then, you can't
miss the profusion of plants and flowers giving witness to the
advent of the birth of a new growing season.
New growths of Soap Plants, fresh and green from the winter
rains, are not yet blooming but are eagerly bursting from the
ground. At Table Rock you can stand almost even with the top of
the leafless Red Alder
trees
growing around you. Now is the time
to witness the miracle of green, male catkins giving off their
pollen to fertilize the adjacent auburn and rust colored female
cones. Throughout the summer, in addition to the panoramic view
and sounds of the ocean arriving at Stinson Beach, you can stop
at Table Rock to observe the winged seeds forming which will be
released in the Fall of the year. The
ferns growing on Table
Rock are sprite and resplendent in their greenery. On rocks and
trees, recent soakings by winter rains have made both lichens and
mosses erect and vibrant. They add to the vitality of the aura
of the life force surrounding you.
Sow Thistles are fresh
and
tall, many with bright, yellow blossoms. Some of the first
white
Milkmaids of the year offer their happy greetings. If you know
where to look, you will be astounded by
Giant Red Trilliums,
perhaps be awed at witnessing the opening of their huge, purple-
red blossoms. They are found growing next to a coursing,
mountain stream. As you continue downhill, your senses alert,
you will see the half-hidden, enchanting
Mission Bells
with their
chocolate-spotted blossoms. Across from them are some of the
very first of the year, blue-white flowered
Forget-Me-Nots.
Where the trail opens and is clear of trees for a while,
Silver
Lupin bushes jump from
the hillside and
Bindweed is
stretching
itself around whatever it can in preparation for blossoming of
its morning glory trumpets. New growths of
Sage and
growths of
Vetch border the trail. A wet year is a time of celebration for
Miners' Lettuce and
Chickweed which is
busy growing everywhere
it can find some damp earth.
After a stop at Stinson Beach, you wonder what is in store ahead
as the climb up Dip Sea Trail begins. One can't help but notice
the Contoneaster bushes
with their brightly colored berries. You
may wonder if its relatives in China, from whence it came, are
also festooned with berries this time of year.
Wait! What is this! A lone,
Indian Paintbrush, in startling red
and green and yellow, is off to the side of the trail to surprise
the observant! You must look carefully. If you do, as you
approach the junction of the lower Steep Ravine Trail and the Dip
Sea Trail, you will not miss the bright, purple blossoms of an
early field of ground
iris's
on the hillside, basking in the mid-
day glow. If you are already entranced by the day and the walk,
your state of grace will continue as you begin the last 1.6 miles
up Steep Ravine Trail to Pantoll.
Fairy Bells, with white,
hanging, cylindrical flowers in terminal clusters grow uphill,
away from the water splashing down Steep Ravine. Also along the
trail are Western Trillium
with their solitary, small, white
flower, set above three oval, sharp pointed, green leaves looking
delicate and beautiful.
If you are among the lucky, and it is not too late in the season,
you will see one of the earliest plants to flower in the Spring.
Few hikers see the exquisite, red-veined blooms of the
Fetid
Adder's Tongue. The sight of the flower with its broadly oblong,
purple-mottled leaves is a treat. But, only look and do not
smell. The odor is not as captivating as the sight.
Take the time to be nice to yourself and enjoy the wonders that
Mt. Tamalpais has to offer this time of year. Alone, or with
others, the walk to Stinson Beach, or up
Steep Ravine Trail to
Pantoll, will lift
your spirits and become a happy part of you.
San Francisco Walt
