On Thursday June 1 we hiked the Dipsea Trail. We started in Mill Valley. We last hiked it in June 2010. Things that went better this time: hiking gear, weekday (less traffic), weather was cooler. Overall a lovely time. Calf muscles took a few days to recover. We stopped several times along the way to rest. California Conservation Corps personnel were maintaining vegetation and replacing steps. We stopped at Muir Woods for lunch of hummus sandwiches, fruit, and a brownie. A pair of chipmunks scampered about looking for crumbs. Dawn purchased a lightweight, light green, long sleeved shirt. Visited the Cathedral Grove. They returned to a natural state the trail where I proposed ❤️ At Stinson Beach we got ice cream and a smoothie, then relaxed on the beach. A man left a bundle of roses in the surf. One boy asked me if I knew how to do the rainbow soccer ball trick after I helped return their ball, but regrettably I didn't (turns out it's something of a trick maneuver to gain a positional advantage). We caught the shuttle back at about 4 p.m. The driver groaned when we mentioned the Dipsea Race coming up the next weekend, but was super helpful in letting us off at the top of the Dipsea stairs above Mill Valley, saving us a lot of time in returning to Old Mill Park. He also didn't charge the $2/person fee for any passengers ☺️ Counting the 1+ mile descent, we really ended up doing slightly more than a "single Dipsea" (1.15x Dip?), but far short of a double Dip, or even a Quad Dip reported by one ultra runner (28+ miles). This trail is ranked Difficult, mostly due to ~2,000 feet elevation gains. The SF Bay was a bit foggy so not as clear as last time, but the cool air was welcomed. We retired to the Mountain Home Inn afterward for the first time to clean up and celebrate.
