Seaside School Road Hike

Meet at 9:30 at pullout for Gualala Business Directory to carpool to Cooks Beach. Try to park off the pavement at Cooks Beach as there have been parking tickets issued in the past for cars parked on the pavement. The walk begins at 9:45 going north along Highway 1 for about one block to St. Orres.  We will cross the highway to St. Orres and will walk up Seaside School Road to Old Stage Road to the top of the ridge, stopping as frequently as necessary to rest our legs and drink water. Once we reach our destination, we will return to Cooks Beach by going downhill on Seaside School Road.  We will eat lunch at Cooks Beach.  This is a very steep walk uphill and downhill, so bring your hiking poles.  It is very pretty with pastures, forest, and homes along the road.  The road is paved for the first and last third of the hike.  The middle third is dirt road and is not usable by vehicles.
Leader: Joel Chaban

photo credit: Beth R

COOK'S BEACH

 

Carpool at the pullout for Gualala business directory just north of bridge at 10:15 or drive directly to the parking area west of Big Gulch Road (north of Gualala after mm 2.16) where you will meet the leader. We will start walking at 10:30. We will walk south along the Old State Highway and the route of the old railroad. We will explore where the Old Milano used to be before retracing our steps and then walking (carefully) north along Highway 1. This is a scenic corridor with nice views. We will do a short loop east of the Highway on Glennen for more views of ocean and houses before walking to Cooks Beach. Cooks Beach is a RCLC project providing public access to a sheltered beach. We will descend to the beach for lunch and then return along Hwy 1 to the cars. 

Leader: Joel Chaban

 photo credit: Laura B

SCENIC VIEWS AND COOK'S BEACH

Carpool at the pullout for Gualala business directory just north of bridge at 10:15 or drive directly to the parking area west of Big Gulch Road (north of Gualala after mm 2.16 where Cal Trans sometimes dumps material) where you will meet the leader. We will start walking at 10:25. We will walk south along the Old State Highway and the route of the old railroad. We will explore where the Old Milano used to be before retracing our steps and then walking (carefully) north along Highway 1. This is a scenic corridor with nice views. We will do a short loop east of the Highway on Glennen for more views of ocean and houses before walking to Cooks Beach. Cooks Beach is a RCLC project providing public access to a sheltered beach. We will descend to the beach for lunch and then return along Hwy 1 to the cars. The leader may make modifications to the route depending on the time.
NOTE: Thank you Richard for letting us walk on your property and enjoy your stunning views!
Leader: Joel Chaban
photos contributed by Mary Sue and Richard

SCENIC VIEWS AND COOKS BEACH

all photos above by Bob Rutemoeller

Carpool at the pullout for Gualala business directory just north of bridge at 10:15 or drive directly to the parking area west of Big Gulch Road (north of Gualala after mm 2.16 where Cal Trans sometimes dumps material) where you will meet the leader. We will start walking at 10:30. We will walk south along the Old State Highway and the route of the old railroad. Turning around close to where the Old Milano used to be, we will retrace our steps and walk along Highway 1 north.  This is a scenic corridor with nice views. We will do a short loop east of the Highway on Glennen for more views of ocean and houses before walking  to Cooks Beach. Cooks Beach is a RCLC project providing public access to a sheltered beach. We will descend to the beach for lunch and then return along Highway One to the cars.
Leaders: Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller

Stornetta

While 16 people were enjoying a GORGEOUS day at Stornetta, I was playing on Cook's beach with the first of the reunion arrivals...

by Friday at midnight there were 12 of us. 

Curly Lane with Lunch at the Beach

It was a beautiful sunny winter day.  We finished the hike with lunch at Cook's Beach. 

While you were at Sea Ranch...

Mary Sue reported: "On this overcast day we hiked on the Sea Ranch bluff and saw cormorant nesting habitat and cormorants."  I missed another Thursday Rambler hike this week, but for good reason!  My namesake, Harmony Grace was here with her family from Albany, NY.  Here's what I was doing:

The the ridge and back

Today we walked from Cooks Beach to my home studio on the ridge and back. On the way UP the hill we got a lesson in mushrooms from one of the only people I trust to pick wild mushroom: John Peterson. Here he is showing us a hedgehog, chanterelle, and ?? I don't remember the other.

Merry Christmas!

It was a BEAUTIFUL sunny Christmas in Gualala this year. Sus and I took our first walk together all the way to Cooks Beach from our house and back again. We had a nice cup of coffee at St. Orres and then Sus took a dip in the Pacific Ocean. Note my new hiking poles that Santa brought. VERY FUN DAY!