My boyfriend Mark and I decided to make the most of this past sunny Saturday, sandwiched, as it was, between two cold, windy days. We headed over the GG Bridge for Bon Tempe Lake in Marin, part of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed. We usually do the straightforward Shadyside-Sunnyside loop around the lake (about 4 miles), but just to stir things up a bit, we created a longer, much more incline-tastic circuit: Rocky Ridge Road (45-minute uphill trudge) —> Berry Trail —> Sky Oaks —> Sunnyside. Bear in mind that Rocky Ridge is quite exposed, and, much to my chagrin, swarming with bees (sweet flower nectar is particularly abundant right now), so unless you plan to hike in a protective beekeeper suit, don't wear perfume, don't stand still, and certainly don't forget to slather on that SPF. You can download the trail map here. Now for the highlight reel, courtesy of my iPhone's ShakeItPhoto App:
Muddy trails.
Bambi-nos.
Purple wildflowers.
A gigantic vulture.
View of Bon Tempe Lake and Lake Lagunitas from the top of Rocky Ridge Road.