Indian Tree Open Space Preserve

 Today, I went on a solo hike again.  I've been enjoying both hiking with others AND hiking solo.   I knew there were some great trails in Novato, so after a little research, I decided to hike the "Big Trees Trail" at Indian Tree Open Space Preserve.   I was attracted to the redwood groves and the uphill yielding to great views.   I was ready for a 1,100 foot increase in elevation.  I've been getting stronger, and I'm gradually challenging myself to do more. Before setting out, I decided that I wanted to resurface my trekking poles that I haven't used in about 15 years!   They were in excellent condition, and I was feeling like my 52-year-old joints could use the support on this type of a hike.  I was right!  I wasn't disappointed by the views -- here is my favorite photo of the day:

The trailhead is about 3 1/2 miles off the San Marin exit of Highway 101.  I used Google maps to get there, and the trailhead is on the left shortly after the road changes to a dirt road.  Its easy to spot.  

Shortly after setting off on the trail, there is a fork in the trail:  I chose the uphill "Big Trees" trail, the other trail, "Upper Meadow", looked lovely, and I fully intend to come back and hike that one as well.   It became quickly obvious to me that it was a good idea to bring the poles.  They were definitely helping me propel up the hill more quickly while engaging my upper body.  I felt more balanced and supported.    Here is an article that I read after the hike on the benefits of using trekking poles.  I'm excited about adding them back into my hiking experiences.  I felt much less impact on my joints going down, and I definitely felt better circulation in my arms.

I hiked up for a solid hour.  I definitely felt good. I had the endorphins pumping, and I could have gone on longer, but I gave myself a 4:30 deadline to turn around and go back, so I would return before dark.   I don't relish hiking by myself in the dark....I start thinking about mountain lions and such.   Here are some of the views I enjoyed on the way up - most of the vistas include Lake Stafford:

As I was going down, I figured out my flow with using the poles to support the downhill and my joints, and it was definitely beneficial. The trails being so well maintained was nice, and while I passed about a dozen people the whole time, that's not bad for a 2-hour hike.   As I was descending, I was noticing the light changing, and in the wooded areas is was pretty dim, but the vistas were still lit up with the last, golden sunlight of the day:

By the time I made the complete descent, it was almost dark, so I was grateful that I stuck to my schedule.  I was definitely tempted to keep going, but I resisted.   As I was leaving the trail and walking back to my car on the street, I could hear the California quail rustling around in the brush and making their unique sounds of settling in for the night.  I wanted to just pull up a chair and listen to them (I love quail!).   

This was a wonderful hike that I would like to go on again to take to the end of the trail and possibly loop around on the fire road.  Another wonderful new discovery!   I've also rediscovered my joy in solo hiking and biking.  I did this a lot before having a family, and it feels like I'm returning to a few of the things that used to make my heart sing that I (foolishly) abandoned when I became a Mom.  I'm getting stronger and feeling a greater sense of freedom, and it feels so good!