As promised, this is the last in a series of blogs documenting the hikes Katelyn and I took last time she was here. Good thing since we just picked her up at the airport and I expect we'll be hiking in new places soon.
This hike was probably my least favorite of the ones we did back in the January timeframe. It was 1/10/21, so the weather was pleasantly cool and cloudy. While the views were fantastic, the trails were narrow and we went on a Sunday afternoon so it was crowded. But the route we took has this stunning view of Big Rock Ranch owned by George Lucas, so for Star Wars fans it's probably worth the trip for that alone! I was interested to read that "Lucas Valley" was NOT named for George Lucas, but for an early 20th century landowner who is not related. Apparently the facility in this photo is currently used to host corporate retreat events and is now known as the "Summit at Skywalker Ranch".
One of the other interesting things for me was the location. This trail is off Lucas Valley Road, which was my regular commute route when I worked at FICO. I drove past it a million times, but had never stopped. Given it was a Sunday, the "regular" parking area was full, so we drove down the very windy hilly road, turned around, doubled back, and parked in a turnout. It was fairly near the entrance to the trail, but it was a bit harrowing to walk back as there was no shoulder to speak of. It was interesting to hear the cars zooming up and down the road, given the hills and curves there's a lot of downshifting involved, and I had never gotten the audio aspect of this spot given I was always IN my car.
To give you some perspective, the Big Rock trail starts at the top of the hill as you drive Lucas Valley Road from San Rafael to Nicasio. In the map below, we hiked the trail designated by the green dotted line. There are many other trails along these ridges, and in fact if you cross the road and take the Loma Alta Fire Road, you can actually hike all the way to Sir Francis Drake Road, near the Sherwood Forest Trail I documented in this blog. That route is 12.6 miles, so while we're not quite up for that yet, maybe someday we'll tackle it! I looked it up on alltrails, and I think the first review says it all - "tough as nails".
You might be interested to know why this trail is called "Big Rock". This picture says it all.
I later learned that Katelyn HATES IT when I start taking photos before we even start hiking, so I try not to do that anymore. It's a wonder she's smiling so nicely given that!
The hike itself wasn't too strenuous. The trail was packed dirt, and wound it's way through hills. Lots of pretty views of the valley! If it hadn't been so cloudy I bet we could see all the way to the bay.
Much of our hike was among "cow country". I was quite interested to see this watering trough, set up as a memorial to a woman who was a member of the Marin Horse Council. What a great legacy, to help livestock and wildlife survive in these low water areas.
As is tradition, Katelyn and I took a selfie to commemorate the great day. I don't remember where we stopped to eat after this, but now that I know more about Rancho Nicasio, we might have to try that next time!
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