Foothill Marmots in 2012 Point Reyes Trails Challenge

We're hiking in the 50th anniversary Point Reyes National Seashore Association Trails Challenge to have fun and raise funds for the Association. Click here for our fundraising web page.

About 100 million years ago, a chunk of the southern Sierra Nevada came loose and worked its way up the coast, eventually latching -- for the time being -- onto the edge of west Marin (description after naturalist Jules Evens). Fifty years ago, the area became part of the National Park system. For almost that long, Point Reyes been the first place we think of going to refresh our sense of connection to the natural world.

In 1964, the PRNS Association was created as a nonprofit partner supporting the park's projects. This year, the Association has set out to raise $100,000 for trail maintenance and education programs through the Trails Challenge, inspired by naturalist Jules Evens' "walkabout" project. Evens has set out to walk all 150+ miles of trails in the park during this year. We wanted to do that too! If our bodies would believe us that we're still thirty-something, we'd give it a shot. As it is, we settled on the Five Habitats option: select trails representing Coastal Scrub, Coniferous Forest, Estuarine Wetlands and Waterways, Grasslands/Pastoral Zone, Ocean Shoreline. We hope to learn a little more about the natural history of the area as we go. This blog is meant to tell more about our progress than will fit on the fundraising page.