Started and finished at Stinson Beach for peak number six. Brought my friend Harris, who runs many of the trails in Mt Tam and in the Marin Headlands, and we made a morning of it. Got a couple pics down at the beach just after sunrise. Started at the Dipsea Trail from Stinson Beach then headed up Steep Ravine Trail to Pantoll Ranger Station, then Old Stage Road to West Point Inn. Old Railroad Grade Fire Road to the summit. Retraced our steps to West Point in, then took Nora Trail and then followed the Matt Davis Trail back to Stinson.

There are not enough superlatives for the incredibly clear and beautiful weather. We could see ALL of the challenge peaks as well as the Farallon Islands, which looked much closer than the 20 miles away. We saw wildlife … well, ok — a coyote who scampered onto the trail just a few yards ahead of us, then turned back to look at us while making scat on the trail. Seemed like he was trying to tell us it was his trail! The trail traffic started out slowly, but soon picked up as we got closer to the summit at 10 am. The Matt Davis Trail was pretty busy with foot traffic coming up the stairs from Stinson Beach.

We rewarded ourselves with a cheeseburger and a beer at the Parkside Cafe. By noon on a holiday weekend, the streets at Stinson Beach were packed. So, we were happy with our early (7:30 am) start. Considering most of my pre-work runs are at 4:30, this seemed late in the day.

We plan on a couple more treks, including out to Alpine Lake. So much of this area to explore.