Though we hope for more rain, clear skies would give us an opportunity to view a small meteor shower, the Taurids, which peak on Nov. 4 and coincide with a new moon. Expect extreme high tides morning and midday; the highest comes on Saturday, Nov. 6 just before noon, at 6.8 feet. Close behind the Taurids are the Leonids, which peak on Nov. 17. The peak date is when most of the shower can be seen, but watching around those dates also yields the potential to see a falling star. These showers bring about 14 meteors per hour.
The rain pouring into Redwood Creek has helped open the sand bar at Muir Beach, allowing coho salmon and steelhead trout to begin their annual return journey. There are no sand bars in Lagunitas Creek, which snuck across Levee Road briefly. As the sediment settles and creeks begin to run clear, salmon and steelhead trout viewing will begin in local watersheds.
The deep, soaking water has also brought up mushrooms of all kinds and newts wandering the trails. California newts are the common local salamander species with a reddish-brown back, yellow-orange belly and large eyes. Like salmon, they return to breed in the pools where they hatched. In their juvenile phase, they are known as efts.
Park trails and the Bear Valley Visitor Center will be open along with the lighthouse stairs on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.