It’s a prominent feature that’s synonymous with Marin as well as a beacon that marks home. As with many monikers in the county, it is said that the name Mount Tamalpais comes from a Coast Miwok term, in this case for the landmass támal pájis, which translates to “west hill.” However, the mountain has been spawning legends and groups have been trying to lay claim to the name ever since the designation first appeared in 1845. One myth contends that Tamalpais is Coast Miwok for “sleeping maiden,” a native folktale of the same name. Another assertion has Asian and Siberian roots, and on top of all that, there’s folklore that points to the mountain being haunted. The Coast Miwok warned of a wicked witch who lived atop the mountain, though it’s believed they only said so to keep settlers away from the hallowed peak.
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
