Oct. 19: Pt. Reyes
- Length of hike: 13 miles
- Meet: 8:30am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
- Driving time: almost 2 hours each way
Pt. Reyes National Seashore is located north of San Fransisco
and is one of the most popular recreational parks in the Bay Area.
We have visited Pt. Reyes quite frequently, trying different
trails. This time we will do the "classic loop". We start at
the Bear Valley Visitor Center, hike up to Mt. Wittenberg (1407
feet),
and continue down to Sculptured Beach where we probably have our
lunch break. There are some nifty rock formations to explore
on the beach. Then we follow the Coast Trail with nice views of
the Pacific Ocean south to Arch Rock. From there we take the
Bear Valley Trail back (a mostly paved road/trail).
Optional dinner after the hike, so bring some money.
Please note that the trip "leader" has not done this trip before,
but the trails are well marked so that should not be a problem.
How to get to Pt. Reyes:
Take 280 or 101 north and cross Golden Gate Bridge.
Right after Marin City take Sir Francis Drake Blvd west
(the signs will say San Anselmo, it's the exit after Lucky Drive).
Eventually you end up at Hwy 1 in Olema. Turn right and then
almost immediately take a left and follow the signs to the
Park Headquarters and Visitor Center.
Oct. 26: Pinnacles Full MoonHike
- Length of hike: 7-8 miles
- Elevation gain: 1500 feet (moderately strenuous)
- Start of hike: 2:00pm at the Bechtel
Center, Stanford
This is an old Outing Club tradition: A hike in Pinnacles at night
under the (almost) full moon! We meet at the Int'l Center at 2pm
and carpool down to Pinnacles National Monument (south of Gilroy
and Hollister).
We start at Chalone Creek picnic area and walk through the small
"caves", before we head up to the high peaks. There we sit down
and wait for the full moon to come out. Hopefully it will be a
clear night and we can find our way down between the pinnacles
in the moonlight. This time we will take the shorter route,
returning to Chalone Creek on the High Peaks Trail (we will not
go to the Bear Gulch Caves as we did last time).
IMPORTANT: Everybody must bring a (working)
flashlight! The whole trip is only about 7-8 miles, but we will
take it slowly in the moonlight so we will be back late at night
(possibly after midnight). Note that we will have to go down
some pretty steep steps in the "dark", so if you are uncomfortable
with that then this hike is not for you.
Please bring liquid and food for a meal, and also some warm
clothes to put on when it gets cold at night. And remember the
flashlight and batteries!
This trip will be canceled if there is high likelihood of rain
or even if it is very overcast (can't see the moon).
The forecast is currently promising but the situation
may change. If in doubt, please check your email on Friday
night or Sat. morning.
Nov. 2: Mt. Diablo
- Length of hike: 8-10 miles
- Elevation gain: 1800 feet (moderately strenuous)
- Start of hike: 9:00am at the Bechtel
Center, Stanford
We will be hiking in the less crowded east side of the park. We will
begin at the Regency Gate and do the Donner Canyon to Falls Trail to
Mitchel Canyon "Giant Loop." Last week I hiked for several hours
without running into any other people. If you would like to meet us at
the park please contact me ( Osman ) for more details.
This hike gives a good sampling of what the park has to offer; open
meadows, canyons, waterfalls ( if there is water! ), great views to the
east and a few bits of fall color.
There will be no water anywhere along the hike so please make sure you
bring enough. You should also bring a lunch.
This trip will be canceled if there is high likelihood of rain. The
forecast is currently promising but the situation may change. If in
doubt, please check your email on Friday night or Sat. morning.
In any event, I will be at the Bechtel Center to say go or no go.
Trip "leader": Osman Eralp
Nov. 16: Portola State Park
- Length of hike: ~13 miles
- Elevation gain: approximately 1000 ft.
- Meet: 8:30am at the Bechtel Center, Stanford
- Driving time: less than 1hr (each way)
Join us for a visit to Portola State Park. The park is located in
the Santa Cruz mountains near skyline.
Description from the Park Guide:
Portola is a natural stream basin of mixed evergreen forest,
featuring old growth and second-growth redwoods. On sunnier
hillsides the redwoods give way to hardwoods and shrubs. The
dense understory is mostly buckleberry. Ferns and shade-tolerant
plants are found along the creeks. The park also is home for a
surprising variety of wildlife. Pescadero, Peters, and Slate
creeks flow along fault lines in the earth where oil seepage
and marine fossil deposits hint at the complex geologic history
of the area.
We will start at the Park Office (elev 425ft). We will follow the
Summit Trail up to an elevation of 1000ft. Then, we will
continue on the Slate Trail (mostly flat) for about 2 miles.
Then, we will head up the Bear Creek Trail that will take us to
the highest elevation of our hike (1400 ft). We will go
down to the Peters Creek loop (elev 700ft) where we will enjoy a
"siesta" break. Finally, we will backtrack to the Park Office.
