Club Information

General Hike Information

Directions to Trailheads

Pictures

Previous Quarters

Club History

Summer 2000 Calendar

Meet other outdoor enthusiasts and help plan our activities for the Summer quarter by attending our meeting and potluck dinner on Tuesday June 27 at 6:30pm. This time the meeting will be in the picnic area between the McFarland Building and Building 115 in Escondido Village, Stanford (http://www.stanford.edu/home/map/stanford_zoom_map.html?448,278). We will provide plastic utensils, paper plates and charcoal for the grill. You provide some food or a non-alcoholic beverage to share.

If you have trip suggestions but can't come to the meeting, please send your ideas by e-mail to Arturo (crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu) before the meeting.

New prospective "members" are welcome to come and learn about the club.

• Length of hike: ~35 miles
• Elevation gain: a couple of thousand feet
• Meet: 6am on Saturday or TBA
• Driving: 4 hours each way + car shuttle
• Limit: 6 people

There is patchy snow on the PCT, so you should have boots with good soles for kicking steps. I wasn't going to bring a tent for myself, but your mileage may vary. You're responsible for your own personal gear. I have one stove and a water filter. If we get 6 people we'll probably need a second stove. Lunch and breakfast are on your own. If you cant to coordinate dinner, let's talk. I have enough of those freeze-dried instant dinners to feed a small army.

For this trip to work WE WILL NEED AT LEAST 2 CARS, unless someone wants to hike the 14 miles from Kennedy Meadows to Sonora pass.

If you have questions, call me at work at 650-633-6012, at home at 650-856-9403 or e-mail me at mkporwit__no_spam__cs.princeton.edu.

You need to purchase the tickets immediately, as this event sells out quickly. The price for lawn seats is $22.50. Call Ticketmaster at 415-421-8497, then RSVP so I know how many people are going.

We will meet in front of the International Center at 5:30pm, for an early departure, so we find good seats. We should also carpool. The theater has a program, where cars with four or more people arriving at least one hour prior to show time may park close to the gates.

Bring some snacks, water, and most importantly a jacket. It gets cold and windy, especially later at night. Note that they do not allow cameras, recording equipment, ice-box, and some other miscellaneous items into the theater. Call 650-967-3000 for details.

Call me with any questions at 425-922-0454, or email me at rhaddad__no_spam__stanfordalumni.org.

Event description

Celebrate the Fourth of July with the SFS at their annual concert at Shoreline Amphitheater. George Daugherty presents a program of favorites from great American musicals, including Candide, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, The King and I, and Cinderella. You will also hear songs of Stephen Sondheim. And, you will see James Cagney on the silver screen in great moments from his Oscar-winning 1942 performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy. This spectacular evening ends with fireworks lighting the night sky.

• Sign-up required (see below)
• Location: Yosemite National Park
• Meet: TBD, Friday noon or late afternoon
• Return: Sunday night
• Driving time: approximately 4 hours each way

This trip will feature two hikes.

Saturday, July 8th:

• Half Dome
• Length of hike: 17 miles
• Elevation gain: 5000 ft

Sunday, July 9th:

• Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to Wapama Falls
• Length of hike: 7 miles
• Elevation gain: 1500 ft

Saturday, we will hike Half-Dome; this is very strenuous. On Sunday, we will explore the least-used area of Yosemite, the Hetch Hetchy area. We hike for a short distance from the Dam to the Wapama Falls. We will leave Yosemite Sunday after that hike.

Car pooling:
I will try to match up people that want to leave and return at the same time. I will compensate drivers for gas and $15 per passenger.

Reservation:
Participation is limited to 18. To sign up for this trip, email the answers to the questions below to rhaddad__no_spam__stanfordalumni.org.

1. Your name
2. Your phone number
3. When do you want to leave: Friday noon or late afternoon?
4. Are you willing to drive and how many people can your car seat?
5. Do you have a tent? How many people does it sleep?

I will give a fair chance to register for everyone who responds by Wednesday, June 21st, 5:00pm. Excel will randomly select 18 names from the latest list. I will consider all subsequent requests as first come first serve. Couples need only to send one application; include both names on it. I cannot accommodate group reservations; members should register individually. As usual, past hike leaders will have priority in the signup.

After confirmation, I will ask you to mail me a deposit check for $35. I will use this amount toward trip expenses: car-pool, gas, camp-fee, tents, and park entrance.

You can find more information about Yosemite at

http://www.nps.gov/yose/

For further questions, email me at rhaddad__no_spam__stanfordalumni.org or call me at 425-922-0454.

Regards, Rami

• Length of hike: ~10miles
• Meet: 8 am SHARP at Stanford Bechtel Center
• Driving: 2.5 hours ?

Also, the leader for this hike has never been there, so no guarantees :)

We will likely stop for dinner on the way home. There is no entrance fee for the park, but bring money for gas and bridge toll expenses. Bring a lunch and lots of water.

Any questions, please email Heidi at: hwilliams__no_spam__hoffman.com or call: 408-772-2828.

• Length of hike: ~11 miles
• Elevation gain: approx. 1500ft
• Meet: 8:00 am at the Bechtel Center
• Driving time: 2 hours (each way)

From the California Hiking guide: Spectacular lookouts across miles of foothills. The surrounding landscape offers a heavily wooded slope and Kent Lake to the east, Olema Valley and Inverness Ridge to the west, and Bolinas Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The trail crosses atop Bolinas Ridge, through some of the most remote land in the Golden Gate National Recreational Area.

Probable dinner in San Francisco on the way back.

Meet at Stanford Bechtel I-Center at 8 AM SHARP. Bring lunch and/or snacks, plenty of water, money for gas and toll, and a warm layer, even if it is 90 degrees down here on the Peninsula (you never know). Be prepared for sun, fog, and wind, possible ticks, and fellow hikers/hike organizers with the munchies.

Rain policy: Hike goes regardless of the weather. (Not even that Perfect Storm business is going to cancel this one.)

Trip "leader": Thomas Bawden at bawden__no_spam__pangea.stanford.edu

• Length of hike: ~12 miles
• Elevation gain: approx. 1600ft
• Meet: 8:15 am at the Bechtel Center, Stanford 10:00 am at Muir Woods
• Driving time: 1 hour 45 min (each way)
• Cost: $15 BBQ, $2 per person entrance fee at Muir Woods (National Park and Golden Eagle passes are honored) and $3 bridge toll per car.

Important: you need to buy the BBQ ticket yourself in advance.

The Outing Club has gone for breakfast many times to West Point Inn, but this is our first time going to their BBQ lunch. Back in the early part of the century, people in San Francisco could pay $1.90 round-trip to take a ride on the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway, up to the summit of the mountain. The railway shut down after a big fire in 1929. From those days, two historic buildings still stand on the mountain: the Mountain Home Theater, and the rustic West Point Inn. We plan to visit both sites on this hike.

First, we hike up to West Point Inn from Muir Woods for our BBQ lunch, a fund-raiser for the West Point Inn Association, a non-profit volunteer organization that maintains this historic building. I don't know about the BBQ lunches, but the breakfasts are average. On the positive side, the view from the covered verandah is magnificent, it's for a good cause, and (since we'll burn our calories before, and after, we consume them) it's guilt-free!

If you want to come, you need to purchase the tickets immediately, as this event is expected to sell out. The price for the BBQ is $15. The menu is BBQ ribs, salad, corn bread and beans. No vegetarian options is offered. To reserve your ticket call Merilee Buster at (415)482-0206 (in the evening). In addition to the BBQ, there will be a raffle with prices such as wine bottles and a mountain bike.

Then we'll head over to the Mountain Theater where we have seen Hello Dolly, West Side Story, Something Funny Happened in the way to the Forum, and, on occasion, "Rubber Ducky." After we picture what the shows were like at Mountain Theater, we will head down the Cataract Trail, following the Cataract Creek, with the option of visiting the Cataract Falls. We'll then take connecting trails to the Coastal Trail where we can have nice views of the ocean, weather permitting, and take the Matt Davis (whose picture can be seen inside West Point Inn) Trail back to Pantoll and then to Muir Woods.

It's a good idea to bring a jacket, as it may get windy when we get closer to the coast, and it's always cold in San Francisco if we stop there for dinner.

Trip "leader": Mike Bitsko. Phone: 831-457-8633.
Trip "co-leader:" Arturo Crespo, crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu, 650-967-4039 (h), 650-723-9273 (o)

• Length of hike: ~12 miles
• Elevation gain: 1000' lowest to highest (but I'm having trouble reading the map; we do cross quite a number of isoclines)
• Meet: 8am at Bechtel
• Driving time: 20 minutes? Pretty short.
• Directions: Page Mill until the Monte Bello OSP parking lot.
• Bring: lunch, lots of water.

• Start on the Canyon Trail and stay on it until Grizzly Flat Trail (3.5mi).
• Grizzly Flat Trail to Bay Area Ridge Trail (2.3mi)
• Bay Area Ridge Trail to Horseshoe Lake (about 3-4 mi; the map isn't clear)
• Somehow back across Skyline to White Oak Trail (less than 1 mi)
• Stevens Creek Nature Trail back to the parking lot (1.5 mi)

Sign-up required (see below)

• Location: Sequoia National Park
• Meet: Friday afternoon, time and location to be decided.
• Return: Sunday night
• Driving Time: approx. 5hr each way.

Activities

• Saturday, July 29: Alta Peak (11,204'/3415 meters)
  • Total Length of hike: 13.8 mile (+4mi for optl sidetrip to Alta Meadow)
  • Total Elevation gain: 4000 ft. (+200ft for optl sidetrip to Alta Meadow)
  Description (from California Hiking by Stienstra and Brown):
  You say you like heights? You like vistas? Here's your trail, a 4000-foot climb to the top of Alta Peak, an 11,204-foot summit in the Alta Country. Alta Peak and Mount Whitney are the only summits in Sequoia National Park that have established tails, but both of them are still butt-kickers to reach.

  From the National Park Service:
  "Alta" means "high" in Spanish, and Alta Peak provides some of the best views and high-country scenery within day-hiking distance of the Lodgepole/Wolverton area. On a clear day, you can even see across the Great Western Divide to Mt. Whitney from the summit of Alta Peak (11,204'/3415 meters). However, the steep grades and high altitudes along this trail make it one of the most strenuous in the western half of Sequoia National Park. Don't try this hike unless you are in good physical condition.

• Sunday July 18:
  • Option 1: Heather Lake, Emerald Lake, Pear Lake, and the Watchtower
    • Total Length of hikes: 13mi
    • Total Elevation gain: approx 2500ft
    Description (from the National Park Service): The popular Lakes Trail begins at Wolverton picnic area and ascends steeply to a chain of glacial lakes. Heather Lake, the first lake on the trail, is 4 miles from Wolverton. Emerald and Pear Lakes are 5.7 miles and 6.7 miles respectively from the trailhead. This is a spectacular hike with excellent views and an awesome trail (blasted through vertical granite walls). The first 1.8mi are the same as the Alta Peak trail.
  • Option 2: Car Touring and short hikes in Sequoia
    • Recommended if this is your first time in Sequoia NP
    • Total Length of hikes: approx 10mi
    • Total Elevation gain: approx 1400ft
    This is an independent car tour. I'll give the driver a map and a suggested itinerary for the day. You will start the day by driving to the Giant Forest. In the way, you will drive on top of a fallen sequoia: the Auto Log. You will also have the chance to drive through a fallen sequoia: the Tunnel Log. At the Giant Forest, you will climb Moro Rock, a granite dome with a steep 1/4mi staircase to the summit with spectacular views of the Great Western Divide and the western half of the park. Then, you will do a 2mi loop in Crescent Meadow where we might see Summer wildflowers. You get back to your cars and you will drive to the General Sherman Tree, the world's largest tree. You will end your visit to the Giant Forest with a hike to Tokopah Falls (3.4mi round trip). From the Giant Forest, you will head to the Grant Grove; (with stops at Kings Canyon View and the Redwood Mountain Overlook). At Grant Grove you will visit the General Grant Tree, the third-largest living tree and head back to Stanford.

  Car Pooling

  I'll try to put in contact people that want to leave/return at the same time. Drivers will be reimbursed from their passengers (we suggest each person to pay $15 to the driver to cover the cost of gas and usage of the car).

  Camping

  We will be staying "car camping" style in the Lodgepole campground (6700'). This means that our cars will be parked next to the tents. There is a two tent/six people limit per site, so we are going to rent big tents and have three or four people sleeping in each tent. The campground has flush toilets, bbq grills, fire rings, drinking water, bear boxes, and sinks in the restrooms. Showers are available for a fee nearby (15 minutes walk or 5 minutes by car, open 8am-1pm and 3-8pm).

  Reservation

  Participation is limited to 18 people. To sign up for this trip answer the following questions in a e-mail addressed to crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu:

  1. Your Name.
  2. What time do you prefer to leave.
  3. Are you willing to drive and how many people can your car sit?
  4. Do you have a tent that accommodates 3 or more people?
  5. What do you prefer to do on Sunday (option 1, option 2, or don't care)?

  After confirmation, you will be asked to send a check of $10 that covers the camp-fee, and tent rental (but it does not include the park entrance, another $10 per car, and the carpool cost, a suggested $15 per person). This $10 are not reimbursable, so please sign up only if you are sure that you will come.

  To give a fair chance to everybody, the selection process will be as follow: All reservations received before Friday July 14th at 5pm will have an equal chance (we may need to conduct a lottery). Reservations received after that will be first come, first served. As usual, past hike leaders will have priority in the signup.

  More information about Sequoia and Kings Canyon can be found at http://www.nps.gov/seki/

  For further questions, email Arturo at crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu or call at 650-723-9273. Co-leader: Rami Haddad (rhaddad__no_spam__stanfordalumni.org).

Join us for a rare event: a hike that we've never done before. This 10-12 mile hike will take us through a city park, a state park, and a university campus in Santa Cruz.

Starting at Pogonip nature reserve, we'll cross the campus of the University of California at Santa Cruz and finally hike through Wilder Ranch State Park. Along the way, we'll pass through grasslands, coastal scrub, and redwood forests. Most of the hike will be on patrol and fire roads that are open to bicycles.

This is a new hike that none of us (including the leader) has ever done before, so everyone will have to cooperate in reading maps and trail signs. The hike will be 10-12 miles long, and generally down hill, since we will be starting at 400 feet and ending near sea level, However, there will be some uphill stretches along the way, in particular when climbing out of Pogonip onto the campus.

This will be a one-way hike, not a loop, so we will have to set up a car shuttle beforehand. Details will be provided on the day of the hike.

Meet in front of the Bechtel International Center at 8am. Wear boots or sturdy shoes, and bring the usual Outing Club stuff: lunch, snacks, water, jacket, cap, sunscreen, some money, etc.

Optional dinner in Santa Cruz after the hike.

If you have any questions, call Michael Bitsko at (831) 457-8633

Highlights:

• Forests of oak, laurel, douglas fir, madrone.
• Stairstep falls (probably dry by now).
• And, a breath taking view from Barnabe Peak of Mt. Tam, Tomales bay, and Black mountain.

Stats:

• Length of hike: 11 miles (approx.)
• Elevation gain: 1300 ft
• Hike intensity: Moderate
• Driving time: Approx. 2 hrs. (each way)
• Rain policy: Hike is on come what may!
• Meeting time: 8 am, Bechtel International Center, Stanford.

Samuel P. Taylor Park (2800 acres) is located north of SF in the rolling hills of central Marin county. The park has some very interesting natural landscape. Along the canyon bottoms one can find shaded, fern-filled groves of coast redwoods. The canyon's dry north side on the other hand is a open grass land area. Anyone who has gone on Sir Francis Drake Highway would have seen this park.

Hike description:
We shall start off from the entrance to the Devil's gulch trail, move on to Bill's trail and see Stairstep falls (most probably dry by now) on the way. We finally make our way to the top of Barnabe (Taylor's mule) peak. Then come down the Ridge trail, and then walk along Lagunatis (Papermill) creek (which is parallel to Sir Francis Drake Highway) to where we started. A description of the trail can be found at: http://www.best.com/~donh/Outdoors/hike.960225.html

If people are interested and we have the time, we can visit Taylor's grave site, the Old Mill site, and/or the Old Dam site (all located near each other).

I had done the Barnabe peak trail loop a couple of months ago. It will be interesting to see what the Ridge trail, and the Lagunitas creek are like.

Vegetation to look out for:
Coast redwoods, Elk clover, Tan oak, Madrone, Oak, Laurel, Douglas fir. Sigh! Its too late for wild flowers.

Birds (especially atop Barnabe peak):
Turkey vultures, Kestrels, Red tailed hawks, and other large raptors (so don't get lost on the way!).

Animals:
Hikers, Black-tailed deer, raccoons, striped skunks, and gray foxes. 5 bucks prize if you spot a mountain lion!

Parking:
We might face a slight parking problem. Parking near the Devil's Gulch trail head is free, but near the group camp area is $5. We might have to play it by the ear in case we face parking difficulties.

Trip "leader:" Neelesh B. Mehta (nbm__no_spam__systems.stanford.edu). Phone : 650-724-4796.

• Total distance: 44 miles (optional shorter ride is 28 miles)
• Level of difficulty: moderate
• General terrain: hilly
• Traffic conditions: light on rural roads, could be heavy on State Highway 1
• Estimated riding time: 5-6 hours (includes an hour lunch break) 3-4 hours for the shorter ride
• Meet: 9:00 am at the Bechtel Center
• Driving time: 1 hour (each way)

The upper loop travels mostly through small, windy, and hilly rural roads, first passing San Gregorio, then passing La Honda on Highway 84, then Loma Mar on Pescadero Rd., and finally back to Pescadero. We will have the opportunity to stop at McDonald County Park or San Mateo Memorial Park, both of which are off Pescadero Rd. toward the last third of the upper loop, to snack around lunch time, or wait until we get back to our starting point in Pescadero where there are a couple of deli shops and a restaurant.

After lunch (at around 2 pm) we will continue on the lower loop, passing Butano State Park before coming to Highway 1. The Highway 1 portion is about 7 miles, but with its wide shoulder it should be a pleasant ride (we will actually cross onto Pigeon Point Rd., which passes the lighhouse, for 1 mile before rejoining Highway 1).

Excerpts from Adventure Cycling in Northern CA

Head north out of Pescadero on Stage Rd., which is actually what remains of the old coast highway. At a small cemetery on the outskirts of town, the road narrows, and you will cycle through pasturelands and eucalyptus groves with little traffic. The road climbs and descends serveral low ridges, taking you to San Gregorio.

A once-thriving stage stop at the intersection of State Highway 84 and Stage Rd. is today marked by a small country store. Turn east (right) onto Highway 84, a wide-shouldered, two-lane road. The gentle 7-mile grade will take you into a mixed forest of pine, bay, and some redwoods. In the distance, catch glimpses of the Santa Cruz mountains.

The steep climb from McDonald Country Park lasts for 2 miles, to the summit of Haskins Hill. You are then rewarded with a steep downhill to the entrance of San Mateo Memorial Park, after approximately 3 miles. There is a complete campground facility here with restrooms and water. It is a good lunch stop.

The lighthouse has a dramatic setting on a rocky bluff above the pounding surf of the Pacific. The point is named for the Boston clipper Carrier Pigeon, which was wrecked on the head- land in May 1853. The lighthouse was constructed in 1872 and today is an American Youth Hostel.

After coasting down Bean Hollow Rd. to the junction with Pescadero Rd., turn right and head back into Pescadero, passing local produce stands. If you are hungry, one of the town specialies is artichoke-garlic bread. Try a piece!

Route Guide (*) denotes a turn

0.0 From Pescadero, ride north on Stage Rd.
* 7.3 San Gregorio. Turn right onto SR 84 (La Honda Rd.)
* 14.9 Turn right onto Pescadero Rd.
* 16.0 Bear right to continue on Pescadero Rd.
22.2 Loma Mar.
27.8 Starting point (Pescadero Rd. & Stage Rd.)
* 28.6 Turning around and going back on Pescadero Rd.,
turn right onto Cloverdale Rd.
32.1 Butano State Park.
33.4 Route becomes Gazos Creek Rd.
* 35.4 Turn right onto SR 1.
* 38.0 Turn left onto Pigeon Point Rd.
* 38.3 At T, turn left onto SR 1 (Cabrillo Highway).
* 41.1 Bear right onto Bean Hollow Rd.
* 43.8 Turn right onto Pescadero Rd.
* 44.5 Pescadero (end of ride).

Gear to Bring (besides your bike)

1. Helmet (required)
2. Windbreaker (the ocean breeze can be cool)
3. Sunglasses
4. Sunblock
5. Water bottle (preferably two, but we will pass parks and a couple of stores along the way with access to water)
6. Snacks
7. Money for lunch and to pay driver (you can bring your own lunch but you may then have to bring a small backpack)
8. Extra tire, tools, pump, etc. are suggested
9. Anyone who has a pair of two-way radios like Motorola's Talkabout, it would really help keeping the riders informed Rain policy: Rain or heavy fog cancels the ride.
   If in doubt, call the trip leader to find out.

   In order to get everyone's bike down to Pescadero, we need bike carriers, either roof-mount or trunk-mount racks. If you are planning on riding, please e-mail the leader so he can try to match up bikes with carriers. Please indicate whether you have a rack and how many bikes it can carry.

   Trip "leader": Erhhung Yuan - erhhung__no_spam__alum.mit.edu - (510) 290-3275 (M) - (510) 336-3066 (O)

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   Aug 19-20 Lassen Peak (Erhhung/Arturo) (*)

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   Message was published in the mailing list.

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   Aug 20 Los Gatos Creek Trail Bike Ride (Vasona Lake Park) (Rick)

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   • Length of ride: ~6 miles round-trip
   • Elevation gain: mostly flat and level ride
   • Meet: 10:30am on Sunday
   • Driving (miles from Stanford): 19 miles (25 mins.)
   The bike ride begins at the corner of Lark Avenue and Arroyo Grande in Los Gatos.

   Map: To Lark and Arroyo Grande

   Directions:
   Take the 280 Freeway south to the 85 Freeway south; Take the 17 Freeway toward Santa Cruz. Exit at Lark Avenue, turning right of the freeway. Travel a short distance and you'll arrive at Lark and Arroyo Grande; turn left into the housing track and finding parking.

   We will ride south along the bike path leading us through Lake Vasona Park. Just south of the park we will make our way to University Avenue and gather at Borders Book Store (50 University Ave.). They offer excellent outdoor seating for a relaxing late morning cup of coffee. If the group is so inclined, we could have lunch; I know a good pizza place on Santa Cruz Avenue.

   We will make our return trip down the same path from which we came, concluding the bike ride around 2pm.

   If you have any questions, call me at work (650) 298-7313, home (408) 241-1199 or email rvelden__no_spam__broadvision.com

   See you there!

   Rick E. Van Velden. (650) 298-7313. rvelden__no_spam__broadvision.com

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   Aug 24-27 Crater Lake (Igor) (*)

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   Lady and gentlemen,

   We will be going to Crater Lake, Oregon for an extended weekend 7/24-27. You are invited to join and enjoy one of the most magnificent natural wonders of the world. Check it out: http://www.nps.gov/crla.

   If you are interested, please send me an e-mail with your name whether you have transportation and are willing to drive etc. (it's a 7hr drive.)

   We'll be leaving in the later afternoon ~4pm on August 24th and coming back very late on Sunday the 27th. Besides Crater Lake, if time allows, we'll stop by the Lava Beds national Monument and explore awesome Lava Caves. We may also stop by a nice warm lake in Lassen Volcanic park for a swim.

   This is a pseudo car-camping trip but we will not be staying at the crowded and noisy campground but be camping off the rim of the Lake's caldera. Showers however will be available at the campground.

   Most of the gear including tents can be rented from Redwood Club.

   This trip will be limited to less then a dozen people so please let me know of your interested ASAP.

   I'll be off on vacation in Colorado and I'll replay to your e-mails the second week on August when I get back

   See you there,

   -Igor igor.landau__no_spam__kla-tencor.com

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   Sep 3 Big Basin (Mike)

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   • Length of hike: 6.5 mile
   • Elevation Gain: ~1000 feet
   • Meet: 8am at the Bechtel International Center or 9:30am Big Basin Visitor Center
   • Driving Time: about 1.5 hr (each way)
   Join us for the rarest of Outing Club events, a relatively easy hike. Starting at Big Basin visitor center, we will hike a six mile loop through the redwood forest, passing Sempervirens Falls and Slippery Rock along the way. There are several hills along the way, but the total elevation gain will be less than 1000 feet.

   Since this is such a short hike, we will probably be done by 2pm.

   Trip "leader": Mike Bitsko. Phone: 831-457-8633

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   Sep 9 SLAC Tour + El Corte de Madera (Johnny)

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   • Length of hike: 4-5 miles
   • Elevation gain: ~500 ft.
   • Meet:
     • 9:30am at the Bechtel Center, Stanford
       
     • 12 noon at SLAC's visitor Parking lot or
     • 1:00 PM at Skeggs Point parking lot off Skyline Blvd.
   • Driving time:
     • To SLAC: 5-10 min. each way
     • To El Corte de Madera: approx. 40 min. each way

   SLAC Tour

   The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), founded in 1962, is a national basic research laboratory. (For more details see http://www.slac.stanford.edu/welcome/aboutslac.html, and http://www.slac.stanford.edu/grp/pao/tour.html.) The main research activities, carried out by collaborations of scientists from all over the world, involve probing the structure of matter at the atomic scale with x-rays and at much smaller scales with electron and positron beams. The laboratory has been recognized for its world-class research; three Nobel Prizes in Physics have been awarded for discoveries made at SLAC. And it is open to the public! Everybody is welcome. No science background is required. So come join us for this special Outing Club event, and find out about the great discoveries made right here in the heart of Silicon Valley.

   The Tour will start at the Visitor's center for a look at some very interesting displays, followed by a presentation, and a visit to the 2-mile long accelerator, and finally the 3-stories deep "collider hall" where experiments were done. The Tour is offered free by SLAC as a public service, but the group size is limited; please send me an e-mail (jng99__no_spam__Stanford.edu) by Friday (Sep.7) if you want to participate.

   El Corte de Madera

   To help you recover from the exciting visit in the morning to the forefront of scientific research, we will hike the El Corte de Madera located in the skyline Open Space Preserve. The preserve offers towering redwoods and understory of ferns, berries and wildflowers (well, maybe too late in the season), and some facscinating sandstone formations created by water and the passage of time. We will start at Skeggs Point off Skyline Boulevard, visit the sandstone formations, go down the redwood trail; and then loop back to the parking lot. The hike should be done by about 4PM.

   Trip "leader": Johnny Ng (jng99__no_spam__Stanford.edu).

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   Sep 10 Kayaking (Erik)

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   This event has been cancelled. We are probably having a kayaking trip on Sep 24. Stay tuned for more info.

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   Sep 16-17 Desolation Wilderness (Marcin) (*)

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   • Sign-up required (see below).
   • Length of Hike: 22 miles
   • Elevation Gain: 2,300 feet + 1,500 feet optional
   • Meet: Friday, Sep. 15 at the I-Center. Time TBD.
   • Driving: 4 hours each way + 1 hour car shuttle
   • Limit: 10 people
   • Trip Leader: Marcin Porwit (mkporwit__no_spam__cs.princeton.edu)

   We will spend a weekend doing a through-hike of the eastern reaches of the Desolation Wilderness. The place is unfortunately neither very desolate nor very wild, but it offers beautiful views of granite peaks, glacial lakes and Lake Tahoe's famous Emerald Bay.

   The hike starts at Echo challet, on the southern tip of Echo lake. We hike northwest towards Aloha lake, a large lake with hundreds of islands sprinkled all over. Then we turn toward Gilmore lake, where we will camp for the night. Depending on the time of day, there is an optional 3.5 mile trip to climb Mt. Tallac either that afternoon or Sunday morning. On Sunday we climb towards Dick's pass and then down towards Eagle Lake. Continuing towards Lake Tahoe we are rewarded with the picturesque Emerald Bay, where we end the hike.

   We would arrive Friday night and camp at Lover's Leap campground or some other place along US50. Saturday morning we would need to set up the car shuttle, dropping most people off at Echo lake and taking most cars up to Emerald Bay. Sunday we'd pick up the last car at Echo lake and head on home. We should be back by 8pm on Sunday.

   Meals on the trail will be Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch. If anyone fishes and has a license, trout abound in the lakes. Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast can be had in South Lake Tahoe. The nights wll probably be a little chilly, so have a warm sleeping bag. I'll provide 1 stove and 1 water filter, and we'll need at least one more stove. If it is not supposed to rain, I wasn't going to bring a tent. Definitely bring a towel and a swimsuit, as opportunities abound and the lakes should be nice and warm this time of year.

   If you want to come along, tell me:

   • The number of people you want to bring.
   • Whether you have a stove/tent/water filter.
   • If you can drive.
   • The number of people your car can seat.
   For 10 people we will probably need 3 cars.

   If you have questions, call me at work at 650-633-6012, at home at 650-856-9403 or e-mail me at mkporwit__no_spam__cs.princeton.edu.

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   Sep 23 Mt. Diablo Tarantula Hike (Neelesh)

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   • Length of hike: 14 miles
   • Elevation gain: 3400 feet
   • Meet: 8:30am at the I-center
   • Driving time: approx. 1.5hr each way
   • Weather forecast (Saturday): Max: 84F, Min: 54F
   • Hike intensity: Strenuous

   Optional dinner on the way back.

   I had been to Mt. Diablo two weeks ago. During the drive back in the evening, I saw a lot of Tarantulas lazily walking around. So now its time to go back and watch them in greater detail, face to face. We first hike around Mt. Diablo park, and then when we are tired in the evening, we can go and look around for Tarantulas. Besides, the temperatures have come down a bit, and it should not be very hot.

   Sales Pitch For The Hike (copied from http://www.mdia.org):
   This is the definitive Mt. Diablo hike - the total mountain experience. It encompasses all of the park's life zones, from meadow lands to rocky summit, and the ever-changing views are simply stunning.

   A major portion of the loop consists of intimate single-track trails, in close encounter with the wilderness. Make no mistake - this is a challenging hike, with some astoundingly steep stretches, but the result is exhilarating.

   Hike Description (copied from http://www.mdia.org/):
   The suggested loop follows Mitchell Canyon Road to Deer Flat, Deer Flat Road to Juniper Campground, and Juniper Trail to the Lower Summit Parking Lot. The summit itself is inside the Visitor Center rotunda, a short distance uphill. Return from the Lower Parking Lot alone the Summit Trail to Devils Elbow, then to Prospectors Gap via North Peak Trail. to Murchio Gap via Bald Ridge Trail, down Back Creek Trail to the Coulter Pine Trail at the base of the mountain, and back to the trail head.

   Note:

   • Mandatory:
     • Flashlight (since we will hang around till dusk to watch the Tarantulas).
     • Water (at least 3 liters) since it might be hot.
     • Hat.
     • Jacket (at least a light jacket to ward off chilly winds which can arise suddenly).
   • The trip leader has not been on this hike before.
   • Please get any maps, insect/flora/fauna/geology guide books/info. about the park that you may have.
   • Camera and sturdy shoes recommended.

   If you have any further questions, contact trip leader Neelesh at nbm__no_spam__systems.stanford.edu or 650-724-4796.

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   Sep 24 Swanton Pacific Country Picnic (Mike)

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   • Length of hike: 0-4 miles
   • Elevation gain: 0-500 feet
   • Meet: 9am at the I-center
   • Driving time: approx. 1hr each way
   • No-host Carpool! (read below)

   Enjoy a barbecued chicken lunch, take a hike to Big Creek Falls and ride a miniature steam train at the Swanton Pacific Country Picnic. The event will also feature a silent auction, antique cars, live music by local artists, and a raffle.

   This is a fund-raising event for the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, a non-profit organization that buys forests, farms, and other open space to protect it from development. Tickets are only $15 for adults and $8 for children under 13. The event is fun and the money goes to a good cause.

   The picnic is 10am-4pm and hikes begin in parking area at 10:30am and 1pm. The guided hikes will be to Historic Sites: a 1895 Power and Light hydroelectric plant, a 927 fish hatchery, the Big Creek Falls, and the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project.

   This event usually sells out, so purchase your ticket in advance.
   For tickets, directions, etc., call the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County at (831) 429-6116 or write to landtrust__no_spam__ltscc.org.

   This event will be a no-host carpool. This means that the people who meet at Stanford at 9am will have to organize the carpool themselves and there won't be somebody to give directions. Directions to the picnic site (from Stanford) are:

   • Take 280 South towards San Jose.
   • Take 85 South towards San Jose.
   • Take Highway 17 toward Santa Cruz.
   • Take Highway 1 north past Davenport
   • Turn right on Swanton Road and follow the signs.
   If you have any further questions, call Michael Bitsko at (831) 457-8633.