Club Information

General Hike Information

Directions to Trailheads

Pictures

Previous Quarters

Club History

Winter 2000 Calendar

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

New prospective "members" are welcome to come and learn about the club. For more information, see our web pages at http://www.stanford.edu/group/outing/

Jan 15 Big Basin (Liz)

Jan 20 Lunar Eclipse (need leader)

Start out the new year with a spectacular total eclipse of the moon! The full moon will pass through the Earth's shadow. For us here in California, the spectacular umbral phase of the eclipse begins at 7:01 pm and ends at 10:25 pm. Totality will begin at 8:04 and last for 78 minutes. Binocular observers will notice M44, the Beehive star cluster, 6 degrees to the east of the eclipsed moon. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to observe without any special filtration. Weather permitting, the Foothill Observatory will be open for public viewing of this spectacular event. Members of the PAS and interested members of the public are encouraged to bring their telescopes and binoculars to Foothill Observatory and join in the fun.

Directions:

Foothill Observatory is located on the campus of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA. Take Highway 280 to the El Monte Rd exit. Follow the signs to Foothill College. The observatory is next to parking lot D. Parking at the college requires visitor parking permits that are available from the machines in the parking lots for $2.00.

Jan 22 Muir Woods to the beach (Liz/Johnny)

• Length of hike: 11 miles
• Elevation gain: approximately 1500 ft. (some steep up- and down-hills)
• Meet: 8:00am at the Bechtel Center, Stanford, or 9:45am at the Muir Woods headquarters.
• Driving time: 1 to 1.5 hours (each way)
• Rain policy: to be decided by Friday evening (contact leader).
• Note: In addition to the usual things (lunch,water etc), bring a rain jacket/umbrella and a flashlight just in case. Be prepared for steep up- and down-hills, and some stairs. Also be prepared for slippery and muddy conditions. No tennis shoes!!

The Muir Woods National Monument is located north of San Francisco, between Mount Tamalpais and the Pacific ocean. Our hike starts from the park headquarters, taking the famed Dipsea trail towards Pantoll ranger station. Along the way, we go through lush fern-lined forest to an exposed ridge for a first view of the ocean. We then take the Old Mine trail to Pantoll after reaching the "cardiac hill". From Pantoll, we cross the Panoramic high way to the Matt Davis trail which leads us to Stinson beach. The trail winds through open hill sides to a Douglas fir forest. Along the way there should be great views of the beach. After lounging on the beach, we head back on Dipsea trail which takes us to the Steep Ravine trail. This trail winds along the Webb Creek, with water gushing down the ravine, forming miniature waterfalls and swirling waterpools, amidst an inspiring setting of redwoods, ferns, and mosses. But it is also steep, with a number of bridges, and a wooden ladder at the end (with handrails). After arriving back at Pantoll, we take the Ben Johnson trail back to Muir Woods.

Optional dinner in San Francisco on the way back.

Driving directions:

Take Highway 280 towards San Francisco. 280 will end at 19th Ave. Take a slight left to stay on 19th Ave. You will cross Golden Gate Park and eventually, you will merge with US 101 and cross the Golden Gate bridge. >From U.S. 101 north, take the HW 1 (Stinson Beach) exit in Mill Valley. Follow the signs to Muir Woods. There are two turns that are frequently missed:
- a right turn just before the top of the hill.
- a left turn shortly after that when driving on the ridge. Parking lot is small.

Arrive early! There is no fee for parking, but there is a $2 entrance fee per person (Golden Eagle passes are honored).

Trip leaders: Liz (lizpang____stanford.edu, 650-497-6804) Johnny (jng99____leland.stanford.edu, 650-926-4490)

Jan 29 Pt Reyes: Coastal Trail to Wildcat Beach (Kat)

• Highlights: Great ocean views, lots of lakes on the way
• Length of hike: 11.2 miles
• Elevation gain: 500 feet
• Meet: 8 am at the Bechtel Center, Stanford for on time departure
• Driving: approx. 2 hrs each way
• Rain policy: heavy rain cancels the trip. Call leader's answering machine (650-625-0722) on Friday night. If it rains heavily on Friday, the dirt access road to the trailhead might be washed out, in case which the hike will leave from Bear Valley.

Point Reyes National Seashore, located an hour north of San Francisco, is one of the most beautiful and popular recreational areas in the Bay Area. We start this hike at the Palomarin trailhead, near Bolinas. From there we follow the Coastal Trail north, which will lead us past three ponds and four freshwater lakes. On the way, we can take a small detour to see the spectacular Alamere Falls, which will hopefully be spectacular because of the rain we had lately. If the tide is low we can go down to the beach and view the falls from below. But at high tide, this waterfall drops straight into the ocean! Walking along the trail, we will get great vistas of the Pacific Ocean and its attractive coastline, your leader's favorite. We continue north to Wildcat Beach where we have our lunch break. On the way back, we will follow mostly the same trails. If there is interest, we might stop in San Francisco somewhere for dinner on the way back, which is always the best end to a beautiful day hike.

Bring lunch and plenty to drink. If you would like to join us at the trailhead, please contact me so that I am aware you are coming. We will probably begin hiking at around 10:00 am, depending on when we get there.

Driving Directions to Palomarin Trailhead

Take US 101 across the Golden Gate bridge from San Francisco. About 6 miles later, take the Highway 1 exit towards Mill Valley/Stinson Beach. >From Highway 1 about 4.1 miles north of Stinson Beach and 8.6 miles south of Olema, turn west on an unsigned road (signed "Olema/Bolinas Road" farther on) that's just north of Bolinas Lagoon, where a Golden Gate National Recreation Area sign stands next to a big white house, both on the east side of the highway. After 1.8 miles on Olema/Bolinas Road turn right on Mesa Road. Travel 3.5 miles, turn right where the pavement ends, then go 1.3 miles to the Palomarin trailhead on a dirt road.

Trip "leader": Kat Cai (katcai____stanford.edu), Phone: 650-625-0722

Feb 5 Open Space hike and wine tasting (I-Ching)

• Length of hike: 14 miles or less (plans flexible)
• Elevation gain: 600 feet (repeated many times)
• Meet: 8:15am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving: approx. 30 min. each way
• Bring: money for tasting, extra shoes/slippers, rain gear
• RSVP strongly recommended (reply to this email)
• Rain Policy: heavy rain cancels the hike, we go ice skating instead, check 650-813-2209 after 7am on Saturday morning

I've pre-hiked the part up to the winery, and talked to a person there. He would like me to give him advanced notice with an estimate of the number of people. So, please RSVP to me by Wednesday night (I'll call the winery on Thursday). The tasting room is not designed for crowds, so we will go tasting in groups of 5, while the rest of us hang out outside on the winery grounds (there's some nice views, tables, a little lake, and swans). I also recommend bringing an extra pair of shoes or slippers, so we won't muddy up the tasting room (or you can always go in in your socks). Tasting is $5 (exact change, please) but you can print out a "complimentary tasting for two" coupon from the web at: http://www.fogartywinery.com/coupon.html. The general website is: http://www.fogartywinery.com/ for directions to the place, types of wine sold, and prices.

Hiking in heavy rain is no fun, though, so the alternative plan is to go ice skating in the afternoon. If the weather looks very bad Saturday morning, the leader will change the message on her phone at 7am in the morning to say that indoor skating is scheduled in lieu of hiking. We will then meet at 12:30pm at Stanford instead of 8:15am. I plan to go the the Ice Center in San Jose (http://www.icecentre-sj.com). It's $6 for admission, and $2.50 for skate rental. I plan to by a discount pass (for 12 sessions) which will make it $5 for admissions instead, for those of you who arrive with me to the ice center.

Wow, that's a lot of information, hope you're not too confused. You can email questions to ic1____netzero.net or call me at 650-813-2209 (I'm probably in the lab, I'll call you back when I get a chance) if you don't have email.

Trip "leader": I-Ching Chang (ic1____netzero.net) (650) 813-2209

Feb 12-13 Cross Country Ski Trip Yosemite (Arturo) (*)

• Location: Badger Pass Ski area, Yosemite National Park
• Meet: Saturday 6am
• Return: Sunday night
• Driving Time: approx. 4hr each way (in good weather).

Some skiing experience preferred but not essential. If you are a beginner, you can take cross-country ski lessons at Badger Pass. Snow-shoes and downhill skiing are also available at Badger pass.

Lodging:
We will be staying in cabins at Curry Village. Cabins are heated, but they don't have private bathroom (a bathroom/shower house is located nearby). 3 people will stay in each cabin. Cabins have two double beds and 1 roll-away bed.

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).

Cost:
Cost is $30 per person. This covers lodging as well as some trail snacks.

Other costs that you should consider (which are not included above) are the Yosemite park entrance fee ($20 per car), food, the ski rental at Badger Pass ($20 for a a full day and $15 for half day), and carpooling cost ($15 per person). There is no fee for trail use in Yosemite.

Activities:
Following is a description of what we have in mind for the XC ski trip. However, take into account that the leader of the trip is only a low-intermediate skier and is not able to give instruction or to take the group in a tour. The leader can give suggestions of where to go, but is up to each person to decide what's best for him or herself.

On Saturday, we will probably get started skiing around 11:30, so the trip should be short. Beginners can take a Learn to Ski Class. For the rest, we can take the Glacier Point Road (easy terrain) to the Bridalveil Campground (4.5km). This is all on a wide groomed trail. On the way back we may want to take a non-groomed trail, depending on the conditions. On Saturday evening, we can go ice skating. Skate rental is available at Curry Village.

On Sunday, we have a full day. Possible destinations are Dewey Point (12.8km round trip in a difficult trail) or the Ghost Forest Loop (14-15km round trip in a medium difficulty trail). Most likely the group will split up because of different skiing skills. Another possibility, that have been very popular in the past, is for people to rent snowshoes and hike to Dewey Point.

Reservation
Participation is limited to 15. To give a fair chance to everybody, the selection process will be different than in previous trips. All reservation requests received before Monday January 24 at 5pm will have an equal chance (we may need to conduct a lottery if we get more than 15 requests). Reservation requests received after that will be first come, first served. People who volunteer to drive will have priority (up to the number of cars needed), as well as past hike leaders.

To sign up, please answer the following questions

1. Your Name.
2. Your phone number.
3. Are you willing to drive and how many people can your car seat?
4. Previous cross country experience.
5. Are you planning to bring your own X-country skis?

After confirmation of your reservation, you will be asked to send a non-refundable $30 payment. This is necessary since I had to pay 100% up front to hold our group reservation in Curry Village.

More information about Yosemite can be found at http://www.nps.gov/yose/, at http://www.yosemite.org/ or at http://www.yosemitepark.com

For further questions, email Arturo at crespo____cs.stanford.edu or call at 650-723-9273 (o) or 650-967-4039 (h).

Feb 20 Marin (Louis)

Feb 26 Elkhorn Slough Kayaking (Erik P.) (*)

• Duration of kayak: 3 hours
• Length of hike: 4-6 miles
• Elevation gain: minimal
• Meet: 8:30am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving: approx. 1.5 hrs min. each way
• Bring: hat, sunscreen, binoculars, windbreaker, lunch, and change of clothes (see below)
• Cost: Kayak rental $29-38 USD per double kayak + 2.50 entrance fee per person
• RSVP strongly recommended (reply to this email)
• Rain Policy: heavy rain/stormy weather cancels the trip

In the fall and winter the Elkhorn Slough virtually vibrates with birds -- flocks of thousands of sandpipers, dunlins, dowitchers and other shorebirds. These flocks of birds put on a captivatingly powerful show of nature as they fly overhead -- diving and turning. In a kayak, one can view this stunning show in an intimate and unobtrusive manner.

During this time of the year, the Elkhorn Slough is a dramatic backdrop for shorebirds on their migratory path. Every bird wintering here, including the tiny sandpipers, have traveled thousands of miles to come to the Slough. From 1983 to 1990, the Elkhorn Slough held the North American record for the highest number of bird species (116) observed from a fixed point in one day!

We will be arriving at the Kayaking location ____ 10am, just at low tide which is a perfect time to see all the birds in the mudflats. After kayaking we will have lunch, then head over to the Visitor Center for a short hike around the Slough.

Clothing and Equipment:

Kayak, paddle, life jacket, spray skirt, and paddling jacket will be provided. It is advisable to dress warmly in layers for the trip out on the slough. There is always the possibility that you will get damp from paddling and it is important that you stay warm. It is not recommended to wear cotton clothing during the tour because it will hold the moisture next to your skin and will not insulate you from the cold. Wool or synthetic materials such as polyester fleece are strongly recommended. A change of clothes is recommended just in case you decide to unexpectedly go swimming.

We will probably have an optional dinner on the way home.

Directions to Kayak rental location: http://gate.cruzio.com/~kayakcon/KC_Pages/How_To_Find_Us.html

Trip "leader": Erik Peterson (erikpeterson____onebox.com) (650) 270-1040 (cell)

Mar 4-5 Winter Camping (Alex, Igor) (*)

Mar 4 Mt. Tamalpais Classic (I-Ching)

• Time: 8:30am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving time: 1:45 min (each way)
• Distance: 8-11 miles
• Elevation gain: 2000 feet
• Optional dinner after the hike.

This is one of the outing club's standard hikes (done many times before). Starting at Muir Woods, we will hike uphill to Pantoll. If the weather is clear, we'll go along the Coastal Trail high above the Pacific, returning via the Mountain Theater, West Point Inn and Mountain Home. If it's very cloudy (so you wouldn't be able to see the ocean along the Coastal Trail anyway, and so we may avoid late afternoon rain), we'll head directly to the Mountain Theater, West Point Inn (where hopefully they'll be selling hot cider and coffee), and Mountain Home back to Muir Woods.

Depending on which trails we take the hike will be between 8 and 11 miles long, with about 2000 feet each of elevation gain and loss.

Meet at the Bechtel International Center at 8:30am, or at Muir Woods visitor center at 10:15am. Parking is free at Muir Woods, but there is a $2 per person admission fee (Golden Eagle passes are honored).

Optional Dinner in San Francisco on the way home.

Rain policy: canceled if it pours, on if there's light rain

Trip "leader": I-Ching Chang, i-ching.chang____stellexms.com (day), ic1____netzero.net (night), 650-813-2209.

Mar 12 Indoor rock climbing (Arturo)

• Meet: 9:15am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving: approx. 20 min. each way
• Bring: comfortable clothes that allow you to move (e.g. t-shirt and sweat pants)
• Cost: belay lesson+day pass+equipment: $29. Day pass: $16. Equipment: $6
• RSVP strongly recommended if you need to take the belay lesson (see below)
• Rain Policy: it's indoors!

If this sounds good, join the Outing Club this Sunday March 12th to rock climb at Planet Granite (http://www.planetgranite.com) in Santa Clara.

If you haven't climbed before, you need to take the belay lesson. This 45 minute class will teach you the basis of rope handling and safety. The cost is $29 which includes full equipment rental and a day pass. For the belay lesson, you can just drop in, but it is better if you call ahead and make a reservation. Planet Granite phone number is (408) 727-2777 and they require a deposit when making a reservation. You should reserve for the 10am belay lesson.

If you have climbed before and you are able to pass (or has passed) the belay test at the gym, then you can buy a day pass for $16 and rent equipment for $6.

Trip "leader": Arturo Crespo (crespo____cs.stanford.edu), (650) 967-0439(h), (650) 723-9273(o)

Mar 18-19 Winter Camping (Alex, Igor) (*)

Mar 25-26 Sykes Hot Springs Backpacking (I-Ching)(*)

Mar 26 Mission Peak via Sunol

• Length of hike: ~10 miles
• Elevation gain: approximately 2200 ft.
• Meet: 8:30 am at the Bechtel Center, Stanford
• Driving time: 1 hr (each way)

Mission peak is located in the East Bay, it's 2527 ft high and it's one of the 6 peaks that form the Rim of the Bay. We will start at the Sunol Regional Wilderness Visitor Center (elev. 390 ft) at the Ohlone Wilderness Trail. The short section of the trail which is in Sunol Regional Wilderness is on a narrow, scenic path hand-built by California Conservation Corps crews, there is a scenic overlook along the way with views of Sunol Valley. Continuing westward, the trail crosses Calaveras Road (elev 770 ft). From that point, the trail follows fire roads through oak woodlands and crossing several creeks. Continuing to the west, the trail enters lands leased from San Francisco Water Department (SFWD), an area of grasslands interspersed with groves of oaks. 2 miles from Mission Peak, we'll leave the leased land and enter the Mission Peak Regional Preserve (elev 1820 ft). Near the top of Mission Peak, the trail contours around the peak, but a steep half mile climb will take us to the summit (elev 2527 ft). From the summit, we will have panoramic views of San Francisco, the South Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. In the way back, we will take a different trail back to the SFWD leased lands. From that point, we will follow the same trails we used in our way to Mission Peak back to Sunol Regional Wilderness.

Note: if you live closer to Sunol than to the Stanford I-Center, please contact me for an alternative meeting point.

Trip "leader": I-Ching Chang, i-ching.chang____stellexms.com (Friday), ic1____netzero.net (Saturday), 650-813-2209

Driving Directions to Sunol

Driving from Stanford:

Take 101 North. Exit on Willow Rd (84 East/Dumbarton Bridge). Cross Dumbarton bridge. Continue on 84 East (84 merges briefly with 880 south, and separates on the XXX Blvd exit). While driving on 84 be extra careful as the roads turns several time and the sign are small (a specially missed turn is a *left* turn on the traffic light just after crossing the railroad tracks). Continue on 84 on Nyles Canyon. After a while, you will find the intersection of 84, Calaveras Rd. and 680. Turn right on Calaveras Road. Turn left on Geary Rd (this turn is just before Calaveras Rd. start clibimg steeply up-hill). Geary Rd. dead ends in the park.

Driving from other places:

• From the Fremont area, drive north on I-680 and exit Calaveras Road. Turn right on Calaveras and proceed to Geary Road, which leads directly into the park.
• From the Oakland-Berkeley area, drive east on I-580 to the junction with I-680 in Pleasanton. At the junction, go sourth on I-680 and exit at Calaveras Road/Highway 84 just south of the town of Sunol. Turn left onto Calaveras Road and proceed to Geary Road, which leads directly to the park.
• From the Walnut Creek-Danville area, go south on I-680 and exit at Calaveras Road/Highway 84 just south of the town of Sunol. Turn left onto Calaveras Road and proceed to Geary Road, which leads directly to the park.