Club Information

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Winter 2002 Calendar

June 28: Outing Club Potluck!!!

The agenda for this meeting is as follows:

1. Presidential elections
2. Trip planning
3. AOB

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

Elizabeth Pang

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Jan 13 (Sun): Henry Coe (Vicky)

• Length of hike: 11.2 miles
• Elevation gain: 2550 ft
• Hike intensity: Moderately strenuous
• Meet: 8:00am at Bechtel I-Center or 9:15am at Hunting Hollow Entrance
• Driving time: ~1 hr 15 minutes

The leader has not been to this area of Henry Coe, so here is a description stolen from Arturo's previous trip announcement:

"The route we'll follow starts at the Hunting Hollow entrance (870ft). >From the entrance, we'll head South-East, following a tributary of the Coyote Creek in a gentle uphill through the Hunting Hollow. Close to the head of the creek, we turn North and start climbing uphill to the Phegley Ridge (at 1950ft). But we don't follow the Ridge, instead, we head North and we start going downhill to the end of Coon Hunters Gulch. At the Gulch we continue North-West, heading uphill again towards Wilson Camp, and to the highest point in our hike, Wilson Peak (2651ft). Wilson Peak, our northernmost point, is an old friend of the Outing Club, as we visited it last year (it was our southernmost point in last year's hike). From Wilson Peak, we head South-West, in a relatively steep downhill, to return to our cars. The hike will be 11.2mi with a total elevation gain of 2550ft."

Arturo has also posted a map and hike profile at:
http://www-db.stanford.edu/~crespo/outing/coe99/

Notes:

• Long pants are recommended as ticks are common.
• Bring a flash light in case we hang out too long in the park.
• If you have a map, please bring it.
• As always, bring a lunch and plenty of water (there is no reliable water source there) for the hike, and money for carpool.

Trip "leader": Vicky Wong (vicwong__no_spam__stanford.edu, 650-725-8811)

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Jan 19-20: Hetch Hetchy Backpacking (Chris) (*)

• Length of hike: 21 miles
• Elevation gain: 1500 ft
• Hike intensity: Easy-Moderate
• Meet: 9:00am, Saturday at Bechtel I-Center
• Driving time: ~4 hr each way
• Sign-ups required.

I think I have a compromise that should be pretty fun (after bending the Yosemite ranger's ear and talking with Arturo). The two low elevation areas in Yosemite are the Yosemite valley and the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. So, for backpaking, Hetch Hetchy is the place to go. Here is the plan for the trip as of now assuming that they do not get a big snow before the weekend. Saturday we drive up and hike from the HH dam parking area roughly two-three miles below the dam into the Poopenaut Valley. This hike is not on my map, so I'm taking his word for it. Sunday, we hike back to the dam and continue along the reservoir to Rancheria falls and spend the night (this would be the longest day, 9 miles and 1500 ft roughly). Monday, we hike out and drive back to Stanford. It should be beautiful! I will come up with a backup plan if the weather does not cooperate.

I hike at a fairly casual pace (some might call it slow!), although this should not be your first backpacking trip. Bears in this area are highly active and canisters are a must. Also, it is likely to be near freezing at night. If you are interested, please send me an email at cjtrip__no_spam__rrdmail.stanford.edu. There is a limit on the number of people in backcountry parties. Sometime over the weekend or Monday I'll form the list. In your email please let me know if you can drive and how many people you can take, and what of the following group equipment list you have or can borrow or rent.

• Water filter
• Stove and cookset
• Bear canister
• Tent, how many people

Chris, cjtrip__no_spam__rrdmail.stanford.edu

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Jan 20 (Sun): Big Basin - Berry Creek Falls, Silver Falls, and Golden Cascade (Ying)

• Length of hike: 10-12 miles roundtrip (5-6 hours)
• Elevation gain: 1,900 ft
• Hike intensity: Moderate to strenuous
• Meet: 7:30am at Bechtel I-Center or 8:30am at Big Basin Redwoods State Park Headquarters
• Driving time: ~1 hr 
• Big Basin official website: http://www.bigbasin.org/

I was there last weekend and it was georgeous. Lots of trees, crisp air, and a fun hike overall. (AND there's hot chocolate at the ranger station.) We will take the sunset trail and the skyline to the sea trail. Depending on weather conditions, there might be some fallen trees, wading through streams, etc.

Notes:

• Bring a flash light in case it gets dark
• As always, bring a lunch and plenty of water (there is no reliable water source there) for the hike, and money for carpool.
• Wind/rain gear, sunscreen, camera
• Heavy rain cancels the trip
• Park fees $3 per car

Trip "leader": Ying Li (yingli__no_spam__rrdmail.stanford.edu, 650-962-1946) 

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Jan 26-27: Sykes Hot Springs (Chris & Giles) (*)

• Length of Hike: ~10 miles each way
• Elevation Gain: 2000-2500 feet
• Meet: 7am on Jan 26 at the Bechtel I-Center
• Driving time: approx. 2 hours each way
• Limit: 15 people

The Sykes Hot Springs are situated in Big Sur, the beautiful and wild coastal range south of Monterey. We will hike in along the Big Sur river. The goal is to find (and enjoy) the hot springs at what is hopefully a time when they are not too heavily mobbed. We will spend a night near the hot springs by a campfire before we head back the next morning. We should be back in the Bay Area by early Sunday evening.

You'll need the standard overnight gear: sleeping bag and pad, warm clothes, food... we will also need some tents, stoves and water filters.

(Note: rain cancels the hike. I'll monitor weather reports and send out updates. Current long range forecast is for scattered showers, we'll cross our fingers.)

To come along please e-mail us with the following information

1. Your name
2. Your e-mail address
3. The number of people you want to bring
4. Do you have a car that you are willing to drive?
5. Do you have a tent? How many people will it take?
6. Do you have a stove and/or water filter?

Giles and Chris
gctrip__no_spam__rrdmail.stanford.edu

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Jan 26-27: Ski Trip to Tahoe (TK Sung) (*)

If you would like to sign up, please reply to me (tksung__no_spam__extravert.com) with the info outlined at the bottom. It will be first-reply, first-serve basis, with ususal preferences to drivers, past trip leaders, etc., till the trip is full.

First, the summary of the trip:

• Depart in the afternoon/evening of 1/25
• Ski Heavenly on 1/26
• Ski Kirkwood on 1/27
• Return in the evening of 1/27
• Open to all levels (Heavenly has very limited runs for beginners, however).

• Two cabins (Stutz and Mercer) at Camp Richardson by the beach
• Room/bed assignment on first-arrival first-take basis (Please be considerate, and be prepared to shuffle if necessary)

• We'll all go into town for dinner on 1/26.
• Alternatively, we could cook if someone volunteers to be the chief chef.

• I'll assign passengers to drivers according to proximity and departure time.
• Drivers and passengers should arrange to meet on Friday afternoon for departure (If no consensus, use Bechtel center for meeting)

• $27 for the lodging
• $47 for Heavenly lift tickets at Albertsons (Buy one before leaving!)
• $45 for Kirkwood, available at the camp
• $10 for dinner on 1/26
• Reimbursement for drivers (~$20/passenger)

• Your name:
• Your phone:
• Can you drive? (must be 4 wheel-drive or have chains)
• how many passengers can you take with you? :
• how many pairs of skis can you carry? :
• Do you have your own skis? :
• Location you'll be departing form :
• What time can you leave? :

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Jan 26-27: Snowboarding __no_spam__ Northstar (Chris C.) (*)

• Location: Northstar, Tahoe
• Meet: Friday ~6pm __no_spam__Bechtel
• Return: Sunday night
• Driving Time: approx. 4hr each way (in good weather).

Lodging:
We will be staying in a 3-bed condo. 

Cost:
Estimated Total Cost Per Person: $120, based on a total of 12 people going. This includes: round trip car pool, lodging for 2 nights, lesson, rental and lift ticket on first day. 

There are 6 'free' lift tickets for the second day. Those who wants to snowboard/ski on the second day will have to rent their own gear. If there are more than 6 people wanting to snowboard/ski on the second day, additional lift ticket expenses will be shared among the second day snowboarders/skiers.

Sign Up:
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. Do you want to take lesson on the first day? 
5. Do you want to snowboard/ski on the second day?
6. Do you have your own snowboard/ski?
7. Would you mind sharing a bed with people? (If not, please bring sleep bag and pad.

For further questions, email Chris at chungwan__no_spam__yahoo.com or call at 408-907-4257.

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Jan 27 (Sun): Point Lobos (Girish)

• Location: 3 miles south of Carmel on HW 1
• Meet: 9 am, Bechtel I-Center parking lot, or 11 am, Point Lobos Entrance booth.
• Driving time: approx 2 hours
• Length of hike: 8 miles
• Hike intensity: Easy to Moderate ( Beginners welcome )
• Elevation Gain: 200 ft.
• Park URL: http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us
• Rain Policy: Threat of serious rain on Saturday cancels the hike
• Meet: 9am at the Bechtel International Center, Stanford
• Bring: Rain-Gear,layered clothing,sunglasses, hat, chapstick, Camera + plenty of film, binoculars, sturdy shoes and picnic lunch.
• Cost: carpool money + optional dinner on the way back.
• Parking : Park your car on the roadside for free or inside the park for a fee. I have a detailed park map we can use.

For more information about the park see http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us.

( From the coastal access book )
1276 acres of headlands of spectacular views of the coast, sandy coves and beaches, tidepools, Monterey cypress groves, more than 300 plantand 250 bird and animal species, trails and picnic areas. Numerous sea lions can be seen on the rocks from sea lion point. Bird island is a sanctuary for thousands of birds. Sea Otters can be seen from the bluffs.

It is a photographer's paradise. I have seen photography workshops conducted at Pebbly beach.

This is the whale season and chances of seeing Gray whales are good. The two points to view the Gray whales are Sea Lion point and the headland on Cypress Grove trail.

We will doing the Perimeter trail that consists of many smaller trails and loops along the coast. It is one of my favorite parks in California.

Some of the interesting view points on this trail are : China Cove, Bird Island, Pelican point,Pebbly beach, the Slot, Sea Lion rocks, Pinnacle Cove, Cypress Grove, Whaler's Knoll,Cannery Point, Whaler's Cabin, Whaler's Cove, Granite Point and much more.

Optional Dinner at the end of the hike around Carmel. If we have time we can go to Carmel beach or check out other attractions nearby.

Trip "leader": Girish Hullatti : ghullatti__no_spam__zonelabs.com
Tel: (925)-735-0880 (Home) (415)-341-8260 (Work) 

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Feb 1-3: Tahoe Ski Trip (Maria) (*)

• Lodging: 2 bedroom/2 bath condo (for eight) in the Northstar resort for 2 nights stay (Fri/Sat night) with cost ~$40/night/person (plus tax) 
• Number of skiers: up to 8 persons 
• Ski resort: Northstar/Squaw/Diamond Peak with discount lift tix cost ranging $48-$50/tix (up to 10% discount of regular tix) 
• Transportation:
1. Carpool (* Carpool passengers, please reimburse your driver 15 cents per mile. (For example, a 100 mile trip would cost $15, divided amongst all the members of a carpool. Estimate about 600-700 mile trip - $25-$30/each for vehicle of four persons)

or 
2. Rental car (if needed): cost of rental car + gas will be divided among riders of that vehicle. 
3. Need: one or two to host rides, else, we'll rent the car.
• RSVP: by 1/18/02 (deadline) with a nonrefundable deposit of $40. If you decide to back out, you lose your deposit. If you decide to withdraw after confirming you have to pay the entire cost (2 nights stay + lift tix (if any) unless there is a replacement found.

• Can you drive? w/ or w/o your own vehicle? Car model? 4x4? Ski/board racks?
• How many passengers can you take?
• Where and when (date + time) you would like to leave?
• Are you skiing or snowboarding?
• Do you have your own gear (length of your equipment) or going to rent or need a beginner package?

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Feb 2-3: Yosemite Ski Trip (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 and they have a private bathroom. 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 for the lodging is $40 per person.

Other costs that you should consider (which are not included above) are the Yosemite park entrance fee ($20 per car, unless somebody in the car has a national park pass), food, the ski rental at Badger Pass ($15.75 for a full day and $13 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.

Reservations:
Participation is limited to 15. To give a fair chance to everybody, all reservation requests received before Friday January 18 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?
6. For couples: are you willing to share a double bed?
7. Would you mind sharing a room with people of the opposite sex?

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

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

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Feb 9 (Sat): Murietta Falls (Aditya)

• Total length of hike: 11.5 miles
• Total elevation gain: 4400 feet (approx.)
• Park URL: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/delval.htm
• Driving distance/time: 55miles / 1h 30min hours approx. each way
• Optional: dinner on the way home
• Cost: $4 per car for parking, $2 per person for required permit
• Rain policy: Rain cancels hike
• Fun policy: Required 1 joke/mile policy enforced!
• Meet: 8:00am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford

The hike is strenuous, given the 4400ft of total elevation gain (3300ft on the way to the falls, 1100ft on the way back). Finally, Murietta Falls will not be big and loud like the Niagara Falls- hey, this is the Bay area, remember! Having said all that, it promises to a fun day with lots of hiking, talking and making new friends!

For those of you who love topographic maps, I've put 2 maps at: http://www.geocities.com/sunnyaadit/hikes.htm

NOTES:

• Long pants recommended
• All other regular stuff like: sun lotion, sun hat, sun-glasses, first aid etc. ...
• Bring a flash light
• As always, bring lunch and plenty of water (there is no reliable water source there) for the hike, and money for carpool
• Dress in layers

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Feb 10 (Sun): Pescadero Creek (Craig)

• When: Sunday, February 10
• Meet: 8:30 am Bechtel International Center, 9:30 Hoffman Creek Trailhead
• Directions:
  • Take 280 North to 84 West
  • Follow 84 West 13 winding miles to La Honda
  • Turn Left on Pescadero Road
  • Bear Right after 1 mile to _stay_ on Pescadero
  • Continue 4.2 miles to Wurr Road
  • (if you pass the entrance to Memorial County park, utrn around and return 1/4 mile)
  • Take a left onto Wurr, follow 1/4 mile to the trailhead and park.
• Length:10 miles
• Elevation Change: 1000 feet
• Bring: lunch, water, the usual stuff
• Rain Policy: Threat of heavy rain on day of hike cancels
• Cost: mileage only (approx 25 miles)
• Warning: Possible Stream Fording

Questions?

Contact Craig Foster
(650) 497-3314
cfoster01__no_spam__yahoo.com

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Feb 16-17: Introduction to Winter Camping (Marcin) (*)

• Length of Hike: ~3 miles from the road plus day trips
• Elevation Gain: TBD
• Meet: TBD
• Driving Time: 4-5 hours each way
• Limit: 12 people

The second possible destination is Bagley Valley. Looks great on a map, and it seems it is dotted with hot springs (sense a theme here?), but I have no idea if any of the hot springs feed into usable pools. I haven't been able to find any info on that.

This trip will cover a little about staying warm, avalanche safety, and if the snow is deep enough we'll dig some snow shelters, so bring waterproof clothing because you WILL get wet doing that. We'll also explore the area around our camp on snowshoes.

If you're interested, drop me a line. Tell me whether you have a stove, a 4-season tent, and what kind of sleeping bag you'd bring on this trip. Also let me know if you can drive and how many people you can take. You should have 4WD or chains and know how to use them.

Please note that a major snow storm will probably cancel the trip.

Trip "leader": Marcin K. Porwit mkporwit __no_spam__ cs.princeton.edu

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Feb 24 (Sun): Napa Bike Trip (Erhhung)

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 24
• Time: 9am at Bechtel I-Center or by 11am at the corner of Suisun Valley Rd and Mankas Corner Rd (north of Rockville). See directions below.
• Distance: approx. 45-50 miles
• Duration: finish by 6pm? (with quick stops in the town of Napa for some food or wine tasting--maybe even check out some wineries along the way). We can grab dinner somewhere after the ride.
• Sign-up: Unncessary, but since this is a late announcement, please call me if you want to come. I won't be at Bechtel since I live in Walnut Creek, so I'll meet you at the starting location.
• Contact: Erhhung Yuan (cell: 510-290-3275)

I'd like to start somewhere on Suisun Valley Rd, which is an exit off I-80 soon past (east of) the junction with I-680. Driving north on SV Rd, first you will pass the town of Rockville, then you will come to the intersection with Mankas Corner Rd. I plan to start riding here. I don't really know this location, but it seems like a good place to start, and we should have no problem parking our cars there.

The route (more or less)
Riding north on Suisun Valley Rd., it becomes Wooden Valley Rd. and then it hits route 121. We'll go north towards Lake Berryessa until it intersects with route 128, where we'll go left (northwest). Go on 128 until it ends at route 29. 29 is a major road through Napa, but we may take Silverado Trail, which parallels 29 going south. We'll ride south until we come to the town of Napa. We can take a rest here and check out anything of interest, then head back north on 121 to the junction with Wooden Valley Rd. We've done a big loop at this point, and we'll finish the ride going back on Suisun Valley Rd.

What you'll need
I don't really know the availability of facilities or water stops along the way (at least not until we come to route 29), so bring a full Camelback or two bottles. Bring a windbreaker in case it gets chilly, and bring some energy bars. Also bring some money, and bring a two-way radio if you have one.

Transportation
To get your bike to the starting location, you'll obviously need a bike rack. Let me know by tomorrow (Saturday) evening whether you can meet at Bechtel and whether you have a bike rack and how many bikes it can carry.

Erhhung
erhhung __no_spam__ alum.mit.edu

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Mar 2 (Sat): Purisima Creek (Girish)

• Location: West entrance of Purisima Creek Redwoods SP on Higgins-Purisima Road.
• Meet: 9 am, Bechtel I-Center parking lot. ( So folks starting from Bechtel center please carpool & promptly head out by 9:15AM.)
  10:15 am ( West Entrance of this park on Higgins-Purisima Road ).
• Note : The trip leader will meet you at the Park entrance on Higgins-Purisima Road.
• We will start the hike at 10:30AM sharp and late comers please catch up with us on the trail.
• Length of hike: approximately 10 miles
• Hike intensity: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 1100 ft gain and loss.
• Park URL: http://www.openspace.org/PURISIMA.html
• Rain Policy: Rain or Shine we hike. Trail is mostly covered in Redwood trees.
• Bring: Rain-Gear,layered clothing,sunglasses, hat, chapstick, Camera + plenty of film, binoculars, sturdy shoes and picnic lunch.
  Carry lots of water as this is a strenous hike.
  Long pants recommended as this park has poison oak and ticks.
• Cost: carpool money + optional dinner on the way back.

For more information about the park and view photos of the park trail check out: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/purisimahiggins.html

Trail Highlights
We will doing the loop trail that consists of starting out on Purisima Creek trail and hike along and up the creek for about 2.3 miles and a climb of 400ft. Then we get on Soda Gulch trail for 2.6 miles and gain another 400 ft. We hike till be get to Harkin's Ridge trail. At this juncture, we can decide to do a LONGER LOOP based on the energy level of the group a close the loop by taking the Harkin's trail back to the parking lot.

LONGER LOOP: The longer loop will follow the Harkin's Ridge to the North Ridge trail and then follow the Whittemore Gulch trail back down to the parking lot. This longer route will only be 2 miles more and a mere 200 feet of elevation gain)

The main attractions on this hike are:

• Towering Redwood trees
• Rushing creek
• Understory of ferns, berries and wildflowers.
• Views of pacific coast and Half Moon bay from the north side.

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Mar 3 (Sun): Dipsea Trail (Dan)

• Meet: 9 am at Bechtel I-Center parking lot or 10:30 am at Mill Valley Dipsea trailhead
• Total length of hike: 6.6 miles one way (13.2 round-trip)
• Total elevation gain: 2200 feet (approx.) each way
• Hike intensity: Moderately strenuous
• Driving distance/time: 45 miles / 1 hour each way
• Optional: dinner on the way home
• Cost: $1.50 if taking the bus, possibly $3 for Muir Woods fee, $3 per car for Golden Gate Bridge, carpool costs
• Bring: Standard hiking gear, water, food or money for lunch
• Rain policy: Rain cancels hike

For Marin hikers, completing the Dipsea Trail is a rite of passage, an experience that offers a glimpse into both heaven and hell in a single morning.
- California Hiking

The Dipsea is the most famous trail in the bay area, and, because of the foot race held on it annually, even has a worldwide reputation. Few trails anywhere pack as much beauty, ruggedness, variety, and history into so short a distance.
- Tamalpais Trails

Don't be scared off by the "hell" part, there is much more heaven in this hike than hell. The bad part is the (in)famous steps up out of Mill Valley at the beginning of the hike. After that we will be rewarded with beautiful views of the city, Muir woods, and descending into Stinson beach. We will be eating lunch in Stinson beach, and relaxing on the sand. You will be able to buy food there.

For the return trip, I expect that some people will take the bus most of the way back from Stinson beach ($1.50). If you're thinking of doing the round trip hike, please bring a flashlight/headlamp in case we spend too much time relaxing on the beach and end up hiking after dark.

If you're planning on meeting us at the trailhead rather than at Stanford please email me to let me know and I'll send you directions. Also feel free to email me with any questions about the hike.

Trip "leader": Dan Gelb : dgg1__no_spam__cornell.edu
(Please note that is a number one not a letter L in my email address)
650-248-5635

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Mar 9 (Sat): Three Lakes Hike (Girish)

• Meet & Depart: 8:30 am, Bechtel I-Center parking lot. (Please carpool)
  10:00 am, Bon Tempe Dam parking lot. (Trip leader will meet you at the Dam)
• Date: Saturday March 9th
• Length of Hike: < 13 miles ( mostly flat with some elevation gain. )
• Elevation Gain: 1300 ft gain and loss
• Hike intensity: Medium
• Driving Time: 1.5 hours ( approx. from Stanford ).
• Bring: Rain gear, wind breaker, BINOCULARS, sturdy shoes and picnic lunch, some siesta gear (frisbee, chocolate, etc)
• Cost: Toll fee + Lake entrance fee ( $5 per car ) + carpool money + optional dinner in San Rafael.
• Carpool Info: For Stanford folks, please co-ordinate the carpool situation. Trip leader will meet you at Bon Tempe Dam.

From Highway 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake. Drive west on Sir Francis Drake about 5 miles to the town of Fairfax. Turn left on Pacheco Ave, make the first right onto Broadway, and then turn left on Bolinas. Drive about 1.5 miles on (what is now signed as) Fairfax-Bolinas Road, then turn left onto Sky Oaks Road (signed to Lake Lagunitas). Once past the entrance kiosk, drive about .4 mile, and turn right (to Bon Tempe) at a signed junction onto a gravel road. Drive about .3 mile, then bear left (unsigned) to the trailhead (if you get to a second parking lot at the end of the road you've gone too far).

Hike Description:
This very popular hike passes through quite varied terrain (meadows, marshes, forests, ridges as well as along three lake shores) in the beautiful area of the northern slopes of Mount Tamalpais. The hike starts at the Bon Tempe dam and then follows the Alpine Lake shore for 4 miles. Then we go up along Cataract and there should be plenty places suitable for siestas and offering great views of the valleys. After the high marshes the hike goes on down Rock Spring - Lagunitas trail and then along the shore of Lake Lagunitas and on Bon Tempe Sunnyside trial (along the shore of Bon Tempe Lake).

More Useful Info, URLs
Photos at: http://www.bahiker.com/slideshows/bontempepics.html

Trail info:

• http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/bontempe.html
• http://www.mtbca.com/mttam-02.html
• http://www.marintrails.com/Hikes/hike4.html
• http://www.marintrails.com/falls.html

• http://www.marintrails.com/flowers.html
• http://kevingong.com/Hiking/BonTempeLake.html

Mar 9 (Sat): Pinnacles (Yin Yin) - POSTPONED

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Mar 10 (Sun): Sonoma County Zinfandel (Geoff)

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Mar 16-17: Castle Peak/Donner Pass Snow Camping (Doug) (*)

• Length of Hike: ~2.5 miles from the road
• Elevation Gain: 600ft
• Meet: 6:30am
• Driving Time: 4 hours each way
• Limit: 12 people

This trip will depart the sno-park located at Donner Summit adjacent to Boreal Ski park and go North along the Pacific Crest Trail, through the Castle Valley, over Castle Pass and down into the Round Valley. Enjoy sweeping vistas along this route and enjoy the winter views of Castle Peak.

For a topo map of the route go to http://www.geocities.com/dougbeasley/

I'll provide an information session ahead of time that will explain elements of winter camping on Wednesday evening, March 13 at 7pm in the Coffee House located in Tressider.

For those who've winter camped before, come and enjoy the this Sierra destination. For those who have not, come and learn how to enjoy and survive the 4th season. This trip is open to travel with snowshoes or experienced backcountry skiers.

I'll cover some on Avalanche Safety and winter snow survival, including shelters, cooking, and staying warm.

If you are interested, please send me an email to sign-up and let me know your answers to the following questions:

1. What is the Temperature rating of your sleeping bag (10F or better preferred)?
2. Do you have a Four Season Tent and how many people will it sleep?
3. Do you have a four-wheel drive vehicle or chains?
4. Are you willing to drive and how many people can you take with gear?

Thanks and I look forward from hearing from you.

Doug Beasley "Trip Leader" - dougbeasley__no_spam__yahoo.com

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Mar 16 (Sat): Rockclimbing at Planet Granite (Bill)

• Length of Hike: Well, none
• Meet: 9:15am Bechtel Center, Stanford or at 9:45 at Planet Granite
• Driving Time: Approx. 20 minutes each way.
• Cost: 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!!

The cost is $29 which includes full equipment rental and a day pass (normally $16). After the class, you can purchase a special 5 pass for only $50.

If you have climbed before and do not wish to take a lesson, you are also welcome to come and meet new people to climb with! You would need to pass (or have passed) a belay test at the gym, then you can buy a day pass for $16 and rent equipment for $6.

If you would like to take a lesson, please call Planet Granite ASAP, but no later than THURSDAY AFTERNOON at (408)727-2777 to book a belay lesson at 10 AM. Tell them you are with the Stanford Outing Club, as I have reserved several spots. You will be asked for payment information when you call. If you are not able to reserve a spot or decide you want to go after Thursday you may still show up (before 10 AM to increase your chance of getting a spot) and take your chances on a drop-in belay lesson, which does not require a reservation, but has a limited number of first-come spaces available.

After the lesson we can go for lunch and return afterwards for more climbing.

Please e-mail me if you'd like to go, so I have a rough idea of how many people will be coming. Also, if you want to carpool, please email me your phone number so I can set it up.

Trip "leader": Bill (bill_shapiro__no_spam__yahoo.com)
Cell: 650-465-6141

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Mar 17 (Sun): 4 Summits of Diablo (Arturo)

• Length of hike: 18 miles (very strenuous)
• Elevation gain: 4500 feet (very strenuous)
• Park URL: http://www.mdia.org/
• Driving time: approx. 1:45
• Optional dinner in the way home
• Meet:  7:00am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford.
• Bring a flashlight for this hike
• Wear shoes with very good traction as there are two short    segments on very steep slippery scree.
• Please note that this is a very strenuous hike, both in elevation gain and length.

For this hike, we will start on the north side of Mt. Diablo in Clayton near Walnut Creek.  We enter through the Regency entrance (600 feet) and hike up the Eagle Peak Trail.  After a short but steep hike we will reach Twin Peaks at 1733 feet, followed by Eagle Peak at 2369 feet! Then, we continue to Deer Flat, Juniper Campground, and Juniper Trail to the Lower Summit Parking Lot.  From there, we will hike to the summit of Mount Diablo.  The summit itself (3849ft) is inside the Visitor Center rotunda, a short distance uphill.  We return to the Lower Parking Lot along the Summit Trail to Devils Elbow, then to Prospectors Gap and on the North Peak Trail to North Peak (3557 feet) from which there is a great view. We then descend on a very rough and seldom used trail to a saddle from where it's an easy hike to our last peak: Mt. Olympia (2946ft).  From Mt. Olympia, we return to the North Peak Trail, and follow the Bald Ridge Trail to the Back Creek Trail that will lead us right back to the cars.

This is a challenging hike, which some astoundingly steep stretches, but the result is exhilarating. Remember that this trip contains a lot of hill climbing  so it will be a real workout! Expect the full hike to take 10 hours (excluding driving). Note that there are no facilities at our entry point so make sure you bring everything you need and stop for a restroom break on the way.  Hopefully the low pressure on top of the Bay Area will keep the temperatures low, but even with that this area can be very hot on a sunny day so bring at least 2 quarts of water and perhaps a hat. There will be one opportunity half way the trip to refill water bottles.  Also, if you have a Mt. Diablo map, please bring it.

If you live in the East Bay and would like to meet us up there, please email me (crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu) for directions.

Trip "leader": Arturo Crespo (crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu)
650-723-9273 (w), 650-967-4039 (h).

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Mar 22-23: San Luis Obispo & Wildflower hike (Peter) (*)

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Mar 24 (Sun): Point Lobos (Girish) - CANCELED

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Mar 28-Apr 1: Death Valley in Bloom (Bill) (*) - CANCELED

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Mar 30-Apr 1: Lost Coast (Erhhung) (*)

• Destination: Lost Coast trail in the King Range National Conservation Area in Humboldt County
• Leaving: Friday, March 29 - afternoon or early evening
• Returning: Monday, April 1 - evening to late evening
• Driving distance: Approx. 250 miles (60 miles south of Eureka)
• Driving time: Approx. 5 hours (2 1/2 hours more is required on Saturday morning as we drive most of the cars to the north end of the coastal trail). Shuttle from to the south end to north end and back on Monday will take an additional 5 hours.
• Hiking distance: 25 miles (8-10 miles per day) Begins at the mouth of the Mattole River and ends at Black Sands Beach, just north of Shelter Cove.
• Elevation gain: Rolling hills, but mostly on the beach, where terrain ranges from fine sand to big boulders.
• Difficulty: Moderate - hiking with a backpack on sandy beach can be slow and quite a workout--we will hike on the trails whenever possible.
• Tides: High tide will restrict hiking at certain segments of the trail. For this trip, high tide occurs around noon time each day, so we will try to hike early in the day at these segments: Punta Gorda (2.9 mi from Mattole), Sea Lion Gulch to Randall Creek (4.5-8.4 mi), south end of Miller Flat to 1.5 mi north of Gitchell Creek (16.7- 20.7 mi).
• Costs: A few bucks for camping first night; most will be driving expenses (approx. $30) plus your own food.

Check out these pictures:
http://www.abovecalifornia.com/pictures?mode=1&tripID=11

Suggested gear checklist:
http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html
http://users.aol.com/gburch2/bpgear1.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~kirkm2506/BackpackGear.html

It has been almost two years since the Stanford Outing Club has gone on a trip to the Lost Coast (and I was on that one) so it's time to repeat this three-day journey along northern California's Pacific coast. I won't spend too much effort in describing the hike here since there are plenty of write-ups and photos accessible by the links given above.

Some logistics: since this is a one-way, 25-mile hike from north to south, we will need to shuttle people between the trailheads. There are commercial taxi services available, but Roxanne, one of the few shuttle operators, charges $40 per person. This is a bit steep, IMO, so I suggest we stay at one of the campsites near Shelter Cove on Friday night, and leave one car at Black Sand Beach before taking others to the trailhead at Mattole, 2 1/2 hours away.

Everyone is responsible for his/her own backpacking food (sharing food around camp fire is encouraged, of course), but shared equipment such as tents, stoves and cookware, and water filters will be coordinated once I know who is going. If you're interested in coming, please provide me with the following info and I'll get back to you by the beginning of next week.

• Name
• Contact info (e-mail, phone #s)
• Do you have a car and willing to drive? How many people (with backpacks) can it fit?
• What shared backpacking equipment do you own? Tent, stove, cookware, water filter, etc.
• Where and when would you like to leave?
• What silly human tricks do you know?

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Mar 30 (Sat): Henry Coe (Marc)

• Length of hike: 14-18 miles
• Elevation gain: 4000-5000 ft
• Park URL: http://www.coepark.org/
• Driving time: 1 hour (55 miles) each way.
• Meet: 8:30am at the Bechtel I-center, Stanford.
• Note: This hike will be very fast and strenuous! Approx. hiking time = 5 hrs

Plan on a quick, steep, very vigorous hike with only a few, very short rest stops, and total hiking time roughly 5 hours. Also, plan on heat. Expect the park to be at least 10 degrees warmer than Palo Alto. There's plenty of water at the trailhead, and be prepared to carry at least 3 liters during the hike.

By the end of the hike we should be exhausted, but we also should have experienced some of the best parts of Henry Coe park.

Trip "leader": Marc Sanders (sanders__no_spam__csli.stanford.edu)
650.470.7628 (w), 650.233.1174 (h)

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Apr 3 (Wed): Quarterly Meeting and Potluck!!!

The tentative agenda for this meeting is as follows:

1. Food and introductions
2. Trip planning

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

Craig

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Apr 6-7: Ventana Wilderness (Lothar) (*)

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