|
|
|
Winter 2002-03 CalendarJan 8 (Wed): Winter Quarter Potluck!!! Jan 11 (Sat): Santa Cruz (Heidi) Jan 11-12: Tahoe Skiing (Marcin) (CANCELLED) (*) Jan 11-12: Snow shoeing from Donner Pass (John) (CANCELLED) (*) Jan 17-20: Lassen: Introduction to Snow Camping (Igor) (*) Jan 18 (Sat): Pinnacles High Peaks Trail (Silvia) Jan 19 (Sun): Ano Nuevo Elephant Seal Walk (Craig) (FULL) (*) Jan 22 (Wed): Ice Skating (Erik) Jan 25 (Sat): Purisima Creek Redwoods (Julio) Jan 25-26: Yosemite Cross Country Ski (Arturo) (*) Feb 1 (Sat):Sam McDonald County Park (Heather) Feb 1-2: Yosemite Snow Camping (Igor) (*) Feb 7-9: Yosemite Snow Shoe (Yin Yin) (*) Feb 8 (Sat): Late Afternoon Photography at Point Lobos (Sherry) Feb 14-17: Crater Lake / Hotsprings (Igor) (*) Feb 15 (Sat): Mt. Tam (Julio) (CANCELLED) Feb 15-16: Sierra Backcountry Snow Shoe (Doug) (*) Feb 22 (Sat): Mid peninsula Windy Hills (Alissa) Feb 21-23: Ski Trip to Lake Tahoe (TK) (*) Feb 23 (Sun): Sea Kayaking (Erik) (CANCELLED) Feb 28-Mar 2: Lassen Cinder Cone (Igor) (*) Mar 1 (Sat): Butano Ridge (Craig) Mar 2 (Sun): Stairsteps Fall: Samuel Taylor State Park (Ammie) Mar 8-9: Light Weight Backpacking: Big Sur (CANCELLED) (Peter) (*) Mar 9 (Sun): Pinnacles National Monument (Girish) Mar 15 (Sat): Castle Rock (Matt) Mar 15-16: Biking Trip (Jenny) (*) Mar 15-16: Car Camping at Big Basin and day hike to the Berry Creek Falls (CANCELLED) (Brian) (*) Mar 16 (Sun): Leader's Choice (Girish) Mar 20 (Thur): Guitar Music, Sopa de Tortilla y Ceviche in Palo Alto (Eric) Mar 22 (Sat): Mt. Tam (Julio) Mar 22-23: Elkhorn Slough Backpacking (POSTPONED) (Henri) (*) Mar 29 (Sat): SF Wildlife Refuge Trip (Mark) Mar 29-30: Car Camping at Big Basin and day hike to the Berry Creek Falls(Brian) (*) Apr 1(Tues): Spring Quarter Potluck!! Apr 5(Sat): Grand Loop, Castle Rock State Park (Matt) Apr 5-6: Winter Car Camping (Chris, Paul) Apr 11-14: Death Valley In Bloom (Bill) (*) Apr 12 (Sat): Big Basin Waterfall (Vicky) Apr 13 (Sun): Oyster Picking (Paul) Apr 13 (Sun): Leader's Choice (Girish) No advance reservations are needed for any of the trips with the exception of the ones marked with (*). A few weeks before those trips, we will post instructions on how to sign up. January 8 (Wed): Winter Quarter Potluck!!!Meet other outdoor enthusiasts and help plan our activities for the Fall Quarter by attending our meeting and potluck dinner on Wednseday, Janaury 8 at 7:00 PM in the dining room at the Bechtel International Center. Note that I'm moving this backhalf an hour since some people were having trouble meeting at 6:30. Try to be on time. Please bring some food or a beverage to share. The tentative agenda for this meeting is as follows:
If you would like to lead a hike, or some other activity, but can't come to the meeting, please send me your ideas by email before the meeting at cfoster01__no_spam__yahoo.com. Also, please email me if you would like additional agenda items to be considered for the meeting. 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 Jan 11 (Sat): Santa Cruz (Heidi)
Trailhead: Across the street from Park Headquarters, at the large Redwood Trail Marker
Driving From Palo Alto:
Bring: Lots of Water, Sunscreen and Lunch and Raincoat just in case. Trip "leader": Heidi. heyheidiw__no_spam__yahoo.com Jan 11-12: Tahoe Skiing (Marcin) (CANCELLED) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Jan 11-12: Snow shoeing from Donner Pass (John) (CANCELLED) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Jan 17-20: Lassen: Introduction to Snow Camping(Igor) (*)Empty National Parks, no bugs and the bears are (mostly) asleep. Winter is a great time to go camping and this trip is the easiest way to give it a first try. We'll car-camp in Lassen Volcanic Park, built (and sleep in,) an Igloo, snow shoe around and probably have a big snowball fight. This is not going to be an endurance challenge but a fun event. Expect temperatures in the high 40s in the day and high 20s at night - warm by winter standards. The snow is currently 120in deep but, there will be warm bathrooms nearby with running water. Gourmet menu will include casadias and cranberry pancakes etc. What else can you ask for! Departing in the afternoon of Friday 17th (to beat the rush hour traffic,) we'll return early evening on Sn All the equipment you?ll need can be rented cheaply from Redwood and REI. The trip is limited to 8-10 people so early sign-up is encouraged: let me know if you are interested asap. NO experience with winter camping is necessary! Please let me know of you wound like to help with the organization, food and transportation.
I'll provide a detailed list of clothing/food/transportation by
Wednesday lunch time and I?ll be happy to reply to individual
questions so keep them coming.
here is a link to Lassen Park:
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/ Jan 18 (Sat): Pinnacles High Peaks Trail (Silvia)
Directions: 2 hours to get there by car
Volunters to co-lead are more than welcome, I am just proposing the trip, and know other people would like to join!Please forward the email to anyone who would like to have some fun and a little bit of exercise,
if we are fit it should take 3 hours, otherwise 4, and we can have
lunch at the top! Jan 19 (Sun): Ano Nuevo Elephant Seal Walk (Craig) (FULL) (*)Date: Sunday, January 19Meet: 9:30 am, Bechtel or 11:00 at Ano Nuevo Driving time: 1 1/2 hours milage: 47 (approx) Length of hike: about 1 mile Elevation Gain: not much Difficulty: easy Cost: $4 per person ticket, plus milage, plus optional lunch Bring: water, extra layer of clothing, rain gear as appropriate (no umbrellas) Park url: http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=523 Ano Nuevo State Reserve is a rocky, coastal park located about 45 miles south of San Francisco. It also happens to be the site of the largest mainland breeding colony of the northern elephant seal. These are large seals - up to 16 feet long and 2 1/2 tons - and males have long noses and make funny noises. So apparently it's a site worth seeing. From January through March, you can only visit the seals on guided walks (and after that their gone). I have reserved a tour, 20 spots, for tickets at $4 apiece. The tour runs rain or shine, and no pets or umbrellas are allowed on the tour. From everyone who emails me by Sunday, I will start by giving tickets to trip leaders, in the order I receive them, followed by everyone else, in the order I receive the email. I will inform everyone shortly after that date whether they are on the trip or on the wait list. So that I don't have to deal with no shows, I'm going to ask that people pay beforehand. I'll try to make this as easy as possible. You can either mail me a check, drop it by my office or apartment, or bring it to the potluck on Wednesday, January 8th. If I don't have your money by the 8th, I'll take people off the wait list. After the tour, we'll have an optional lunch before heading back, possibly at Duarte's in Pescadero, famous for their artichokes and berry pies. If you would like to go, pease reply to this message with the following
information:
Name: Jan 22 (Wed): Ice Skating (Erik)Dinner at Shiok (a very tasty Singaporian) followed by ice skating at The Winter Lodge RSVP encouraged (for dinner)
The Winter Lodge ice skating rink in Palo Alto has opened once again for the winter season, so it's time to glide and dance around this outdoor rink while enjoying some nice music. We will start with a tasty meal at Shiok, located at 1137 Chestnut Street, just off of Santa Cruz Ave in Menlo Park. To help get an estimate, please let Erik know if you'd like to join the group for dinner, but still come along if you decide at the last minute. At 7:50, we will head over to The Winter Lodge, which is just a short drive away (there's a big parking lot there). If you can't join us for dinner and want to meet us directly at the rink, that's fine, too. They are located at 3009 Middlefield Rd, just off of Oregon Expwy and behind the Arco station. Admission is $7 and another $3 for skate rentals. After skating ends at 10pm, those who would like to hang out a little longer and get a cup of coffee or tea can come to Cafe Borrone around 10:30. They are located at 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, next to Kepler's bookstore. Again, let me know if you'd like to come, especially if you plan on coming to dinner. Thanks. Event organizers: Jan 25 (Sat): Purisima Creek Redwoods (Julio)
The Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is located on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Half Moon Bay. This magnificent preserve, encompassing 2,633 acres, offers hikers a wide variety of environments. The preserve was established with a gift of $2 million from Save the Redwoods League. Purisima Creek Canyon provides towering redwoods and an understory of ferns, berries, and wildflowers. We will meet at the Whittemore Gulch trailhead on Skyline Boulevard. This trailhead has a 20-car parking lot and is next to a small country store. >From the trailhead we will head down Whittemore Gulch trail entering and exiting groves of majestic redwoods while getting an excellent view of the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. We will then cross Whittemore Gulch and hike along Purisima Creek on the Purisima Creek trail. A section of the Bay Ridge Trail will take us back to our starting point and will also provide a good mix of redwood groves and fine views. DIRECTIONS from Stanford to the Whittemore Gulch trailhead of the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve:
Julio Magalhaes delete_me_jamzemail__no_spam__yahoo.com (remove ?delete_me_? for correct address) 650-947-8124 Jan 25-26: Yosemite Cross-country Ski Trip (Arturo) (*)Sign-up required by Thursday Jan 16 (see below)
Welcome to the 5th annual Outing Club cross-country ski weekend in Yosemite. On Saturday Jan 25th, we will be driving very early (around 7am) to Yosemite Valley and ski for half a day at Badger Pass. On Saturday night we will stay at Curry Village. On Sunday, we will return to Badger Pass and ski all day. We will return to Stanford Sunday evening. 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. LodgingWe will be staying in cabins at Curry Village. Cabins are heated, but they don't have a private bathroom (bathrooms and hot showers are nearby). 3 people will stay in each cabin. Cabins have two double beds and 1 roll-away bed. Cabins are very simple, small, and rustic.Car PoolingI'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).CostCost for the lodging is $34 per person (couples sharing a bed $22.50 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 ($17 for a full day and $14 for half day), lessons, and carpooling cost ($15 per person). There is no fee for trail use in Yosemite. ActivitiesFollowing 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 a group this big 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 1pm, 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. ReservationParticipation is limited to 21. To give a fair chance to everybody, all reservation requests received before Thursday January 16 at 5pm will have an equal chance (we may need to conduct a lottery if we get more than 21 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
Sorry, I don't know who snores and who doesn't, so please don't ask me to put you in a room where nobody snores. After confirmation of your reservation, you will be asked to send a non-refundable $34 payment (or $45 for couples). 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 or at http://www.yosemite.org/ or at http://www.yosemitepark.com. For further questions, email Arturo at crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu (preferred) or call at 650-330-0100 x 1778 (o). Feb 1 (Sat): Sam McDonald County Park (Heather)
Description: This should be a beautiful and easy hike amongst redwood trees, oaks, and California buckeyes. About half way through we will pass by Hiker?s Hut, the hike?s ?most unusual and prized feature?. Hikers' Hut is operated by the Sierra Club and can be rented out to hikers for overnight stays. At the end, there should be some good views. Directions: From Highway 280 in San Mateo County, exit Highway 84.
Drive west on Highway 84/La Honda Road about 6 miles, to the junction
with Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard). Continue straight on La Honda
Road/84, about 6.5 miles, to the easy-to-miss junction with Pescadero
Road. Turn left. Drive about 1 mile south on Pescadero Road, and bear
right at the junction with Alpine Road. Continue about .5 mile on
Pescadero Road, to the park entrance on the right (drive slowly, as the
entrance is undersigned).
Hope to see you there! Feb 1-2: Yosemite Snow Camping (Igor) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Feb 8 (Sat): Late Afternoon Photography at Point Lobos (Sherry)
Point Lobos is a stunningly beautiful place. Incredible shoreline replete with inlets and beaches, tourmaline waves crashing into rocks, sea birds, otters, sea lions, the works. A landscape artist called it "the greatest meeting of land and water in the world", and that's about right as far as I know. This is a two-part event. The first part will take place on Saturday afternoon, February 8 at Point Lobos, where we will go on a leisurely stroll in the late afternoon, taking photos. No need for a fancy camera -- digital or point-and-shoot is fine. There will be a list of categories of photos that you'll be welcome to compete in (see below). The preserve closes at 5pm, just before sunset, but we should still have plenty of opportunity to be creative and observant. On the way back, there will be an optional dinner, probably in Calistoga. I'll have more info later. The second part of the event will be a photo viewing at my house on Saturday evening, February 22, plus potluck dinner (or $5-$10 contribution if you don't have time to cook/shop). Slides or prints are fine, as are digital displays via computer. We will vote on pictures in each of several categories, with the winners getting some prize that I haven't figured out yet. Photos will be made available on the outing club web site some time afterwards, with your permission. Photo categories will be varied, to keep things interesting. Each category will have two winners -- one for most beautiful/moving, and one for most innovative (e.g., least like others in its category). Some example categories:
This trip will be limited to 28 people to minimize logistics of such a long-distance trip. If you are interested, please respond with the following. Preference will be given to those who have led a trip in the last six months, and to those who can attend both Saturdays. I will let you know by Friday, January 31 if you are on the trip.
Sherry Listgarten sherry__no_spam__listgarten.com Feb 7-9: Yosemite Snow Shoe (Yin Yin) (*)* There's a limit of 12-18 people for this trip, so sign-up is required: see below
Perhaps you've seen Yosemite in the summer, but it's quite a different experience in the winter. You won't see bus-loads of people, and a white blanket covers the meadows while the mist from the waterfalls turns into snow. For this showshoeing trip, we'll leave Friday night and stay in Curry Village's heated canvas tents. On Saturday, we'll hike the 7-mile Dewey Point Ridge Trail from Badger Pass. On Sunday morning, we can either go ice skating at the nearby skating rink (boasting a fantastic view of Half Dome), or you're welcome to explore other areas in the Valley (snowshoe rental is available in Curry Village, but you need to rent them early as they have fewer shoes than Badger Pass). If you own a sled, you're welcome to bring it along for an even less strenuous activity. We plan to head back after lunch, but each carpool can decide when they would like to leave. GEAR: MUST HAVE
If you don't have waterproof, breathable clothing, it's OK (these are normally not items you can rent and they can be expensive if you don't already own them)--just bring extra clothes to change in case they gets wet. OTHER GEAR (not all required)
SIGN-UP: Please only sign up if you're sure you can come because I won't be able to get my deposit back for vacancies due to last minutes cancellations. I can book a additional cabin if there are more people sign up for the trip than I anticipated. To sign up, please respond to the following questions and e-mail them to: ingrid_yyh__no_spam__yahoo.com
Your co-leader: Erhhung Yuan (erhhung__no_spam__alum.mit.edu) Feb 14-17: Crater Lake winter camping (Igor) (*)* There's a limit of 8 people for this trip, so sign-up is required: see below
This is an preliminary announcement of the upcoming
trip
to Crater Lake, OR an enormous lake situated inside
a
caldera of a collapsed volcano and the 2nd deepest
lake
in the Americas. If you have never been there, check
out:
http://www.nps.gov/crla/pphtml/activities.html Per park regulations our group will be limited to 8 people. Departing the Bay Area on St. morning we'll arrive at Crater Lake late at night and set camp. On Sn. we'll ski in for ~4miles and set camp in the snow. Monday, we'll ski out and head back toward the Bay Area. On the way back I plan to explore a lava caves at the
Lava Beds National Monument:
http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~beej/lavabeds/lavabeds.html This is a winter camping trip of medium difficulty so some familiarity with cold weather snow camping and a decent shape are required. Please check out the above web sites as well as pictures on the Outing Club Web site of previous trip to Crater Lake and if you are seriously interested, Please let me know at ilandau__no_spam__corp.ultratech.com
Cheers! Feb 15 (Sat): Mt. Tam Matt Davis/West Peak Loop (CANCELLED) (Julio)
Towering Mount Tamalpais is known for its spectacular views of the coast, San Francsico, Point Reyes, Marin County and more. Our hike will take us along an extended loop around the West Peak (2,560' altitude) of Mt. Tam. and will cross the saddle (2300' altitude) between West Peak and East Peak. The route will take us through lovely stretches in mossy oak and laurel woodland, into grasslands with fine panoramic views, and along Cataract Creek. After meeting at the Pantoll Ranger Station, we will start our hike at the Matt Davis trailhead from which we will head towards the west. Our loop will then continue onto the Coastal Trail and the Cataract Trail. Segments on the Benstein Trail, Rock Spring Fire Road, and the Upper International Trail will take us to the highest point on our route at the saddle between Mount Tam's two major peaks. We will then descend to the eastern part of Matt Davis Trail by taking segments of the Miller Trail, Old Railroad Grade Fire Road, and Nora Trail. The shady eastern section of the Matt Davis trail will return us to our starting point at the Pantoll Ranger Station. DIRECTIONS from Stanford to the Pantoll Ranger Station at Mount Tamalpais State Park:
delete_me_jamzemail__no_spam__yahoo.com (remove "delete_me_" for correct address) 650-947-8124 Feb 15-16: Sierra Backcountry Snow Shoe (Doug) (*)
Come join this easy snowshoe camping trip and see the beautiful backcountry of the Sierra in its winter splendor. We'll explore two areas of the Sierra along Highway 80 with snowshoe day hikes and have an easy evening of snow camping within a half mile of the car. This trip requires previous backpacking experience and proper gear to camp in the snow and very cold. Our first day, Saturday, will take us to the sno-park at Donner Summit. We'll head with an easy pace north along the Pacific Crest Trail, through Castle Valley, over Castle Pass and to the Peter Grub Hut in the Round Valley. If conditions are right, we can explore the area around Castle Peak and then head back to the car. We'll gather our gear and then head into the backcountry about .5 miles from the trailhead. I'll even bring a sled of firewood along to have a campfire at night. It will be cold, but with the short distance to camp, luxuries can be brought. On Sunday, we'll break camp and go back to the car. We have a choice of two destinations for this day depending on snow conditions. The primary choice will take us to the Yuba Gap sno-park where we will snowshoe the Yuba Gap loop with a side trip to Kelley Lake. This is an easy 5.5-mile loop. The alternate destination is the easy 5.5 Mile Kyburz Flat Loop. The trip is located 12 miles north on Highway 89 after turning off of Highway 80. This trip follows along the thin ribbons of meadow to the expansive Kyburz Flat. We'll circumnavigate Kyburz Flat following a route through the seclusion of a light pine forest. Both of these locations on the second day I have not explored. All snowshoeing will be at an easy pace. Gear expectations: Since this trip will be both day-hiking and camping, please bring gear to support both situations. For day hiking, bring a small backpack and 10 essentials. If you have avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe) bring that as well. For the camping part of the trip, please be prepared to "backpack" in for the half mile. I'll provide all stoves, fuel and pots to melt snow and boil water. It is assumed you know what is required to camp in the snow and cold. I'll send out a recommended gear list after everyone is signed up. If you'd like to sign-up for this trip please complete the following questionnaire. Twenty-four hours after the email announcement is sent out, I'll use a lottery to randomly pick people to join the trip. I'll notify everyone immediately afterwards of the lottery if they did or did not make the trip. People with previous snow camping experience or previous trip leaders within the last 6 months have priority. 1. Name? 2. Phone number? 3. Email address? 4. Do you have a four-wheel drive or vehicle with chains that you can drive for this trip? 5. If yes to question #4, how many people can you fit with gear in your vehicle? 6. Do you have a four-season tent? How may people does it sleep? 7. Do you have a sleeping bag with a true temperature rating of at least 15 degrees F? 8. Have you snow camped before? 9. Have you led a trip within the last 6 months? Which Trip? 10. Do you have a CA sno-park 2003 season pass?Trip Leader: Doug Beasley, dougbeasley__no_spam__yahoo.com Severe Winter Storm Cancels Trip Feb 22 (Sat): Mid peninsula Windy Hills (Alissa)
Details
Blurbs
Directions from Stanford:
Trip Leader: Alissa (mcfarlin__no_spam__slac.stanford.edu) Feb 21-23: Ski Trip to Lake Tahoe (TK) (*)We are going back to Camp Richardson for a weekend of skiing. This year, I reserved only one cabin for 8 people because I could not secure a big discount for the cabins like last year, and the trip is a bit more expensive as result. If you would like to join, please reply to me (tksung__no_spam__extravert.com) with the info outlined in signup section 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. I'll also give preference to a Costco member who can organize the purchase of Kirkwood discount tickets for us. Trip Summary
LodgingI reserved one cabin (Stutz) at Camp Richardson by the lake. It has two bedrooms that sleep three each (one double + one single), and a living room with a sleeper for two. Room/bed assignment on first-arrival first-take basis. Please be considerate, and shuffle if necessary in case people don't want to share room/bed with you for reasons like gender.FoodLast year, we had a lot of fun cooking. However, it took a lot of time and work. So, this year, I'd like try a pot luck instead. I'll come up with the "wish list" of food once the trip is full. If you prefer, you can also go out for food as well.DrivingSince there will be only 8 people, I'd like to take only two cars if possible. 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)Cost
SignupPlease reply to this email, with the info below. Once the signup is confirmed, you will need to send me a check for the lodging ($49) by 2/17. In case of cancellation, refund will be made only if a replacement is found.
Feb 23 (Sun): Sea Kayaking (CANCELLED) (Erik)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Feb 28-Mar 2: Lassen Cinder Cone (Igor) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Mar 1 (Sat): Butano Grans Loop (Craig)
DescriptionButano State Park (pronounced byu'-tin-o, according to my guide) seems to be everyone's favorite park they've never been to. Including me. So I figured it was time to change this. This is a fairly strenuous hike, but I don't intend to rush it. We will start on the Ano Nuevo trail, follow it through dense vegetaion and Douglas firs to the Olmo Fire Road, and turn right on the Gazos trail. As we ascend we get better views of the coast. The trail rejoins the Olmo Fire Road. A highlight on this part of the trail is 25-foot root ball of a Douglas fir, that apparently often has banana slugs in residence. We'll probably lunch at an overlook just off the trail. We'll backtrack slightly to the Indian trail, follow that to Canyon Trail, to Jackson Flats trail through the Redwoods and back to the parking lot. We'll probably try to hit an early dinner at Duarte's (pronounced Dwarts, according to reliable sources) since we didn't get there after the Ano Nuevo trip. Good artichokes and berry pies. Questions: contact Craig, trip "leader" at 497-3314 or cfoster01__no_spam__yahoo.com Mar 2 (Sun): Stairsteps Fall: Samuel Taylor State Park (Ammie)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Mar 8-9: Light Weight Backpacking: Big Sur (Peter) (CANCELLED) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Mar 9 (Sun): Pinnacles National Monument (Girish)Thanks to Yin-Yin for all the research involved in posting
Info on the areaPinnacles NM is east of central California's Salinas Valley, the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement. Pinnacles offers over 30 miles of hiking trails, a talus cave to explore, climbing, and opportunities to view the natural surroundings. The Pinnacles' rock formations are a popular destination to challenge technical climbers.Our trip begins at Bear Gulch Visitor Center. We'll be hiking up the High Peaks Trail, at the top of the High Peak Trail we will hike a small loop, a spectacular loop that is steep and narrow, but with excellent views. Then we head back to Juniper Canyon Trail junction, hike down, and take Balconies/caves trail, Old Pinnacles Trail, and come back to Visitor Center via Bear Gulch Trail to make a 10.5 mile loop. URL : http://www.nps.gov/pinn/ Direction to the ParkPinnacles National Monument lies 80 miles south-southeast of San Jose. The park has two entrances, the east side access is 5 miles off Highway 25, thirty-two miles south of Hollister. Access to the west side is fifteen miles from Highway 101 through Soledad. There is no road connection between the east and west sides. We are going to the east side through Hollister.Head south on 101 for about 40 miles. After Gilroy, watch out for State Route 25 heading toward Hollister. Continue south on SR 25 pass Hollister, turn right on SR 146 which leads you to the monument. Just before the park entrance is the Camp Pinnacles.
Visitor Information - 831-389-4485 Mar 15 (Sat): Castle Rock (Matt)
From the junction of highway 9 and 35, drive south on 35 for about 2 miles where you will see the main park entrance on your right. Meet at the main parking area. For those meeting at Bechtel, I'll bring extra maps with directions. Castle Rock State Park is one of my personal favorites, featuring unique and beautiful sandstone formations and caves, a 100 foot waterfall, travertine springs, beautiful spring wildflowers and manzanita and madrone, and many sweeping panoramic views. Near the end we can stop at Summit Rock, giving a great view of the entire Silicon Valley! (binoculars would be recommended) This is a fairly strenuous hike (12.5 mi), but there are many places to stop and rest and enjoy the views. You can even practice your bouldering skills on the many rock outcroppings (Goat Rock and Castle Rock are magnificent). If some people are not up for all 12.5 miles, there is a shorter loop of about 7 miles where you can break off in the middle - just make sure you coordinate with your driver! Starting from the main entrance, the first thing we'll see is magnificent Castle Rock just about 1/4 mile from the entrance. Then we'll visit Castle Rock falls and Goat Rock as we hike along the Ridge trail. An overlook provides a sweeping panoramic view. A short side trail takes you to the base of the falls if you are interested. Continuing along the Ridge trail, we'll hit Castle Rock trail camp where you can use restrooms / fill water bottles. Then it's on the Travertine springs trail up to the Saratoga Toll Road trail where we visit the travertine springs. Next we go up to Saratoga Gap through the less visited but beautiful northern part of the park. Finally it's along the skyline trail with gorgeous views of the bay area, where we can visit Summit Rock and Indian Rock on the way back to the park entrance. We should be done a little before dinnertime - it appears to be a tradition for people to gather for dinner afterward (I'm still a bit new to the club). I'm sure there are many nice places in Saratoga (any suggestions?) Visit the park's web page: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=538
"Trip Leader" Mar 15-16: Biking Trip (Jenny) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Car Camping at Big Basin and day hike to the Berry Creek Falls (Brian) (CANCELLED) (*)
Schedule for Saturday:
10.45 am, arrive at park
11:30 am, start hike ~ don?t forget to pack a lunch/snack
5:30pm, collaborative preparation of a gourmet dinner and campfire
8:00pm, enjoy campfire with marshmallows and chocolate!
And on Sunday:
10:00 am, clean up and pack out.
Camping Details:Gourmet Food: Good food is the most important part of any trip. The plan is to encourage the most creative and delicious outdoor cooking ever possible. I am not a gourmet cook, but I think the possibilities are endless since we are camping with our cars. It can range from grilled Mahi Mahi to tuna pasta salad. The challenge to the team will be making dishes that are easy and delicious in an outdoor setting. There will not be a cooking contest, but it can be a good learning experience. Hot showers and toilets are available at all the camping sites. There is a small supply store in the park that open from 10 am to 4 pm on weekends, and the Headquarter sells wood for campfire for 6 dollars/cord. You don't have to have any previous camping experience prior. You will need your our sleeping bag, you may rent one at a local REI or bringing two or three very thick blankets will be an alternative. Driving From Palo Alto:Take either the 101 freeway south or 280 freeway south. From there take the 85 freeway south. Exit 85 at Saratoga Road. Turn right and head west on Saratoga Road. After a few miles, you'll encounter a signal. Pick up Highway 9 here; take a right and drive through the quaint shopping area of Saratoga. The road then begins to climb into the mountains. Stay on 9 as it winds through the mountains for 12 miles. You will then see a sign for Highway 236/Big Basin. Turn right onto Highway 236 and continue on this road for 9 miles until you come to Park Headquarters/parking.Please send the following information to jonaldar__no_spam__sfsu.edu for those that would like to make a reservation to join,
Contact, Brian, if you have any questions regarding the trip __no_spam__ jonaldar__no_spam__sfsu.edu Mar 16 (Sun): Leader's Choice (Girish)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Mar 20 (Thur): Guitar Music, Sopa de Tortilla y Ceviche in Palo Alto (Eric)
Enrique's a really cool Mexican restaraunt has opened up in Palo Alto with the best Sopa de Tortilla (trust me this is hard to find in the Bay Area), Ceviche, Mole, 20 salsas, and lots of other tasty food. On thursday nights they have live solo guitar music singing Latin and English ballads, so I thought it would be cool for a nice relaxed evening. They are located right next to Nola's on Ramona Street in Palo Alto.
"Trip Leader": Erik Peterson Mar 21-24: Death Valley (Bill) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Mar 22 (Sat): Mt. Tam (Julio)
bring: lunch, sunscreen, plenty of water, coat, all the usual stuff. Towering Mount Tamalpais is known for its spectacular views of the coast, San Francsico, Point Reyes, Marin County and more. Our hike will take us along an extended loop around the West Peak (2,560? altitude) of Mt. Tam. and will cross the saddle (2300? altitude) between West Peak and East Peak. The route will take us through lovely stretches in mossy oak and laurel woodland, into grasslands with fine panoramic views, and along Cataract Creek. After meeting at the Pantoll Ranger Station, we will start our hike at the Matt Davis trailhead from which we will head towards the west. Our loop will then continue onto the Coastal Trail and the Cataract Trail. Segments on the Benstein Trail, Rock Spring Fire Road, and the Upper International Trail will take us to the highest point on our route at the saddle between Mount Tam?s two major peaks. We will then descend to the eastern part of Matt Davis Trail by taking segments of the Miller Trail, Old Railroad Grade Fire Road, and Nora Trail. The shady eastern section of the Matt Davis trail will return us to our starting point at the Pantoll Ranger Station. DIRECTIONS from Stanford to the Pantoll Ranger Station at Mount Tamalpais State Park:
Julio Magalhaes E-mail: jamzemail (at) yahoo.com Phone: 650-947-8124 Mar 22-23: Elkhorn Slough Backpacking (POSTPONED) (Henri) (*)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Mar 29 (Sat): Bike/Walk Don Edwards SF Wildlife Refuge Trip (Mark)
I just found out this trail not long ago, and like it very much, so I would like to share with others who may enjoy it as well. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is on the newark/fremoont side, east end of the Dumbarton Bridge. There are several trails you can bike or walk. There is one long trail also go from the refuge to Coyote park, which we are going to bike on this Saturday. The trail is less than 10 miles, I think, and is really mostly flat. about half of the trail also is paved surface, so it is very easy bike trail. Mountain bike would be the best choice but I think road bike would be ok as well. The trail have a great view of both Dumbarton Bridge and San Mateo bridge, and the bay. You will be riding on a trail which one side is the green rolling hill and other side is the bay and glass like salt ponds, with two bridges on your view. I think this is the best place to bike in a sunny afternoon. If you have only an old bike and would like to go somewhere with it, I think this is the trip for you. Serious bikers are also welcome but of cause you will feel it is too easy. Even if you don't have a bike, you can also join us to walk the trip as well (many people walk on the trail), it will be a beautiful trip that you will remember. I don't have any experience to fix bike on the road, so you have to take care of your own bike. The good part is you can always walk your bike back to the parking lot if we can't fix it. :) I will bring a spare tube, wrenches, and a can of tire sealer and inflater for my mountain bike (it worked for me before, but probably not working with the smaller road bike). I would like other people to bring tools as well if they have. There is not RSVP, but I would like to know how many people plan to come, how many have bike and how many don't. So send me an email if you like. We will start at Bethel center at 1:15 pm, but I will not be there, we can meet at visitor center at 2 pm. here is the direction http://desfbay.fws.gov/directions.htm
Visitor Center
Directions: From Highway 84 (at the east end of the Dumbarton Bridge), exit
at Thornton Avenue. Travel south on Thornton Avenue for 0.8 miles to the
Refuge entrance on the right. Turn right into the Refuge and follow
Marshlands Road to the stop sign. Turn left into the parking lot.
Trip "Leader" mark Car Camping at Big Basin and day hike to the Berry Creek Falls (Brian) (*)
Schedule for Saturday:
10.45 am, arrive at park
11:30 am, start hike ~ don?t forget to pack a lunch/snack
5:30pm, collaborative preparation of a gourmet dinner and campfire
8:00pm, enjoy campfire with marshmallows and chocolate!
And on Sunday:
10:00 am, clean up and pack out.
Camping Details:Gourmet Food: Good food is the most important part of any trip. The plan is to encourage the most creative and delicious outdoor cooking ever possible. I am not a gourmet cook, but I think the possibilities are endless since we are camping with our cars. It can range from grilled Mahi Mahi to tuna pasta salad. The challenge to the team will be making dishes that are easy and delicious in an outdoor setting. There will not be a cooking contest, but it can be a good learning experience. Hot showers and toilets are available at all the camping sites. There is a small supply store in the park that open from 10 am to 4 pm on weekends, and the Headquarter sells wood for campfire for 6 dollars/cord. You don't have to have any previous camping experience prior. You will need your our sleeping bag, you may rent one at a local REI or bringing two or three very thick blankets will be an alternative. Driving From Palo Alto:Take either the 101 freeway south or 280 freeway south. From there take the 85 freeway south. Exit 85 at Saratoga Road. Turn right and head west on Saratoga Road. After a few miles, you'll encounter a signal. Pick up Highway 9 here; take a right and drive through the quaint shopping area of Saratoga. The road then begins to climb into the mountains. Stay on 9 as it winds through the mountains for 12 miles. You will then see a sign for Highway 236/Big Basin. Turn right onto Highway 236 and continue on this road for 9 miles until you come to Park Headquarters/parking.Please send the following information to jonaldar__no_spam__sfsu.edu for those that would like to make a reservation to join,
Contact, Brian, if you have any questions regarding the trip __no_spam__ jonaldar__no_spam__sfsu.edu Apr 1(Tues): Spring Quarter Potluck!!Meet other outdoor enthusiasts and help plan our activities for the Fall Quarter by attending our meeting and potluck dinner on Tuesday, April 1 at 7:00 PM in the dining room at the Bechtel International Center. Please try to be on time, and bring some food item or beverage to share. The tentative agenda for this meeting is as follows:
If you would like to lead a hike, or some other activity, but can't come to the meeting, please send Craig your ideas by email before the meeting at cfoster01__no_spam__yahoo.com. Also, please email Craig if you would like additional agenda items to be considered for the meeting. 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/. Apr 5(Sat): Grand Loop, Castle Rock State Park (Matt)
From the junction of highway 9 and 35, drive south on 35 for about 2 miles where you will see the main park entrance on your right. Meet at the main parking area. For those meeting at Bechtel, I'll bring extra maps with directions. Castle Rock State Park is one of my personal favorites, featuring unique and beautiful sandstone formations and caves, a 100 foot waterfall, travertine springs, beautiful spring wildflowers and manzanita and madrone, and many sweeping panoramic views. Near the end we can stop at Summit Rock, giving a great view of the entire Silicon Valley! (binoculars would be recommended) This is a fairly strenuous hike (12.5 mi), but there are many places to stop and rest and enjoy the views. You can even practice your bouldering skills on the many rock outcroppings (Goat Rock and Castle Rock are magnificent). If some people are not up for all 12.5 miles, there is a shorter loop of about 7 miles where you can break off in the middle - just make sure you coordinate with your driver! Starting from the main entrance, the first thing we'll see is magnificent Castle Rock just about 1/4 mile from the entrance. Then we'll visit Castle Rock falls and Goat Rock as we hike along the Ridge trail. An overlook provides a sweeping panoramic view. A short side trail takes you to the base of the falls if you are interested. Continuing along the Ridge trail, we'll hit Castle Rock trail camp where you can use restrooms / fill water bottles. Then it's on the Travertine springs trail up to the Saratoga Toll Road trail where we visit the travertine springs. Next we go up to Saratoga Gap through the less visited but beautiful northern part of the park. Finally it's along the skyline trail with gorgeous views of the bay area, where we can visit Summit Rock and Indian Rock on the way back to the park entrance. We should be done a little before dinnertime - it appears to be a tradition for people to gather for dinner afterward (I'm still a bit new to the club). I'm sure there are many nice places in Saratoga (any suggestions?) Visit the park's web page: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=538
Trip "Leader" Matt Apr 5-6: Winter Car Camping (Chris, Paul)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Apr 11-14: Death Valley In Bloom (Bill) (*)Death Valley is one of the most diverse landscapes on Earth. From the lowest point in the western hemisphere to 11,000 ft, snow-covered Telescope peak; from nearly 1 kilometer wide Ubehebe crater to the Eureka Sand Dunes, the tallest in North America, its scale is breathtaking. And when the desert is in bloom, it is that much more so. This trip requires taking a Friday and Monday off of work (for those that work), but it is worth it! We will be leaving Thursday after work and will return Monday night. We will be car camping and doing several easy to moderate day hikes. (with some opportunities for more adventure for those that desire). BRIEF ITINERARYThursday evening, April 10th We will drive the first leg of the trip to Death Dalley, camping near Bakersfield, CA Friday, April 11th We will finish the drive to Death Valley, stopping for a short hike to Darwin Falls, a spring-fed waterfall in the middle of the desert and other sites along the way to our campsite near Furnace Creek. Saturday, April 12th We will go from the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere (Badwater) to the top of 9000+ ft. Wildrose peak. On the way to Wildrose peak, we will pass giant charcoal kilns built in the late 1800s. The hike to the top of Wildrose peak is 4.2 mines one-way with an elevation gain of 2200 ft. That night we will camp at the nearby Wildrose campground. Sunday, April 13th We will stop at Mosaic Canyon to take in the geology on a very short hike before pressing on to the Race Track, where one can see the tracks of large stones that were blown along the expansive flat playa. Finally, we will stop at the "singing" Eureka sand dunes and climb to the top of the highest (600+ ft) dune for a great view. Monday, April 14th We will drive back, taking a different route on the eastern side of the Sierras for a very different view of the Sierras. We will stop to see Mono lake before it disappears and driving by South Lake Tahoe. COST I will be renting SUVs for the group since there is a lot of driving and 4-wheel drive will be required. The rentals will cost ~$60 per person (based on 5 people per car). Camp sites will be ~$10 per person. Also plan on the shared cost of food and gas. SIGN-UP The trip will be limited to 10 people. All emails received by Thursday, March 27th will have an equal chance of getting in, with preference given to recent trip leaders. If you would like to sign up, please email me the following information by March 27th. 1. Name: 2. Email: 3. Phone Numbers: 4. Are you willing drive part of the time: 5. Can you bring a tent: 6. If so, how many does it sleep: 7. Can you bring a stove: FOR MORE INFORMATION Pictues of Death Valley
www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.death-valley.html Apr 12 (Sat): Big Basin Waterfall (Vicky)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Apr 13 (Sun): Oyster Picking (Paul)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event. Apr 13 (Sun): Leader's Choice (Girish)More details will be posted in the week prior to the event.
|
