Club Information

General Hike Information

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Previous Quarters

Club History

Winter 1999 Calendar

• Meet: 8:30am, at the Bechtel I-center, Stanford.
• Driving time: about 45 min
• Hike distance: 11-13 miles
• Elevation diff: 1400 feet

This hike will take us from Saratoga Gap through three different parks on both sides of Skyline (Hwy 35). We park at the parking lot at the highway 9/35 junction. (Possibly we'll leave two cars 2 miles up north for a car shuttle.)

From there we follow the Bay Area Ridge trail north and enter Long Ridge OSP. Weather permitting, we will have great views over the Pacific Ocean. After that we cross Skyline and enter the forest of Upper Stevens Creek County Park. We follow the Grizzly Flat Trail down to the Canyon Trail (1200 feet descent). Then we climb it all up again on the Table Mountain Trail. Eventually we get back to Skyline and we have to hike two miles along (or close to) the road, unless we organized a car shuttle before the hike.

If you wish to meet us at Saratoga Gap please contact the leader in advance since we may do a car shuttle.

Trip "leader": I-Ching Chang, I-Ching.Chang__no_spam__stellexms.com, 650-813-2209(w)

• Time: 6:30pm
• Place: Dinning room of the Becthel International Center

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

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

• Distance: About 16 km / 10 miles
• Elevation gain: Mostly flat terrain with a mountain in the middle. There will be a one time elevation gain of 760 m (about 2500 ft for the metrically challenged :). The most difficult part resembles stairs in stone...
• Trip "leader": Jarek Baryeka (jinx__no_spam__psych.stanford.edu)
• Departure: 8:15 a.m. at the Bechtel Center, Stanford
• Driving time: 1.5 hours each way
• Other:
  • Bring a flashlight - it may be dark in the caves!
  • Bring some money for the carpool, the Park entrance car fee ($5 per vehicle) and for an optional dinner
  • Do not forget to bring some chocolate for the Quality Control

"Pinnacles is located in the Gabilan Mountain Range on the east side of the Salinas Valley. The elevation ranges from near 800 ft on Chalone Creek to 3304 ft atop North Chalone Peak. The geologic formations that comprise the Pinnacles bear no resemblance to the surrounding smooth, round hills. Here you face rugged spires and crags that bear a passing semblance to Bryce Canyon in Utah. Unlike Bryce Canyon, these rocks are the remains of an ancient volcano. Or rather they are part of the remains, for the rest of this volcano lies 195 miles to the southeast in the Neenach formation near present day Lancaster, California. This occurred approximately 23 million years ago. As Pinnacles moved north on the Pacific Plate, two faults-the Chalone and the Pinnacle-lowered the rocks, protecting them from erosion. Later, these faults brought the volcanic remains back to the surface allowing erosion to create the formations you see today.

The monument has a variety of trails from easy to strenuous. Visitors come to the park for hiking, picnicking, and rock climbing. The majority of the hikers come to view the beautiful rock formations, abundant wildflowers and wildlife, and explore the caves."

We will go from the visitor center around the canyon bottom and through the first set of caves and then go up to the High Peaks via the Tunnel trail and then down Chalone trail to the reservoir and then at the end back to the visitor center either through or above Bear Gulch Caves. This is a slightly longer loop than the standard one used for our Fool Moon hikes.

Usually we get a record number of people to this destination - it is also my preferred park. See you there to happily start the new hiking year!

Jarek.

P.S. See: http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/GeoImages/QTVR/InnerCoastRanges/ HighPeaksPinnaclesL.html for a virtual panorama from the High Peaks.

• Length of hike: ~8 miles
• Elevation gain: little to none
• Meet: 8am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving Time: about 1h30min (each way)
• Rain Policy: rain doesn't cancel hike

This is a flat and easy wildlife hike, on the open estuarines of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There should be a lot of birds to watch. Bring binoculars if you have them. We will stop often and take our time - this will not be a workout! We will start at Sears Point at Hwy 37, go towards the San Pablo Bay, which is the northern part of the San Francisco Bay, make a loop there, and come back. We should have lunch near the bay.

Do bring good hiking boots if you have them, for it can be muddy on the estuarine.

Please come to Bechtel at 8am even if it rains - I will check the weather and if it rains in San Pablo Bay, we will go somewhere else, we will have an outing.

A description of the refuge follows:

SAN PABLO BAY NWR

DIRECTIONS
The refuge is located along the northern edge of San Pablo Bay between Vallejo and the Petaluma River. A trail to Tubbs Island, the only portion of the refuge accessible by foot, begins near the junction of Highways 121 and 37.

PRIMARY WILDLIFE
Primary wintering area for the Pacific Flyway canvasback population. Migration staging area and wintering area for a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water birds. Endangered species using the area include California brown pelican, California clapper rail, and salt marsh harvest mouse. Saltwater fishes include striped bass, surfperch, sturgeon, starry flounder, leopard shark, topsmelt, and anchovy.

HABITAT
Over 13,000 acres of estuarine habitat including uplands, open bay, salt marshes, mudflats, and freshwater wetlands.

Trip "leader": Mark Galecki Ph: 650-327-1200(w), Email: marek__no_spam__greenspring.com

• Meet: 9:00 am Saturday at the Bechtel International Center
• Return: Sunday evening
• Driving Time: about 45 minutes (each way)

The plan is to have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend with nature. The campsite we'll be at is away from the road, we'll be sleeping among huge redwood trees! We'll set up camp Saturday morning and go for a fun hike in the park. That evening, we'll cook dinner among the redwoods and have a camp fire!

The next day we'll have the wonderful feeling of waking up with the scent of redwoods in the morning (this is the best part) and have a relaxing breakfast. I'll NOT wake anyone up at 6:14am or at any time :-) We'll decide what time we want to get up and if there is divergence we can split into two groups. On Sunday, we can do a half day hike in Butano and then have a picnic in the beach!

Basically, we'll relax and enjoy the woods. It will be fun!!!

What you have to do: We don't have much time left to prepare, so reply as soon as possible!!!

At first, I'll limit space to 15 people (first come first served). If there is a lot of demand, we try to reserve more spots.

1. send me e-mail saying you want to go (guestrin__no_spam__stanford.edu) and tell me:

• if you have a car and how many people fit in it;
• if you have a tent and how many people fit in it;
• if you have a stove and how many people fit in it... I mean, if you have a stove;
• your e-mail address and phone number.

2. After confirmation of your reservation, you will be asked to send a non-refundable deposit for 20 dollars, this should cover carpool costs and camping fees.

What you'll need for the trip: 1. sleeping bag;
2. sleeping pad is always good;
3. stove (if you have one);
4. tent (if you have one);
5. utensils, plate, pot, whatever you need for yourself;
6. warm clothes for the night;
7. lunch for the first day on the trail;
8. dinner for Saturday;
9. breakfast food;
10. picnic food to share with the group (if you wanna share...);
11. whatever else you need;
12. a good sense of humor is a big plus for this position.

You can find great panoramic images of the park at: http://www.research.digital.com/PA/maps/parks/butano-qtvr-map.html click on the purple diamonds to get a panorama.

Please, let me know if you want to come.

Carlos Guestrin guestrin__no_spam__stanford.edu

• Length of hike: 10 miles
• Elevation gain: none
• Driving time: 2 1/2 hours (unfortunately)
• Meeting time: 11am at Bechtel International Center
• Rain policy: rain doesn't cancel the hike
• Return time at Bechtel: late!!! (around midnight)
• Equipment: hiking boots, very warm windproof jacket, flashlight
• Optional dinner in the way home.

This Saturday we will hike to Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore. This will be an afternoon hike. We will hike the length of the northern peninsula in the Seashore to its end at Tomales Point. The peninsula is surrounded by ocean, and it is 5 miles long and only about 1/2 mile wide. We will aim to arrive at Tomales Point shortly after 4pm, in time for a deep low tide. This will allow us to explore the tidepools and see up close the fascinatinating marine creatures such as starfish and corals. We will come back by the full moon. On our way we will see the magnificent herd of 400 tule elk, which is fenced off at this narrow and open peninsula.

Please bring hiking boots with good traction soles - the tidepools are very slippery! Please bring flashlights just in case - but we will try to go back using the light of the moon. Dress very warmly - remember, this is an open peninsula that stretches into the ocean: it will be very windy.

Rain does not cancel this hike - if it rains in Point Reyes, the leader will present alternative ideas.

Dinner plans: optional dinner in San Rafael or San Francisco.

Lunch plans: the leader will bring a big batch of homemade and healthy (well, relatively healthy) high-energy bars!

Follow this link for a site with the tule elk information.

Here is a description of our hike from the Point Reyes website:

TOMALES POINT TRAIL (approx. 10 mi.) This open trail through the Tule Elk Range offers spectacular views of Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. It is also a prime wildlife viewing trail, as it is remote and the tule elk are enclosed in this reserve. The first 3 mi. to Lower Pierce Point Ranch are well marked and maintained, but the last stretch can be overgrown with bush lupine and other shrubs, so long pants and long sleeves are a good idea. The journey all the way to the Point is worth it, for the view is unparalleled. Beware of fog and wind, which can limit visibility and make this hike more challenging. (Begins at the end of Pierce Point Rd., 40 min. driving time from Bear Valley.)

Trip "leader": Mark Galecki. Email: marek__no_spam__greenspring.com, Ph: 650-327-1200(w)

• Location: Big Sur
• Length of hike: 10 miles each way
• Meet: Saturday morning. Exact place/time will be sent on sign-up.
• Return: Sunday night
• Rain Policy: rain cancels the hike

Sykes Hot Springs is located in a remote area of Los Padres National Forest. We will start hiking from the ocean into the woodland and beautiful forest of Los Padres. After about 10-11 miles we will reach the hot springs. These are six pools next to a river with a temperature of about 100F. Unfortunately, the river covers the springs after heavy rains, so rain cancels the hike (final decision will be taken Friday night). We will stay in a primitive campground closeby to the springs.

At this link there is a picture of the hot springs.

How to sign up: To sign up send a message as soon as possible to . Please include in the message the following information:

• Name
• Gender
• Phone
• Backpacking equipment you have (tent, sleeping bag, stove, water filter, rain coat, etc.).
• If you can drive or not.

Notes: trail start at Big Sur ranger station - Julia Pfeiffer State park and is 10 miles long. There are many ups and downs with a total elevation gain of about 4,000ft. Also the river crossings can be interesting if it has been raining. I found it quite a challenging hike in the pouring rain.
Don't cross the main river when you get to the camping area - unless the water level is very low, but head downstream for a few minutes and there are several spots there. The Hot Springs are about anothe 15 minutes of hiking/scrambling along the river bank - use you nose to smell the sulphur. The best spot is down by the river on the right hand side.

• Time: Sat. 7:15am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving time: about 1.5h-2h (each way)
• Distance: 16 miles! (very strenuous)
• Elevation gain: 2500 feet
• Rain Policy: heavy rain cancels the hike
• Remember to bring flashlight, lunch, liquids, and hiking boots. No running shoes.
• Optional dinner in San Francisco in the way back.

Given that the hike is very long (16 miles) and has a lot of elevation gain, 2500 feet, the pace of the group has to be higher than our usual leisurely 2 mph. So please, only strong hikers on this trip! Bring a working flashlight, lunch, liquids, and hiking boots. No running shoes.

There is a $5 entrance fee to the park. If you live significantly north of Stanford please e-mail me for an alternate 9a.m. meeting place in Marin.

NOTE: This hike will be canceled if it is raining hard. If the forecast is bad on Friday we will send email canceling the trip.

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

• Time: 5am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving time to the preserve: about 2h15m (each way)
• Tour driving time: about 20m
• Hiking Distance: 1 3/4 mile + 2 miles optional
• Elevation gain: flat

We will first go to the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. We want to get there around sunrise, 7am. We will first take the Waterfowl Tour Car Route. On this route, we stop to hike the Chester Marsh Trail, 1 mile, and Winton Marsh Trail, 3/4 mile. Then we take Tule Elk Tour Car Route with a side trip by the Salt Slough Road.

Items of interest on the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge: Tule elk herd; large concentrations of waterfowl, native plant communities; riparian vegetation; hawks and owls.

The second refuge we will visit is the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. We will drive the car tour route there.

Items of interest on the Merced National Wildlife Refuge: Large concentrations of snow and Ross' geese; lesser sandhill cranes; pintail ducks; a variety of shorebirds.

Finally, we will take an optional hike in the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, of up to 2 miles. We will decide where to go as we walk and if some carpools want to return early or not take the hike, it is optional. The hike is in flat open grassland area.

Items of interest in the Kesterson Refuge: Variety of wildlife species associated with pristine grassland community; dense stands of iodine bush; waterfowl concentrations; wildflowers beginning in mid-February.

We will drive and hike very slowly with our windows open, stopping often to watch wildlife, stopping at all interpretative stations and observation platforms. Bring binoculars if you have them. There may be some mosquitoes; bring insect repellent and/or netting, long pants and long-sleeved shirt. It may be cold and windy, so bring warm clothing.

Meeting time at Bechtel International Center: 5am sharp, I mean sharp! We should be back to Stanford before 5 pm, probably earlier, but don't count on that.

Trip "leader": Mark Galecki. Email: marek__no_spam__greenspring.com, Ph: 650-327-1200(w)

• Date: Sun., Feb 21
• Time: leave SF __no_spam__ 12:30pm - guided walk leaves __no_spam__ 2pm
• Cost: $4/person + parking fee ($5/car) + carpool charges ($0.15/mile divided among the passengers)
• Group max: 20 people

If you are interested, e-mail me and send payment by Fri., Feb 5 (I've already paid for the reservation).

The only way to see the Reserve is on one of the regularly scheduled guided walks (rain or shine). These highly informative walks have been designed to minimize disturbance to the animals and their natural habitat. The walks are conducted by docents (state park volunteer naturalists) who go through an extensive training program and donate their time as a public service.

The guided walks take about 2.5 hours and cover about 3 miles, round-trip, much of it through loose sandy, uneven terrain. The trail is muddy during wet weather, primarily the winter. Be prepared for possible wind, rain, and/or sun. Wear layered clothing and sturdy shoes. Hooded gear is strongly advised.

NO UMBRELLAS are allowed. Cameras and binoculars are encouraged!

There are no refunds for rain, cancellations, no-shows, or late arrivals. Walks leave on time.

No food or beverages are sold at the Reserve, and there is no water along the trail. Eating, chewing gum, and smoking are prohibited on the walks.

Please Remember!
The following rules and regulations are both for your own safety and to protect the plants and animals that live in this Reserve:
Aņo Nuevo State Reserve is open from 8 am to sunset. Gates are locked at sunset.
Visitors must be out of the wildlife protection area by 6:00 pm daily.
Harassment or disturbance of wild animals is prohibited by state and federal law.
Collecting shells, rocks, wood, plants, or animals is not allowed. All features of this Reserve are protected by law.
Smoking is not permitted in buildings or on guided walks. Fires of all types are prohibited.
Never get within 25 feet of an elephant seal, and make sure your children don't either. Elephant seals are wild animals.
Aņo Nuevo Island is closed to public access.

Aņo Nuevo State Reserve is located on State Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, about 1.5 hours south of San Francisco. Reserve signs are located on the highway in both directions. (Some people miss the brown signs. Be alert about 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 24 miles north of Santa Cruz).

Directions from SF (I haven't been there myself so don't have more details):

1. I-280 South
2. Hwy 92 West to Half Moon Bay
3. Hwy 1 South
4. Be alert about 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay - look for Aņo Nuevo State Reserve signs (will be turning right off Hwy 1)

• Time: Sat. 8:00am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving time: 1h 15' (each way)
• Distance: 9 miles
• Elevation gain: 1480 feet + lots of ups and downs in between
• Park URL: http://www.coepark.parks.ca.gov/
• Rain Policy: will be decided at the parking lot Saturday

The plan is to start from park headquarters and go down to China Hole, a popular swimming hole in the summer time, and back to headquarters. Hopefully, we'll see a few spring flowers on the way, but it's too early in the season to see much. The leader has a map of the park and has a guidebook with the description of a particular loop that accomdates the destinations, but there are a variety of trails that will accomplish the same, so no trail descriptions will be given at this time.

Henry Coe park is very hilly, so there will be lots of ups and downs. The lowest point of our hike is at 1160 feet (China Hole) and the highest at 2640 ft (Park Headquarters). This make a "net" elevation gain of only 1480ft, but the hilly nature of the park may make it much more. Please be prepared for that: i.e. no complaining allowed ;-)

Rain gear is mandatory for this hike. Long pants are recommended as ticks and poison oak are common in this area. Bring a working flashlight and lots of energy-rich food since this will be a long day. Also, bring enough water for the whole day as there are not reliable water supplies in the trail.

Trip "leader:" I-Ching Chang (i-ching.chang__no_spam__stellexms.com), 650-813-2209(o)

Now the important thing is reservations, since the dinner sells out very quickly. Last year we tried to get in 10 days in advance and it was sold out already. I will make reservations for people from the Outing Club who are interested and send me a check for $32.50 before Wednesday February 10. You can either bring a check to my office:

Gates Building, room 420, Stanford University
(send email or call to check if I'm there before you come, crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu, (650) 967-4039)

or you can mail it to my home:
1600 Villa St. Apt. 133
Mountain View, CA 94041

If you can't make it before February 10, you can try your luck yourself by calling IFES at (650) 967 2759 and asking if there are still tickets available. But then you have to pick up your ticket yourself in advance.

• Meet: 8:00am, at the Bechtel I-center, Stanford.
• No-Host Carpool! (see below)
• Driving time: about 45 min
• Hike distance: 8.5 miles
• Elevation diff: gain of 1500 feet, loss of 900 feet.

This 8 1/2 mile hike will start at Saratoga Gap and end at Castle Rock. Along the way, we'll pass Travertine Springs, Goat Rock, Castle Rock Falls, and Castle Rock itself. (Before starting the hike, we'll set up a car shuttle between the Saratoga Gap and Castle Rock parking areas, which should take us about 15 minutes.)

There will be a lot of upping and downing onthis trip, from 2600 feet at Saratoga Gap down to 1700 feet at Travertine Springs and up again to 3200 feet at Castle Rock.

Meet at 8am at the Bechtel International Center, or at 9am at the Saratoga Gap parking area (corner of highway 9 and 35). Take into account that this will be a no-host carpool. This means that the people who meet at Stanford at 8am will have to pick their own drivers and there won't be somebody to give directions. Directions to Castle Rock (from Stanford) are:

1. Take HW 280 Towards San Jose
2. Take the HW 85 Exit towards San Jose (South)
3. Take the Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd. exit
4. Turn right onto the Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd. (South)
5. Slight right onto HW 9 (Saratoga Ave./Big Basin Way).
6. Follow HW 9 up the hills to Skyline Boulevard (HW 35)
7. The group will meet at the Parking Lot at the left of the intersection of HW 9 and HW 35 (look for a red Toyota pickup truck).

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

• Location: Badger Pass Ski area, Yosemite National Park
• Meet: Saturday 7am (location to be decided).
• Return: Sunday night
• Driving Time: approx. 4hr each way.

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 at Curry Village. Cabins are heated and have a private bathroom. 3 people will stay in each cabin. Cabins have two double beds and 1 roll-away bed.

Car Pooling
Car assignments will be random, but I'll try to accommodate any request to be assigned to a specific car. If you volunteer to drive, you will receive $20 for each person in your car (including yourself) to cover the cost of gas and car wear and tear. Drivers will be reimbursed directly from us.

Cost:
Cost is $60 per person. This covers lodging and transportation.

Other costs that you should consider (which are not included above) are the Yosemite park entrance fee ($20 per car), food, and the ski rental at Badger Pass ($18 for a a full day and $11.25 for half day). There is no fee for trail use in Yosemite.

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 Wednesday January 13 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 $40 payment. This is necessary since I had to pay 100% up front to hold our group reservation in Curry Village. The remaining $20 are payable the day of the trip.

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

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

• Location: Los Trancos and Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserves (Palo Alto)
• Driving Time: approx. 40 min each way
• Length of Hike: 6-9 miles
• Elevation Gain: less than 800 ft (but hilly)
• Meet: 12:00 noon at the Bechtel International Center, Stanford

Los Trancos is an intriguing preserve that shows ample evidence of the 1906 quake in the natural terrain, such as sag ponds, fault benches, a reconstructed fence that shows how much the earth shifted, and one very torn-up tree that is still alive (this tree straddled both tectonic plates, and is very bizzare-looking).

After Los Trancos, time and weather permitting, we'll traverse along the Stevens Creek Nature Trail to Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve, and loop around Horseshoe Lake. If it's still early enough, we may extend down around Alpine Pond also, which will take us across the top of the ridge.

This will be a fun, educational, relatively easy hike, with views of the South Bay area and perhaps the Pacific.

We will go to dinner at the Blue Shoots Cafe in Saratoga afterwards.

Rain cancels this hike -- call 650-967-4127 Sunday morning for the latest status.

Trip "leader": Steve Traugott (stevegt__no_spam__TerraLuna.Org, 650-967-4127)

• Length of hike: 14-18 miles
• Elevation gain: 3500-4500 feet (very strenuous)
• Meet: 7:15am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford.
• Rain Policy: rain cancels the hike.
• Driving Directions: http://www.stanford.edu/group/outing/directions/diablo.txt
• Park URL: http://www.mdia.org/
• Optional dinner at Ed's Mudville Grill on the way home
• Restaurant URL: http://www.94517.com/mudville/

Depending on the weather, the time, and the condition of the group, we will visit Mount Diablo Summit from Prospector's Gap, a short 4 miles/900 feet adventure.

It is a little bit early for the wildflowers, but they may be emerging already.

This trip contains a lot of hill climbing so it will be a real workout! Expect the full hike to take 7-9 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. This area can be very hot on a sunny day so bring lots of water (at least 2 liter/quarts) and perhaps a hat. If you have a Mt.Diablo map, please bring it.

Trip "leader": Louis Perrochon(louis__no_spam__perrochon.com) 650-725-3321 (o)

The Portuguese community (IFES) organizes three times a year an all you can eat crab dinner in Mountain View. The people that went to the February dinner said that the food was delicious and plentiful. They ship two huge trucks of king crab directly from Alaska for this event. The dinner includes crab cioppino or plain crab with butter, salad, bread, wine and non alcoholic beverages and is $32.50 per person. To cover the cost of mailing the tickets and the organizational phone calls, please add and additional $1. After the dinner there is dancing with a Portuguese band and with a DJ.

Now the important thing is reservations, since the dinner sells out very quickly. Last year we tried to get in 10 days in advance and it was sold out already. I will make reservations for people from the Outing Club who are interested and send me a check for $33.50 before Wednesday March 10. You can either bring a check to my office:

Arturo Crespo
Gates Building, room 420, Stanford University
(send email or call to check if I'm there before you come, crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu, (650) 967-4039)

Arturo Crespo
1600 Villa St. Apt. 133
Mountain View, CA 94041

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

• Time: Sat. 8:15am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving time: 1h 15' (each way)
• Distance: 3-4 miles
• Elevation gain: don't know, but probably not too bad
• Park URL: http://www.coepark.parks.ca.gov/

"Wildflower Discovery Hike. Join Ron Erskine on a moderate 3- to 4-mile hike to celebrate early spring wildflowers. Bring water to drink, and pack a lunch if you'd like to like to have a picnic in the backcountry."

Definitely bring a lunch. For a preview of flowers you might see, check out their website listed above. Be warned that this is NOT a strenuous hike, we will probably be stopping to "smell the roses" or, California wildflowers.

People not carpooling from Stanford can drive separately to Henri Coe. Make sure you get there before 10am at the visitor's center. Please allow enough time to pay for parking, use the restrooms, and etc. It's better to arrive early, we can always browse the visitor center. The staff there are all volunteers and they were very helpful and friendly the last time we visited.

The directions are:

Coe Park is in the Inner Coast Ranges east of Morgan Hill, a town about 15 miles south of San Jose on U.S. Highway 101.

Highway 101 has three Morgan Hill exits. The middle one, East Dunne Avenue, is the one you take to get to the park. Heading south on 101, take the exit, turn left at the stop light, and cross over 101. Heading north on 101, take the exit and turn right.

You'll be heading east and climbing into the hills through residential areas for the first three miles. At the top of the first ridge of hills, when you come to a Y in the road, look for a sign that says "Henry W. Coe State Park, 10 miles." You'll bear right at the Y.

The road crosses a bridge and follows alongside Anderson Reservoir for a ways. Then it turns into a narrow, winding, scenic mountain road.

Note: If you're going to be driving a large mobile home or pulling a trailer, keep in mind that the road to the park has narrow, almost one-lane sections and several tight hairpin turns and blind curves. If you're used to navigating narrow, winding roads and you drive cautiously, you shouldn't have any problems. However, if you've had little experience with such roads, you may want to reconsider your plans.

No matter what you're driving, please drive the road carefully.

For passenger cars, Coe Park is about a 30-minute drive from Highway 101.

Trip "leader:" I-Ching Chang (i-ching.chang__no_spam__stellexms.com), 650-813-2209(o)

The cost is $29 which includes full equipment rental and a day pass (normally $14). After the class, you can purchase a special 5 pass for only $44. I usually climb every Wednesday night there, and you're welcome to join me and my friends.

Please e-mail me if you'd like to go, and I'll let you know the address where you can send me a check.

Trip "leader": Peter (plumeria__no_spam__earthlink.net)

• Time: 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm for open seating)
• Location: College of Notre Dame Theatre, Belmont
• Cost: $10
• Reservations required (see below)

The Banff Mountain Film Festival has an outreach program bring the festival to other communities. Festival organizers wanted to showcase the efforts and talents of the world's finest mountain filmmakers with a "Best of the Festival" program. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour brings some of the world's best mountain films and videos to thousands of people who cannot make the annual trek to the Canadian Rockies. For more information about the festival, go to http://www.banffcentre.ab.ca/CMC/film

This year, the Best of the Festival is coming to the Peninsula and the Outing Club will be there. If you are interested in joining us there, mail a check for $10 and a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) before Thursday February 25 to:

Arturo Crespo
1600 Villa St. Apt. 133
Mountain View, CA 94041

or you can bring them in person to my office:

Gates Building, room 420, Stanford University
(send email or call to check if I'm there before you come, crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu, (650) 967-4039)

If you can't make it before February 25, you can buy the tickets yourself by going to REI at Berkeley, Concord, San Carlos, or Saratoga after March 1st. If tickets are not sold out, they will be available at the door for $12.

This class will provide information and experience for applying first aid in an outdoor setting. There are pre-class reading assignments. The class will be taught at the office of the Loma Prieta Chapter (Sierra Club) in Palo Alto.

Normally the class is $90, but we have negotiated a special price of $63 for Outing Club leaders (or future leaders).

The class will be taught by Outdoors Unlimited.

To sign up, call Arturo Crespo at (650) 723-9273 or send e-mail to crespo__no_spam__cs.stanford.edu by March 26.