Fall 2004 Calendar

Upcoming Events:

October

(*) Trip requires advanced sign-up. Follow instructions in trip description when it's postedq 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.

Oct 2 (Saturday), Mt. Tamalpais SP (Sundeep)

DIRECTIONS:
* Take 280, 1 and 101 to get to Golden Gate Bridge
* Go on 101 North for about 6 miles
* Take the? Hwy 1 exit towards Mill Valley/Stinson Beach.
* Drive on Hwy 1 for about 12 miles and you will get to Stinson Beach
* As you drive through, you will encounter a STOP sign. The entrance to the Stinson Beach Park is about 0.1 miles after sign, on the LEFT.

HIKE ROUTE AND DESCRIPTION

In this hike we will do the ever popular Steep Ravine - Matt Davis loop and extend it by a couple of miles to Mountain Theater. The Steep Ravine - Matt Davis loop is considered by many to be the best hike in Mt. Tam and I tend to agree. Thishike features a bit of everything, waterfalls (well, maybe not at this time of the year), redwoods, Douglas fir and oak forests, grassland, canyons and some nice views. And ofcourse the one and only Mountain Theater. The hike is about 80% shaded as most of the hike is through the woods.

The hike will start at 12:15 pm at the Stinson Beach Park parking lot. >From there we cross Hwy 1 and take the Dipsea Trail. After about 1.3 miles of hiking through grasslands and bushes, we would get to the junction with Steep Ravine trail. This part is pretty flat, only a gain of 400 ft. From here we will take the Steep Ravine trail to Pantoll Ranger station. This will be a 1.7 mile, 1000 ft ascent by the side of a creek, lined with oaks, firs and redwoods. From the ranger station, we will take Matt Davis trail to the intersection with Boot Jack trail. The Boot Jack trail (0.6 mile, 500 ft) would take us to Mountain Theater. Mountain Theater is a big amphitheater, with stone seats. We will spend some time here, discussing affairs of humanity and pondering life in general. On the way back, we will take Old Mine trail back to Matt Davis. We will continue on Matt Davis all the way down to Stinson Beach, which is a 2+ mile, 1400 ft descent. The first half on the Matt Davis trail will take us through some nice grass lands with some great views, before we enter a forest of Douglas firs and oaks. Expect the hike to take about 5 hrs. So we should be back at the parking lot around 5:30 pm. For some more information see the bayarea hiker website: http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/stinson.html

Now, after the hike we may spend some time on the beach, before going for dinner. Make sure that you carpool with like minded (dinner/non-dinner) people.

Any questions, feel free to contact moi, Sundeep Abraham.
email: snkabraham [at] yahoo.com.
Ph: 650-799-0989.
No need to RSVP. But if you are coming straight to the park instead of
carpooling from Stanford, you may want to shoot me an e-mail.

Oct 17 (Sun): Russian Ridge Sunset Hike (Ken, Nicole)

Location: Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
Meet: 3:30 Sunday 10/17 Bechtel I-Center, or
4:15 Russian Ridge Parking Lot (on Alpine Road)

Distance 4.4 miles
Elevation Change: 550 feet
Bring: A little water and a warm layer
Driving time: 30 minutes
Driving Distance: about 10 miles
Directions: Take Page Mill Road east past 280 and all the way up the
ridge to Skyline Boulevard. Cross Skyline (the road becomes Alpine)
and take an almost immediate right into the parking lot.
Cost: Mileage plus optional dinner afterward

Description:

This is a good opportunity (especially for people new to the area) to get some idea of some of the places in the Bay Area to go hiking. Our route follows the Bay Area Ridge Trail to the Mindego Ridge Trail to the Hawk Ridge Trail and back to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. From there we will ascend Borel Hill, the highest named point in San Mateo County, which has a nearly 360 degree that encompasses Stanford, San Francisco, and Oakland. Also visible are the Pacific Ocean, Monte Bello, Mission Peak, and if its not too hazy Mt. Tamalpais and Mt. Diablo. We then return to the cars and head back or out to dinner. Questions? Contact Ken Chang or Nicole Malfait malfait@stanford.edu (trip leaders)

* For all trips, carpools will form at the Bechtel International Center unless stated otherwise. No pre-registration for day trips. (If you don't http://www.stanford.edu/group/outing for driving directions.)
* 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, including the driver.)
* For all trips, wear boots or sturdy shoes, and bring lunch, lots of drinks, sweater, jacket and some money (parking fees, gas, perhaps dinner).
* Trips are canceled in the event of rain (check with the trip leader the day before, or just assume it is canceled if it's raining in the morning). Trips may go as scheduled in light showers.
* The trip "leader" is a volunteer and no real leader (i.e. not liable for the whole group). Think of it as hiking with a group of friends.

Eastern Sierras Fall Colors Camping/ Hot Springs (Craig)

Depart: Leave Friday evening and camp at Silver Lake
Return: Sunday evening
Distance: 5-12 miles day 1, 3.4 miles day 2
Elevation Change: 1300-2600' day 1, 1500' day 2
Cost: Mileage + $10 per campsite + $20 per vehicle to drive across 120
w/o a parks pass + Friday and Sunday dinner
Maximum Group Size: 10
Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/

What to bring: Layers and warm sleeping stuff (expect it to get down to freezing at night), swimsuit, towel, sandals for wading in hot springs, food for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and something for Saturday dinner. And, of course, the usual hiking/camping gear.


I intend for this to be a fairly relaxed trip. Friday night we will drive up to the campsite, stopping for dinner on the way.

Saturday morning, we will get up and hike into the Ansel Adams Wilderness at Agnew and Gem Lake. Those who have proper fishing licenses and equipment may want to fish here (the trout fishing is apparently great). Other may walk around the lake or just relax. When we return, we will cook a lavish dinner. Time permitting, we may drive to one of the hot springs.

Sunday, we will pack up, take a short hike in the morning to Fern Lake, and then stop by some of the local hot springs before heading home.

Some of the roads to the hot springs may be a little bumpy, so preference will be given those who are willing to drive and have decent ground clearance (4WD will not be necessary), as well as trip leaders. The rest of the questions below are purely for organization, and will not affect whether you make the trip.

If you're interested, send an email to Craig with the following information:

* Name:
* Are you willing to drive?
* If yes, how many people can your car fit with gear?
* Do you have:
A tent (number of people)?
A stove?
A National Parks Pass?
* Have you lead an Outing Club trip in the past year?
* From where would you prefer to leave?
*When would you prefer to leave?
*When is the earliest you can leave?
* Do you have a cell phone number that you would be willing to share with the group?
* What would you like to contribute to Saturday's dinner?

Please send in your replies and/or questions to Craig Foster,
cfoster01(at) yahoo (dot) com, by 5 pm Sunday.

Oct 31 (Sun) Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Olaf)

Directions:

Take 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.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902. Home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco, the park consists of over 18,000 acres of old growth and recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops.

environments from lush canyon bottoms to sparse chaparral-covered slopes. Many animals such as deer, raccoon, coyote, fox, an occasional bobcat, mountain lion, and many bird species--including California quail, egret, heron, hawk, owl, woodpecker, and the endangered marbled murrelet--call Big Basin home.

I invite everybody to have a look at the park's website for further information http://www.bigbasin.org/trailsberrycreekfalls.html I propose to follow the route C: Skyline to the Sea - Timms Creek - Sunset Trails - Loop

Comedy in the Park & Halloween in Castro (Erik, Tina & Ralph) - Sunday Oct 31st

I'm planning on getting us there about 11am so we can get some good seats. I will bring some cards and games, and folks should bring lunch too
http://www.comedyday.com/eventinfo.htm
12:00 Noon 'til 5:00 pm Sharon Meadow
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
1 Stage
5 Hours
Comedians
A Million Laughs
Yes, you can wear your costume in the park.

When we get tired of the comedy, we can explore the park and bit and then head off for dinner in the city. After dinner we will head off to Castro and join in the halloween celebrations! This is the place to be on Halloween. Each driver can determine what time to return, which can be anytime from 10pm to about 1am. Because of parking restrictions in Castro we will use a taxis to get around the city.

If you are interested, please RSVP to eriktpeterson(at) gmail (dot) com Cell. 1.650.270.1040

christine.mueller (at) stud.tu-ilmenau.de Cell 1.650.283.9791

Castle Rock State Park (Chris)

Directions from Stanford:
Drive 8 miles on I-280 south, then exit on 85 south.
Drive 3 miles on 85 south 3, then exit on S. de Anza Blvd.
Drive 3 miles on de Anza Blvd, then turn right on Big Basin Way.
Drive 9 miles on Big Basin Way, Sempervirens Point is on the left (2 miles past Saratoga

Description

Sempervirens Point is a wonderful place to start a hike in Castle Rock. Situated on the left (south) side of Highway 9, the point is named for the Sempervirens Fund, the non-profit agency that has worked so diligently to add lands to Castle Rock and Big Basin Redwoods state parks. A paved parking area and nearby bench invite the visitor to view the ever-changing vistas to east, south and west. In winter a kaleidoscope of clouds hangs in wisps on the forested hills, changing with the wind. In summer the ocean sparkles in the distance, luring one to the coast. In the foreground lie the valleys and forests of Castle Rock State Park, which you will sample on this trip.

Wednesday (12/22), Dinner + Outdoor Ice Skating (Erhung)

Directions:
Winter Lodge: http://www.winterlodge.com

Winter Lodge is located in Palo Alto at 3009 Middlefield Road. From 101(north or south), take Embarcadero/Oregon Expressway exit. Follow the Oregon Expressway part of the exit to Middlefield Road. Turn Left on Middlefield Road and continue for about one half mile. The Winter Lodge is on the left, behind the Arco station.

The BayLeaf Cafe: http://www.thebayleafcafe.com

The BayLeaf Cafe is located at 520 Ramona Street in Palo Alto, between University Ave. and Hamilton Ave. Here's is the map: http://www.thebayleafcafe.com/directions.html

Cafe Borrone: http://www.cafeborrone.com/

Cafe Borrone is located at 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, next to Kepler's bookstore.

It's holiday time, so come have some fun on the ice while listening to some cheerful tunes and socialize with your friends old and new. We will start with a light dinner at The BayLeaf Cafe. There is a free public parking lot directly across from the cafe. At 7:50, we will head over to the Winter Lodge, which is just a short drive away (there is 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. After skating ends at 10pm, those who would like to hang out for a little bit longer and grab a cup of coffee or tea can come to Cafe Borrone around 10:30.

Erhhung - event organizer
erhhung _at_ comcast _dot_ net
work: 408-490-6209
cell: 408-480-2582

Take me to the top!