Club Information

General Hike Information

Directions to Trailheads

Pictures

Previous Quarters

Club History

Fall 1998 Calendar

• 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 . before the meeting.

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

• Length of hike: 14 miles
• Elevation gain: 3400 feet (very strenuous)
• Park URL: http://www.mdia.org/
• Driving time: approx 1:45
• Optional dinner in the way home
• Meet: 7:15am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford.

For this hike, we will start on the north side of Mt. Diablo at the end of Mitchell Canyon Road near the town of Clayton. We will follow the unpaved part of Mitchell Canyon Road to Deer Flat, Deer Flat to Juniper Campground, and Juniper Trail to the Lower Summit Parking Lot. The summit itself is inside the Visitor Center rotunda, a short distance uphill. Return from the Lower Parking Lot along the SUmmit Trail to Devils Elbow, then to Prospectors Gap via North Peak Trail to the Coulter Pine Trail at the base of the mountain, and back to the trail head. The loop is 14.0 miles long and the total climb is 3400 feet. This is the definitive Mt. Diablo hike - the total mountain experience. It emcompasses all of the park's life zones, from meadowlands to rocky summit, and the ever-changing views are simply stunning. A major portion of the loop consists of intimate single-track trils, in close encounter with the wilderness (including some unwelcome plants like poison oak for which we should keep a cautious eye).

This is a challenging hike, wich some astoundingly steep stretches, but the result is exhilararing. Remember that this trip contains a lot of hill climbing so it will be a real workout! Expect the full hike to take 9 hours (excluding driving). 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.

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

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

• Length of hike: approx. 10 miles
• Elevation gain: 2*1600 feet!
• Meet: 8:30 am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving time: 45 min (each way)

Hike description:

This is a strenous hike where we hike up and down Montara Mountain near Devil's Slide twice. We start at San Pedro Valley Park and hike up to Montara Mtn (1600 feet), where we will have great views of the Pacific Coast if the fog stays away. Then we take a fire road down to Montara State Beach, where we relax and have lunch. Bring warm clothes since it can be cold on the beach this time of year. The hike back to the cars is a real killer, because we now have to climb up 1600 feet (again!) to get back to Montara Mountain. We take the Brook Falls Trail down to San Pedro Valley, though there is probably no water in the waterfall now.

For more info, see http://www.slip.net/~leeway/sanpedro.html or http://www.cardiffgiantcom/ptped.html

Bring: sunscreen, warm clothes, lunch, 2 liter water/drinks, some $$ for optional dinner afterwards.

(Amazingly, he is still here! This is the last hike he will lead.)

How to get to San Pedro Valley Park (but we carpool from Stanford):

Take 280 north to 92 west to 1 north.
Follow Hwy One to Linda Mar Blvd. Head east on Linda Mar Blvd.
until it deadends at Oddstead Blvd. Turn right on Oddstead, go about 100 feet and turn left into the park entrance at Rosita Road.

Entrance fees are $3.00 per car.

• Location: Yosemite National Park
• Meet: Friday morning or afternoon, time and location to be decided.
• Return: Sunday night
• Driving Time: approx. 4hr each way.

• Saturday, October 17: Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point, up via Mist trail and Nevada Falls, down via 4 Mile trail
  • Length of Hike : 14 miles
  • Elevation gain: approx 3500 ft.

• Sunday, October 18: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to Wapama Falls
  • Length of Hike : 7 miles
  • Elevation gain: approx 1500 ft.

Welcome to a camping weekend in Yosemite. Friday morning or late afternoon - depending if you can take a day off - we will be driving to Yosemite Valley and build camp in Upper Pines Campground. There is a two tent/six people limit per site, so we are going to have three or four people per tent. Saturday, we will do one of the most scenic hikes in Yosemite, a loop that will take us to two major waterfalls and one of the best vantage point of the valley, Glacier Point. On Sunday, we will explore the least-used area of Yosemite, the Hetch Hetchy area. We will do a short hike from the Dam to the Wapama Falls. We will leave Yosemite Sunday after that hike.

Note that we can't go to Half Dome as the cables have been put down for the season.

Car Pooling
I'll try to match up people that want to leave/return at the same time. Drivers will be reimbursed directly from me.

Reservation
Participation is limited to 18. To sign up for this trip answer questions below and send per e-mail to crespoATcs.stanford.edu. After confirmation, you will be asked to send a check of $35 that covers the car-pool, camp-fee, and tents (but not the park entrance, another $20 per car). This $35 is not reimbursable, so please sign up only if you are sure that you will come.

To give a fair chance to everybody, the selection process will be different than in previous hikes. All reservations received before Friday October 9 at 5pm will have an equal chance (we may need to conduct a lottery). Reservations received after that will be first come, first served. As usual, past hike leaders will have priority in the signup.

To sign up, please answer the following questions:

1. Your Name.
2. When do you want to leave: Friday Morning or Friday late afternoon?
3. Are you willing to drive and does your car seat 3 or more?
4. Do you have a tent that accommodates 3 or more?

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

For further questions, email Louis at crespoATcs.stanford.edu or call at 650-723-9273.

• Trip leader: Jeanne Hsu, jhsu123_____(at)____yahoocom or 650-967-6970 (h)
• Length of Hike: 8.2 mile loop
• Elevation Gain: 1500 feet
• Meet: 9am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford For directions to Bechtel, see website: http://www.stanford.edu/group/outing/drive.html
• Driving Time: 25 minutes each way

Description of hike

This loop takes you from the Miwok picnic area down to the West Union Creek and up the magnificent Crystal Springs Trail to the Skyline heights, ending with a downhilll return on the Chinquapin Trail west of McGarvey Gulch.

You'll see redwoods, firs and madrones and if you're lucky, deer traipsing through the woods. I saw two last weekend!

Bring: Sunscreen, sunglasses, layered clothes (we'll be in shade and sun), good hiking shoes or sturdy tennis shoes, possible rain jacket or wind breaker, lunch, water/drinks and money for the carpool and car entrance fee.

Entrance fees are $4.00 per car; carpooling is encouraged.
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.)

***Note***: This is the Sunday that we convert to Standard Time. Which means, set your clocks BACK 1 hour Saturday night. This means you get 1 extra hour of sleep, so this 9am start should be easy to make!

No RSVP needed. We'll meet at the Bechtel Center at 9am; we leave promptly at 9:15am. We'll go if it's a great day or even if it's lightly sprinkling. If there are torrents, we'll cancel.

Driving directions to Huddart Park (we'll be carpooling from Bechtel, but these are the directions for the drivers):

From the I-Bechtel Center:
Get to Foothill Expressway going South
Turn Right at PageMill Road (away from El Camino)
Take 280 N

Exit Highway 84 (also known as the Woodside exit) West (away from El Camino)
Go 1.5 miles West (watch for speed traps in Woodside!)

Then turn Right on Kings Mountain Road (watch carefully for the sign, it's easy to overshoot it if you are driving too fast)

Go on Kings Mountain Road for 2 miles until you reach the main park entrance (it will say Huddart Park).

At the gate, pay the ranger $4.00 and ask for a park map.

You'll want to go to the Miwok picnic area (it's the first Left after the ranger station, there is a big sign). We'll start at the Dean Trailhead.

• Length of hike: approximately 4 miles
• Elevation gain: flat
• Meet: 8am at the Bechtel International Center, Stanford.
• Driving time: about 1h 45 min each way
• Monies: $2.50 + carpool + dinner (maybe)

**Please e-mail the leader if you are coming. This is because if we have a large group, we should let the staff at Elkhorn Slough know.

Hike description:

This is a very easy docent-guided walk to see the birds and spectacular scenery of the Elkhorn Slough. The walk is 2-3 miles and it is very slow: 2-3 hours usually. Bring binoculars or they will provide them. There is a fee for the walk: $2.50 per person. The walk starts at 10am, and we meet at Bechtel at 8am to carpool and depart promptly. You can also show up at 10am at the Elkhorn Slough Visitor Center, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville, California.

After the docent-guided walk we will eat lunch and then take some other short trails in the reserve.

We should be back at Stanford around 4pm, unless we decide to go for an early dinner at one of Watsonville's nice restaurants. We can also decide to hang around at a state beach nearby, or take another wildlife walk at nearby Moss Landing wildlife area. Let's take it easy and have a fun-filled day on the coast between Santa Cruz and Monterrey!

Let me quote some description from the Elkhorn Slough brochure:

"Elkhorn Slough is one of the few relatively undisturbed coastal wetlands remaining in California. The main channel of the slough winds inland nearly seven miles and encompasses over 2,500 acres of marsh and tidal flats. Over 400 species of invertebrates, 80 species of fish, and 200 species of birds have been identified in Elkhorn Slough. The channels and tidal creeks of the slough anre nurseries for many species of fish. Additionally, the slough is on the Pacific flyway, providing an important feeding and resting ground for many kinds of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. At least six rare, threatened, or endangered species utilize the slough and environs, including peregrine falcons, Santa Cruz long-toed salamangers, clapper rails, brown pelicans, least terns, and sea otters."

Trip "leader": Mark Galecki (650-327-1200) (marek_____(at)____greenspringcom)

• Length of hike: 11 miles
• Elevation gain: approximately 2200 ft. (moderate to strenuous)
• nMeet: 8:30 am at the Bechtel International Center, Stanford. or 9:00am at the park'n'ride at I-680 and Mission Blvd (across from McDonald's)
• Driving time: 1.5hr (each way, from Stanford)

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

Following is some additional information from the pamphlet of the Sunol Regional Wilderness area: "History: Reminders of Sunol's first inhabitants are seen in the bedrock mortars used by Native American for pounding acorns that were found in the area. For the past century, however, the land known today as Sunol Regional Wilderness was used almost exclusively as ranch land. Vegetation: Alameda Creek, Alemeda County's largest stream, harbors an inviting creekside community of alder, willow and sycamore. Coast live oaks abound along with valley and blue oad, elderberry, madrone and gray pine. Animals: Birding is superb along Alameda Creek; persistent birdwatchers may identify 20 to 40 species in a single morning. Ground squirrels, magpies and red-tailed hawks may be seen by year round. Hikers may notice raccoons, skunks and blacktail deer."

Trip "leader": Huong Tran (htmonet_____(at)____homecom)

• Length of hike: ~14 miles
• Elevation gain: 1,000 feet
• Meet: 8am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving Time: about 1hr (each way)

We will hike to Peters Creek Grove in Portola State Park. Peters Creek Grove is a magical, isolated grove of old growth redwoods that was somehow spared in the old logging days.

To get there, we will begin near the park office and hike toward Upper Escape road. From there we will take the Slate Creek Trail until we reach the backpackers Trail Camp, which junctions with the Bear Creek Trail. The Bear Creek Trail takes off north and begins the 7 mile round trip to Peters Creek where the grove is located.

There are a few things to note about this hike:

1. The trail is extremely narrow and slippery in some places, so it will probably be better to wear hiking boots than tennis shoes.
2. There is no water except for a creek on the trail, so you should bring as much as you think you'll need for the day.

Trip "leader": Kristina Woods Ph: 650-747-9645(h), 650-725-6245(w), email: kwoods_____(at)____Leland.stanford.edu

• Meet: 9:45am at the Bechtel I-Center, Stanford
• Driving Time: 30 minutes each way
• Show time: 11am
• IMPORTANT: You need to buy your own ticket. Keep reading for instructions.

Here is the description of the film from the Museum web page: "Mt. Everest towers more than 29,000 feet into the sky. At the summit, the body gets only one-third the oxygen available at sea level. The view is literally breathtaking. Now, the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose offers a chance to join a team of world-class climbers on the adventure of a lifetime to stand on that summit in the new IMAX®-format film EVEREST. The film illustrates how Mt. Everest's rocky peaks came to be and reveals how its extreme altitude affects a climber's physical and mental capabilities. EVEREST shows as never before the deadly peril, awesome beauty, technical and physical challenges facing those who push the limits of human endurance on their quest to reach the highest point on the planet."

(General information about the movie is at http://www.thetech.org/ops/imax/).

As there are no group discounts, I think it's best if each person buys his or her own ticket. You can buy tickets in person at the ticket office of the Tech Museum or online at http://www.thetech.org/ops/admissions/ticketing/ticketing-home.html Tickets are $8. If you buy the tickets on-line, there is a convenience fee of $1.85 (will-call) or $2.60 (mail delivery). Tickets are likely to sell out, so buy your ticket early.

Trip leader: Arturo Crespo, crespo_____(at)____cs.stanford.edu. Phone: 650-723-9273 (o) or 650-967-4039 (h)>

• Length of hike: ~1 mile
• Elevation Gain: ~500 feet
• Meet: 4am, email leader for location
• Driving Time: about 10 minutes (each way)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Please e-mail Mark Galecki (marek_____(at)____greenspringcom) if you want to come. Meeting would be at Bechtel at 4am, if people express interest.

Join us in a short hike before dawn of Nov 17 in the Stanford Hills to watch the Leonid meteor shower. This is a major astronomical event that happens every 33 years. Although the peak of the meteor shower will be during daylight (11am) in California (and therefore invisible), scientists expect a dramatic increase in meteors visible for the preceding and following 12 hours, enough to try to make a viewing attempt the dawn before or the evening after.

You can find more information about the Leonid Meteor Shower in the San Jose Mercury News (http://www.mercurycentercom/premium/scitech/docs/leonids10.htm), or in the NASA. webpage (http://science.nasa.gov)

Trip "leader": Mark Galecki (marek_____(at)____greenspringcom), Phone: 650-327-1200

• Length of hike: 6 mile
• Elevation Gain: ~1000 feet
• Meet: 8am at the Bechtel International Center
• Driving Time: about 1.5hr (each way)

Since this is such a short hike, we will probably be done by 2pm. Afterwards, we can kill some time at a local pizza parlor or other restaurant. So, instead of a lunch, just bring a snack.

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

"We can start early on the Wednesday afternoon (Nov 25) and share driving. We can decide exactly when to meet depending on when people will be done with classes, work, etc. The sooner we start the better. We would share driving and we should try to get there late at night and sleep in the valley. It's a 9 hour drive, but with several people driving we should be OK. We plan to be back late Sunday evening (Nov 29).

At Death Valley, we will camp at a centrally located campground. Campgrounds are plentiful, cheap, and require no reservations. We will do hiking and sightseeing, not very physically demanding, just reasonable; emphasis on having fun. But I do not like to see people who are hard to wake up in the morning and get going. I think that if you are in a beautiful location and want to see things, then it is silly to waste time by dwelling in bed. We would decide by democracy what we do on particular days, I do not want to plan the hikes in advance.

There are many interesting areas in the park that are accessible by 4-wheel high-clearance vehicle. Therefore we need to take such vehicles, either if some of us have them, or by renting. We will split vehicle costs and reimburse drivers. I do not want to take 2 wheel drives -it is impractical in Death Valley- because you miss out on a lot of beautiful stuff. We should bring tents, food and stoves and fuel and cook for ourselves."

SIGNUP