You are cordially invited to start the new year off in proper style with a full moon hike up and around Russell Peak in Orinda. We will meet this Friday, Jan 1, at 7:30pm at the Mariposa trailhead off Panorama Drive for a 3 mile loop hike along rolling grassy ridges overlooking steep canyons. This hike could be a bit muddy since there is some rain forecast so wear some good shoes - but it will be worth it for all the lushness that winter rains bring to the hills. We will have some drinks at the top. As always, please RSVP and do let me know if you need/have a ride to offer. Feel to bring like-minded acquaintances.
Directions: Take the Upper Happy Valley exit off Highway 24, cross under the freeway merging onto Acalanes Rd, turn right immediately onto El Nido Road and left at your first opportunity onto Happy Valley. At 0.6 miles the road will jog left and then right. Shortly thereafter it will dead-end. Turn right on Happy Valley and drive 0.6 miles to Panorama Drive. Park wherever you can (it's a residential neighborhood so keep quiet) and walk to the top of Panorama Drive.
Sibley - Fish Ranch Trailhead, Dec. 2 2009
The Full Moon is coming to a sky near you this Wednesday, Dec 2. You're invited to join a hike starting at 7:30pm to view the moon in all her glory in the crisp late fall air. We'll meet up at the fish ranch trailhead in Sibley Regional Park to explore a little known portion of the park only recently opened up to the public. Sibley is actually the volcanic center (from some 10 million years ago) of most of the rock that underlays the easy bay ridge line. It's also the site of a former mining operation which flattened some big chunks of the park and leaves it now with a wide-open otherworldly feel. We'll work our way up towards the former volcanic cone, Round Top Mountain, one of the highest points in the Berkeley hills, and host to a rich display of exposed basaltic lava chunks from flows that date back to the ridgeline's original formation.
This is a relatively easy hike of a mile and a half each way -- mostly on paved fire road -- though with some steady elevation gain. We'll have some refreshments at the top. Dress warm - it's that type of year. Feel free to bring along like-minded acquaintances but do RSVP and let me know if you are looking for/needing a ride.
Directions:
Take Highway 24 east through the Caldecott Tunnel. Make sure you are in the southernmost/rightmost tunnel and lane as you head towards Orinda. Emerging from the tunnel, take an immediate exit to the right at the Fish Ranch Rd/Old Tunnel Road exit. After 0.2 miles, Fish Ranch Road will turn sharply right to cross over Highway 24. Don't cross the highway -- stay straight/slight left onto the much less traveled and narrow Old Tunnel Road. Drive 0.4 miles on Old Tunnel Road until you see gate and adjacent Regional Park sign at a hairpin type turn. Park wherever you can and meet at the big gate.
This is a relatively easy hike of a mile and a half each way -- mostly on paved fire road -- though with some steady elevation gain. We'll have some refreshments at the top. Dress warm - it's that type of year. Feel free to bring along like-minded acquaintances but do RSVP and let me know if you are looking for/needing a ride.
Directions:
Take Highway 24 east through the Caldecott Tunnel. Make sure you are in the southernmost/rightmost tunnel and lane as you head towards Orinda. Emerging from the tunnel, take an immediate exit to the right at the Fish Ranch Rd/Old Tunnel Road exit. After 0.2 miles, Fish Ranch Road will turn sharply right to cross over Highway 24. Don't cross the highway -- stay straight/slight left onto the much less traveled and narrow Old Tunnel Road. Drive 0.4 miles on Old Tunnel Road until you see gate and adjacent Regional Park sign at a hairpin type turn. Park wherever you can and meet at the big gate.
Muir Beach and Headlands - Nov, 2009
This Sunday Nov 1 at 7pm, please join us for a full moon lit hike up along the headlands above Muir Beach. Late fall gives us a decent chance for a fog-free hike on the coast so cross your fingers that the marine layer will stay away. We'll hike up to Coyote Ridge for some good moon views of the pacific ocean, Mt. Tam, and the headlands and then return back down by way of pirates cove. All in all, I believe it'll be about two hours of hiking, mostly easy but with perhaps a few short steep sections.
Feel free to invite like-minded individuals although do RSVP and let me know if you need/have a ride to share. Please wear warm clothes!
Directions:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit Mill Valley/Stinson Beach. Drive north about 1 mile, then turn left at the light (at the junction with Almonte) to stay on Shoreline. Drive about 4.8 miles to the junction with Pacific Way and turn left. Continue to the signed trailhead at the end of the road. We'll meet at the south end of the parking lot near the picnic area and portable toilets.
Feel free to invite like-minded individuals although do RSVP and let me know if you need/have a ride to share. Please wear warm clothes!
Directions:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit Mill Valley/Stinson Beach. Drive north about 1 mile, then turn left at the light (at the junction with Almonte) to stay on Shoreline. Drive about 4.8 miles to the junction with Pacific Way and turn left. Continue to the signed trailhead at the end of the road. We'll meet at the south end of the parking lot near the picnic area and portable toilets.
Chabot Regional Park Towhee Peak - Oct. 2009
All,
Please join this Saturday night, Oct. 3 for a hike to enjoy fall's first full moon. We'll walk up through the rolling chaparral and eucalyptus covered hills of Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley and make our way to the top of towhee peak just east of Lake Chabot.Please meet at the Willow Park Public Golf Course on Redwood Rd. on the backside of Chabot . The hike will be about two miles each way with some climbing but not particularly challenging overall. Please let me know if you plan to join and if you have/need a ride. Feel free to invite like minded individuals. Snacks to share always welcome!
Lunarly Yours,
Ben
PS. If you'd like to play a round of golf beforehand, it's $15 starting at 5pm.
Directions:
Take I580 East to exit 26A Redwood Rd. Turn left after the ramp and drive 2.8 miles to 17007 Redwood Rd.Sugarloaf Ridge State Park - Sept., 2009
This Saturday, September 5, please join us for a hike above the Valley of the Moon. No ordinary full moon hike this one; we will be ascending Bald Mountain, high above Sonoma Valley in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park to look out over the valley that Miwok legends suggest is the source of the moon. The hike will be a bit long-ish and a bit steep but worth every bit of exertion. We will see a range of vegetation -- from wide open chaparral of live oak, bay, and madrone to forests of maple and pine and fern-covered ground. From the top of Bald Mountain, we will have one of the more rare and exceptional views anywhere. As the name of the mountain suggests, there is little to obstruct views in all directions -- from Point Reyes Wittenberg to Mount Diablo to Mount Tam and the Golden Gate Bridge to the Desolation Wilderness peaks of the Sierras. And with a bit of distance between us and the bay area, we will escape much of the fog, ambient light, and smog that otherwise plagues our skyward gazing.
The hike will start at 7:30pm. We'll be meeting at the campground so please look f
or parking in that area. Wine will be provided at the top but please bring your own water bottles, good hiking shoes, and jackets. Do RSVP in advance as I am not sure my cell phone will be working. Please carpool - let me know if you can drive or need a ride!
Directions:
From US 101 in Sonoma County exit #488b onto CA 12. Drive east on CA 12 toward Sonoma for 1.5 miles, then turn left on Farmer's Lane. After about 1 mile, turn right onto Fourth Street/CA 12, drive southeast about 8 miles, and turn left onto Adobe Canyon Road. Drive east 3 miles to the entrance kiosk and then continue a short distance to the campgrounds. If you arrive late or can't find us, head for the parking lot at the Lower Bald Mountain Trail and start hiking briskly uphill.Mitchell Canyon, Mt. Diablo State Park - Aug 7, 2009
You are invited to join on a hike Friday (Aug 7) under the light of the full moon. Leaving the bay fog behind us, we will climb a flanking ridge of Mt. Diablo to attain a high spot called "twin peaks". From there we should have some nice views of the East Bay and delta. We will meet at the Mt. Diablo State Park Mitchell Canyon trailhead at 8:15pm. Please park outside the park gates. Feel free to invite like-minded others and do let me know if you plan to attend and if you need/have a ride. While only a mile or two each way, it will be a steep climb so do bring good shoes. Some light refreshments will be provided at the top. Directions:Take Highway 24 east through the Caldecott Tunnel. continue to I- 680 split near Walnut Creek, then exit #46b onto Ygnacio Valley Road. Travel east on Ygnacio Valley Road about 8 miles, and turn right onto Clayton Road. Drive south about 1 mile, then turn right onto Mitchell Canyon Road. Continue to the trailhead at the end of the road, about 1.5 miles.
Sobrante Ridge Regional Park - July 7 2009
Please join Tuesday at 8:30pm for a full moon hike up Sobrante Ridge, an undeveloped piece of land just within the Richmond city limits that is now managed by the East Bay Regional Park System and just off I80 (Sobrante Ridge was formerly used to raise horses and cattle critical in the development of the tetanus and diptheria vaccines). We will take a short hike to the top of the ridge, starting at a parking lot that is more than half way up to the 832' high point. Other than a notable manzanita grove, Sobrante Ridge doesn't have much to offer during hot summer days when the Richmond sun bleaches the hills dry. But at night the hillside comes to life -- cool bay breezes, coastal live oaks casting moon shadows, and wide open views of Mt. Tam and Mt. Diablo and the east bay hills. It will be a short hike given the relatively small size of the park but one well worth attending as we expect special guest commentary from visiting members of the New York full moon hike chapter.
Feel free to invite like-minded friends and acquaintances. If you need/have a carpool opportunity, please let me know, and do RSVP in any case so we know to expect you.
Directions:
From Interstate 80, exit San Pablo Dam Road (exit 18). Drive about 3.5 miles southeast on San Pablo Dam Road to the traffic light at Castro Ranch Road. Turn left and drive 0.8 mile, then turn left (into a housing development) on Conestoga Way. Drive uphill on Conestoga Way 0.3 mile, turn left onto Carriage Drive, drive 0.2 mile, and then turn right onto Coach Drive. Take Coach Drive 0.3 mile to the park entrance at the end of the road.
Feel free to invite like-minded friends and acquaintances. If you need/have a carpool opportunity, please let me know, and do RSVP in any case so we know to expect you.
Directions:
From Interstate 80, exit San Pablo Dam Road (exit 18). Drive about 3.5 miles southeast on San Pablo Dam Road to the traffic light at Castro Ranch Road. Turn left and drive 0.8 mile, then turn left (into a housing development) on Conestoga Way. Drive uphill on Conestoga Way 0.3 mile, turn left onto Carriage Drive, drive 0.2 mile, and then turn right onto Coach Drive. Take Coach Drive 0.3 mile to the park entrance at the end of the road.
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