Hike, potluck, and birthday party

Once again our annual pot luck dinner (Saturday, 12/12) was a success.
We had a wide variety of delicious foods, main dishes, salads, relish tray, deserts galore, on and on....

Of course we enjoyed the baked salmon supplied by Steve Chrisman and it disappeared fairly quickly.

I did not do a head count, but I would guess we had between 25 and 30
hikers and their guests. Conversation was humming nicely all evening long.

To my surprise the event also turned into a birthday party for your leader
who turned 75 on December 7. A birthday cake with candles and all the
trimmings showed up. Luckily not 75 candles to blow out. The biggest
surprised was when Pepe showed up with his guitar and played several songs especially for me. WOW! That really made my day.



And what happened to the hike scheduled for Saturday morning? Believe it
or not, seven hikers showed up and we did a couple miles in the hills of
Benicia State Recreation area. A little drizzle with fog and the sun
attempting to burn through was quite enchanting.

Awesome full moon hike

On the evening of September 4, eight hiker's approached the top of Mount Wanda (near Martinez) and were treated to the "totally awesome" sight of a bright yellow full moon rising over Mount Diablo.

We enjoyed the sparking lights of Concord and Martinez and of course the refineries. Then it was time to break out the red wine, chocolate, cracker's and cheese and enjoy a few minutes sitting around the picnic table. We all agreed that more of the full moon hikes are a definite must do.

Perfect day on Mt. Tam

The pictures do not do justice to the wide variety of scenery that twelve of us saw on our lovely hike on Mt. Tam on Saturday, May 23. And the temperature was cool and comfortable the whole day. Part of the reason for the cool temperature was the fog that shrouded the parts of the mountain that were exposed to the coast. This meant that the view of the ocean that we would have had along the coastal trail section of our hike was hidden in a fog bank. But the drifting fog painted the coastal scenery in its own beauty.

Much of the hike traversed well shaded winding paths through old wooded forests that were shielded from the fog. In these areas it almost felt like we were walking through a rain forest with old gnarled tree trunks covered in fuzzy moss, filtered sunlight, chirping birds, and many small creeks. When we got to Cataract Trail, we stopped for a pleasant lunch break, sitting on some fallen logs in the shaded forest.

(Click on photos for larger view)



We started out from Rock Spring trail head and did a loop hike down to Pantoll station, then along the Coastal Trail, and back around to Rock Spring via the Cataract Trail. It was approximately seven miles and we completed the hike in about four hours including a lunch break (from about 10 a.m to 2 p.m.).

Saturday morning workout hike, a success

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle -- I think we have stumbled onto something here. Fourteen well conditioned hikers turned out for our first official Saturday morning workout hike on May 16. Several hiker's mentioned that they liked the idea of a good workout and then getting back before noon to get "stuff" done.
"Stuff" probably includes housework, shopping and, who knows, maybe a good soak in the tub and a nap.

The hike went very well. We drove a little way up Mt. Diablo on North Gate Road and then set off hiking at a quick pace toward Camel Rock. Several hikers made the 1.25 miles (and 500 vertical feet) up to Camel Rock in well under 30 minutes and most everyone made it in under 35 minutes.

Unfortunately, the hoped for wild turkeys were a no show, but we did see a red winged blackbird.

About half of the group hung out in the shade of Camel Rock while the remainder of us scrambled up two very steep and slippery sections of Burma Road . This section gained another 500 vertical feet in about a half mile. Due to the heat we decided to beat a hasty retreat and skip the last half mile and 300 vertical feet.



Everyone who attended this hike will now be "Charter" members of our new group and will be entitled to a total of three votes in choosing a name for our group.

Please consider joining us for our next Saturday half day workout hike which will be on Saturday, May 30. Stay tuned for an email message with more details a few days before the hike.

Regards,
Bob Colby, Trip Leader

Spectacular Alamere Falls hike

On Saturday, May 9, 12 hikers turned out for our spectacular hike to Alamere Falls at Point Reyes National Seashore. It was a perfect day with blue skies and light winds and a perfect hike -- well, almost. One car missed the turn from US Route 1 to the Bolinas Road. This happens all too often because the local "yokels" remove the signpost thinking it may deter visitors from coming through their neighborhood. It doesn't work; it just slows us down a bit. To shorten a long story, the missing hikers showed up on the beach only about 20 minutes behind the main group.

(Enjoy the photos. Click on photo for larger view.)



As always the waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife were incredible. A flock of pelicans coasted about 10 feet above our heads shortly after we stopped on the beach near the main waterfall. The only bad part about this hike is that it is so hard to leave this beautiful paradise.

If you want to do this hike on your own, drive exactly 4.5 miles past Stinson's Beach (stopsign) and turn left on the road to Bolinas. Turn right on Mesa Road and go to the end to the trailhead.

One hike gone by and another one coming up‏

NOTES AND PICTURES OF MT. DIABLO HIKE ON APRIL 18

On Saturday April 18, nine Benicia Day Hikers, including one new hiker, one second timer and a bunch of veteran hikers did the WWW hike on Mount Diablo. WWW stands for wildflowers, waterfalls and workout. Indeed, we were successful on all three objectives. the waterfalls and wildflowers were truly wonderful. And as promised, we also had a terrific workout in six miles and 1600 feet of elevation gain. Enjoy the pictures.



ANOTHER HIKE COMING UP – CHANGE IN DESTINATION ON MAY 9

Our next scheduled hike was to be Redwood Regional Park in Oakland on May 9. However, I wanted to give you advanced notice that I am changing the destination. Instead, we will go to Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Seashore on May 9. I usually say about this hike, "If you only do one hike this year, do Alamere Falls". Feel free to ask me why I say this, but most of you know why.

Please contact me if you intend to go on this hike.
Regards, Bob Colby, Leader, 707-745-4661, arocrat@aol.com

Come to WWW hike on Saturday, April 18‏

You may ask, "what is a WWW hike ?" WWW is for waterfalls, wildflowers and Workout. The workout will always be there but the waterfalls and wildflowers will soon be gone; so, I hope you can join me on this wonderful delightful hike.

We will do the Mount Diablo waterfall trail -- six miles and 1600 feet of elevation gain. This is a stiff hike with several difficult sections and one or two sections that are very difficult. We will get a good workout on the first two miles and then take our time to enjoy the wildflowers and waterfalls.

My daughter and I did the hike today and here are some of the wildflowers we saw: Of course we saw lupins and California poppies. We also saw, Chinese houses, blue dicks, ethereal spears, Indian paintbrush and Indian warrior, buttercups, owls clover, shooting stars galore and on and on ..........

Sturdy footwear will be very helpful on this hike. On the other hand, smooth tennis shoes could get you into trouble.

As always, we meet at the parking lot to the rear of Benicia City Hall at 8:15 am to organize car pools. If you arrive at the parking lot at 8:30 you will likely miss us.

We should be back in Benicia by around 2 to 2:15 pm.

PRIOR TO ATTENDING ALL HIKES WITH BENICIA DAY HIKERS YOU MUST CONTACT THE LEADER BY PHONE OR EMAIL!

Hope to see you Saturday,

Bob Colby, Leader
707-745-4661
arocrat@aol.com

X-C Ski mid-week half-days: March 25 and April 2

A half-day of exhilarating cross-country skiing in the Spring is just the ticket for vibrant good spirits. These photos were taken on two half-day trips at Tahoe Donner Cross Country resort (near Truckee), and also along a fork of the Yuba river on the drive home.

On weekdays there’s hardly anyone else out there, just the solitude and sparkling beauty of the vast snowy surroundings. Ski from 9am to 1pm, lunch at the café, head home by 2, light traffic, back to Benicia by 5pm. Can’t beat it!

Sunol hike to "Little Yosemite"

Eleven happy hikers took a magical trip to "Little Yosemite," hidden in the hills of Sunol Regional Wilderness east of Fremont, on Saturday, March 21. With mild temperatures and a cool breeze, the trail led us through rolling emerald green hills spread with wild flowers and dotted with oak trees, rocky out croppings, and occasional clusters of cows.



When we got to the Little Yosemite area, we scrambled down a rocky trail into the ravine and sat on large boulders by the stream and waterfalls. Then we climbed back up to a large rock overlook dubbed "little El Capitan". Then we looped back via a different trail through more beautiful rolling hills on our way back down to the parking lot. A relaxing and refreshing hike, and amazingly it only took about three hours. (Approx. 5 miles, and probably close to 1000 ft. elev. gain)

Cross Country Ski fun, March 8-9

Perfect snow, clear skies, and mild temperatures set the stage for a great cross country ski weekend on March 8 and 9 at Tahoe Donner XC Ski Center. The roads were clear and uncrowded going up Saturday evening and back Monday afternoon. Bob and Norma took a Skate Skiing lesson on Sunday afternoon (whew! hard work.)


We stayed at Bob's condo at Northstar and had a relaxing and tasty spaghetti dinner with camaraderie and conversation on Sunday evening. Then on Monday back to Tahoe Donner for a beautiful X-C trip into the Euer Valley. Came back to the Tahoe Donner day lodge for a bowl of soup and some of Sandy's fresh fruit and berries. Then headed back to Benicia, mostly missing the rush hour traffic. Three hour drive at most. We are so lucky to be so close to Tahoe!

Snowshoe wonderland at Donner Park

Our snowshoe hike on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Donner State Park outside Truckee was beautiful and great fun (even though it was a bit short). Unfortunately many people bailed out on the trip because they were worried about reports of road conditions and snow storms. As it turns out, although it was snowing at the higher elevations on Friday, the roads were well plowed, and it didn't snow on Saturday at all (but a new storm came in Saturday night and all day Sunday).

So we were a party of three for our snowshoe hike on Saturday (Krystyna, Norma, and Bob Colby). Krystyna and Norma drove up on Friday and stayed at Sierra Club's Clair Tappaan Lodge on Donner Pass. Arrived in time for a tasty hot dinner, and then played board games by the huge stone fireplace in the lounge.

On Saturday morning the snow had stopped, it wasn't windy, and it wasn't even that cold. We drove down to Donner State Park near Truckee and met Bob Colby, who led us on a short but awsomely beautiful hike up Schallenberger Ridge. It was only about 3 or 4 hours at the most, but it was fairly strenuous because so much new snow had fallen that we were sinking down into deep power with each step. But the solitude and beauty of the snow covered scenery made it all worthwhile. Hopefully Krystyna's photos and videos will give you a glimpse, and motivate you to come on the next trip. We got back to the Park office/museum by mid-afternoon, with enough time to freshen up a bit in the bathrooms and easily drive back home.



On the trip up, we began seeing snow on the ground just beyond Aurburn at about 3000 ft elevation. Further on, the snow started falling. (Krystyna has 4 wheel drive and snow tires, so no chains required.) When the snow started covering the road, all the cars had to slow down to 25-30 mph. So the trip that could take 2 1/2 hrs under optimum conditions, took about 4 1/2 or 5 hrs. We had no problem except windshield wipers started icing up, making it difficult to see out the windshield. No problem on the trip home Saturday afternoon either, no snow or rain fall, and the roads were clear.

On Saturday afternoon as we were driving home, we could see a new storm front moving in. That storm hit Saturday evening, and the whole Tahoe area was socked in with falling snow and fog for about three days. Looking at the Caltrans web cams on Sunday and Monday, you could see the snow was falling in the upper mountain areas and the cars were moving very very slowly. Looking at the ski resorts, you could watch the skiers out there braving the weather, but it looked snowy, windy, foggy, and cold.

Hike Instructions

See the list of currently scheduled hikes in the side panel of our blog.
Click on each listed hike to read more info about that hike.

We meet at the parking lot behind Benicia City Hall at 8:15 am to organize
car pools. We will leave the parking lot about 10 minutes later; so, be
forewarned as you don't want to miss us. Wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers
and bring snack food and water.

The fee for our hikes is $ 3 per hike now, up from $ 2 previously. Please
bring change.

Just a reminder at the beginning of the hiking season. Dogs are not
allowed on hikes.

You don't need to call me to let me know you are coming, just show up at
the parking lot on Saturday morning. However, feel free to call me anytime
for more information.

Bob Colby, 707-745-4661, 707-208-0588, email: arocrat@aol.com

It is advisable to get on our email list, to hear about last minute hike changes, and unscheduled hikes.

Sign up for our email list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wrchike