Author: Jim Beyer

Twenty hikers walked a 12 mile moderately hilly hike from the park headquarters to the Pacific Ocean Saturday, June 14th. We ate supper in Boulder Creek after the hike. There was some rock scrambling and tree root stepping. There were still many flowers in bloom. The day turned out beautiful with many views of the redwoods, a water fall, and culminated with a spectacular view of the ocean.

Peggy Grote,Susan Brown

Banana Slug

Amy Meier,Jim Beyer

Wate Bakker,Eve Gebhardt,Amy Meier, Stan Pegram,Pamela Thompson,Faye Swanson, Katy Peretti,Bonnie Preston Photographer:Susan Brown

Amy Meier led the trip on Wednesday, June 11th to the Rose Garden which was much bigger than previously thought. We had a volunteer guy with a green vest ( you earn it ) give us a nice tour. There were so many different colored roses that it was difficult to choose a favorite! We had lunch on the bench next to the fountain where a female duck kept coming near looking for food. The Egyptian Museum was couple of blocks away, a walking distance to the Rose Garden. It’s been renovated since last visited years ago. It was well worth the $7 ticket. Besides the regular exhibits, we caught the 3pm guided tour of the park underground tomb. The Egyptians valued their life before and after death. We all had a great time yesterday  and thank Amy for leading the trip!!

Katy Peretti

Faye Swanson,Susan Brown,Eve Gebhardt

Stan Pegram,Pamela Thompson,Eve Gebhardt, Susan Brown,Faye Swanson,Bonnie Preston, Katie Peretti,Wate Bakker Photographer:Amy Meier

Wate Bakker,Bonnie Preston,Johanna Bakker,Katy Peretti, Barbara Knight,Marian Wyatt,Chuck Wyatt,Jim Beyer, John Walker,Sandra Walker,Susan Brown,Eve Gebhardt, Dan Kato,Amy Meier,Nancy Mosher-Williams,Alice Sullivan, Brad Hinkley,Gerry Stillman,Buffy Stillman,Faye Swanson, Nancy Rumple,Jackie Jones,Laura Gelman,Sy Gelman

Twenty-four members of the Villages Hiking Club recently spent three glorious days in the high Sierra exploring beautiful Pinecrest Lake and environs. The next day they entered nearby Emigrant Wilderness to hike to two dazzling back country lakes, Camp Lake and Bear Lake. That evening they all celebrated their good fortune with a delicious meal at Mia’s, a local restaurant. It was great to walk along on this most excellent trip.

Jim Beyer,Amy Meier

Susan Brown

Nancy Rumple,Jim Beyer,Jackie Jones

Western Wallflower

Snow Plant

Nancy Rumple,Dan Kato

Goat’s Beard

Gisela Pearson

Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa)          The leaves have a minty smell. Native  Americans made a tea from the leaves, stems and flowers and used  the plant to treat stomach aches.

B:Chuck Wyatt,Faye Swanson,Katy Peretti, Laura Gelman,John Walker,Sandra Walker, Debbie Siedband,Jim Beyer,Jackie Jones, Nancy Rumple,Gigi Clarke,Eve Gebhardt, Gisela Pearson F:Karan Foss,Susan Brown Photographer:Sy Gelman

Sy and Laura Gelman  led a rambler hike starting from the park headquarters on Saturday,May 24th.. The long hikers led by Nancy Rumple hiked 12 miles to Manzanita Point and China Hole and returned to the headquarters building, Wildlife abounded and many wildflowers were still in full bloom. The day started out cool and changed into a warm day with gentle breezes with most of the trail in shaded areas.

Debbie Siedband,Susan Brown,Jim Beyer

Jackie Jones,Nora Chang,Chuck Wyatt, Jane Ruona,Susan Brown,Nancy Rumple, Mary Wu,Carolyn Tornay, Jim Beyer,Quincy Chang Photographer:Brad Hinckley

On Wednesday, May 21st, eleven hikers walked from the Foothill parking lot up Rawhide to the Turkey switch back. Then onto the Oak trail and through another switch back up to Sky trail and finally arriving at the mailbox and picnic tables at the highest point in the Villages. It was somewhat overcast but made for a good morning hike.

Pamela Thompson, Terry and Gary Holmquist, Wate and Johanna Bakker, Bonnie Preston, Katy  Peretti,  Faye Swanson Photographer: Deb Siedband

.Johanna Bakker led a 4.6 mile hike on the hills and through the woods of Picchetti Ranch.  Nine people enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and had lunch in a shady picnic grove

Pamela Thompson and  Katy Peretti  check out the Tasting Room  at Picchetti.

B:Jim Beyer,Gisela Pearson,Brad Hinckley, Gigi Clarke,Faye Swanson,Nancy Rumple, Dot Armbruster,FrancesWilson,Karan Foss, F:Amy Meier,Rosa Balderas Photographer:Chuck Wyatt

Twelve hikers hiked 7-8 miles on hilly trails with a 800 ft elevation gain through the Redwoods led by Nancy Rumple. We also visited the white fallow deer herd in the park and saw some wildflowers. It was pleasant with light breezes.

Rosa w/home made walking sticks

B:Amy Meier,Faye Swanson,Chuck Wyatt, Jim Beyer,Frances Wilson,Nancy Rumple, Gigi Clarke,Dot Armbruster,Gisela Pearson F:Rosa Balderas,Karan Foss Photographer:Brad Hinckley

Nancy had a surprise for us!!

Nancy Rumple,Wate Bakker,John Walker, Sandra Walker,Faye Swanson,Frances  Wilson.Gisela Pearson,Eve Gebhardt, Jackie Jones,Brad Hinckley Photographer:Susan Brown

Wate and Johanna Bakker  led 15 ramblers and long hikers in the Russian Hill Mid Peninsula open space area on Saturday, May 10th. We had a wonderful wild flower hike today. It was sunny and cool up there and we saw so many wild flowers that some of us had never seen before This was a very good trip as the weather was great  and there were many beautiful wild flowers.

Jackie Jones,Faye Swanson,Wate Bakker, John Walker,Frances Wilson,Sandra Walker,Nancy Rumple,Brad Hinckley, Gisela Pearson,Eve Gebhardt Photographer:Susan Brown

Eve Gebhardt,Susan Brown

Eve Gebhardt,Jackie Jones,Faye Swanson, Wate Bakker,Sandra Walker,Susan Brown, Gisela Pearson,Frances Wilson,Nancy Rumple, John Walker,Bonnie Preston,Johanna Bakker,Cookie Hunley,Katy Peretti Photographer:Brad Hinckley

B:Gisela Pearson,Johanna Bakker,Faye Swanson, John Trudeau,Eve Gebhardt,Nancy Rumple, Quincy Chang,Jim Beyer,Nora Chang, Carol Allbright,Frank Allbright F:Amy Meier,Debby Siedband,Gigi Clarke Photographer:Susan Brown

Amy Meier,Faye Swanson,Eve Gebhardt, Gisela Pearson,Debbie Siedband,Susan Brown, Nancy Rumple,Johanna Bakker,Gigi Clarke, Nora Chang,Quincy Chang,Jim Beyer, Frank Allbright,Carol Allbright Photographer:John Trudeau