Category: News

The Villages Hiking Club had a ceremonial opening of the new trails in the hill lands. All gathered at the end of Village View Drive at 8.45 AM to attend the official opening of the new trails in the lower hill lands at 9 AM. Following a brief ceremony,walkers and beginning hikers explored the new trails led by Johanna Bakker. Dan Kato, and Wate Bakker. After the hikes all gathered at Picnic area 1 for appetizers and drinks around 11.00 AM. All brought appetizers to share and the hiking club provided water, beer and wine to celebrate this milestone in our long history. About 45 people attended with about 12 new comers.

Wate and Johanna Bakker led a rambler hike on the Villa Montalvo estate in Saratoga. After a 3-4 mile hike through the redwoods to a lookout point we  toured the beautiful grounds of the Villa. Afterwards all went be a sushi lunch in downtown Saratoga.

Nancy Rumple led a hike to Alum Rock Park and hiked mostly under the trees on the South Rim Trail. The hike location was changed from Calero Park due to the extreme heat. This morning’s hike was cool and comfortable and the trees turned out to be the perfect place.

33 members and guests of the Villages Hiking Club recently spent three glorious days in the gold country exploring beautiful Jenkinson and environs. Jenkinson Lake is a reservoir constructed as part of the American River Division of the Central Valley Project to provide irrigation water to a portion of El Dorado County, California. The dam was begun on May 1953 and was completed in mid 1955. Surrounding the lake is Sly Park with facilities for all year outdoor activities. Upon arrival they  took a short but lovely hike beside a running stream to become acclimated with the altitude.  That evening all were invited to partake of a delicious dinner at the rented cabin of  gracious hosts and members Mike and Trish Warfield. The next day a small group went off  to explore the high country while the rest spent the day hiking around Jenkinson Lake enjoying the great scenery and hiking to a real jewel, a wonderful waterfall. During the day one group encountered a reenactment of the wagon train journey some 160 years ago. That evening  all celebrated their good fortune with a delicious meal at 50 Grand Steak House, a well known local restaurant.  

Nancy Rumple led a hike in Mount Madonna County Park on Saturday, May 30th. The hikers went     7 to 8 miles among the Redwoods with about 1000ft. elevation gain. We visited the white fallow deer and saw various wildflowers.

Bonnie Preston led a rambler trip to the San Jose Museum of Art to see the new exhibit by Diana Thater on Wednesday,May 27th. Her light and multimedia installation “Science Fiction” fills the museum’s skylight gallery. This is part of an experimental lab of ideas and images.

 

 

Susan Brown and Jim Beyer led a self guided walking tour of the Stanford University Campus. We  visited the Hoover Tower and museum, the Memorial Church, and Tresidder Student Union. We ended our tour at the Cantor Art Museum.

Nancy Rumple led the Long hikers among the Redwoods on a 9-mile hike with a 1200-ft. elevation gain up the Lost Empire Trail to the large Redwood tree Big Ben and then down the Big Ben trail. The Ramblers did a 5 mile loop with a 1000-ft elevation gain. The long hikers passed the Barrel Mill site and both groups visited the Lime Kiln area as they looped back.

Two Mid Peninsula Open Space docents led a guided tour of the Purisima Creek Redwoods. This 5-mile ramble was along the creek and Soda Gulch and the group identified native and non-native species and noted second growth characteristics of the redwoods.

On Saturday, May 9th  John Trudeau led the long hikers in the Windy Hill Open Space District on the Spring Ridge and Hamms Gulch loop for a hike of about 7.5 miles, with an elevation gain of about 1400ft. that features open grassland ridges and forests of redwood, fir, and oak. The ramblers started from the same trail head and left the long hikers at the Meadow trail cutoff, They then took the Betsy Crowder trail around Sausal pond, for a total distance of 5.25 miles, with elevation gain about 1200 ft.