Saratoga Gap Area Hike

Bonnie Preston,Debbie Siedband,Pam Thompson,
Rajni Bakhda,Faye Swanson,Gita Bakhda,
Katy Peretti,Amy Meier,Nancy Mosher-Williams,
Mauran Bull,Brad Hinckley,Ruth
Photographer:Robyn Siebenthall

A Rambler hike to Saratoga Gap area was led by Brad Hinckley. It was a shady woodlands area where the group explored the Sarataga Gap and Achistoca Indian trail for a loop of 4.5 miles.

Gita Bakhda,Debbie Siedband,Robyn Siebenthall,
Nancy Mosher-Williams,Rajni Bakhda

Car rolled off trail years ago and
never pulled out of the forest,

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Big Basin State Park Hike

F:Nancy Rumple,Frances Wilson,
Kamini Patwari,Karan Foss
B:Peter Nicholls,Viren Patwari,Gigi Clarke,
Anka Hoek,Debbie Siedband,Trish Smith,
Jackie Jones,Dan Kato

On Saturday,August 2nd, twelve hikers did a challenging 12 mile hike from the Park Headquarters climbing up the Sunset Trail, down past Silver, Golden, Cascade, and Berry Creek Falls. They then looped back up the hill on the Skyline- to- the- Sea trail to the park headquarters. There was some rock scrambling.

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Downtown Doors art installation tour

Faye Swanson,Katy Peretti,Robyn Siebenthall,
Debbie Siedband,Nancy Mosher-Williams,Cookie Hunley,
Barbara Knight,Wate Bakker,Johanna Bakker,
Jim Beyer,Dan Kato,Bonnie Preston
Photographer:Susan Brown

Debbie Siedband and Jim Beyer led 13 people on a tour of the Downtown Doors art installation. The vibrant work of local high school students was really impressive. After lunch we enjoyed a docent tour of the Beethoven center (complete with instrumental demonstrations), followed by a quick but informative tour of the Steinbeck center next door.  Both centers are part of the Martin Luther King Library.

Susan Brown,Faye Swanson,Wate Bekker,
Johanna Bakker,Debbie Siedband,Cookie Hunley,
Barbara Knight,Bonnie Preston

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Urban Hike in San Francisco

Karan Foss,Amy Meier,Wate Bakker,
Cookie Hunley,Dan Kato,
Johanna Bakker,Faye Swanson
Photographer:Jim Beyer 

Wate and Johanna Bakker led an urban hike in San Francisco of 4-5 miles long. We started at the Embarcadero, climbed the stairs to Coit tower where we looked at all the interesting paintings on the walls depicting events of the past in San Francisco inside the tower on the first level. As we walked up, we saw several gates to private homes next to the path as show in the one picture with Cookie and Amy.Then we walked down to China town for lunch at one of the local restaurants. After lunch we walked back to the waterfront. The day was sunny and pleasant with a cool breeze.

Coit tower

Cookie Hunley,Amy Meier
Chinatown-SF.

Posted on Categories News

SF-Oakland Bay Bridge

Jane Ruona,Rich Bainbridge,
Liz Giarratana,Brad Hinckley,
Laura Gelman,Dan Kato
Photographer:Sy Gelman
Richard Bainbridge led a hike on the pedestrian portion of the new section of the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge on Saturday, July 19th. It was  a total hike of about 8 miles. The trail from the parking lot to the bridge was flat and about 2 miles and from the start of the bridge to the end point another 2 miles with an easy 2% grade. There were a number of benches on the bridge where people could rest before proceeding. Lunch was at Jack London Square after the hike. 
Jane Ruona,Brad Hinckley,
Laura Gelman,Rich Bainbridge,
Dan Kato,Liz Giarratana
Photographer:Sy Gelman

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Hill Hike

Mary Wu,Michelle Prest,Nora Chang,
Quincy Chang,Phil Grote,Kevin Prest,
Gigi Clarke,Bernie Loth,Carolyn Tornay,
Nancy Rumple,Jane Ruona,
Jackie Jones,Karan Foss
Photographer:Brad Hinckley

There were 14 people that stayed in the Villages to climb the hill today. The only thing that was unusual was a tree fell across Rawhide trail between Power Line Road and Indian Trail.

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Montalvo Art Center Tour & Hike

Dan Kato,Katy Peretti,Rajni Bakhda,
Amy Meier,Gita Bakhda,Stan Pegram,
Kamini Patwari,Viren Patwari,Trish Smith,
Arlene Holmboe,Arlyn Unruh,Faye Swanson,
Bonnie Preston
Photographer:Jim Beyer

Trish Smith  was our docent for a historical tour of the Montalvo Art Center which included a short adventure into the main house where we  saw the unusual architecture and furniture chosen by James Duval Phelan the original owner and the former three term mayor of San Francisco. The mission of the villa Montalvo is to advance the arts, music,and environment through diverse programs. Many artists showcase their work through unusual structures and art forms. Then a hike to the top of the Montalvo hill for some while others decided to take a tour the grounds. We had lunch in Saratoga.

Dan Kato
Faye Swanson,Katy Peretti,Gita Bakhda,
Kamini Patwari,Stan Pegram,Viren Patwari,
Jim Beyer,Dan Kato,Amy Meier,Arlyn Unruh

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Sanborn Skyline County Park Hike

Akiko Giordono,Jackie Jones,Chuck Wyatt,
Dan Kato,Gisela Pearson,Jim Beyer,
Debbie Siedband,Nancy Rumple,Amy Meier,
Kamini Patwari,Viren Patwari
Photographer:John Trudeau

On Saturday, July 12th twelve long hikers did a 9 mile hike with a 1200 ft  elevation gain from the park up to Skyline Boulevard near Castle Rock Park led by Nancy Rumple. The day turned out to be cool and pleasant as we were able to walk in the trees almost the entire time.

John Trudeau
Debbie Siedband,Jim Beyer
Gisela Pearson,Jackie Jones,Jim Beyer,
Dan Kato,Akiko Giordono,Debbie Siedband,
Amy Meier,Viren Patwari,Kamini Patwari,
Chuck Wyatt,Nancy Rumple
Photographer:John Trudeau
Gisele Pearson,Jackie Jones,Jim Beyer,
John Trudeau,Akiko Giordono,Debbie Siedband,
Amy Meier,Viren Patwari,Kamini Patwari,
Chuck Wyatt,Nancy Rumple
Photographer:Dan Kato
Posted on Categories 2014, News

Japan Town Walk in San Jose

Amy Meier,Cookie Hunley,Bonnie Preston,
Arlene Holmboe,Faye Swanson,Richard Holmboe,
Debbie Siedband,Nancy Mosher-Williams,
Dan Kato,Jim Beyer,(Docent),
Susan Brown,Arlyn Unruh
Photographer:Brad Hinckley

Thirteen Ramblers joined Susan Brown and enjoyed a docent led walking tour of Japan Town in San Jose  seeing how the Japanese have changed with the times by changing a gas station into a coffee shop plus other changes We were treated by a local  Ukulele Store owner to a street concert. The tour started at 10am on N. 5th St. and ended at 11:30am. After a wonderful lunch at a nearby Japanese restaurant, we toured the very unique Japanese-American Museum at 1pm.

Posted on Categories 2014, News

Castle Rock State Park Hike

Susan Brown,Peter Nicholls,Gigi Clarke,
Faye Swanson,Nancy Rumple,Mike Warfield,
Dan Kato,Jackie Jones,Debbie Siedband
Photographer:John Trudeau

John Trudeau  led a hike to Castle Rock State Park, off Skyline Blvd on the Peninsula. The hikers hiked to Castle Rock itself, then down to the waterfall overlook. Elevations for that portion of the trail were up 200′ to the rock, down 600′ to the fall overlook, then back up 400′ to the parking lot.The group then continued at that point along the Saratoga Gap trail and looped back above Goat Rock, the round trip was about 6 miles, elevation gain about 800′ from the fall overlook. Very nice views of the Santa Cruz range; much of the trail was shaded and relatively level.

Posted on Categories 2014, News