San Francisco Bay Chapter
Hiking Section
Hiker's Guide
Steering Committee and Officers
Chair: Ken Hoegger 415-586-9352 khoegger@pacbell.net
Vice-Chair: Richard Riopelle 415-925-1816 richard_riopelle@hotmail.com
Secretary: Ron Moore 510-465-5194 hike.marin@onebox.com
Treasurer: Bill Mayers 415-785-3516 whmayers@aol.com
Schedule Coordinator: Bob Muller 925-631-0751 mullerosborn@earthlink.net
Activity Committee Representative: Bob Smith 510-841-0402 rcsmsithkd6fvi@comcast.net
Webmaster: Robert Russell 510-527-0317 rmrussll@ix.netcom.com
The Hiking Section is governed by the above Steering Committee, which is responsible for the Section's activities and policies. Comments or complaints about our hikes should be addressed to our Chair. Persons interested in becoming a hike leader should contact our Fifth Officer for information and application forms.
About Our Day Hikes
Welcome to the San Francisco Bay Chapter Hiking Section. The information below should answer most of your questions about our hiking activities and how you can participate. We look forward to meeting you on the trail.
The Hiking Section of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club offers a wide variety of hiking activities -- very easy to very difficult, slow to fast, on most days of the week. We also have canine hikes, which are on weekends. Most of our hiking activities are in the inner four Bay Area counties, but some are farther afield.
Hike listings. Our hiking activities are listed in the Chapter Activities Schedule, a pull-out section of the Bay Chapter Yodeler and published three times a year. Our hiking schedule is also on the Internet at
http://SanFranciscoBay.SierraClub.org/hiking
Our Wednesday hikes, some of which are not Sierra Club hikes, are on the internet at
http://home.earthlink.net/~mullerosborn/HIKETAM.htmlEach hike listing has basic information: The location of the hike and the meeting place; a code giving length and elevation gain; the leader's name and telephone number; sometimes an indication of difficulty (slow, moderate, brisk); meeting times and places, and sometimes a carpool point. The most commonly used meeting places are given below. A road map is useful for finding meeting places. Hikers should always go to the announced meeting place and never to a perceived trailhead. Leaders may have to change plans at the last minute because of park closures or inclement weather.
Grading of hikes. Hike length and elevation gain are shown by a number-letter code:
Mini-Hikes are 3 to 4 miles in length with less than 500 feet of uphill climbing.
Length
1 up to 6 miles 2 6 to 10 miles 3 10 to 15 miles 4 15 to 20 miles Elevation Gain
A under 1000 feet B 1000 to 2000 feet C 2000 to 3000 feet D 3000 to 4000 feet Canine hikes. These hikes are provided for people and dogs to enjoy and explore the outdoors together. Dogs hike and play off-leash, but must be well socialized with other dogs and under voice control at all times. Always bring the 4 Ls: leashes, litterbags, lunch, and liquids, with extra water for hiker and dog. For information about our canine hikes, call our Canine Coordinator, Julie Sturgis (see above listing).
Transportation. We encourage the use of public transit, and Marin hikes can usually be reached by Golden Gate Transit buses. Check www.goldengatetransit.org or call Golden Gate Transit for routes and time schedules. Don't be late. Leaders are not obligated to wait past the stated starting time.
Carpools. The use of carpools is voluntary and is not the Sierra Club's responsibility. Carpools are available only if a carpool is listed. If a carpool point is given, the leader will always be there. The leader will not wait past the time given. Riders should expect to share tolls and mileage.
Equipment. Wear comfortable, sturdy low-heeled shoes with gripping soles. Regular hiking boots are best; canvas-type shoes are acceptable for most easier hikes. POISON OAK is rampant in this area; long sleeves and long pants offer protection to the very susceptible. Weather is changeable, ridges can be windy, so bring along a sweater or a windbreaker. Rain gear (poncho, rain pants, umbrella) is an obvious requirement at times. ALWAYS bring lunch and water. Leaders carry simple first-aid items and are required to hold a current Red Cross First Aid Certificate. A day pack is usually necessary to carry all of this. The leader may exclude you from the hike if you do not have appropriate clothing, footwear, food and water.
Weather. Hikes are held rain or shine unless it says "Rain Cancels." Leaders may choose to change the hike plan because of weather or trail conditions, or even cancel the hike. Leaders will usually be at the trailhead even if the hike is to be cancelled. Weather in the hike area may well be different from your local conditions.
Reservations. Hikes do not usually require reservations; just show up at the meeting place or carpool point. Some hikes may be limited in number and require a reservation; the SCHEDULE description will indicate. Be on time. Leaders are not obligated to wait past the time listed.
Leaders. Our hike leaders are volunteers, and they expect your cooperation for a safe and enjoyable hike. The leader is responsible for your safety; and you will be expected to cooperate with the leader's decisions. Our hikes have a "rear leader" to keep the group together and prevent hikers from getting lost. If you leave the hike you must inform either the leader or rear leader.
Information. Questions about a hike should be directed to the hike leader. General questions should be directed to a member of the Section's Steering Committee or the Schedule Coordinator.