THE HISTORY of THE OAKMONT HIKERS
Compiled and interpreted by Ken Stueben December 2011
SUMMARY
In 1972 a small group known as “The Nature Walkers” evolved into a much
more active club known as The Oakmont Hikers with the encouragement of
George Anderson. Because most of the hikes required a lot of effort (what we
would consider “Long” today) the group of regulars was usually limited to ten
or less. It seemed unfortunate that more Oakmonters weren't aware of the
opportunities Northern California offered for hikers and were not taking part.
To improve participation several changes were made beginning in 1989 that
broadened membership to include Short and Intermediate level hiking
categories. Now, it is fairly common to have as many as 90 Oakmonters out
hiking on nearby trails each month. In addition we now have overnight
destinations in spring and fall that range more widely from Eureka in the north
to Big Sur and Pinnacles National monument to the south and then east to
Mammoth Mountain and Yosemite.
FOREWORD
Before we get into chronology there are two subjects to mention first including
the levels of hiking we engage in and our Organization.
HIKING CATEGORIES
The club now offers three different levels of hiking:
Short Hikes are 2 to 4 miles in length with minimum elevation gain on good
surfaces at an easy pace.
Intermediate Hikes are 4 to 7 miles in length, up to 1000’ elevation gain on a
variety of trails and surfaces.
Long Hikes are 6 to 11 miles in length with up to 2000’ plus elevation gain on
all types of trails and surfaces. The hikes normally are divided into faster and
slower paced groups.
Added details on these hikes including destination, trail conditions, timing and
frequency can be found on the club website at
http://www.oakmonthikingclub.com/
Over the years there have been efforts by some to fine tune these definitions to
satisfy their own comfort levels. For example, in 1991 a short-lived attempt was
made to provide a “Leisurely” hike category “where leisure and comfort are
more enjoyable than distance, pace or stamina.” And in 2001 another effort was
made to introduce a new level of “Medium Effort Hikes”. Three years later, in
the September 2004 issue of the Hikers column this appeared: “Please Note Re:
Hike Definitions”. Basically, the article said that in recent months they were
getting complaints that the pace was too slow..... and also from others that the
pace was too fast! This has been a challenge throughout our history and
explains why, as you review our descriptions over time you will see that at one
time or another we have had eight categories of hikes: Long, Intermediate,
Short, Shorter, Mini, Leisurely, “Medium Effort” and “Comfortable Pace”.
ORGANIZATION
From the beginning, the Hiker's Club has striven for simplicity. The club
has never had by-laws, titled officers or dues, just Hike leaders and some
coordinators, (later termed Board Members) to keep things running smoothly.
The function of Board Members grew over time in order to divide responsibility
for planning a Picnic, the annual Winter Potluck dinner, spring and fall “Trinighters”, maintaining e-mail contacts and a web page and, most importantly,
recruiting Long, Intermediate and Short hike leaders for the year ahead. From
time to time, there appears to have been dissatisfaction with the title of Board
member. In 1997 (6-15-97) the Board changed its name to “Operational
Committee” and then in September changed it to “Managing Committee” but
soon reverted back to “the Board” again. In the January 2006 Hikers column it
stated that “Board members are those people designated as Coordinators above”
and in 2009 and occasionally thereafter, the term “Director” appeared. Of
course, there has always been a need for someone to coordinate meetings and
tie things together. In the past those with that responsibility have been: George
Anderson, Ken Stueben, Ed Fox, Clem Maassen, John Heilbronner, Herm
Hermann, and currently, co-leaders Larry Maniscalco and Frank Batchelor. At
the same time others have gathered and transmitted our hike descriptions,
photographs and announcements to the Oakmont News including: Jean
Anderson, Ken Stueben, Ed Fox, Clem Maassen, Bill Knill, Jack Coon, Bruce
& Mary Alice Stephen, Bev Leve and Frank Batchelor.
40 YEARS OF HISTORY
What follows is a summary of the period 1971 through 2011 gleaned
primarily from articles in Oakmont “Newsletters” beginning in 1981,
subsequent issues of the Oakmont News (not always an accurate portrayal of
actual events) and the writer's personal communications and experiences.
Presently 228 strong, the group consists of hikers of all abilities and engages in
a wide variety of activities described above. But it wasn’t always this way.
The Oakmont Hikers started as a loosely knit group called “The Nature
Walkers” in late 1972. Among them were George Anderson, a relative
newcomer (1971), and his wife Jean.
George and Jean Anderson at Carmel 1992 Tri-nighter
As time went on, many of the Nature Walkers, encouraged by George, took
to the idea of taking more vigorous outings into the surrounding hills and so
the second and fourth Thursday of each month was set aside for that activity.
The winter and spring of 1972-73 was exceptionally rainy but auspiciously it
never rained on the hiker's Thursdays. But where to go? According to George it
was his wife Jean who suggested that they join the Sierra Club so that they
could learn about the best local hiking destinations. As an ex-drill Sergeant,
George was a demanding leader and would sometimes turn away hikers who
didn't have appropriate footwear. He had an intense dislike for Long hike
leaders whose hikes were not demanding enough.
Sparse written and photographic records kept by Jean Anderson (See
Appendix) show that there was a group of 7-10 Oakmont hikers during the
1973-74 season with one Coordinator and one assistant Coordinator. A total of
seven different leaders took the group to a half dozen destinations we still use
today, but also to some that we don't frequent anymore including The Tom Dye
Caves (Ida Clayton road), Lewis Martini Ranch, Lake Berryessa and McClures
Beach to Tomales Head.
There appear to be no other records between '73-74 and 1981 but in that
year and in 1982 George was almost the sole leader for the 45 outings shown in
the table on the following page. There are several things worth mentioning
about these hikes:
• Their roster included a wide variety of destinations most of which we still
use. Contrary to our current practice, Annadel was used infrequently.
• Short and mini hikes (sometimes two in sequence) were occasionally
conducted.
• Three new hikes (1) Graywood Ranch to Hood Mountain, (2) San
Francisco Bay to Breakers and (3) Tomales Point were introduced during
this period so all of the others listed above had been on the agenda in
earlier years.
• The Livermore Ranch near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park would
eventually provide the basis for one of the best and most difficult hikes in
our repertoire - The Palisades.
Most of the hikes in the '81-82 period were described as being moderate,
challenging, fairly strenuous or strenuous. No quantitative measures of
difficulty were given nor was there a great deal of commentary about what
would be experienced along the way. The problem with that is what's “fairly
strenuous” to one person can be easy or extremely hard for another.
DESTINATION
1981
1982
Annadel
Five
Two
Hood Mtn. from Graywood Ranch
(new)
Zero
Two
Mt. St. Helena
One
Two
Sugarloaf
Two
Oat Hill Mine Road
One
One
Hood Mtn. From Adobe Canyon
Road
One
Zero
Austin Creek (Presumably
Armstrong Redwoods S.P. as well)
One
Zero
Muir Woods
One
Zero
Point Reyes
Three
Three
2 mini hikes
Zero
Golden Gate Tennessee Valley
One
Two
Angel Island
One
One
Mt. Tamalpais
One
Two
San Francisco Bay – Breakers (new)
One
Zero
Tomales Point (new)
One
Zero
Jack London
One
One
Drake's Estero
Zero
One
Samuel Taylor S.P.
Zero
One
Bouverie
Zero
One
Livermore Ranch (eventually the
Palisades)
Zero
One
Cataract trail
Zero
One
Marin watershed
Zero
One
Salt Point
Two
(including 2
short hikes)
By 1988-89 the distribution of hiking destinations was much the same as in
the 1981-82 period except that visits to Annadel had increased and several
new hikes such as Elephant Rock, Dipsea-Steep Ravine, Bothe-Napa, Beltane
and Palomarin were introduced between those dates.
Toward the end of 1988, George Anderson had been the prime mover of
the hiker's club for 16 years and he was looking for someone to take over. He
asked if I would be willing to take the helm, and I agreed to do that with the
understanding that, being new to the area and having several ideas about
enlarging the size of the hikers group I would need help. This was the beginning
of a number of major changes in the Hiker's Club most of which have survived
the test of time.
Because most of the hikes in our repertoire were rather difficult, the group
of regulars was usually limited to ten or less. It seemed unfortunate that more
Oakmonters weren't aware of the opportunities Northern California offered for
hikers and were not participating. To attract more hikers several changes were
made beginning in 1989 one example being the following article extolling the
benefits of hiking:
• More hike leaders and “coordinators” were recruited. The number of
coordinators gradually increased from one (myself) to two, three and after
two years, five members. Significant contributors that joined me during
my tenure were Shirley Marelli, Ed Fox and Helen Wilbur. Ed and I had
similar thoughts about how to broaden the club's membership and
working together we accomplished a great deal in the first year.
• The first Potluck organized by Helen & Gorham Wilbur was held May 19,
1989 in honor of George and Jeanne Anderson.
• We widened our social net by holding our first annual picnic at Spring
Lake. (Cooking by Andy Nelson).
•
Both short (3-4 mile) and long hikes to the site were included in the
picnic event.
• We held our first “tri-nighter” at Fort Bragg. (Organized by Shirley and
Dick Marelli.)
• Even a “mini – hike” was included at that event. Sporadic scheduling of
other mini-hikes continued thereafter. Three levels of hiking difficulty
were offered in summer - fall of 1990.
• We began including miles and elevation gain as part of the hiking
description as was commonly done in Sierra Club write-ups.
1990 –
• Through activities in the Sierra Club, Ken introduced a superb and most
unusual new Long hike known as the “Devil's Well”. This hike is in the
Archer Taylor Preserve and is part of the Napa Land Trust. It has
spectacular views, interesting Geological features, canyons, and
waterfalls, one or more (after heavy rainfall) of which are located in a
grotto.
nd
• Lake Sonoma (2 photo from a later date on the next page) also became a
prime hiking destination.
Standing next to a piece of Columnar Basalt at the Devil's Well are
(L-R) LaVerne Polkinghorn, Kathy Vincent and Suzanne Bond.
Pictured above Lake Sonoma are (L-R) Jeri Gottbrath, Herm Hermann,
Unknown, Suzanne Bond, Denise Scott, Jane Spear, Alan Scott, Joel Morris,
Bob Anschicks, Vic Spear, John Heilbronner, Mac McHenry.
• Ken and Ed planned the second tri-nighter to Yosemite in May 1990. The
outing began as planned until we were informed on entry to the park that
access to Glacier Point (required for the top-rated Panorama Trail hike)
was closed. Ed insisted on canceling that hike but I wanted to know the
reasons for the closure and persisted in asking the Park rangers to open the
road which they finally agreed to do. The Panorama trail hike proved to be
the highlight of the tri-nighter but subsequent disagreements led Ken to
leave the Oakmont Hikers and return to the Sierra Club for the next
several years.
In what follows, in order to avoid endless duplication, specific hikes will not be
named for any of the hiking categories unless they are new additions or
changes to our roster or they happen to warrant special mention. Here are some
of the highlights in succeeding years:
1990 to '91 notable items:
• The continuation of the new programs with added picnics, tri-nighters
and five new hikes including Skyline, Shiloh Ranch, Lower Tubbs Island
Wildlife Refuge, Carquinez Shoreline Regional Park and The “Human
Race”. Somewhere near or before this date we also began hiking at the
Beltane Ranch.
• As 1991 drew to a close, another effort was made to provide a new hiking
category – the “Leisurely” hike. The article introducing this category said
“In an effort to broaden participation ... emphasis will be given to
moderate or medium length hikes of 4-5 miles where leisure and comfort
are more enjoyable than distance, pace or stamina.” A number of
“leisurely” hikes (further defined as 4-5 miles / +500' / 4 hours) were
conducted in 1992 but they ended a year after they began. Longer hikes
in the leisure class were defined then as 8 miles / +1100' / 7 hrs.
• Our club added a new member who became a most valuable contributor.
His name was Henry Szostak and one of his first actions was to introduce
a new hike at Fort Ross – Kolmer Gulch. Kolmer made the list of Henry's
“Best 10 Local Hikes” a copy of which is in the Appendix.
• Our April Tri-nighter was in Carmel (group photo in Appendix) followed
by Graegle in September.
• What we would now call the Hiker's Board consisted of Ed Fox, Shirley
Marelli and Helen Wilbur.
1992 - This year saw:
• the introduction of T-shirts and sweat shirts with the hiking quail logo
designed by Lee Fox.
• Descriptions of hikes became very spartan in this period with no miles or
altitude gain given – simply longer or shorter.
• Most of the hikes that year tended to be fairly local but a new hike at
Burdell Mountain behind Olompali State Park was added by Jane and Vic
Spear.
• One outing on the spring Tri-nighter to Carmel – Big Sur was the site of
an interesting but unpleasant experience for Jane Spear. After a day long
hike Jane decided to cross the Big Sur River using sneakers. She removed
her boots, tied the laces together and hung them around her neck only to
discover the next day that she had a severe case of Poison Oak.
• Fall Tri-nighter was in Lake Tahoe.
• The board consisted of Clem Maassen, Shirley Marelli, Jane Spear and
Helen Wilbur.
1993 – No records found except that Tri-nighter for June was in Yosemite.
1994 • Bill Knill started the New Year's “Bubbly Hike” celebrations.
• Three new hikes were introduced, namely Point Reyes Lighthouse led by
Jack Coon, a visit to the Presidio in San Francisco and an overnighter to
Mt. Diablo (Vic & Jane Spear). Little description of the hikes was given.
• Jack Coon originated the idea of having the hiking club clean up Route
12 adjoining Oakmont. In July, a photo which took up the whole front
page of the Oakmont News showed “Oakmont Hikers Clean Up Highway
12”. (see Appendix).
• Spring Tri-nighter was in Fort Bragg area.
• In the fall of that year the Tri-nighter at Lake Tahoe experienced an
unexpected snowfall. Sadly, everyone but 8 hikers fled.
• Bill Knill began compiling a photo album from some of the outings.
• Coordinator(s) varied through the year: Clem Maassen, Bill Knill, Betty
Hollman,
1995 • Thanks were given to 43 Oakmont Hikers and non-hikers for donating
their time to cleaning up litter along highway 12 in 1995.
• The June Tri-nighter was in Yosemite followed by North Coast Redwoods
- Eureka in September.
Clem Maassen, George Anderson, Jack Coon
and Helen Wilbur at Eureka Tri-nighter.
1996 • Tri-nighters were in Carmel in the spring and Big Basin in the fall.
• Board members were Jack Coon, Jane Cochrane, Bette Hollman, Andy
Nelson, Dick Thayer, Mary Winkler, Helen Young.
1997 • The annual potluck was attended by 94 people.
• The summer picnic was organized by Andy Nelson assisted by Gordon
Mathews.
• The spring tri-nighter was held in Auburn “Gold Country” and Graegle in
the fall.
• Henry Szostak introduced a new Intermediate hike at Barthlomew Park in
Sonoma.
• In September, Henry Szostak led the Hikers on a new outing down Bear
Creek Canyon in Sugarloaf Park.
• Vic and Jane Spear introduced a new Long hike to the Indian Tree Open
Space District in the Novato area.
• The individuals involved in what we would call the Board changed
throughout the year as did the name of the group. (In the 6-15-1997 News
they were designated as the “Operational Committee” while in the 9-11997 News they want to be called the “Managing Committee” but in a
short while they reverted to “the Board”). Members included Jack Coon,
Jane Cochrane, Bette Hollman, Dick Thayer, Helen Young, Patty Angel
and Bruce Stephen.
1998 • Ken had advocated for two new overnighters this year. The first, at the
Pinnacles National Monument had to be canceled due to heavy rain
damage. The second, at Mammoth, had been a long term goal and finally
took place in September. It is a hiker's paradise and while it is located at
high altitude, 17 hardy souls came along. An outing to a viewpoint
overlooking the scenic Minarets was enjoyed by all.
Oakmont Hikers At Mammoth Tri-nighter with Minarets in Distant View.
(L-R) are George Anderson, Bruce and Mary Alice Stephen, Patty Angel, Jane and
Jim Cochrane, Bob Skorodinsky, Shirley and Dick Marelli, Ken Stueben (Lower),
Jane and Vic Spear, Suzanne Bond, Jean Anderson, Art Pederson and Clem Maassen.
Unfortunately, all but two people were too tired to stay for the last day's
hike to Lake Ediza led by Ken and Suzanne Bond which was easily the
most spectacular of the trip. Lake Ediza and Minarets below:
• Jack Coon prepared a list of virtually all the hikes that the group had been
doing. The list included References, the name of area and trail, best time
of the year, travel time distance and elevation gain. Note that some of the
distance and elevation gains may not be accurate in view of the new GPS
data as discussed later in this document for 2001.
• The Board consisted of Bud Anderson, Patty Angel, Jane Cochrane, Jack
Coon, Patty Frankus, Bruce Stephen, Henry Szostak and Helen Young.
1999 • Henry Szostak led a new Long hike on the Audubon Ranch east of
Healdsburg featuring great views of the Alexander Valley. On this hike,
Henry introduced a “back” leader for slower hikers.
• China Camp was added as a new Shorter hike.
• Spring Tri-nighter at Carmel- Big Sur. The fall event was at the
Mendocino Coast in September.
• Annual picnic cooks – Andy Nelson, Dick Kaiser, Bud Anderson, Dick
Thayer
• Of all the many things Henry Szostak had done the adventure he seemed
most proud of took place in December 1999. At that time, by special
arrangement, he took a group of Oakmont Hikers and others across the
McCormick Sanctuary long before any other hikers had explored the area.
During the hike, our group crossed 10 ravines in 11+ miles and climbed
2000 feet over seven hours as we made way to Sugarloaf Ridge State
Park. A photo of the 8 participants (including Dave Noorthoek, Laura
Stanley, Suzanne Bond, Henry and Ken) in the event occupied a place of
honor in his home. The hike never became part of the Oakmont hiking
schedule.
• Board consisted of Bud Anderson, Pat Angel, Patty Frankus, Bruce
Stephen, Henry Szostak and Helen Young.
2000 -
Henry at his 75th Birthday Celebration
• A record number of seven new Shorter hikes were introduced this year
including Doerkser Open Space District, Helen Putnam Park, Skyline
Wilderness Park, Angel Island, Golden Gate Recreational Area, Henry's
“Prune Hike” and Foothill Regional Park.
• Trinighters were held at Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.
• Board consisted of Patty Frankus, John Heilbronner, Dick Kaiser, Shirley
Marelli, Henry Szostak and Helen Young.
2001 –
• One of the most demanding hikes in Napa County known as the Palisades
Crest Trail had been closed for a year. It had been described as “That
bushwhacking, route-finding, rock scrambling epic of a hike once fondly
called the Death March” but now was newly reborn as the Palisades. In
February, Ken Stueben & Suzanne Bond led the Long Hikers into the first
half of the new trail as an “Introduction to the Palisades”.
• Then in April, they led the Long Hikers through the entire Palisades - all
11 miles from both ends, an exceptional new addition to our growing list
of “out of the ordinary” hikes.
Herm Hermann along the Palisades Trail - wondering why anyone would
build a maze on the top of a mountain
• Bernie Palk, together with Bob Anschicks and Phil Wigen often follow the
distance and elevation gain of our hikes using GPS. Their data frequently
shows that the altitude gain far exceeds what we thought because of the
additive effect of continuous up and downs. Bernie then plots the data as
illustrated by the following graph for the Palisades hike.
• Henry Szostak announced that he would soon be conducting a new class
of hikes known as“Medium Effort Hikes” on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of
the month.
• Henry prepared a list titled “My Selection of the Best 10 Local Hikes”
(See Appendix).
• Dave Chalk led a new hike to the recently acquired and opened
McCormick Ranch.
• The Tri-nighter in May was held at Boulder Creek while Graegle was the
site of the fall event.
• Board consisted of John Heilbronner, Dick Kaiser, Patty Lewis, Shirley
Marelli, Henry Szostak and Helen Young.
2002 –
• A new hike opened up along the Sonoma coast at Eagle Rock as a result
of the property being acquired by the State. Ken and Suzanne led hikes
there in the spring. Access became troublesome in later seasons because of
long term leasing to cattlemen (Furlong) and we eventually stopped using
this destination.
• John Heilbronner organized a Two nighter in Marin scheduled for April.
• Both Long and Shorter hikes were led in Beltane in April.
• The tri-nighter for September was held in McKinleyville where we hiked
in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park.
• Our annual summer picnic was attended by 93 people. Andy Nelson, Art
Pederson, Patty Lewis and Blanche Kaiser helped out.
• The Shorter new hike in October had the theme of “Old Santa Rosa” and
included a cemetery and a tour of the streets along McDonald Avenue
where Hollywood movies had been filmed. Bill Knill and Clem led.
• Board Dick Kaiser, Patty Lewis, Shirley Marelli, Henry Szostak, Helen
Young
2003 –
• John Heilbronner introduced a new hike through property owned by the
Mendocino Redwood Company. This hike was the forerunner of others to
come in 2006 in the Willow Creek area (see later).
• Jane Cochrane led a new Shorter hike at Ring mountain.
• Dick and Jeri Thayer organized the annual picnic with the help of chefs
Andy Nelson, A.J. Schmidt and Bud Anderson.
• Dick Shlegeris initiated the Oakmont Hiker's E-mail list.
• Dick Shlegeris led a new Long hike at Rodeo Lagoon in Marin Headlands
in August which featured old Forts and artillery.
• The fall Tri-nighter at Lake Tahoe featured a sunset Cruise while the
spring Tri-nighter was at Murphy's near Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Shown at Calaveras Big Trees State Park in 2007 are L-R George and
Marie McKinney and Sharon and Dick Shlegeris.
• John Heilbronner was principal coordinator assisted by Patty Lewis, Dick
Shlegeris, Laura Stanley, Henry Szostak and Kathy Vincent.
Another photo (see Appendix) taken in 2003 shows many of the Hikers active at
that time. Space did not permit to be shown here.
2004 –
th
• Henry Szostak, preeminent Oakmont hike leader, died February 12 and
left $100,000 to the State Parks which went toward the construction of a
Visitor's Center in Annadel. More than 80 hikers assembled at the east
picnic area to remember him. Ken Stueben wrote the obituary and read it
for the gathering (see Appendix).
Beltane had been in our schedule for perhaps 15 years from the time Sal
and Beverly Cardinale first led us there. Visits had been easy to arrange by
making a call to the owner but once purchased by the Open Space District
as Calabazas Creek Preserve it became more difficult to access. Ken was
able to get permission to bring in small groups which we did in February.
This was cumbersome as it involved getting approval from both the Open
Space District and the OVA. Other ways to access the property then
became possible by using multiple “patrollers” each of whom could bring
3 guests. (However, as of 2011 we are not allowed to announce these in
print. For a brief discussion on Marijuana growing problems there see
appendix)
• A couple of years later, Grand Jury member and Oakmont Hiker, Bob
Anschicks was searching for a photo of property purchased with Open
Space District money but that was not yet open to the public. He used my
photo of the upper-most region of Calabazas Creek Preserve as an
example.
•
It was widely appreciated that John Heilbronner had a most remarkable
sense of humor. Leaders could be sure that whatever description they submitted
for their hike would be rewritten by John in a humorous style. One day he
forgot to bring his lunch and so everyone offered him a portion of theirs which
he consumed with obvious gusto. Capitalizing on this incident we created the
following photograph with the caption shown.
Having deliberately left his food at home again so that he could eat what the
other hikers had, John Heilbronner is being taught a lesson by being fed Dried
Banana Slug Trail Mix by Carolyn McKenna. Leonard Bronstein restrains John
during the feeding....
• Herm led a new Carson Fall Hike in the Marin Water District.
• In April, Dave Chalk led a new Intermediate hike at “a comfortable pace”
to the McCormick addition to Sugarloaf S.P.
• Kathy Vincent led a new Short hike to Rush Creek Open Space Preserve
in Novato.
• A short hike was conducted in Santa Rosa.
• The September issue of the Hikers column saw fit to comment: “Please
Note Re: Hike Definitions”. Basically, the article said that in recent
months they were getting complaints that the pace was too slow..... and
also from others that the pace was too fast! It went on to say that the
Oakmont Hikers are primarily a hiking group and the outings have
varying degrees of difficulty but are hikes not walks or strolls.
This has been a perennial problem throughout our history, that is,
matching the hiker to the outing.
• In October the Hikers announced that e-mail has now been set up for the
club notices.
• Tri-nighters held at Fort Bragg and Yosemite.
• John Heilbronner et al Board Members.
2005 • John Heilbronner named Suzanne Bond “Hiker of the Year” and presented
her with a “Witches Broom”for her seeming ability to fly up hills.
• It was decided to continue the off Thursday Hikes that Henry had started
and the schedule became long hikes on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday,
Intermediate hikes on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thursdays and short hikes on the first
Thursday.
• New Short Hike categories were introduced.
• New Short hikes to Bon Tempe and Lagunitas Lake Loop, Prince
Memorial Greenway and the Shollenberger Park (along the Petaluma
River) were conducted. Nancy Young and Julie Kiil were among the
leaders.
• A new Long hike at Audubon Canyon Ranch in Marin was introduced by
Leo McKenna. In 2006 Leo and Carolyn led joint Intermediate and Long
Hikes there).
• Dave Chalk led a new Long hike to the “Red Barn” beyond Bald
Mountain in Sugarloaf S.P.
• Tri-nighters were held at Carmel/Big Sur and Graegle (attended by 80
people; John Heilbronner made arrangements).
• Dick and Jeri Thayer organized our summer picnic as they had for years.
• Board members varied during the year: John Heilbronner, Arline Bastien,
Terry Amano, Herm Hermann, Dick Shlegeris, Laura Stanley, Chuck Stanley,
Nancy Young and Kathy Vincent.
2006 –
• At the Annual meeting this year Kathy and Randy Vincent were named
2005 Hikers of the Year for leading a record number of hikes. Randy had
mastered the task of learning each and every trail in Annadel from Henry
and became Oakmont's new hiking guru.
Randy and Kathy Vincent at the Devil's Well.
•
Three new Long hikes were introduced this year:
1. As a result of a 3373 acre acquisition at Willow Creek a hike from
Freeze Out Road to Pomo Campground, Red Hill and ending at Shell
Beach became possible. Dave Chalk led this new hike.
2. A second new Long hike to Big Rock in Marin led by Herm Hermann
and Dick Shlegeris.
3. Ken led a new outing to Sculptured and Secret Beaches “For
Adventurous Long Hikers”.
Sculptured Beach
• Another new Short hike to the Laguna Wildlife Wetlands led by Herm.
• Kathy Vincent organized our Annual potluck Dinner.
• Tri-nighters were held at North Coast Redwoods in the spring and Lake
Tahoe in the fall.
• In November 2006 the Newsletter stated “HIKE CATEGORIES –
PLEASE NOTE IMPORTANT CHANGES. “We will no longer be
offering a short hike, however, please see description of “shorter Hikes”
below. This was a category that we tried for 18 months. While there was
some interest there was not enough to continue”. (Short meant up to 4
miles with minimal elevation gain).
• Hike coordinators and board members were: Herm Hermann, Bob
Anschicks, Bruce Stephen, Arline Bastien, Terry Amano, Chuck Stanley,
Carolyn McKenna, Kathy Vincent, Bud Anderson and Denise Scott.
2007 –
• Clem Maassen and Bill Knill were recognized for their service of over a
dozen years reporting in the Newsletter.
• Ken and Suzanne took the Long Hikers on a new outing to Black
Diamond Mines and Pinnacles National Monument. At Pinnacles they
saw stunning wildflower displays among eery stone pinnacles, Condors
soaring overhead and ended the trip by passing through the Bear Gulch
Caves. (Photo below).
Long Hikers finding their way on the High Peaks Trail
at Pinnacles National Monument
• Herm led a new hike on the Sonoma Ridge Trail in Jack London S.P.
• After the Sonoma County Open Space District acquired 1300 acres of the
Beltane Ranch two years earlier, the property (now renamed Calabazas
Creek Preserve) was still not open to the public. Ken and Suzanne
obtained permission to take small groups onto the property and led both
the Long and Intermediate Hikers there.
• A new first Tri-nighter at Murphys / Calaveras Big Trees (55 people
came).
• Leo and Carolyn McKenna organized our first new Tri-nighter at Lassen
National Park in September. It snowed when we were there.
• Dick & Jeri Thayer ran the annual picnic as they had done for years.
• Board members were Herm, Bob Anschicks, Terry Amano, Carolyn
McKenna, Denise Scott, Chuck Stanley and Yvonne Horn.
2008 –
• At the annual meeting, Ken Stueben entertained the audience with a slideshow depicting some of the more scenic and interesting views of the many
destinations of the Long and Intermediate Hikers. Updates of this
sideshow were presented at the next two annual meetings.
• Yvonne Horn led a new short hike in Graton and another in Railroad
Square, Santa Rosa.
George Anderson and Shirley Marelli July, 2008
• The spring and fall Tri-nighters were held at Big Basin (planned by Leo &
Carolyn McKenna) and Graegle (Terry Amano & Chuck Stanley)
respectively.
Dave Chalk playing Peek-a-Boo at Big Basin State Park.
•
Concerning Safety Issues - Because of legal ramifications, Herm
Hermann and the Board set up a system having all hikers sign a release of
liability form to be kept on file. In the writer's experience injuries,
accidents or problems of any kind have been remarkably rare among the
Oakmont Hikers. From time to time someone may fall while hiking but
this can largely be avoided by using Hiking poles. Other than this I am
only aware of five other incidents worth mentioning. One involved a slip
down a steep embankment at a turn on the Cataract trail which resulted in
Helen Young, tumbling down some distance. Three other incidents took
place on Devil's Well hikes. The first occurred on the steep and rock
strewn path down from Maggie's Peak where hiker Joel Morris started
windmilling out of control but he was not injured. The steep trail down
has since been re-routed as more gentle switchbacks by the local Boy
Scout Troop and no longer presents a problem. The last two accidents
took place as a result of a hiker ignoring instructions. A gentleman failed
to follow a designated route when we crossed a steep canyon. As a result,
he caught his finger in a crevice and dislocated it. Not long after, on the
same hike, the same gentleman did not heed warnings to take extra
precautions to avoid slipping as we came down a rock slope and he fell
but was otherwise unhurt. The last example I'll mention speaks to the
importance of waiting at each trail intersection for those who follow. A
couple who had been slower than the rest arrived at a “T” intersection and
uncertain as to whether to turn right or left chose the wrong direction and
wandered until they had no strength to go any further. They had to be
rescued and the whole group didn't return home until about 10:00 P.M.
• Our summer picnic was organized by Del Baker and assisted by Patty
Lewis and Mary Alice Stephen. We celebrated George Anderson's
Birthday.
• In what was termed a “Special Event” Dick Shlegeris and Ken Stueben
launched a new (in the sense that Long and Intermediates were together)
joint outing to Sculptured and Secret Beaches complete with sunset, full
moon and a campfire to roast marshmallows on. Teresa and Tom
Woodrum, Alex Bautista and Dave Chalk helped with the effort which
attracted 53 hikers.
Sharon & Dick Shlegeris at Sculptured Beach
• Late in the year the club got its own website through the efforts of Herm
Hermann and Mike Noble. Mike set up the site while Herm chose the
format, the content of what should be on the site and continued as web
master till late 2010.
• Board members were not posted in Hiker's News.
2009 –
• Another outing was held this spring which consisted of a visit to the Black
Diamond Mines in Antioch with two new features:
(1.) choice of hiking or a tour of the Hazel – Atlas Mine followed by (2.)
choice of either Long or Intermediate hikes at the Pinnacles National
Monument. Hike leaders were Ken and Herm Hermann.
• We held a Bi-nighter in Marin organized by Jean Reed and Herm
Hermann.
• A new short hike to Historic Petaluma was led by Mary Ann Roosh.
• Annual picnic. John Heilbronner and Leo McKenna were the chefs for the
60+ attendees.
Short hike to Santa Rosa Cemetery led by Joanne Evilsizer
The fall Tri-nighter in Fort Bragg produced the following photo of the
Short Hikers:
L - R: Terry Amano, Roxanne Thornton, Sigrid Thomason, Nancy Young,
Margaret Schmidt, Helen Herbert, Sharon Shlegeris and Miho Amano.
• Board members in 2009 were Herm Hermann, Frank Batchelor, Suzanne
Bond, Yvonne Horn, Larry Maniscalco, Bernie Palk, Chuck Stanley and
Kathy Vincent.
2010 –
• George Anderson died in March 2010 just a few months short of 100
years of age.
• A new intermediate hike to Ferry Point and Point Richmond was led by
Larry Maniscalco.
• Bernie Palk and Frank Batchelor organized our first Tri-nighter at
Pinecrest.
Lake at Pinecrest
• The January 1st issue of Hikers News lists 2010 CLUB DIRECTORS as:
Herm Hermann, Frank Batchelor, Suzanne Bond, Yvonne Horn, Larry
Maniscalco, Bernie Palk, Chuck Stanley and Kathy Vincent.
2011 • Bernie Palk presented a very moving video at the annual potluck titled
“Oakmont's Beautiful Hiking Experiences”. The photos were taken from
each of the four seasons and appropriately accompanied by the music of
Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
• The spring Tri-nighter was held at North Coast Redwoods in May.
• A new “Special Event” at Doran Beach featuring joint Intermediate and
Long hikes with tide pooling, followed by sunset, full moon and campfire
was held by Dick Shlegeris and Ken Stueben.
• The tri-nighter for fall was held at Lassen and organized by Kathy Vincent
and Suzanne Bond.
Historian Ken at Lassen 2011
Intermediate hike through San Francisco followed by dinner in Chinatown
• According to Yvonne Horn, the average attendance on each outing for our
3 different hiking categories this year is: 9 Short, 20 Intermediate and 11
Long. If we multiply these numbers by the number of outings every
month of each group, that is, one Short, three Intermediate and two plus
Longs we get a total for each month of about 90 hikers.
Yvonne tells about the finer points of the Healdsburg Ridge Hike
Yvonne says that she often designs Short Hikes to add an element of learning.
Some examples:
• walking with a docent through the Santa Rosa Regional Cemetery
• walking the paths with a docent at the Occidental Arts and Ecology
Center.
• Healdsburg Ridge trail – an Open Space Preserve with glorious views of
Fitch Mountain, Russian River and the Mayacamas Mountains "an
intermediate hike for short hikers, or a short hike for intermediates."
• Oakmont's hidden paths- a series of steps, fire roads and paths.
• Town walk in Sebastopol.
• Back Streets of Sonoma
• An easy winter leg stretcher," 2 1/2 miles on the Brush Creek Trail.
•
Board members for 2011 were Larry Maniscalco, Frank Batchelor,
Yvonne Horn, Jim Sannar, Bernie Palk, Suzanne Bond, Kathy Vincent and
Joanne Evilsizer.
Four pages of photographs follow:
The uppermost photo on the first page shows a small portion of the thousands
of feet of irrigation lines that were used by Marijuana growers in Calabazas
Creek. These lines were removed by volunteers. Bob Anschicks helped carry
some of this out. This problem prevented hiking here for months.
Under that photo is Bev Leve dancing a jig at Black Diamond Mines and below
that co-leaders Larry Maniscalco and Frank Batchelor on the ferry to San
Francisco.
The second page going clockwise beginning at upper left shows (1) Bernie Palk
followed by (2) Bob Anschicks then (3) Phil Wigen and lastly (4) Lynn Pelletier
and Alex Bautista.
The third page is at Indian Beach (2003) while the fourth shows groups from
Tri-nighters in Carmel (1991) and Lake Tahoe (2006).
Following the photographs is the APPENDIX:
Jeanne Anderson's Oakmont Hikers notice from January 1, 1974
Henry Szostak's choice of the ten best hikes
Jack Coon's “Road Warriors”
Memoriam for Henry Szostak, February 19, 2004
Oakmont Overnighters List (Corrected for previous omissions and errors).
Acknowledgement
Indian Beach Hikers (Tomales Bay State Park) from L-R and top to bottom:
Top – John Williston; 2nd level - Laura Stanley, Randy Vincent, Henny
Williston, Herm Hermann, John Heilbronner, Dick Shlegeris, Suzanne
Bond; Lower level – Chuck Stanley, Kathy Vincent, Marge Lamb, Mary
Ann (last name unknown) Ken Stueben. JUNE 2003
L-R are Vic Spear, Shirley Marelli, Marjoliein Van Hasselt, Helen Wilbur, Gorham Wilbur, Ann
Brown, Jane Spear, Marion (hidden) & Ken Stueben, Dick Marelli, Werner Schimeyer, Kelly Snow
and Unknown (Carmel 1991).
L-R are Randy Vincent, Dave Chalk, Kathy Vincent, Denny/Nadia Mool. Fred Polkinghorn,
Bev Leve, Helen Ma, Bob Anschicks, Henni Williston, Dave Noorthoek, Mile Noble,
Kneeling: Leo McKenna, Dick Shlegeris, Suzanne Bond, Ken Stueben (Lake Tahoe 2006).
Jack Coon's “Road Warriors”
OAKMONT HIKER OVERNIGHTERS
YEAR
SPRING
FALL
1989
FORT BRAGG
1990
YOSEMITE
LAKE TAHOE
1991
CARMEL
GRAEGLE (Oakmont News)
1992
CARMEL
LAKE TAHOE
1993
YOSEMITE
NO RECORD
1994
FORT BRAGG
LAKE TAHOE
1995
YOSEMITE
NORTH COAST REDWOODS
1996
CARMEL
BIG BASIN
1997
AUBURN-GOLD COUNTRY
GRAEGLE
1998
PINNACLES (Rained out)
MAMMOTH
1999
CARMEL
MENDOCINO COAST
2000
YOSEMITE
LAKE TAHOE
2001
BIG BASIN
GRAEGLE
2002
MARIN COUNTY
NORTH COST REDWOODS
2003
MURPHYS
LAKE TAHOE
2004
FORT BRAGG
YOSEMITE
2005
CARMEL
GRAEGLE
2006
NORTH COAST REDWOODS
LAKE TAHOE
2007
MURPHYS
MT. LASSEN
2008
BIG BASIN
GRAEGLE
2009
MARIN COUNTY (Bi-nighter) & BLACK
DIAMOND MINES + PINNACLES
(Overnighter)
FORT BRAGG
2010
SEASIDE
PINECREST
2011
NORTH COAST REDWOODS
LASSEN
2012
BIG BASIN
Acknowledgment – I am grateful to the many hikers who helped supply missing pieces of
this puzzle including Photos (Bev Leve, Larry Maniscalco and Jane Spear), Names in
photos, Memorabilia and general information (Jane Spear, Bruce Stephen, Dick Shlegeris,
Herm Hermann, Dick Kaiser, Clem Maassen, Shirley Marelli, Sigrid Thomason, and Nancy
Young). Also thanks to Bruce & Mary Alice Stephen for proofreading.
FINI