Cancelled Intermediate - Santa Rosa Creek Headwaters

Update Wednesday 8:45 AM   Hike is cancelled do to park closure but we will do an alternate "Bubbly and Brownies" hike in Annadel.  New Hike Description:

I'm really sorry to do this but I’ve got to change the intermediate hike tomorrow.  As of this morning, there are still 11 county regional parks closed, including Hood Regional.  It seems that with 56 regional parks in the county, their resources are spread thin when it comes to the amount of work that needs to be done following the January storms.

Tomorrow’s hike will be a “Belated Bubbly & Brownies” in Annadel.  We will start at the top of Oak Mesa Drive and the hike will take us on the Two Quarry trail to the Marsh Trail where the picnic tables and “solar” toilet are.  There we will break open the Bubbly and Brownies to celebrate the start of the lunar new year and the year of the rabbit.  From there we will hike a loop on the Ridge trail back to the Marsh trail and back to Oak Mesa.  Leaves from Burger at 9:00 am.  Distance about 5 - 6 miles with an estimated elevation of 850 feet.

Due to the limited parking on top of Oak Mesa Drive and the fact that Thursday is trash day, I’ll be asking the drivers to drop off passengers at the top of Oak Mesa and then drive back down and park on Oakmont Drive.  We will then use one car to shuttle the drivers back up the hill as a courtesy to the homeowners.

The "Bubbly" will be provided by Doug and Georgene and  needless to say, I’ll bring the Brownies and non-alcohol Bubbly.

With gratitude,

Gary Andersen

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The Santa Rosa Creek Headwaters hike will be rescheduled to February 16.  Margaret Spaulding (one of the three conservation minded ladies whose former property we will visit) has agreed to meet us for a group lunch following the hike, lunch location to be announced later.

Intermediate –Santa Rosa Creek Headwaters  rescheduled to February 16

Please join me on this infortive hike where we will regognize three very outstanding Sonoma County conservation minded women who we have to thank for their land contribution to Sugarloaf and Hood Mountain Parks.  We start at the Los Alamos northwest entrance to Hood Mountain Regional Park and hike immediately into the McCormick addition of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.  Our destination will be the most recent addition to HMRP, a 161 acre parcel previously owned by Glen Ellen Resident Margaret Spaulding and the headwaters of Santa Rosa Creek where we will dine alfresco on Bonnie’s Brownies.  Along the way I’ll discuss the role and importance that the Sonoma Land Trust plays in obtaining and preserving these beautiful public open spaces we have.  Also, a little history of the McCormick Ranch and the current SLT acquisition in progress.

This is a 4.2 mile hike with 925 feet of elevation, all on a dirt road.  We do need to cross Salt Creek and when I pre hiked this on December 7, it was about 4.5 feet wide.  Kareem Abul Jabbar would have no trouble stepping over it but most of us don’t have that kind of long stride.  If you don’t want wet feet, I suggest you bring plastic grocery bags to cover your hiking shoes or…. I’ll have nice plastic knee high boot covers available that you can buy from me for $2.00 a pair.  Departs from Berger lot at 9:00 am  and drivers will need a Regional Park Pass or $7.00.  Rain may cause us to reschedule so please check the website for an update the night before.

Hike Leader Gary Andersen  360-778-9604.