Length: 11-12 miles, 2200 feet elevation

Start time: 10 am

Carpool: no host carpool at Los Gatos Unlimited Parking site (unless others want to do carpool for me!)

As the weather heats up it’s time to head over to Big Basin State Park and hike the Berry Creek Falls Trail. We will do a slight variation of the usual loop hike, by going over to the Mt. McAbee overlook via Howard King Trail and then hike down to the Skyline-to-the Sea Trail and up to the falls. We return by the Sunset Trail. It can be chilly so bring layer clothing, plus water and lunch. Meet at the parking area across from the store. Bring cash to pay State Park fee.

(4-7mi, 1000ft) We will hike Mount Tamalpais and see 'The Sound of Music' at Mountain Theatre. You can hike before the play, after the play, or not at all. We will all meet in Mill Valley at Mt Tamalpais High School parking lot at 700 Miller Ave at 9:45 SHARP. We will take the first shuttle at 10 am to the Mountain Theatre, and drop our stuff off and put blankets out to hold our unreserved seats. For those people hiking before the show, we plan to do a 5-6 mile 2A hike around Mountain Theatre. We will return to the theater around 1-1:30 pm for lunch, and then see the performance at 2 pm. At the end of the show, we will hike 7 miles down to Mill Valley and back to the cars, or you can take the shuttle bus back down. Plan to bring lunch (or buy lunch there), sun screen, hats, chairs with no legs (optional), and plenty of water. Parking is free at Mt Tamalpais High School. Bus shuttles are also free, for both getting to the theater and the return back.

Here is carpool information.

We will meet at the YMCA parking lot, 1877 S. Grant Street, San Mateo, at 8:30 am. It's a large parking lot, and we meet at the east end, nearest the Bay, and furthest from the YMCA building itself.

Directions from the south: Take Hwy 101 north to Hwy 92 heading west. Take the first exit from Hwy 92, which is Delaware Street, and bear right at the end of the ramp, which will leave you on Concar Drive. Proceed to the second traffic light, which is S. Grant Street and turn right. The YMCA is about 100 yards ahead on your left. Turn into the driveway and proceed all the way back to the east end of the parking lot.

Directions from the north: Take Hwy 101 south to Fashion Island Blvd. This is the *same* exit that leads to Hwy 92 both east and west, so stay in the second lane from the right to make sure you exit on Fashion Island Blvd rather than taking one of the ramps to Hwy 92. The signs mark this clearly, so just watch the signs. At the end of the ramp, turn right and proceed about 100 yards to the traffic light. At the light, turn right into the driveway. You will be near the east end of the parking lot, and you will see our carpool assembling on your right.

There are several people joining us from Los Gatos, Saratoga and the South Bay, and if someone is willing to volunteer to host a carpool further south for that group, I'll be happy to announce it.

Or, anyone driving alone can meet us at Mt Tamalpais High School parking lot at 700 Miller Ave in Mill Valley at 9:45 SHARP.

Rain Cancels

Co-listed with LPSS

13.6mi 2600'

Join me for a strenuous Hike through the Pescadero Creek and Sam McDonald county parks where we will hike the Heritage Grove loop "among grasslands with sweeping open views of neighboring mountain ridge tops, before leading you down into a valley of old growth redwood trees".

Meet at 9:15am for a 9:30am start

Likely route here: http://files.meetup.com/1809828/pescadero-route.pdf

Carpool Locations:

I will depart from the Page Mill @ I280 Park and ride at 8:30am, and stop at the Russian ridge parking lot @9am along the way. [If you plan to meet at the Russian Ridge parking lot - contact me so I know who to expect]. See here: http://goo.gl/maps/CaVug for driving directions.

Bring plenty of water, lunch, and a snack to share for after the hike.

An alternative for those who are not going to the Mt. Tam play this weekend.

Hike length:  11 miles; 2100 feet of elevation gain

Hike description: The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is located just north of the town of Aptos and offers many shaded trails. Thick forests conceal a landscape that was clear-cut and once contained railroads, settlements and mills. Today the natural process of forest regeneration is reclaiming the environment to create a forest including riparian and woodland plant communities. We will hike up the Aptos Creek Trail to Five Finger Falls for lunch and return by the same route. Along the way, we will pass by the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, cross a one-log bridge, hike around an enormous slide, and rock-hop across small streams. There is a pit toilet at the trailhead, but there is no potable water.

Expected duration of hike: 6 hours

Carpool locations: A carpool will leave the Los Gatos free unlimited parking lot at 8 am. The Los Gatos P&R is on the north side of Hwy 9 between University and Santa Cruz. Take Hwy 17 south and exit to the right on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road (Hwy 9). Continue on this road past the first light, University Ave., and turn right at the free unlimited parking sign. No-host carpool from Hwy 280/Page Mill Rd Park and Ride 7:45 am. Call leader only on the morning of the hike.

Time to meet at trail head: 9 am

Directions to trail head: Travel south on Hwy 17 and south on Hwy 1. Exit Hwy 1 at State Park Dr. and turn left. From State Park Dr. turn right onto Soquel Dr and drive about 0.4 miles. Turn left at Aptos Creek Rd., which is just up a short incline after crossing the old Aptos Creek Bridge. The left turn onto Aptos Creek Rd. is easy to miss because both the street sign and the Park sign are small. Drive 0.8 miles on Aptos Creek Rd. to the entrance station. After paying the entrance fee ($8), continue driving 2.2 miles on the narrow, graded road to the Porter Family Picnic Area.

What to bring: Bring insect repellent, boots, poles, water, lunch, and a snack to share after the hike. Dress in layers, as the coastal weather is unpredictable.

(11mi, 1600ft)Wunderlich is a good place to escape the hot summer sun. The trails are lined with Redwoods, well- maintained and moderately graded. We will go from the ranger station to the Skyline Blvd and back.

Bring: lunch, lots of liquids, hats and boots.

Carpool: 9AM Edgewood and 280 Park and Ride

Meet: 9:30 at the park’s main entrance.

To Get There: Exit CA 84/Woodside Road (exit 25 on I280 San Mateo). Drive west on Woodside Road about 3 miles to the signed park entrance (it's a small sign) on the right (west) side of the road.

(11-12 miles, 2500 feet elevation) This is my favorite hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It has a little bit of everything -- towering redwoods, fast-flowing creeks, and historic sites. This is a hike for experienced hikers who regularly hike 10+ miles at a moderately fast pace. The hike starts on the High School Trail but soon we begin climbing up to the Truck Trail to the Big Ben Trail. We lose all the elevation gained when we drop down to the creek, cross it, and head back up to the Big Ben redwood tree. From here we head back down to Lost Camp and catch an unmarked trail down to Fall Creek before going over to the Lime Kiln site. A faint trail leads to a watering trough where a few struggling goldfish live. We head back to Fall Creek and the High School Trail for the return trip. This area is confusing to new hikers because of poor, or lack of, signage at trail junctions so only sign up if you plan to do the entire hike with me. Bring something to share with folks for after the hike. Bathroom and water available at the school only.

Bring: water, lunch, snacks to share at the end of the hike.

Self carpool site at Los Gatos Unlimited Parking -- meet at 8:45 am.

9:30am at San Lorenzo High School in Felton.

7105 Highway 9, Felton, CA (about 1/2 mile east of Felton)

Hike posted with BMHS and Sierra Singles. Email with questions.

Hike length: ~11 miles

Elevation gain: ~ 2300 feet

Expected duration of hike: ~ 5 hours

Hike description: This is a re-scheduling (with a slightly different route) of the hike that did not take place in April because the Miramontes Trail was closed.

We will begin this hike at the southern Purisima parking lot (see map link bellow). We'll cross the road into Huddart Park and hike north along the Skyline Trail, take the Lonely Trail to the Raymundo and Miramontes trails before entering Huddart Park. In Huddart we will hike along the Crystal Springs, Dean and Chinquapin trails.

Trail Maps: https://www.box.com/s/p8yfjdyvdqzivrpz8xx8

Time to meet at trailhead: 9:15 a.m. for a 9:30 a.m. start. Parking is limited to ~10 cars in the dirt lot, but there is additional parking on the side of the road.

Carpool locations:

8:50 a.m.: No host at the park and ride at Edgewood and I-280.

8:40 a.m.: No host Lucky supermarket parking lot, 2175 Grant Rd., Los Altos (park near Grant Rd. side of lot).

8:50 a.m.: No host at the park and ride Page Mill and I-280.

Directions to trailhead: The Purisima Creek Trailhead is about 6 miles north of Highway 84 – about ½ mile north of Kings Mountain Road and Highway 35. It is about about 6.5 miles south of Highway 92. Going north it is on the left. Going south it is on the right. There is a dirt parking area for about 10 cars, with additional parking on the side of the road.

Map: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209213897448286143706.0004d1a11280491952e0b

What to bring: Water (2 liters), lunch, trail snacks, sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Dress warmly and in layers; the temperatures can vary over the course of the hike, and maybe cold and foggy at the trail head. Please bring a snack to share at the end of the hike.

HEAVY rain cancels.

(11mi, 1200ft) We will hike along the Pacific coast of San Francisco starting from the end of the N Judah Muni line (JUDAH ST & LA PLAYA) through Sutro Heights Park, Lands End Trail, Baker Beach, Golden Gate Beach and past the Golden Gate Bridge for lunch. After lunch we will return by the same route, possibly with occasional diversions.

Carpool at the Edgewood Road and Hwy 280 Park & Ride lot at 9:00AM, or meet in San Francisco at the intersection of Judah and La Playa Streets at 9:45 AM.

Bring lunch, hat, at least 2 liters of water, and jacket (San Francisco weather can be unpredictable). Rain cancels.

(Sat) 9/14/2013 - (Wed) 9/18/2013 BMHS Member Hikes at South Lake Tahoe

No charge. Participants are responsible for their own lodging, transportation and food. List of participants will be available for those who want to carpool and/or room sharing to arrange their own.

This is a BMHS member-only event. To join BMHS as a member, please contact BMHS Treasurer Fran Keeler at frankeeler AT yahoo DOT com

Limited to 20 participants.

At elevation ranging from 6225ft to ~10000ft, Desolation Wilderness at South Lake Tahoe possess the beauty of High Sierra with the rare combination of accessibility to modern day convenience.

We will have day hike for each of the five days. Feel free to join us for all or part of the trip. Participants will be required to stop at every trail junction for regrouping, carry their own trail maps (soft copy will be available later), walkie-talkies and other usual day-hike essentials.

Hikes will range between 2A to 3D, with hard and easy hikes alternating every other day.

Possible hikes includes Velma Lakes, Maggie's Peak, Eagle Lake, Wrights Lake to Grouse and Smith lakes, Rubicon Trail, Mount Tallac, Echo and Aloha Lakes

For more details, please email leader Sharon.