Berkeley Hike

During the winter months, the Sacramento County Hikers led by Rich Blackmarr, head to the Bay Area for some urban hiking just in case the weather turns foul.  We can always duck into a coffeehouse or restaurant should it begin raining.

But here it is . . . it's almost Thanksgiving and we're still enjoying an extended Indian Summer.  The day started out cool and windy but by the end of the day, the winds calmed down and the temps were toasty.  A perfect day for a hike.

Rich planned another excellent urban hike tackling the steep stairs and meandering streets of North Berkeley and Kensington neighborhoods.

The approximately 7 mile hike started out near the Solano Boulevard commercial district and meandered via many flights of steps and steep streets over the ridge into Tilden Park where we stopped for lunch.

We climbed back over the ridge on the Memory Trail and down to the starting point stopping at several wonderful neighborhood parks -  Dorothy Bolte, John Hinkel, Indian Rock and Contra Costa Rock Parks.

These urban hikes are very popular and about 30 hikers participated in today's hike

To view complete album, click on "Berkeley Hike" below photo:

From Berkeley Hike

Remembering Mike 1949 - 2013

Mike Broderick led an amazing and improbable life - world traveler, mountain climber, hiker, and most of all, a world-class cycling fanatic.  There aren't many places on this planet he hasn't left his mark.

He had a beautiful home in East Sacramento and a loving and supportive spouse in Barbara who allowed Mike to follow his passion and travel to far away places with his buddies.  He was one very lucky dude.

Our two worlds came together about 4 years ago after he retired from a long and successful career in state government.  Having very similar interests, it didn't take long for us to bond and establish a strong and meaningful friendship.

I am grateful to say that we went on some incredible journeys together both state-side and over-seas before he sadly succumbed to pancreatic cancer on November 6, 2013.

Mike would always ask me, "is this blog worthy?" when taking a photo of him on one of our many ventures and outings.  Having somewhat high standards for the photos I include in my blogs, I would coyly answer, "I'll have to see how it turns out on my computer."

To honor the memory of Mike, I went through my blog archives and selected some of my favorite photos and created this special tribute to Mike.

So Mike, I want to finally answer your quires.

Yes, my friend, you are definitely blog worthy.

Here's a look back at the good times I shared with Mike.

Please click on "Remembering Mike 1949 - 2013" below photo to view album:

From Remembering Mike 1949 - 2013

Sacramento AIA Architectural Bike Tour

The second annual AIA architectural bike tour focused on new developments on or near the R Street Corridor extending from 7th Street out to Oak Park.  With the recovery of the real estate economy, many mixed use residential/commercial projects are being developed on the corridor transforming a decaying warehouse district into exciting new urban mixed-use neighborhoods.

About 30 urban enthusiasts participated in the bike tour and enjoyed a beautiful fall day cycling through downtown streets visiting about 11 projects.  The tour was organized and led by two local architects - Bob Chase and Peter Saucerman.

To view the complete album, click on "Sacramento AIA Architectural Bike Tour" below photo:

From Sacramento AIA Architectural Bike Tour

Farm to Fork Cattle Drive

Longhorns thundered across the Tower Bridge this morning.  The cattle drive is the kick-off event for the Farm to Fork Festival taking place this week in Sacramento, a celebration of the region's agricultural past and present, and it's culinary future.

About 50 head of cattle crossed the bridge herded by about 20 cowhands and headed east on Capitol Mall toward the state capital and turned onto 9th Street into holding pens before they were loaded onto a big, two-level trailer.

Like the Color Run that took place about a month ago (scroll down to Aug. 3rd blog entry), the Cattle Drive is another unique and fun event frequently occurring in the Downtown area.

To view complete album, click on "Farm to Fork Cattle Drive" below photo:

From Farm to Fork Cattle Drive

Chico-Velo Tour of Unknown Coast

In 2008, I did the Tour of the Unknown Coast billed as California's Toughest Century. I nearly perished and swore I would never do this ride again.

Fast forward 5 years.  Chico-Velo sponsors a tour of the same 100 mile route but sanely spread over two days.  They break-up this breathtakingly beautiful ride with a camp-over at the Mattole Camp and Retreat Center.

The Chico-Velo version is a sagged tour where they schlep your camping gear, provide great meals, and vital rest-stops at the tops of monster climbs this route is famous for at a very reasonable fee.

There were approximately 75 riders participating in this year's tour.  I attended the ride with Dave and Kristina Vandershaf.

The 100 mile route is broken up into:

First Day - 63 miles with 4800' of climbing
Second Day - 37 miles with 4580' of vertical

The tour takes in the best of the California North Coast - rolling bucolic farmland, majestic redwood forests, along meandering rivers, 10 miles of the Lost Coast, and three monster climbs of the King Range.  All beginning and ending in the fairytale Victorian Village of Ferndale.

My hats off to the volunteers of Chico-Velo.  They really know how to put on a fantastic supported tour.

To view photo album, click on "Chico-Velo Tour of the Unknown Coast" below photo:

From Chico-Velo Tour of the Unknown Coast

Eastern Sierra Hikes

The Sacramento County Hikers Annual Eastern Sierra trip was based in June Lake this year.  Twelve hikers participated in the hikes spread over 5 days.  Per his usual method, Rich Blackmarr planned and organized an excellent variety of hikes mostly in close driving distance of June Lake.

Dick Fraschetti, Rick Kallet and I arrived a day later and stayed a day longer than the rest of the group.

The four hikes we participated in were:

1. Mt. Dana - 6 mile RT with 3,000' of climbing
2. Parker Lake - 3 miles RT with 650' of vertical
3. Granite Peak - 4 miles RT with 1,500' of climbing
4. Walker Lake to Sardine Lake - 7 miles RT with 2,500' of vertical

Being on the dramatic east-slope of the Sierra Crest, all the hikes were incredibly breathtaking and knee-whacking gnarly.  The beauty of the Eastern Sierra is unmatched in terms of views and awesomeness.

The potential problem could have been the poor air quality caused by the massive Rim Fire burning near the west boundary of Yosemite National Park.  Fortunately the winds were blowing the smoke north along the Sierra Crest sparing the June Lake area of any visibility issues.  The skies were clear and bright in the areas we hiked.

To view the complete album, click on "Eastern Sierra Hikes" below the photo:

From Eastern Sierra Hikes

Mt. Rose Hike

Mt. Rose, located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe,  at 10,776' is the second highest peak on the Tahoe Rim.  It is big, beautiful and formidable.

The trailhead is located at the 8,811' summit of Hwy 431 connecting Incline Village and Reno. The 5 mile trail (one way) is rated strenuous with nearly 2,000' of elevation gain, mostly in the last 2 1/2 miles.

We took the Mt. Rose Summit Trail to the top of the mountain and diverted to the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), a portion of the Relay Peak Road, on the return leg.

The total distance of the hike was 11+ miles with about 2,400' of elevation gain as well as loss.

Dick Fraschetti, Frank Gerace and Rick Kallet joined me on today's fantastical hike.

To view hike album, click on "Mt. Rose Hike" below the photo:

From Mt. Rose Hike