M A G A Z I N E O F T H E V E N T A N A C H A P T E R O F T H E S I E R R A C L U B

Volume 45, Number 2, 2006

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet

Bike Week: May 13-21 p. 6

www.ventana.sierraclub.org

Tim

Hyl

andAPRIL, MAY, JUNE

OUTINGS

Who says you can’t go grocery shopping on a bike?Corinne Hyland brings home the groceries despitebeing 8 1/2 months pregnant. As a health educatorfor the County of Santa Cruz, Corinne practices whatshe preaches. About three weeks after these photoswere taken, Corinne gave birth to a 7 pound 15ounce baby girl, Evan Marie.

Recycle unneeded items;snag $ for Sierra Club

Do you have furniture, sportsequipment, or other items youno longer want or need around

the house? I had a Nordic Track I wasno longer using. I placed an ad in TheVentana, asked the purchaser to makethe check out to “Sierra Club,” and wasable to help the Club and clean out mygarage at the same time. Such a deal!Free classified ads

The Ventana is offering freeclassified ads, on a space avail-able basis, for items worth $25 or morewhen the owner agrees to have the pur-chaser make the check out to “SierraClub.” It’s easy. It recycles. Best of all ithelps the Club fund conservation andadvocacy.

For more information call 457-1036.—Debbie Bulger

Editor: Debbie Bulger, dfbulger@cruzio.com(no change of address calls, please!)

Production:Debbie Bulger, Vivian Larkins,Dale Nutley

Writers:Julie Engell, Debbie Bulger,Bill Magavern

Photographers:Linda Smith, Richard Stover,Tim Hyland, James McGrew,Jean Brocklebank, Greg Meyer,Kevin Collins

Proofreaders:Richard Stover, Wolfgang Rosenberg,Charles Koester, Jim Danaher,Eloise Graham, Vivian Larkins

Distribution:Keith Wood, Jerry HouserDebbie Bulger

Advertising Sales:Debbie Bulger

Late Night Food Delivery & Software:Richard Stover

Chapter website:http://ventana.sierraclub.org

F R O M T H E E D I T O R

Printed on Recycled Paper2

While it is the intent of The Ventana toprint articles that reflect the positionof the Ventana Chapter, ideas

expressed in The Ventana are those of theauthors, and do not necessarily reflect theposition of the Sierra Club. Articles, graphicsand photographs are copyrighted by theauthors and artists and may be reprinted onlywith their permission.DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSIONSAll materials for publication must be received bythe deadlines listed below. No exceptions.SUBMISSIONS FORMATPlease limit articles to 800 words; letters to300. All submissions may be edited for clarityand length. Email to dfbulger@cruzio.com.Mail hard copy to editor, address below.PHOTOSPhotos submitted to The Ventana must meetthe following requirements: No laser copies orinkjet outputs. Electronic photos should be nosmaller than 1200 x 1100 pixels or 300 dpi.Cover photos must be 3000 x 2000 pixels. Filmphotos, slides or negatives are fine. Please callthe editor if you have any questions.WHERE TO SEND SUBMISSIONS Send submissions to: Debbie Bulger, Editor1603 King Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060e-mail: dfbulger@cruzio.comCHANGE OF ADDRESSDo not call editor! Send address changes to:address.changes@sierraclub.org.POSTAL NOTICEThe Ventana (015057) is published 6 times ayear, (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec.) paid bysubscription included in membership fee, byThe Ventana Chapter of the Sierra Club, 1001Center St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Periodicalpostage paid Santa Cruz, California, and atadditional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to SierraClub, The Ventana, P. O. Box 604, Santa Cruz,CA 95061-0604.

2006VENTANA PUBLICATION SCHEDULE:

Issue Deadline Mailing Date#3 May 15 May 31#4 Jul. 17 Aug. 2#5 Sep. 25 Oct. 11#6 Nov. 27 Dec. 13

Articles received after deadline maynot be published.

The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006

C H A P T E R C H A I R

Monterey County voters mayface land use issues

Two critical land use measures maybe on the June 6 ballot inMonterey County. We urge all

Ventana Chapter Sierra Club membersto vote NO on Measure C, the secondreferendum to stop Rancho San Juan andto vote YES on the Community GeneralPlan Initiative. As we go to press, it isnot yet certain if these issues will be onthe ballot.No on Rancho San Juan

Rancho San Juan, proposed for 2,500acres between Salinas and Prunedale, wasfirst approved by the Monterey CountyBoard of Supervisors in December 2004.Because both traffic and water problemswere not addressed, four lawsuits werefiled against the county.

In November 2005 nearly 76% ofMonterey County voters rejectedRancho San Juan. However, one daybefore voters went to the polls, theSupervisors approved a so-called down-sized version of Rancho San Juan,Butterfly Village. Within a month ofhijacking the election, Supervisors beganre-expanding Rancho San Juan.

Opponents of the project then quali-fied a second referendum, Measure C,for the June 2006 ballot. VentanaChapter of Sierra Club urges you to voteNO on C.

The “downsized” project contains1,147 houses, and a golf course/resort. Itwill generate 13,000 additional car tripson already gridlocked roads and willincrease water consumption in an area ofsevere water overdraft.

To learn more about Rancho San Juancall Julie Engell, 633-8709 or visitwww.stopranchosanjuan.org.

The City of Santa Cruz has releasedfor public comment a Master Planand Draft EIR for the eastside

Greenbelt property known as AranaGulch. When I first moved to SantaCruz in 1988, the property was full ofcows. At the time I was unaware ofanother resident of that coastal prairieremnant: the Santa Cruz Tarplant(Arana Gulch variety). The tarplant’sflower is not showy. You might walkright by it without taking notice. But ithas one very important distinction. Itgrows nowhere else in the world. It isofficially listed as “threatened” by theFederal Government and as “endan-gered” by the State of California.

When I walk on the other Greenbeltproperties owned by the City, I expectto have an experience in which Nature isparamount. I do not expect or wantpaved paths through the Pogonip. Irecoil in horror at the thought of pavinga path through the glorious goldfieldsthat blanket parts of the Moore CreekUplands. Why, then, would the Cityconsider installing a series of paved pathson the smallest of its Greenbelt lands?

The lure of a bicycle connectionthrough Arana Gulch has many peoplediscounting the environmental damagethat paving such a connection would cre-ate. As a frequent bicyclist, I understandthat lure. Bicycling is a non-pollutingform of transportation that the SierraClub encourages. We need more bike-ways and bike lanes in this community.

I am a member of People Power, thebicycle advocacy group; I am also amember of the California Native PlantSociety. I cherish biodiversity, not onlyfor itself, but for its importance tohumans. The Draft EIR states that

paving a bikeway through the Greenbeltwould cause significant and non-mitiga-ble damage to the tarplant.

Bicyclists dealing with traffic onSoquel Avenue might wish that a pavedbikeway could be built through AranaGulch without damage to the environ-ment, but they are wishing, not lookingat the facts. The botanists say that theenvironmental damage would be signifi-cant.

I will be embarrassed if our citydecides to ignore the science. I will behorrified if this city of mine, a citywhich has solar panels on its city hall,applies for a permit to “take” (kill) anendangered species. I will be more thandisappointed in our City Council mem-bers.

But there is another choice. A bike-way on the railroad right-of-way wouldprovide a traffic-free east-west bike routewithout harming endangered species.That is why I and the Sierra Club whole-heartedly support purchase and con-struction of the rail trail: A bikeway thatwould go for miles in a car-free environ-ment, not just the quarter mile crossingArana Gulch.

I hope you will contact the SantaCruz City Council and urge them to acton the science not on wishful thinking.Let them know that we may have a legaland, most certainly, a moral imperativenot only to preserve the tarplant, butalso to restore it by implementing asound tarplant management plan.

We need more bikeways in SantaCruz, but we should not eradicateendangered species in order to get them.

—Debbie Bulger

Why I support habitat preservation and restoration in theArana Gulch Greenbelt

Yes on Community General PlanInitiative

The Community General Plan Initia-tive amends the County’s 1982 GeneralPlan in four common-sense ways.

1. The initiative focuses develop-ment and community investment in fiveexisting communities: Fort Ord, Pajaro,Castroville, Boronda, and Chualar. Eachof these communities has existing infra-structure which can be augmented, hasexisting redevelopment plans, and hasexpressed desire for some growth.

2. The initiative requires adequateroads and a permanent water supplybefore or concurrent with new develop-ment.

3. The initiative increases theamount of below-market-rate housingrequired in all new subdivisions from20% to 30%.

4. The initiative requires a vote ofthe people in order to change these basicland use policies.

The Community General Plan Initia-tive is endorsed by Sierra Club, theLeague of Women Voters of the SalinasValley and of the Monterey Peninsula,the Salinas Valley LULAC #2995, andmany others. To learn more visit www.montereyplan.org or call 647-1058.

—Julie EngellThis column was written by Julie Engell

a member of the Chapter Ex-Com.

LETTERS

Please Recycle This Paper Again The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 3

Contact Your RepresentativesPresident George W. BushThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NWWashington, D.C. 20500Comment line: (202) 456-1111FAX: (202) 456-2461president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President Dick Cheney(202) 456-1414vice.president@whitehouse.gov

Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerState Capitol BuildingSacramento, CA 95814(916) 445-2841FAX: (916) 445-4633www.governor.ca.gov

Senator Dianne Feinstein331 Hart Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510(202) 224-3841; (415) 393-07071 Post Street, Suite 2450San Francisco, CA 94104go to website to email

Senator Barbara Boxer112 Hart Office BuildingWashington, D. C. 20510(202) 224-3553(415) 403-0100 (Voice)1700 Montgomery StreetSan Francisco, CA 94111go to website to email

U. S. Representative Sam Farr100 W. Alisal Street Salinas, CA 93901(831) 429-1976 (Santa Cruz)

(831) 424-2229 (Salinas)(202) 225-6791 (FAX, Washington, D.C.)samfarr@mail.house.govU.S. Representative Anna Eshoo698 Emerson StreetPalo Alto, CA 94301(408) 245-2339FAX (650) 323-3498go to website to emailState Senator Abel Maldonado100 Paseo De San Antonio, Suite 206San Jose, CA 95113(408) 277-9461senator.maldonado@sen.ca.gov

State Senator Joe SimitianState Capitol, Room 4062Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 445-6747 FAX (916) 323-4529Senator.Simitian@sen.ca.gov

State Senator Jeff Denham369 Main Street, #208Salinas, CA 93901(831) 769-8040senator.Denham@sen.ca.govAssembly Representative Simon Salinas100 W. Alisal Street, Rm. 134Salinas, CA 93901(831) 759-8676 FAX (831) 759-2961assemblymember.Salinas@assembly.ca.govAssembly Representative John Laird701 Ocean Street, Room 318-BSanta Cruz, CA 95060; (831) 425-150399 Pacific Street, Suite 555DMonterey, CA 93940(831) 649-2832 FAX (831) 649-2935assemblymember.Laird@assembly.ca.gov

The Ventana welcomes letters. Send to:LETTERS TO THE EDITORThe Ventana, 1603 King StreetSanta Cruz, CA 95060

or email to dfbulger@cruzio.comPlease include a phone number withyour letter. Anonymous letters arenot accepted. Letters may be editedfor length.

Actually arborealI am writing to you about the salamander

pictured in the last issue of The Ventana.The species is actually an arboreal salaman-der— a common amphibian on the west sideof Santa Cruz. Winter is a good time to findthem in your yard under wet boards, pottedplants and yard clippings. I found one justlast week under a kayak that was on theground in my backyard. In spite of theirname, they seem to spend a lot of time downon earth (or maybe I don’t spend enoughtime climbing big, old oak trees).

In my experience, the ensatina appears tobe much less common on the Westside. Withtheir bright orange belly and dark red back,they more closely resemble the Californianewt. I can usually find them in spring andsummer under the duff and downed logs inthe sycamore groves along the San LorenzoRiver. They are easiest to find in areas withbig trees and sandy soil. (After I look atthem, I always return the log back to its orig-inal location.) I have watched for many yearsand have not seen the lovely mating dancedescribed by Stebbins. I once heard from astudent of Professor Stebbins that heobserved the dance only once with a captivepair of ensatina. I keep hoping to see it some-day live here in Santa Cruz County. In themeantime, I will keep turning over logs androcks during wet periods.

—Greg MeyerSanta Cruz

Editor’s Note:See p. 9 for comparison photos of the arbore-

al salamander and the ensatina.-

Researchers in North Carolinareleased results in February of thenation’s largest study ever on the

effects of mercury on the U.S. popula-tion. It analyzed hair samples from morethan 6600 women from all 50 states andfound that 1 in 5 women of childbearingage exceeded the EPA’s recommendedlimit of 1 microgram of mercury/gramof hair.

The hair samples came from publicmercury-testing events sponsored by theSierra Club and Greenpeace and individ-uals who ordered testing kits online andmailed a couple of inches of hair to thelab. The samples were analyzed by Dr.Steve Patch and fellow researchers at theEnvironmental Quality Institute at theUniversity of North Carolina,Asheville. Researchers found a directrelationship between mercury levels andfish consumption.

Coal burning is the main way mercu-ry gets into humans. Rainfall brings the

mercury into waterways where it accu-mulates in fish and makes its way up thefood chain. Mercury contamination isespecially dangerous for women of child-bearing years because mercury exposurein the womb can cause neurologicaldamage and other health problems inchildren.

Find out more about what fish aremost contaminated with mercury. Visitsierraclub.org/mercury.

Largest-ever mercury study finds 1 in 5women with dangerous levels

For over 30 years the EndangeredSpecies Act has worked to safe-guard America’s fish and wildlife

by preventing the extinction of hun-dreds of animals across the country.Thanks to the Endangered Species Act,the wolf has returned to Yellowstone,wild salmon still spawn in the rivers ofthe Pacific Northwest, and the bald eagleonce again soars from coast to coast.

Representative Richard Pombo (R-Tracy) is working to degrade theEndangered Species Act, sell off millionsof acres of national forest and nationalpark properties, open the CaliforniaCoast to offshore drilling, and drill inthe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Abill that would gut the endangeredspecies act has passed the house and isbefore the Senate. Sierra Club is workingto ensure that the Endangered SpeciesAct remains strong so that future gener-ations of Americans are able to enjoyfish and wildlife just as we have.How to help

Let Senators Boxer and Feinsteinknow that you support a strongEndangered Species Act with full publicparticipation.

Volunteer to table in Morgan Hill toeducate Pombo’s constituents about hispositions. Call Deirdre at 423-6857.

For more information see: www.sierraclub.org/esa.

Endangered species actionheats up in the Senate

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Printed on Recycled Paper4 The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006

Sierra Club activists from aroundCalifornia joined Ventana Chaptermembers at the 13-hour long

Coastal Commission meeting on March10 in Monterey. Nearly 300 people (150of them Sierra Club members) crowdedinto the conference room where themeeting was held and listened to over100 speakers. Members of many otherenvironmental groups also were present.

The day before, the Commissionershad toured the Pebble Beach property tosee for themselves just what the develop-ment plans would entail. Club activistswere on hand to point out the destruc-tion of habitat and threats to 19 speciesof special concern including theCalifornia red-legged frog, the beautifulMonterey ceanothus and the rare, deli-cate Yadon’s piperia.

At the Commission meeting the nextday, the Sierra Club’s attorney, TomLippe deftly dueled with TonyLombardo, representing the PebbleBeach Company. Incredibly, Lombardodescribed the development plan whichincludes cutting down 17,000 trees as a“protection plan for the forest.”

Lippe, an expert on coastal law, criti-cized Monterey County for not comply-ing with the Coastal Act and affirmed

that the properties earmarked for devel-opment are Environmentally-SensitiveHabitat Area (ESHA) and as such, sub-ject to protection. “It’s rare to see a proj-ect in which there is such a wide gapbetween the proposal and what the lawrequires,” he responded to Lombardo’sassertion of protection.

Fight to save Monterey pine forest continuesCoastal Commission likely to rule on Pebble Beach development in June

Many speakers from both sidesaddressed the Commission on variousaspects of the plan. Proponents for theproject said that Measure A wasendorsed by the voters. Opponentspointed out that Measure A was neverattached to a specific plan. Many testifiedthey felt “duped” when they learned thatMeasure A and the plan would in factcut down over 17,000 trees and destroyone fifth of the remaining nativeMonterey Pine Forest in the world.Four is enough

In 1985, when the CoastalCommission approved the Spanish Baygolf course and resort at Pebble Beach ona 6-5 vote, the Pebble Beach Companyassured the Commission that four golfcourses would be all that the Companywould ever need or ask for.

In 1990, the Pebble Beach Company,then owned by Sumitomo Bank ofJapan, abandoned those assurances, pro-posing a fifth golf course. Since actor-turned-real-estate-developer ClintEastwood and a consortium of golf andbusiness notables purchased the PebbleBeach Company in the late 1990’s, theyhave continued to lobby furiously forapproval of this fifth golf course.

The 1985 approval of the Spanish Bayproject had numerous binding condi-tions including conservation easementson the Sawmill Gulch site. The currentplan calls for removal of those conserva-tion easements to build a high intensityequestrian recreation site that wouldseverely impact the adjacent fragileHuckleberry Hill Preserve. There wasalso to be restoration of sand dunes andforested areas and the existing HaulRoad was to be closed. These promiseswere never kept.

The Coastal Act, of course, prohibitsthe wholesale destruction of environ-mentally-sensitive coastal habitat andresources for golf. The Coastal Actrequires balance, and implicitly recog-nizes that humans cannot live on golfalone. Native Monterey pine forests, onthe other hand, are a rare and increasing-ly threatened ecosystem.How to help

•If you have not already done so,please write the California CoastalCommission and ask that they protectthe genetically-diverse native Montereypine forest ecosystem for future genera-tions. Golf can be played anywhere;once the native Monterey pine forestsand the plants and animals they shelterare gone, they are gone forever. Mailyour letters to California CoastalCommission, 725 Front Street, Suite300, Santa Cruz, CA 95060-4508.

•Consider attending the CoastalCommission meeting in June in SantaRosa where the final decision on thisissue will likely be made. For moreinformation contact Coastal ChairD’Anne Albers, 375-1389.

Deborah A. MalkinA T T O R N E Y A T L A W

Specializing in Wills, Living Trusts, Tax-saving Trusts,

and other forms of Estate Planning.Also offering assistance with Conservatorships and Probate.

Free initial consultationDiscount offered to Sierra Club members.

The Creekside Offices at 2425 Porter St., Suite 15 • Soquel, CA 95073 • 831-462-9100

Open 7 days a weekS.C. Coffee Roasting Co. Coffees

Organic CoffeeHomemade DessertsLots of other goodies!

Pouring our 1996 1st place Stoutand 2000 Bronze Winning

Summer WheatRestaurant open at 11:30 every day

Serving food and grogto 11 PM Weekdays & 12 AM Weekends

The BOULDER CREEKBREWERY

Moving?Please fill out and mail the change

of address form on page 15 oremail:

address.changes@sierraclub.orgThe post office charges us 70 cents each if

they handle the address change. Pleasehelp the Club by using the coupon on

page 15.Thank you

Jam

es M

cGre

w

Cover: The blue-flowering Ceanothusrigidus is one of the plants of specialconcern on the Pebble Beach property.

Sierra Club members protest the Pebble Beach Company’s plan to cut down a total of17,000 trees for the 21st golf course in Monterey County.

Please Recycle This Paper Again The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 5

With political corruption scandalsbursting out everywhere,Californians now have a real

opportunity to turn the tables on pol-luters and developers by weakening thedominance of big money campaign con-tributors. AB 583, the California CleanMoney and Fair Elections Act, is thebest hope in years for a fundamentalchange that would finally give the envi-ronment a more level playing field inSacramento. To the surprise of many,Assembly Member Loni Hancock’s billhas already passed the State Assembly;now it needs the approval of the Senateand Governor before it can be put on theballot for a vote of the people.

You know the problem: Environmen-talists are frequently up against develop-ers and corporations that contribute mil-lions of dollars to political campaigns.Environmentally-friendly candidatesoften can’t get elected because they don’thave enough money to compete againstcorporate-backed candidates.

In Sacramento, good environmentalbills are often killed by legislators or agovernor that have received large cam-paign contributions from the pollutersor developers we’re fighting.

Clean Money public funding of elec-tion campaigns would drain the swampof corruption by providing competitiveamounts of public campaign funds tocandidates who voluntarily limit theircampaign spending and show a broadbase of support. In cases where non-par-ticipating candidates or attack ads byoutside groups exceed Clean Moneyexpenditure limits, additional publicfunds are provided to Clean Money can-didates so that they always have a levelplaying field.

Arizona and Maine (where CleanMoney systems have been operating forsix years) have proven it works. Voters’choices increased as more qualified can-didates, especially women and minori-ties, could run for office. Clean Moneycandidates now hold nearly 80% of thelegislature in Maine and 10 out of 11statewide offices in Arizona, includingthe governor’s office. Voter turnout andparticipation has increased significantly

as confidence in government has risen.Not surprisingly, legislators elected

with Clean Money in Arizona andMaine have much better environmentalvoting records than those elected withprivate money. Legislators in Mainewho used Clean Money scored nearlytwice as high with the League of Con-servation Voters as those who did not.

We need the same reform inCalifornia. If passed, AB 583 would puta similar full Clean Money system on theballot, giving voters a historic chance tochange the system. The bill is now in theState Senate, where big money oppo-nents will desperately try to stop areform they know will make politiciansaccountable to the voters instead of tothem. We can’t let them stop it.Californians need to demand this sweep-ing reform which will finally let the vot-ers take control of politics.

If we want clean air and clean water,we have to have Clean Money. That’swhy Sierra Club California stronglyendorses AB 583, and urges you to helpus pass it.Take action

Take action by writing and callingSenate President Pro Tem Don Perata tourge him to support AB 583. John Lairdis a co-author of this bill. Go towww.CAclean.org to use its easy onlineletter-writing and faxing tool, sign thepetition, and get calling information.

Bill Magavern is the senior representa-tive for Sierra Club California.

Trent Lange is the Vice President of theCalifornia Clean Money Campaign and alongtime Sierra Club member.

Clean Money for a Clean Environmentby Bill Magavern and Trent Lange

On March 19 the Ventana Chapterawarded a $1000 college scholar-ship to Michelle Bush of Soledad

for her entry in the Monterey CountyScience and Engineering Fair. Theaward, presented by Chapter Chair RitaDalessio, is designed to encourage stu-dents to submit science fair entrieswhich examine environmental issues.The Chapter’s criteria for evaluating awinner is the impact of a project onimproving the environment.

Three Chapter Executive CommitteeMembers were volunteer judges for theevent. Besides Dalessio, they were Dr.David Epel, recent recipient of the pres-tigious Ed Ricketts award for lifetimeachievement in Marine Biology andKimberly Marion, a graduate student inInternational Environmental Policy atthe Monterey Institute of InternationalStudies.

“These science projects are outstand-ing,” Epel said. “I am pleased to see theinnovation and ideas that students aregenerating that may one day help to pro-tect our natural resources.”

Ms. Bush’s excellent exhibit describedher study of the silverleaf whiteflywhich is well known for its resistance topesticides. Ms. Bush’s field of interestcould have lasting importance in the area

Sierra Club Awards $1000 Scholarshipat Monterey Science Fair

of pesticide-free farming.The scholarship will godirectly to pay tuition ather college of choice.

347 SOQUEL at OCEANSanta Cruz • 457-8240

Open Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 5:30Sun. 11:00 - 4:00

Everything for the wild bird enthusiastincluding bird feeders, houses, baths,

field guides, bird books, videos,cassettes, t-shirts, posters,

binoculars, note cardsseeds, and more.

A Birder’s EmporiumThe Bird Feeder

Join Sierra ClubCalifornia’s

Legislative ActionNetwork

Make a difference

http://cal-legalert.sierraclubaction.org

Printed on Recycled Paper6 The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006

Santa Cruz

Saturday, May 13

Bike TourJoin local historian Ross Gibson on thiseasy-paced ride. 10:00 a.m. Meet atSpokesman Bicycles, 231 Cathcart. Bringwater. Helmet required. Light snack pro-vided.

Thursday, May 18

Bike to Work/SchoolFREE breakfast for those who ride bikes.Various locations throughout county.

Friday, May 19

Movie: Beijing BicycleChinese film with subtitles. 8:00 p.m.parking lot next to Central Library onChurch Street. Hosted by Santa CruzGuerilla Drive-in.

Sunday, May 21

Rail and Trail DayRide the train from Santa Cruz DepotPark to Roaring Camp in Felton. Bringyour bike for a group ride back to SantaCruz along scenic Highway 9.

.

Monterey

Saturday, May 13

Healthy Living FestivalInformation on healthy living activities.Live music. free bike rentals. Window onthe Bay Park, Monterey. 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 18

Bike toWork/SchoolFREE breakfast for thosewho ride bikes. Variouslocations throughout thecounty.

Saturday-Sunday, May 20-21

BMX National OlympicQualifierManzanita County Park.www.manzanitaparkbmx.com.

Sunday, May 21

Bike for the Kids rideSponsored by CASA of MontereyCounty. For more information contactSiobhan Greene, 455-6800, www.casamonterey.org.

For complete event information visit www.bike2work.comCelebrate the clean air way to commuteor run errands.

BBiikkee WWeeeekk 22000066 May 13-21

Mary ParkREALTOR

American Dream Realty

831-239-2834marybpark@sbcglobal.net

$500 Donation to the Sierra Club upon close of escrow

Vicki Winters and MirandaBaker head home after a visit todowntown Santa Cruz. Photoby Richard Stover

WITTWER & PARKIN, LLP

147 S. River St., Ste. 221Santa Cruz, CA 95060Phone (831) 429-4055

Fax (831) 429-4057

Practicing in the areas of Environmental and Land Use Law

Please Recycle This Paper Again The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 7

C A L E N D A R

Sierra Club EventsSaturdays (see dates below)

Habitat restoration —California Native Plant SocietyVolunteer to restore native habitat inState Parks in Santa Cruz Co. Wear lay-ered work clothing. Bring water &gloves. Tools provided. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m. We work rain or shine, but if thingsget particularly unpleasant, we call it aday. Contact Linda Brodman, 462-4041,redwdrn@pacbell.net. website:www.cruzcnps.org.

April 8, Sunset Beach State Park

April 29, Natural Bridges State Park

May 13, Soquel Creek , Capitola

Second and Fourth Saturdays

Habitat restoration —WatsonvilleSecond and fourth Saturdays each month.Sponsored by Watsonville WetlandsWatch. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Meet inOrchard Supply parking lot at GreenValley Road and Main Street inWatsonville. Gloves, tools and lunch pro-vided. Call Laura Kummerer, 728-4106for more information. No experiencenecessary.

Saturday, April 15

That’s My Park DayCelebrate and support our State Parks.Sponsored by Friends of Santa Cruz StateParks in partnership with California StateParks. To learn more visit www.scparkfriends.org.

Saturday, April 22

Bird-A-ThonHave fun birding and help raise moneyfor outdoor education scholarships.For more information contactDavid Hille, 335-3205,hilledavid@gmail.com.

Tuesday, April 25

Astronomy WorkshopJoin Joe Jordan for an evening of stargaz-ing. Start with a talk about constellations,observational astronomy, and equipment.Continue with a hike to view planets,galaxies, and nebulae. Bring binoculars ifyou have them. Wear warm clothing. Tosign up call 459-2807 or viawww.ucscrecreation.com. $20 GeneralAdmission. Sponsored by UC Santa CruzRecreation.

Free Wormshops (dates following)

Learn how worms can eat your foodscraps and make beautiful compost foryour garden. FREE workshop for SantaCruz County residents. 1:00-3:00 p.m.Optional worm bin, $15. Call to reserveworm bin. Sponsored by Santa CruzCounty Board of Supervisors. Call KarinGrobe, 427-3452.

Saturday, April 15, Wilder Ranch

Saturday, May 20, Grey Bears RecyclingFacility, 2710 Chanticleer, Santa Cruz

Saturday, June 17, Aladdin Nursery, 2907Freedom Boulevard, Watsonville

Sunday, July 23, Quail Hollow CountyPark, 800 Quail Hollow Road, Felton

Saturdays

Garland Ranch hikesThe Monterey Peninsula Regional ParkDistrict docents lead hikes at GarlandRanch Park every Saturday and inviteSierra Club members to join them. Anupdated list of all hikes may be found on

their website:www.mprpd.org.

Non-Sierra Club events of interestThe following activities are not sponsored or administered by the Sierra Club. TheClub makes no representations or warranties about the safety, supervision or manage-ment of such activities. They are published only as a reader service.

Friday, April 14

Potluck & Slides: Yunnan, China“One of the Last Great Places on Earth:A Recent Tour of the Yunnan Provinceof China” presented by Albie Miles ofUCSC. In an area roughly twice the sizeof California, the Yunnan Province con-tains over 16,000 native species of plants,278 species of mammals, 793 species ofbirds each with high rates of endemism.The slide show is a result of a five-weektour in the summer of 2005 by EdGrumbine of Prescott College and AlbieMiles of UCSC. The potluck begins at6:30 p.m. Bring food to share and yourown plate, cup, utensils, and serving uten-sils. We love home-cooked food, butstore-bought items (minimum value $4)make great contributions too. For direc-tions call George, 335-7748.

Thursday, May 4-7

Channel Islands CruiseVisit the Channel Islands National Parkwith Sierra Club members accompanied

by a ranger/naturalist. Proceeds from thisfour-island tour will benefit Sierra Clubpolitical programs in California. Otherdates offered in summer. Costs includesumptuous meals, snacks, and bunks onthe boat. For more information contactJoan Jones Holtz, jholtzhln@aol.com,626-443-0706.

Friday, May 12

Potluck & Slides: Peru &EcuadorThis slide show by Cecelia includes pho-tos from Machu Pichu, Cuzco and theGalapagos. The potluck begins at 6:30p.m. Bring food to share and your ownplate, cup, utensils, and serving utensils.We love home-cooked food, but store-bought items (minimum value $4) makegreat contributions too. For directionscall George, 335-7748.

Be prepared in an emergency

Sign up for this fast-paced, hands onclass on wilderness first aid.Whether spending time in the

backcountry is your passion or yourprofession, you should never have toask, “What do I do now?” In thiscourse, you’ll learn how to prepare forthe unexpected. In just two days, you’llhave the knowledge, skills and abilityto make sound decisions in emergencysituations. This course is ideal for tripleaders, camp staff, outdoor enthusiastsand individuals in remote locations.Taught by Wilderness MedicineInstitute. 16 hours. $175 General regis-tration.

Class series on April 15 & 16; April29 & 30 and May 13 & 14. Call 459-2807 or visit www.ucscrecreation.comto register.

www.ventanawild.org P.O. Box 506, Santa Cruz, CA 95061 831-423-3191

Alb

ie M

iles

See this slide and many others in livingcolor at the April 14 potluck.

The City of Santa Cruz has releasedits Draft Master Plan and theDraft Environmental Impact

Report for the 68-acre Greenbelt proper-ty called Arana Gulch. The City plans tofinalize the Master Plan concurrentlywith the final EIR for the proposed proj-ect that would bring bridges, ramps,paved trails and retaining walls to thecreeks, riparian woodlands and meadowsof this Greenbelt.

Arana Gulch Greenbelt is a biologi-cally unique and fragile environment. Itis the only place on earth where a dis-tinct subspecies of the Santa Cruz tar-plant grows. This rare plant is listed as“threatened” by the Federal Gov-ernment and as “endangered” by theState of California.

The Arana Gulch Greenbelt providesirreplaceable habitat for this and manyother species, including Steelhead trout,great blue heron, Francisco dusky-footedwoodrat, purple needlegrass, Californiaoatgrass, California poppy, yarrow,owl’s clover, Indian soap root, yellowMariposa lily, golden brodiaea,California voles, Botta’s pocket gopher,fox, skunk, long-tailed weasel, snakes,red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks,Choris’s popcorn flower, San Franciscopopcorn flower, Gairdner’s yampah, andmore, too numerous to list in this article.

Until the late 1980s, the presence ofcattle on the property assisted the raretarplant by removing the annual, non-native grasses and restoring the strong

sunlight that it requires. Since the cattlewere removed, the number of tarplantshas declined, as the City has failed toimplement effective restoration andmanagement strategies for this endan-gered species. Simple, inexpensive meth-ods of controlling annual grasses such asmowing and raking or the seasonal useof sheep could accomplish the task.Funds for such management have beenavailable from the California Depart-ment of Fish and Game.

The proposed project seeks to use fed-eral highway monies to expand and con-struct a network of paved paths, bridges,

As required by California law(CEQA), Alternatives to the Project arepresented in the Draft EIR. These areoutlined on page 9. Ironically, onlyAlternative 2, which would destroy crit-ical tarplant habitat (including seedbed)in a significant and unmitigable way,promises to attract sufficient funding toenable the City to manage the tarplant.The promise that the federal moniesreceived for the paved bicycle connec-tion would provide sufficient funds todevelop and implement a TarplantManagement Plan is vague and unen-forceable.

None of the proposed alternativesincludes a commitment and specific planto restore and properly manage theendangered tarplant which the city hasknown about since before it purchasedthe property.

The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 Printed on Recycled Paper8

Arana Gulch Greenbelt again targeted for development

c 2006. Rustle the Leaf is a trademark of GO NATUR’L STUDIOS, LLC. Used by permission

Jean

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The facts remain clear: The City has proposed development on Environmentally SensitiveHabitat Area in the Coastal Zone on Greenbelt property the public expects to be restoredand maintained to enhance its natural resources.

The facts remain clear: The City hasproposed development on Environ-mentally Sensitive Habitat Areas in theCoastal Zone on Greenbelt property thepublic expects to be restored and main-tained to enhance its natural resources.Instead, the city is proposing bioticdestruction that would be significant,unmitigable and irreversible.

Many Sierra Club members are bicy-cle riders. The Club supports transporta-tion which reduces emissions and mini-mizes fuel consumption and impacts onthe land. Bicycling is one of the bestways to travel. The Club supports bikelanes on Soquel Avenue and on the railcorridor (one-quarter mile south of theproject). Both of these routes are envi-ronmentally superior to destroying habi-tat on the Arana Gulch Greenbelt.

This issue will likely come to thePlanning Commission and the Parks andRecreation Commission in early sum-mer. Watch for the dates in The Ventanaand other local media. For more infor-mation check the Sierra Club website,www/ventana.sierraclub.org, or emailPatricia Matejcek, patachek@juno.com.

The Arana Gulch Draft Master Plan isonline at www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/pdfs/06aranaupdate.pdf;the DEIR is online at www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/parks/aranadrafteir.html. Both documents are alsoavailable at the Santa Cruz CentralLibrary, 224 Church Street, and at theSanta Cruz Parks and RecreationDepartment, 323 Church Street.

ramps and retaining walls throughout theGreenbelt to provide “a bicycle connec-tion” to be shared with wheelchairs,skateboarders, and pedestrians. Thepaved, highly-engineered paths are verydifferent from the dirt paths and trailscarefully developed to protect sensitivespecies on other city greenbelt properties.

The environmental damage of thisdevelopment would be significant andcould not be mitigated according to thedraft EIR. It is this biotic destructionwhich has engendered opposition fromthe California Native Plant Society.Proposed paved trails would traverseexisting tarplant habitat, and the citywould have to apply for a permit to“take” (kill) these endangered plants ifthey proceed with the project.

In addition, the retaining walls andramp required to link the bikeway toBrommer Street would be built in thefloodplain north of the Harbor’s drystorage yard in an area the CoastalCommission has required the HarborDistrict to vacate, protect, and revege-tate. The Coastal Commission hasrepeatedly communicated to the Citythat the resources in this area are pro-tected by the Coastal Act. TheCommission has also previouslyinformed the City of its concern that thebikeway project “would not avoid iden-tified biological impacts as required bythe Local Coastal Programs and theCoastal Act.”

The environmental damagewould be significant andcould not be mitigatedaccording to the draft EIR.

Please Recycle This Paper Again

We might get an A in editing but our biology skills could stand improvement. Luckily we have readers who set usstraight. The ensatina pictured in our last issue is actually an arboreal salamander. Greg Meyer of Santa Cruz notonly corrected our mislabeled photo, he also sent in a picture he took of a real ensatina. Both are pictured below.

The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 9

The four alternativesAlternative 1: No Project AlternativeAlternative 1 would keep the site in its

existing condition. No Master Plan and noSanta Cruz Tarplant AdaptiveManagement Program would be adopted.Management actions would be limited andthe Arana Gulch Interim Management Planwould remain in effect. No new trailswould be developed on the site. This alter-native would eliminate most of the projectimpacts but would not contribute to theachievement of any of the project objec-tives.

Alternative 2: Reduced Creek ViewTrail Alternative

Alternative 2 would include the samepaved trail system as the proposed projectbut would not include any trail segmentswithin Port District property. Trail accessto Arana Gulch would continue to be pro-vided by the existing trail segment alongthe western edge of the dry storage area atthe Upper Harbor. This alternative wouldinclude the long-term Santa Cruz TarplantAdaptive Management Program.

Alternative 3: Unpaved Trail Systemwith Hagemann Gulch BridgeAlternative

Alternative 3 would have the same trailnetwork as the proposed project exceptthat no trails would be paved and no trailswould comply with Americans withDisabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Dueto unpaved surfaces and gradients, trailswould not be accessible for wheelchairsand some street bicycles. Without fundingfor paved, multi-use trails, there would beuncertainty about funding and implement-ing the Santa Cruz Tarplant AdaptiveManagement Program.

Alternative 4: Unpaved Trail Systemwithout Hagemann Gulch BridgeAlternative

Alternative 4 would provide unpavedtrails and would not include the HagemannGulch Bridge. This alternative would pro-vide public access for pedestrians and somebicyclists but would not comply withADA requirements. Since no bridge acrossHagemann Gulch would be constructed,this alternative would not provide a newwest entrance or east-west trail connection.As with Alternative 3, all trails wouldremain unpaved and not qualify for federalfunding, resulting in uncertainty aboutfunding and implementing the TarplantManagement Plan.

This alternative would provide the sametrails as proposed by the project, but noneof the trails would be paved. This alterna-tive would provide public access for pedes-trians and some bicyclists but would notcomply with ADA requirements. Like theproposed project, this alternative wouldprovide north-south and east-west trailconnections. Due to unpaved surfaces andgradients, however, these trail connectionswould not be accessible to wheelchair usersand some types of bicycles.

Arboreal salamander Ensatina

Will the real ensatina please stand up?CORRECTION

The Sempervirens Fund has securedan option to buy the LompicoCreek Headwaters from Redwood

Empire. The Fund has only until June 30to conclude this $5,600,000 deal whichincludes the 425-acre Lompico Creekheadwaters and 200 acres in the MaloskyCreek watershed.

For years the Lompico WatershedConservancy and the Club have beentrying to save the Lompico propertywhere towering redwoods rise fromdeeply incised sandstone canyons abovethe community of Lompico. LompicoCreek is the primary source of water forthis small community.

A timber harvest plan for theLompico Creek Headwaters had beensubmitted in 2001 and had beenapproved by the California Departmentof Forestry. The tree cutting wasstopped on appeal due to the leadershipof the Lompico Watershed Conservancywhich galvanized opposition, convincedthe County of Santa Cruz to file anappeal, and organized an unprecedented

letter-writing campaign in support ofkeeping this forest intact.

Undeterred, Redwood Empire sub-mitted a new timber harvest plan whichwas under review when news of the dealbetween Sempervirens and RedwoodEmpire was announced.

The Malosky Creek Forest is a mixedredwood forest carpeting steep ravinesabove residential areas in the San Loren-zo Valley. This property supplies waterto the town of Boulder Creek. This landwas slated to be logged by RedwoodEmpire with helicopters flying logs overneighboring properties to a landing offsite. As California struggles to locatenew sources of water for people andwildlife, it is vital to preserve forestlandsthat surround drinking source headwa-ters.

Fundraising has begun in this mostaggressive campaign in the history of theSempervirens Fund. Please give gener-ously. To donate visit www.sempervirens.org or call 650-968-4509.Donations are tax deductible.

Sempervirens Fund raising money to purchaseLompico headwaters ATTENTION:

PotentialAdvertisers!

ATTENTION:Potential

Advertisers!Sierra Club Member

ProfileAdvertising in this newsletter packs

more clout into your advertising dol-lars. Sierra Club members are one of themost valuable audiences in America.They are “opinion leaders” and “influ-entials;” by any name they are some ofAmerica’s most sought-after advertisingtargets. Their own purchasing activity issubstantial. But, more important, theyinfluence others—in everything fromopinion and outlook to choice of prod-ucts. They are not only consumers, butalso doers and leaders.

Club Members are among the mostactive, affluent audiences of adventuretravelers and year-round outdoorsports enthusiasts your advertising dol-lars can buy. It’s an unduplicated audi-ence with the power to buy your prod-ucts and services.

Sierra Club Members are Great ProspectsMedian Age: 41Male/Female: 63% / 37%Median Household Income: $56,227Attended/Graduated College: 81%Professional/Technical/Managerial: 36%

Outdoor Sports EnthusiastsBackpacking/Hiking 4 times more active

than the average adultMountain Biking 5 times more activeCross-Country Skiing 5 times more activeWhitewater Rafting 5.5 times more activeSource: 1996 MRI Doublebase

For Rate Information, Contact:Debbie Bulger - 457-1036

Gre

g M

eyer

Ric

hard

Sto

ver

The Sempervirens Fund has only until June 30 to raise the remaining funds needed to savethe Lompico Creek headwaters and the Malosky Creek Forest.

Kev

in C

ollin

s

The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 Printed on Recycled Paper10

N E W S C L I P S

Ashort article in the prestigiousjournal Science in January 2006has set off a firestorm among sal-

vage logging proponents. Six researchersfrom Oregon State University investigat-ed whether or not logging after a wild-fire diminished or increased the risk ofanother fire and whether or not salvagelogging helped or harmed forest regener-ation.

Their conclusion: “Postfire logging,by removing naturally seeded conifersand increasing surface fuel loads, can becounterproductive to goals of forestregeneration and fuel reduction.” Thatwas not what the Bush Administrationwanted to hear, particularly as a billsponsored by Representative Walden (R-OR) is calling for the waiver of environ-

mental protections in order to log quick-ly after a forest fire. To learn more aboutthis bill, HR 4200 visit www.nrdc.org/action/. Representative Walden’s great-est campaign contributors, by the way,are forest products industries.

Shortly after the article’s publication,the researchers who wrote it learned alot about politics. The third and finalyear of their $300,000 grant was yankedby the BLM. After Democratic politi-cians intervened, the funding was rein-stated. But Representative Walden’scommittee on Forests and Forest Healthheld a public hearing in Medford wherethe lead author of the article, DanielDonato was grilled, chastised, and casti-gated. According to the Washington Post,Donato politely stuck by the science.

Researchers learn more than forestry

Club electionBy now you should have received

your ballot for the Sierra Club NationalBoard of Directors. The Board sets Clubpolicy and budgets at the national level.You may return your mailed ballot orvote via internet. Voting ends at 9:00a.m. on April 24. Don’t miss out. Votetoday.

Beachcombers need-ed

So you want to be a biol-ogist but never got the

degree? Become aB e a c h C O M B E R .Moss Landing MarineLabs is looking for

volunteers to surveylocal beaches. The four-

Saturday training classes lastfrom 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and begin onApril 29 in Moss Landing. If you are ableto walk 2-3 miles on a beach once amonth, can commit to serve for oneyear, and want to learn more aboutocean mammals, marine birds and seaturtles, this may be just the opportunityyou’ve been looking for. To learn morevisit www.mbnms-simon.org/sections/beachCombers/ or call Hannah Nevins,771-4422.

Cool!Do you ever wonder how much

greenhouse gas you generate? The LomaPrieta Chapter is collaborating on a“Cool It” campaign which offers ways toreduce the impact of your activities.Visit www.cool-it.us to discover yourpersonal CO2 emissions and how theystack up with the California average.Best part: they do the calculations. Learnhow to reduce your emissions and decideif you want to purchase renewable ener-gy certificates. Cool.

Tahoe victoryThe U.S. Forest Service has with-

drawn its proposed timber sale in road-

less Duncan Canyon, a remote part ofthe Tahoe National Forest after JudgeMorrison England, Jr. invalidated thesale in 2004 on the grounds the loggingwould create a serious fire hazard. Thejudge, a Bush appointee, based his rulingon the facts, not the politics. The lawsuitwas filed by the Sierra Club, the JohnMuir Project and other environmentalorganizations.

The Forest Service had claimed thelogging would reduce the potential forsevere fire despite the fact that after log-ging more than twice the amount of fuelwould be on the forest floor. SenatorBoxer has proposed permanent protec-tion for Duncan Canyon because of itsextraordinary wilderness characteristics.

Ocean protectionSenators Boxer and Feinstein and

Representative Capps have introducedcompanion bills in the Senate and Houseof Representatives called the CaliforniaOcean and Coastal Protection Act.These bills seek permanent protection ofour ocean and coastal resources andwould make permanent the moratoriumon new oil and gas leasing off theCalifornia Coast. The bills would alsorepeal the proposed inventory. You canfollow these bills (S2294 and HR4782)and more by visiting www.sierraclub.org/legislativetracker.

Park dis-ServiceQuietly and without much press cov-

erage, the Bush Administration hasrewritten National Park policies: Theyhave deleted the provision stating thatconservation of park resources was thedominant goal for park management.Additionally, the Administration haseliminated a number of protective stan-dards designed to preserve air quality,scenic views, natural quiet, and bioticresources. To learn more seewww.wilderness.org/NewsRoom/Release/20051027.cfm.

Early election endorsementsBelow are the Sierra Club endorsements for the June primary which are available aswe go to press. Additional endorsements will be listed in our next issue which willbe mailed on May 31. The comprehensive endorsement process includes question-naires and interviews. Neither Arnold Schwarzenegger nor Green candidate PeterCamejo returned the Club questionnaire.Governor Phil Angelides and Steve WestlyLieutenant Governor Liz Figueroa, John Garamendi, and Jackie SpeierAttorney General Jerry BrownController John Chiang and Joe DunnSecretary of State Debra BowenTreasurer Bill LockyerSuper. Public Instruct. Jack O’Connell

It’s the law. Batteries can no longer bethrown in the trash. A new state lawrequires the recycling of household

batteries, those ubiquitous power sup-plies for toys, watches, hearing aids, cellphones, cameras, iPods and more. If itseems as if everything is battery powerednow-a-days, that’s not far from the truth.

Californians use more than 500 mil-lion batteries a year. Currently less thanone percent of these are properly dis-posed of according to the IntegratedWaste Management Board. The dangerlies in the heavy metals they contain.Batteries can contain carbon zinc, lithi-um, mercury and other substances harm-ful to humans. When they corrode, theycan leak toxic metals into our soil andgroundwater.

The new law also applies to TVs,microwave ovens, printers and comput-ers, florescent light bulbs, mercury ther-mometers, old thermostats and otherelectronics. If you are in doubt aboutwhat is covered, contact your local wastedisposal agency.

New law requires batteries ande-waste to be recycled

Most residents will need to take bat-teries and other old electronics to theircommunity’s hazardous waste facility.Waste Management of Santa CruzCounty, serving Scotts Valley, Capitolaand the unincorporated county, willpick batteries up at the curb when theyare placed in a sealed clear plastic bag inthe blue recycling cart. Watsonville,Santa Cruz, and Monterey city residentsmust take them to a recycling center.Check with your local waste disposalcenter for details and hours.

Spread the word among your friendsand family. Most people are notaware that batteries can no longer bethrown in the trash. Set up arecycling container at youroffice for batteries, florescentbulbs and other e-waste. Helpkeep these poisons out of ourcreeks, groundwater and theMonterey Bay.

Environmentalists are currentlyworking on establishing redemptionfees, much like the deposit on beveragebottles, to assist in strengthening the e-waste recycling system.

Help a child learn bike safety

Volunteers needed (bilingual preferred) to help pass out liter-ature and teach bicycle and pedestrian safety with the HealthEducation staff of the Santa Cruz County Health ServicesAgency. Two-hour shifts. Contact Dena Loijos, 454-5018.

Day of the Child/Earth DayApril 23, 12-4 p.m

Ramsay Park, Main Street, Watsonville

X X X X X X X X X X

Please Recycle This Paper Again The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 11

the ranch is limited and our permit allowsonly three cars, you must call by May 19 toreserve a spot. Leader: Mary Gale, 626-3565.

Saturday, April 15HIKE: PINNACLES WILDFLOWERSWe’ll have a slow-paced, 8-mile hike with1200' elevation gain to enjoy and identify thewide variety of blooming plants in the park.Bring your flower book, field glasses and cam-era. Meet at the Santa Cruz CountyGovernment Center at 8:30 a.m. or at theChaparral parking lot at 10:30 a.m. (that’s theWest side, off Hwy. 101). Bring lunch, water,sun protection and comfortable hiking shoes.Leader: George Jammal, 335-7748.

Saturday, April 15HIKE: HOLT ROAD TO SNIVELY RIDGEWe’ll walk up from Mid Valley on Holt Roadthrough the forest to the “closed” south trailto Garland Ranch’s Snively Ridge and higher,if we want. We may return down to the parkor go back on the north trail to Mid Valley. 9miles, 1,500' elevation gain. Expect some poi-son oak, so wear long pants. Bring water andlunch. Meet at Mid Valley shopping center inCarmel Valley next to the bank on BerwickStreet at 9:30 a.m. Heavy rain cancels. Call toconfirm. Leader: Anneliese Suter, 624-1467.

Sunday, April 16HIKE: WEST PINNACLESThis is a great spring hiking area with lots of

A P R I L

Saturday, April 8WALK: PEBBLE BEACH & ASILOMARCome along on this 4-mile walk on streets andwalkways in Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach,then via a trail between fairways to the beachand out to Point Joe. We’ll return on board-walks with ocean views, finishing atAsilomar. Bring water and a snack. Doneabout noon. Meet across from the FishwifeRestaurant on Sunset Dr. at Asilomar Blvd. inPacific Grove at 9:00 a.m. Leader: MarthaSaylor, 372-9215.

Saturday, April 8HIKE: COOK SPRING CAMPWe’ll start hiking from Memorial Park Campalong the Arroyo Seco to Forks Camp, pastFalse Madrone Camp, to Madrone Camp, toCooks Camp and back. Beautiful river sites,redwoods, pines, madrones and spectacularviews of mountains. Strenuous 12 miles. We’llbenefit from the maintenance work that theVWA has done on this wonderful trail. Earlystart for long ride to trailhead. No shorts,wear long sleeves, dress in layers, bring sub-stantial lunch, water, wear comfortable bootsand bring $ for carpool. For informationabout meeting place and time, call leader:Esperanza Hernandez, 678-1968.

Saturday, April 8HIKE: PURISIMA CREEK REDWOODSA 10-mile loop with 1500' elevation gain,along the Purisima Creek, Soda Gulch, upperHarkins Ridge, upper North Ridge andWhittemore Gulch Trails. This 2633-acre pre-serve has the northernmost major redwoodforest in the Santa Cruz Mtns. It also hasDouglas fir, madrone, oak and chaparral.Great views of the Pacific and the mountains.Meet at the Santa Cruz County GovernmentCenter at 8:00 a.m. Bring water, lunch and $5for carpool. Leader: Ed Gilbert, 685-8389.

Sunday, April 9HIKE: VICENTE FLATSWe’ll climb steadily, not steeply, by meadowsand redwoods to an open spot under hugetrees where we saw a gazillion groggy lady-bugs last year. About 2000' elevation gain and11 scenic miles. Meet at Albertson’s at 8:30a.m. Bring lunch, water, and $ for carpool;wear sturdy shoes. Leader: Suzanne Arnold,626-4042, suzannecarml @aol.com.

Sunday, April 9HIKE: GARZAS CREEKWhat’s up in the wildflower world? We’llcheck out the blooms along the Terrace Trailthen drop down to Garzas Canyon to returnalong the creek. 5 miles, elevation gain slight.The flowers should make it all worthwhile.

O U T I N G S

R A T I N G S

GENERAL INFORMATION:All outings begin and end at the trailhead.

Carpooling to and from the trailhead is strict-ly a private arrangement between the driverand his/her guests. Carpool drivers are notagents or employees of the Sierra Club.

GLS = Gay & Lesbian Sierrans. All arewelcome on GLS outings.EXPLANATION OF RATINGS:

The outings described vary in difficultyfrom leisurely walks to strenuous hikes. Thefollowing explanation are general guidelines.(For more information about the difficulty ofa particular hike, call the leader):

Walk: Between 2-5 miles, leisurely pace.Easy: No more than 5 miles; slight eleva-

tion gain; easy pace.Moderate: 5-10 miles; up to 2,000' gain;

boots; better than average fitness required.Strenuous: May involve off-trail hiking;

demanding pace; for experienced hikers ingood condition only.

M E E T I N G P L A C E S

DIRECTIONS:

Park and Ride/Black Bear Diner: Thisparking lot is on Rio Road in Carmel.

Albertson’s/Bagel Bakery: Heading southon Hwy. 1, pass through Monterey. One milepast the Ocean Ave. intersection, turn left onCarmel Valley Rd. Almost immediately, turnright at the light toward the stores.Albertson’s and Bagel Bakery are on the right.

Santa Cruz County Govt. Center: Thelarge grey building at the corner of Ocean andWater in Santa Cruz. We meet at the corner ofthe parking lot nearest to the gas station.

Felton Faire: From Santa Cruz takeGraham Hill Rd. toward Felton. Just afteryou pass Roaring Camp (on the left), make aright into Felton Faire shopping center. Wemeet at the edge of the Safeway parking lotnearest Graham Hill Rd.

41st Avenue Sears: From Hwy. 1 inCapitola, take the 41st Avenue exit and con-tinue toward the ocean on 41st Avenuetoward the Mall. Pass the main Mall entranceand turn right into the next entrance headingtoward Sears. We meet behind the bank locat-ed at 41st and Capitola Road. Senior Sauntermeets in Sears parking lot close to 41st Ave.

MPC Parking Lot: Monterey PeninsulaCollege Parking Lot. From Hwy. 1 take theFisherman’s Wharf exit, go straight one block,turn left and left again into the first parkinglot, parking lot A. This is the site of theThursday Farmers Market. Plenty of parkingwithout a fee on weekends.

In the interests of facilitating the logistics of some outings, it is customary thatparticipants make carpooling arrangements. The Sierra Club does not haveinsurance for carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them.Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangementamong the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

Meet at 9:30 a.m. in the main parking lot ofGarland Ranch (on Carmel Valley Road) toavoid crowding at the trailhead. Bring lunchand water. Leader: Mary Gale, 626-3565.

Tuesday, April 11SENIOR HIKE: FORT ORDThis is wildflower time, and we usually see agreat variety. 4-5 mile hike with some steepuphill on Fort Ord public lands. Meet before9:30 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. or at Deer ParkShopping Center in Aptos about 9:45 a.m.Park near gas station. To go direct, take Hwy.1 south and exit at Reservation Rd. Drivealmost to Hwy 68 and park near end of roadby the locked gate about 10:45 a.m. Bringwater, lunch, $4 carpool. Leader: JoanBrohmer, 462-3803.

Saturday, April 15HIKE: KAHN RANCHWe got rained out in March so we’ll try again!Steep canyons and trails climbing to ridgeswith great views and good flowers make KahnRanch a fine addition to Garland Ranch.Expect steep climbs of about 600-800' at aslow pace. Not over 4 miles. Because access to

Built by Sierra Club members in 1934, this rustic, hostel-style lodge standsatop historic Donner Pass, just an hour and a half from Sacramento.Expect convenient access to all mountain activities, excellent family stylemeals, a friendly staff and a casual atmosphere.

For more information about these programs or to receive a fullschedule and description of Clair Tappaan programs please visitour website at www.ctl.sierraclub.org or call (800) 679-6775.

FEATURED PROGRAMS

MAY 5–8 Wilderness Responder Recertification For more information go towww.sierraclub.com/outings/training/brochures/wfr_recert.asp.

MAY 12–14 Clair Tappaan Spring Workparty Help spruce up the Lodge youlove.Your hard work is rewarded with a complimentary stay at Clair Tappaan forthe weekend.

MAY 13 Full Moon Hike Lodge Staff will lead a hike through the forest and up tothe ridges behind the Lodge. Price: $5 (Lodge guests), $15 (dinner and hike only).

MAY 26–29 Nature Knowledge Workshop Participate in guided hikesaccompanied by geologists, biologists, and local historians. Price per day: $50member, $55 non-member, $30 child (includes hikes/lodging/meals).

JUNE 16–18 Finding Your Way Navigational Workshop Learn or polishnavigational skills using such tools as a map, compass, GPS receivers andaltimeters. Price: $145 members, $170 non-members (includes lodging, meals andworkshop).

The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 Printed on Recycled Paper12

Creek. We’ll hike up the creek and enjoy cas-cading waters and crystal clear pools, thendown the Old Coast Road to the VentanaInn. The Old Coast Road has great views.We’ve seen condors several times here. 11miles with 2300' elevation gain. Short carshuttle. Bring lunch, boots and water. Meet atAlbertson’s at 9:00 a.m. Leader: SteveLegnard, 402-1422.

Sunday, April 30HIKE: BLOMQUIST RANCHThis is a drop-dead beautiful spring hike of 4-5 miles. We have special permission from theRegional Park District to visit this spectacu-lar Carmel Valley ranch. It’s an easy springsaunter on old ranch roads. No trail burners,please! Enjoy gorgeous vistas of mature valleyoaks and rolling fields of lupine. Bring lunch,water and wind breaker. Space is limited, soreservations are required. Phone easy-hikingleader: Joyce Stevens, 624-3149.

M A Y

Tuesday, May 2SENIOR SAUNTER: BEAN HOLLOWBEACHA blooming paradise in this flat (though rut-ted in places) 2-mile trail just south ofPescadero. Over 25 species of coastal wild-flowers and a few non-natives on this lowcoastal bluff. Playful seals may add to theshow. Additional options include a visit toPigeon Point Light or a short hike up to a tel-escope. Restrooms available. Meet before 9:30a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. or at 9:50 a.m. atShen’s Gallery. Bring water, lunch, $4 car-pool. Leader: Janet Schwind, 425-3845.

Friday, May 5HIKE: TANBARK TRAIL TO TIN HOUSEThe Tanbark Trail packs a lot of scenery in afairly short length. From its start off Hwy. 1south of Big Sur, the trail winds up the side ofPartington Canyon, past a rushing creek andthrough a redwood grove, up through forestsof tanbark oak, until it reaches the site of theruined “Tin House.” Here we’ll have lunchand enjoy the ocean views, before returningvia a dirt road. Short car shuttle. 6 miles,2000' elevation gain. Leisurely pace. Meetbehind Brinton’s at 9.30 a.m. to carpool.Leaders: Cath Farrant and Mary Dainton,372-7427. marydainton@ juno.com.

Saturday, May 6HIKE: UVAS CANYON COUNTY PARKThis 1200-acre park is tucked into a beautifulcanyon west of Morgan Hill. The first 1-3/4miles of this 9-mile hike will ascend 1800' toNibbs Knob by way of the Nibbs Knob Trailand then return. This will be followed by a 3-1/2 mile loop up Swanson Creek to viewBlack Rock Falls, Basin Falls and Upper Falls.The last section of the hike will be 2-miles in-and-out up Alec Canyon Trail to ManzanitaPoint, Triple Falls and an old logging camp.Deep and shady second-growth redwoodsalong the creek sections and many open vistasof Loma Prieta, the Santa Clara Valley andthe Diablo Range in the higher, open sections

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Park by Ross near levee. Bring water, lunch,$1 carpool. Leader: Pat Herzog, 458-9841.

Wednesday, April 26HIKE: TORO COUNTY PARKThe best time of year to hike across the hill-sides of this former ranch for views fromSalinas Valley to Monterey Bay. We’ll starton the Cougar Ridge Trail climbing 1600' andreturn on the Ollason Trail through thecanyon. 8 miles over wooded hillsides, grassymeadows, open and chaparral-covered ridges.Bring lunch and water. Meet at 9:00 a.m. atSears 41st Ave. or at Rio Del Mar behind thegas station at 9:15 a.m. Or at Toro Park at10:00 a.m. just inside the gate to the right inthe field. Leader: Diane Cornell, 423-5925.

Saturday, April 29HIKE: LOWER PEBBLE BEACHEnjoy spectacular ocean views and Del MonteForest on this 9-mile hike, starting nearAsilomar, then south along Spanish Bay toBird Rock. We then proceed east adjacent toSpyglass Hill and Poppy Hills Golf Coursedown through S.F.B. Morse Reserve and outalong 17 Mile Drive. Bring water, lunch, andwear hiking shoes. Meet in front of theFishwife Restaurant on Sunset Drive andAsilomar Avenue in Pacific Grove at 9:30a.m. Leader: Stacy Smith, 625-5256.

Saturday, April 29HIKE: BUTANO STATE PARKThis will be an effort to see wild rhododen-drons and other wildflowers. 11 miles with1800' of elevation gain. Meet at 9:30 a.m. atthe Santa Cruz County Government Centerto carpool. Call Nick for additional informa-tion. Leader: Nick Wyckoff, 462-3101.

Sunday, April 30HIKE: OLD COAST ROADHike 11 easy miles at a leisurely pace. Seebeautiful valleys, gigantic redwoods and spec-tacular views of the Pacific Ocean downHwy.1. The hike will start at the foot of WestMolera, requiring a car shuttle and endingwith an unforgettable, and mesmerizing viewof the majestic and historic Bixby Bridgeagainst a massive and colorful ocean back-ground. Bring lunch, water, and $ for car-pool. For information, call leader: EsperanzaHernandez, 678-1968. Sunday, April, 30Hike: Terrace Creek Hike up the Pine Ridgetrail from Big Sur Station to beautiful Terrace

Wednesday, April 19HIKE: SARATOGA GAPHigh in the Santa Cruz Mtns., Hickory OakRidge is scenic country with gently rollingmeadows, cool canyons, and panoramic viewsof forests, meadowlands, and the ocean. Atthis time of year, it is usually decorated witha nice array of wildflowers. 8 miles with adescent of 810' to Peter’s Creek and a climbback to the ridge. The hike goes through theSaratoga Open Space Preserve and the LongRidge Open Space Preserve. Bring lunch andwater. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. tocarpool. To meet us at the trailhead at 10:10a.m., park in the lot on the SE corner of theintersection of Hwys. 9 and 35 (SkylineBlvd.). Leader: Diane Cornell, 423-5925.

Friday, April 21HIKE: EWOLDSEN TRAILFrom Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park we’llhike a 5-mile loop up fern-lined McWayCanyon, passing redwood groves to a view-point high above the ocean. Last time we sawCalifornia Condors. The trail is steep, butwe’ll take it at a leisurely pace. Afterwardswe’ll take a short stroll along the scenic water-fall trail. Bring lunch and water. Meet behindBrinton’s at 9:30 a.m. to carpool an hourdown the coast. State Parks now charge an $8parking fee, so please bring $ for your share.Leaders: Cath Farrant and Mary Dainton,372-7427, marydainton@juno.com.

Sunday, April 23BIKE RIDE: FORT ORDJoin us on a 3-hour mountain bike ridethrough Fort Ord’s East Garrison. We’ll visita cemetery from the 1800s and then explorethe back country via dirt and paved roads.Meet at the East Garrison gate entrance (3miles east of Marina on Reservation Road) at9:00 a.m. Helmets mandatory. Pack water anda snack. Contact leader for more information.Leader: Henry Leinen, 655-1948 orHleinen@aol.com.

Tuesday, April 25SENIOR SAUNTER: LEVEE TO HARBORCasual walk along River levee to museum onEast Cliff for short stopover. We’ll walk toyacht harbor and cross bridge to Crow’s Nestside. Those wishing to may bring lunch orbuy lunch at the restaurants there. About 4.5miles. Meet before 9:30 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave.or Gateway Plaza on River St. at 9:50 a.m.

wildflowers. 10 miles with 1000' elevationgain that will take us through the high peakswith the possibility of viewing a condor.Bring lunch and lots of water, wear sturdyshoes. Meet at MPC parking lot A at 8:30 a.m.or at the West Pinnacles parking lot at 10:00a.m. Heavy rain cancels. Call leader beforethe hike. Leader: Steve Legnard, 402-1422.

Tuesday, April 18SENIOR HIKE: TORO PARKLet’s hike the Ollason Trail to see some beau-tiful wildflowers. 3 miles with one uphill sec-tion. If everyone is anxious to burn a fewmore calories after all this rain, we can makethis a 5-mile hike. Slow pace. Meet before 9:30a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. or at Toro Park at thenext to last parking lot near the bathroomabout 10:40 a.m. Bring lunch, water, sit upon.Toro Park is off east Hwy. 68 betweenMonterey & Salinas. $4 carpool. Leader:Beverly Meschi, 475-4185.

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Please Recycle This Paper Again The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 13

of the park. Meet at Sears 41st Ave. before9:00 a.m. Bring water, lunch and $5 for car-pool. Leader: Ed Gilbert, 685-8389.

Sunday, May 7WALK: POINT LOBOS4 mile walk, starting from Hwy. 1 to IxchentaPoint, then back past Whaler’s Cove, to thetop of Whaler’s Knoll and back via LaceLichen Trail. Wildflowers should be plentiful.Meet at Albertson’s at 9:00 a.m. for a shortcarpool. Bring snack, water, and binocularsfor close-ups of the animal life. Last year wesaw baby seals and sea otters. Leader: MarthaSaylor, 372-9215.

Sunday, May 7HIKE: SOBRANES CANYON/ROCKYRIDGE6-mile loop through the canyon and up to theridge. Very steep climb that leads to gorgeouspanoramic views and hopefully lots of wild-flowers. Bring hat, water, and lunch. Meet atAlbertson’s at 10:00 a.m. We’ll be backaround 3:00 p.m. Leader: Andrea Phelps,andrea_phelps@csumb.edu.

Sunday, May 7HIKE: PINE VALLEYJoin us on this strenuous, steep 15-mile loopwith about 2,000' elevation gain. The views ofthe Ventana are so hypnotic they will staywith you for a lifetime. We’ll start at ChinaCamp, down to Church Creek Divide, pastDivide Camp, to Pine Ridge Trail, to PineValley, back up to China Camp. We’ll benefitfrom trail maintenance by the VentanaWilderness Alliance. Bring food, water, wearlong pants, long-sleeve shirt, bring $ for car-pool. Water filter provided. For information,call leader: Esperanza Hernandez, 678-1968.

Tuesday, May 9SENIOR HIKE: POGONIP/HARVEY WEST4 miles with uphill climbs (some steep) fromHarvey West parking lot by baseball fields.We’ll walk by Sacred Tree and have lunch atranger station. Portable toilets by clubhouse.Meet before 9:30 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. or atHarvey West parking lot at 9:50 a.m. Bringlunch, water, $2 carpool. Leader: JoanBrohmer, 462-3803.

Saturday, May 13HIKE: EAST WADDELL GORGEThis is a new trail to me. The Gorge is a little-publicized part of Big Basin. We’ll also have alook at the scenic park waste treatment plant.8 miles and 1200' elevation gain. Meet at 9:30a.m. at the Santa Cruz County GovernmentCenter to carpool. Call Nick for additionalinfo. Leader: Nick Wyckoff, 462-3101.

Saturday, May 13MOONLIGHT HIKE: PINNACLESHiking the Pinnacles by moonlight is athrilling and unique experience. It’s like beingon another planet with its boulder forma-tions. It’s serene, calming, peaceful, quiet, softand therapeutic for the soul. Campingovernight is available but optional. Bring a

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Saturday - Sunday, May 20-21WIND WOLVES SERVICE TRIPAt the southern end of the San Joaquin Valleythe Wind Wolves Preserve was created by theWildlands Conservancy in order to restore apart of California to the state which existed acentury and a half ago. On Saturday we willplant trees, remove invasive plants, orimprove visitor facilities as needed. OnSunday we have been promised a hike andtour of this astonishingly beautiful landscapeand habitat. Contact leader: Craig Deutsche,deutsche@earthlink.net, (310-477-6670). ADesert Committee Outing.

Saturday, May 20HIKE: CASTLE ROCKA 10-mile, double-loop hike, with 800' eleva-tion change, through this state park. From themain park entrance at 3200' we’ll hike pastCastle Rock, 75' Castle Rock Falls and RussellPoint along the Saratoga Gap and LoghryWoods Trails, to the Skyline trail. We’llreturn along the Service Road and Ridgetrails, past Goat Rock and the InterpretiveShelter. We’ll see some marvelous panoramicvistas. Meet at the Santa Cruz CountyGovernment Center at 8:30 a.m., or at FeltonFaire at 9:00 a.m. Bring water, lunch and $5for carpool. Leader: Ed Gilbert, 685-8389.

Saturday, May 20HIKE: GARLAND RANCHThe Terrace Trail at Garland Ranch shouldhave good flowers now. This trail involves aclimb from the trailhead to a nicely-con-toured walk above the creek. Then comes asteep drop down to the creek, nice walkdownstream, and finally a steep climb backout. Slow pace. Bring lunch, water, good foot-gear, and a stick if you need steadying onsteep hills. Meet at the Garland Ranch park-ing lot on Carmel Valley Road at 9:30 a.m.Hike will start from Garzas Road trailhead at10:00 am. Leader: Mary Gale, 626-3565.

Saturday, May 20HIKE: PINEY CREEK & ROCKY CREEKDouble hike in outer Carmel Valley andArroyo Seco. In the morning, we’ll do a looparound the obscure Piney Creek, 36 miles outCarmel Valley. 4 miles and 1000' elevationgain. After lunch we’ll drive 9 miles to theentrance of Arroyo Seco where we will hikeup little-traveled Rocky Creek past the water-fall to the campsite. 5 miles and 600' elevationgain. Two easy hikes in Los Padres NationalForest. Meet at Mid Valley Safeway at 8:15a.m. Leader: Larry Parris, 622-7455.

flashlight, food, water, and wear hiking boots.For meeting place and time, call leader:Esperanza Hernandez, 678-1968.

Sunday, May 14HIKE: UPPER PEBBLE BEACHEnjoy 8-mile hike though Del Monte Forest.From Carmel Beach we travel throughPescadero Canyon past Huckleberry Hills.Bring water, lunch, and wear hiking shoes.Meet at Carmel Beach at the west end ofOcean Avenue at 10:00 a.m. Leader: StacySmith, 625-5256.

Sunday, May, 14 HIKE: PREWITT LOOPHike from Pacific Valley (about 60 milessouth of Carmel Valley) up and around thePrewitt Loop. This 12-mile, 2300' elevationgain hike has beautiful spring flowers at thistime of year. Great cascades and waterfallsalong the way. This strenuous hike is bothchallenging and beautiful. Bring boots, lunchand water. Meet at Albertson’s at 8:00 a.m.Leader: Steve Legnard, 402-1422.

Sunday, May 14HIKE: MITTELDORF PRESERVEIn a loop that covers the western trails of theMitteldorf, we’ll ascend Echo Ridge to thetop of 2972'-high Palo Corona Peak. Afterlunch, we’ll descend through redwood-filledWilliams Creek to the lodge and our cars. Wecan see the largest redwood tree in MontereyCounty. 8 miles and 2,000' elevation gain.Call for reservation & times. Leader: LarryParris, 622-7455.

Tuesday, May 16SENIOR WALK: CARMEL CIRCLE3-mile loop in Carmel. We’ll start at theCarmel Beach parking area, walk past MissionRanch up Mission Trail Preserve throughCarmel and back along the beach. Meetbefore 9:30 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. To godirect, take Hwy. 1 south to Ocean exit. Turnright, go downhill to Carmello, left onCarmel about 1.5 mi. to beach parking area.Free parking & restrooms. Meet at approx.10:30 a.m. Bring water, lunch, $5 carpool. Atend of hike, those wishing can lunch inCarmel. Leader: Brooke Ewoldsen, 649-1714.

Wednesday, May 17HIKE: ROCKY RIDGE - SOBERANES CYNRocky Ridge is a 1435' rounded grassy peakbetween Soberanes Canyon and MalpasoCanyon in Garrapata State Park south ofCarmel. Rocky Ridge is a dry, exposed hill-side with sweeping views of the ocean. Thehike is strenuous, but we will take it slow.There are places to stop and return to thebeginning of the hike to relax and sit on aledge to watch the waves and perhaps a seaotter or two while waiting for the other hik-ers. Bring lunch and water for this 6-mile hikewhich seems much longer. Meet at 9:00 a.m.at Sears 41st Ave. or at 9:15 a.m. in back ofthe gas station at Rio Del Mar exit to carpool.We’ll be at the trailhead 6.8 miles south ofRio Road in Carmel at 10:10 a.m. Leader:Diane Cornell, 423-5925.

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Sunday, May 21HIKE: FALL CREEKLet’s explore this enchanted forest with red-woods, a lovely burbling stream full of cas-cades, a lime kiln, barrel mill, fish pond, anddancing springs. 7 miles. Bring water andlunch. Meet at Felton Faire at 10:00 a.m. tocarpool. Leader: Sheila Dunniway, 336-2325.

Tuesday, May 23SENIOR HIKE: POINT LOBOSOne of our favorite spots! We’ll park atWhaler’s Cove and hike the North ShoreTrail, Allen Cypress Grove, then Sand HillTrail to Piney Wood for lunch. Bring binocu-lars. 3 miles on good trails. Heavy poisonoak!!! Meet before 9:30 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave.or at Whaler’s Cove parking lot about 10:30a.m. Bring lunch, water, $5 carpool and shareof entrance $. Leader: Pat Herzog, 458-9841.

Tuesday, May 30SENIOR HIKE: HENRY COWELLEasy 3-mile loop along the river and throughthe redwoods. Moderate uphill. After hike,we’ll have our annual potluck picnic. BRINGYOUR FAVORITE DISH. Meet before 9:30a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. or at Felton Faire at9:50 a.m. To go direct, use the main entranceon Hwy. 9, turn right past the pay station tothe first picnic area. Bring water, your

O U T I N G S

potluck dish, $2 carpool and share of entrancefee. Leader: Helena Cantin, 438-4253.

Wednesday, May 31HIKE: SAM MCDONALD COUNTY PARKThis 850-acre San Mateo Co. Park is onPescadero Rd. between 2 natural environ-ments—lush redwoods and open ridge, grassyknolls. It was named after a descendent ofslaves born in 1884, who was employed byStanford Univ. for 50 years: first as a teamsterwho eventually became Superintendent ofGrounds and later a Santa Clara CountyDeputy Sheriff. Stanford Convalescent Homefor children was his pet project. He left theland for a park. At the lower elevations of thepark in moist ravines many fern varieties arefound with beautiful mosses and curiousmushroom shapes. Meet for this 8-mile hikeat 9:00 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave. or drive northon Hwy. 1 to Pescadero Rd. and turn rightonto Alpine Rd. to the parking area near theHeritage Grove. Bring water and lunch.Leader: Diane Cornell, 423-5925.

J U N E

Friday, June 2EXPLORATION HIKE: BRAZIL RANCHFor the first time, we are invited to explorethis 1200-acre ranch south of Bixby Bridge.

Sunday, June 4HIKE: PICO BLANCOHike from Botcher’s Gap down to the BoyScout camp then up the north flank of PicoBlanco. From the north flank we can hike upthe north ridge to the peak. This moderatehike is 9 miles with 2000' elevation gain. Weshould have great 360 degree views. Bringboots, lunch and water. Meet at Albertson’s at8:30 a.m. Leader: Steve Legnard, 402-1422.

Sunday, June 4WALK: ASILOMAR/PEBBLE BEACHA 4-mile walk, along streets and walkways inPacific Grove and Pebble Beach, then via atrail between fairways to the beach and out toPoint Joe and back with ocean views finishingat Asilomar via boardwalks. Bring water anda snack; done about noon. Meet across fromthe Fishwife Restaurant on Sunset Drive atAsilomar Blvd. in Pacific Grove at 9:00 a.m.Leader: Martha Saylor, 372-9215.

Tuesday, June 6SENIOR HIKE: BIG BASIN/SLIPPERY RKA 5-mile moderate hike on the Sequoia Trailto Sempervirens Falls to Slippery Rock toSkyline to Sea Trail. One steep uphill atSlippery Rock. Take at your own pace. We’lllunch at top of Slippery Rock. Those wishinga shorter hike can turn back at the falls. Meetbefore 9:30 a.m. at Sears 41st Ave or at FeltonFaire at 9:50 a.m. Bring lunch, water, $4 car-pool and share of entrance $. Leader: BeverlyMeschi, 475-4185.

Wednesday, June 7HIKE: SIERRA AZUL We’ll traverse part of the Sierra Azul Preserveand Bay Area Ridge Trail, starting fromKennedy Rd. in Los Gatos. Breathtakingviews. In March we hiked up to this trail ona clear day and could see San Francisco. Bringwater and lunch for this 8-mile hike withsome uphill. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Sears 41stAve. to carpool. We will start from the trail-head on Kennedy Rd. in Los Gatos at 10:00a.m. Leader: Diane Cornell, 423-5925.

Does your WORKPLACE use good environ-mental practices? The editor wants to hearabout it. Write dfbulger@cruzio.com.

VOLUNTEER NEEDED TO SELL TrailGuides from their home. Requires keepingstock at home, handling phone orders forboth individual sales and bulk orders forabout 10 main accounts at bookstores, thenfilling orders. Must be dependable. For moreinformation call Rita Dalessio, 659-7046.

PHOTOCOPY MACHINE needed by SantaCruz Group. Donate one for a tax deduction.Call Aldo, 460-1538.

Rates: $4.00 per l ine for S ier ra Club members.Payment must accompany a l l ads. Make checkspayable to : S ier ra Club. Approx imate ly 35 char-acters per l ine. Spaces and punctuat ion countas characters . Typewr i t ten or computer gener-ated copy prefer red.

CLASSIFIEDS

Alan Funt of “Candid Camera” restored theold ranch’s buildings when he lived there.Today, the board of directors is working toestablish an environmental center to preservethe area for future use by students and naturelovers. Call for a reservation, time, meetingplace, and more information. Leader:Anneliese Suter, 624-1467.

Saturday, June 3WALK: SAN JUAN BAUTISTAWe’ll walk-about in this historic Californiatown. We’ll visit and learn about the charm-ing streets and houses, including the StatePark Plaza. Walk a few miles and spend a fewhours in the past and in the sunshine (I hope).Bring lunch, water and dress for weather.Meet at 10:00 a.m. in the Seaside Home Depotparking lot (by the service station) on CanyonDel Rey at Hwy. 1 ramps. For more informa-tion, call leader: Joyce Stevens, 624-3149.

Saturday, June 3HIKE: SUNOL REGIONAL PARKWe were rained out in March so I am resched-uling. There will hopefully be Mariposas bythis date. There is a 1-hour carpool to thepark. 10 miles with 2000' elevation gain. Meetat 9:30 a.m. at the Santa Cruz CountyGovernment Center to carpool. Call Nick foradditional information. Leader: NickWyckoff, 462-3101.

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Please Recycle This Paper Again The Sierra Club / Ventana Chapter Volume 45 Number 2, 2006 15

Ventana Chapter (Monterey Co.)

Information: 624-8032Executive Committee:Last Thursday of the month; Call formeeting place & time.Conservation Committee:Alternate 3rd Saturdays, 2:00 p.m.Beck’s house: 23765 Spectacular Bid,Monterey. Take Hwy 68 to York Rd. toSpectacular Bid.May 20, at 2:00 p.m.

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Address

City State Zip

To change address by email:address.changes@sierraclub.org

Membership inquiries:membership.services@sierraclub.org

Ventana Chapter Mailing Address – The Ventana Chapter, P.O. Box 5667, Carmel, CA, 93921,

Phone: 624-8032 (Santa Cruz Group Phone: 426-4453) Website:www.ventana.sierraclub.org

Chapter Executive CommitteeChapter Chair Rita Dalessio 16 Via Las Encinas Carmel Valley, CA 93924 659-7046Vice Chair D’Anne Albers P.O. Box 2532 Carmel, CA 93921 375-1389Treasurer Joel Weinstein 140 Carmel Riviera Dr. Carmel, CA 93923 625-5586Other Members David Epel 25847 Carmel Knolls Dr. Carmel, CA 93923 625-3137

Julie Engell 15040 Charter Oak Blvd. Prunedale, CA 93907 633-8709George Jammal 601 Manzanita Ave. Felton, CA 95018 335-7748 Kimberly Marion 310A High St. Monterey, CA 93940 648-1417Denyse Frischmuth 283 Grove Acre Ave. Pacific Grove, CA 93950 643-0707

Admin Chair/Sec Mary Gale 25430 Telarana Way Carmel, CA 93923 626-3565Coastal Chair D’Anne Albers P.O. Box 2532 Carmel, CA 93921 375-1389Conservation CommitteeCo-Chairs Gudrun Beck 23765 Spectacular Bid Monterey, CA 93940 655-8586

Gillian Taylor 52 La Rancheria Carmel Valley, CA 93924 659-0298Local Wilderness CommitteeChair Steve Chambers 319 Caledonia St. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 425-1787Computer Database

Stephanie Kearns 740 30th Ave. #67. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 475-1308NC/NRCC Reps. George Jammal 601 Manzanita Ave. Felton, CA 95018 335-7748

Patricia Matejcek P.O. Box 2067 Santa Cruz, CA 95063 423-8567Outings Chair Anneliese Suter 9500 Center St. #53 Carmel, CA 93923 624-1467Population CommitteeChair Harriet Mitteldorf 942 Coral Dr. Pebble Beach, CA 93953 373-3694Political Chair Terry Hallock P.O. Box 22993 Carmel, CA 93922 915-0266Pot Luck CommitteeChair Marion Chilson 6060 Brookdale Dr. Carmel, CA 93923 624-3510Sierra Club CouncilDelegate David Epel 25847 Carmel Knolls Dr. Carmel, CA 93923 625-3137Alternate Rita Dalessio 16 Via Las Encinas Carmel Valley, CA 93924 659-7046Transportation CommitteeChair Neil Agron 26122 Carmel Knolls Dr. Carmel, CA 93923 624-3038Outings Chair Anneliese Suter 9500 Center St. #53 Carmel, CA 93923 624-1467Membership Chair Heather Allen 3037 Vaughn Ave. Marina, 93933 224-0134Ventana Editor Debbie Bulger 1603 King Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 457-1036Pajaro River CommitteeCo-Chairs Lois Robin 4701 Nova Dr. Santa Cruz, 95062 464-1184

JoAnn Baumgartner P.O. Box 1766. Watsonville, CA 95077 722-5556Forestry Chair Jodi Frediani 1015 Smith Grade Santa Cruz, CA 95060 426-1697

Santa Cruz County Group of the Ventana ChapterGroup Office: 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz, near Actors’ Theatre Website:www.ventana.sierraclub.org

Mailing Address: Sierra Club, Santa Cruz Group, P.O. Box 604, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-0604 Phone: 831-426-HIKE (426-4453), Fax: (831) 426-LEAD (426-5323), e-mail: scscrg@cruzio.com

Executive CommitteeChair Aldo Giacchino 1005 Pelton Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 460-1538Vice Chair Kevin Collins P.O. Box 722 Felton, CA 95018 335-4196Other members Richard Shull 110 Amber Lane Santa Cruz, CA 95062 425-5153

Kristen Raugust 454 Swanton Road Davenport, CA 95017 423-8566Shandra D. Handley 147 S. River St., Ste 221 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 477-1981Charles Paulden 415 Palisades Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 462-3423Bojana Fazarinc 25401 Spanish Rnch Rd. Los Gatos 95033 408-353-5536Dennis Davie P.O. Box 651 Capitola, CA 95010 427-2626

Treasurer Aldo Giacchino 1005 Pelton Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 460-1538Conservation CommitteeChair Patricia Matejcek P.O. Box 2067 Santa Cruz, CA 95063 423-8567Forestry Task ForceChair Jodi Frediani 1015 Smith Grade Santa Cruz, CA 95060 426-1697Membership CommitteeVacant Outings Chair George Jammal 601 Manzanita Ave. Felton, CA 95018 335-7748 Transportation CommitteeChair Jim Danaher 340 Soquel Ave. #205 Santa Cruz, CA 95062 427-2727Water Resources CommitteevacantPolitical Committeevacant

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Will the City of Santa Cruz decide to cut down thesethree native coast live oaks (including the heritagetree on the right) along Soquel Avenue near

Capitola Road? The trees are at the north end of the AranaGulch Greenbelt.

In March the City Transportation Commission votedunamimously to save the trees and shorten the stackinglength of the proposed right turn lane by two cars. Becausethe right turn arrow will be green most of the time, theextra length is not needed.

Ask City Council members to follow the advice of theirTransportation Commission and save these trees. Emailthem at citycouncil@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us.

See page 8 for more on Arana Gulch.These 3 trees by Arana Gulch may be cut down by the City of Santa Cruz to make room for two more cars.

Help save these trees