Spirit Walks - Hiking Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Contact: Richard Hacker - (707) 939-8402

Local Leads Spirit Walks

Veteran rambler Rich Hacker will lead a series of “Spirit Walks” in various North Bay parks and protected lands from mid-November through mid-January. The goal is to link spiritually-minded hikers with natural settings that evoke a strong sense of beauty, peace and harmony and to allow ample time for communing with nature.

“I have been hiking in the North Bay Area for over 40 years and have always felt a palpable, nurturing sense of a spiritual presence in nature,” said Hacker, a former Marin County resident who now lives on a ranch in the Sonoma Valley. “These hikes represent some of my favorite quiet, beautiful places.”

Ranging in difficulty from easy/moderate to strenuous and in length from four to 7.5 miles, most of these walks will last three to four hours. The more arduous hikes come later in the series.

“Each hike has a gift to offer,” Hacker said of the planned Spirit Walks. “I want to share them now with people who will enjoy taking some time apart from their busy lives to experience the peace and harmony of nature.”

Hikers are advised to bring appropriate, layered clothing, sturdy boots, water and a lunch. Heavy rain will cancel a hike, which will be rescheduled. Each hike is limited to 25 participants and will be by reservation only. The hikes are free. However, following each hike, participants will have the opportunity to make a donation to a local land conservation organization.

The first hike will be held Nov. 17 in the Mt Tamalpais watershed. The easy, four mile loop will begin and end at Rock Spring off the Panoramic Highway on Mt Tamalpais and follow trails to Portrero Meadows and Laurel Dell, then returning to Rock Spring.

Next up is Dec. 1 at Annadel State Park in south Santa Rosa. After car pooling to the trailhead, the hikers will follow an easy to moderate loop of 7.4 miles from Two Quarry Trail to Marsh Trail, returning to the parking lot via the South Burma, Richardson’s and Steve’s Trails.

The third hike, on Dec. 15, will take place at nearby Sugarloaf State Park. Participants will meet in the main parking lot of the park and follow the Bald Mt. Trail to the Vista and Headwaters Trails and return via Vista and Meadow Trails. This moderately strenuous hike is about 4.5 miles in length.

The fourth Spirit Walk is scheduled for Dec. 29, at Pt Reyes National Seashore, and will involve car pooling. Hikers will take the Sky Trail from the trailhead to the Woodward Trail, follow it down to the Coast Trail and return to the Limatour Beach parking lot. From there the participants will shuttle back to the Sky Trail parking lot. This walk is moderately strenuous and 7.5 miles in length.

The last and most difficult outing, on January 12th, will follow the Cataract Gulch Trail in the Mt. Tamalpais watershed from Alpine Lake to Laurel Dell. The steep ascent involves climbing almost 400 steps; the roundtrip hike is about 4 miles in length.

Hacker has spent many years exploring the Mt Tamalpais watershed, Pt Reyes and the parks and open space lands of Sonoma County. For hike details or to register, call 707-939-8402.

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I will enter post hike recaps and previews of upcoming hikes on this blog.