August 2019
Welcome to the California Alpine Club's Outings e-bulletin. Look here for details about upcoming outings and our monthly Saturday Sorties to trails of interest throughout the Bay Area.
 So read on and enjoy!
A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM OUTINGS
Your Outings Committee encourages all members who attend the club’s various outings to please join meetup.com and sign up for your outings on the CAC meetup site (http://meetup.com/CAC-outings/members). By signing up on the meetup.com site, the leader can better plan his or her event. More importantly, should a last-minute change be necessary, the leader can easily notify all members of any changes in the schedule, weather expectations, the routes, road closures en route to the outings, etc. If you wish to carpool to the event, you can easily find out who else is going so that you can organize your transportation. Remember, it is not the trip leader's responsibility to ensure you have a ride! You must be a member to access this site. To join meetup.com, go to http://meetup.com/CAC-Outings. Request to join the group and your request will be sent to Ernie Castiaux, who will verify your membership and accept you into the group. Your Outings Committee appreciates your helping us to simplify communications by using this site! 
REPORT FROM THE TRAIL
Mule Pack Trip to Piute Lake - Group #1
On August 11, fifteen intrepid CAC members and friends (and one dog) gathered at the pack station near Bishop, CA for the first of two mule pack trips to Piute Lake. The hike to our destination was challenging - steep, rocky and unrelenting for over four miles. But our efforts were rewarded with a stunning display of wildflowers, made all the richer by the enthusiastic explanations of our three wildflower aficionados, Edie Nelson, Dave Roberts and Tom Swaine. Mary Larkin-Berlinski did yeoman's service providing perfect planning, delicious food and daily happy hour appetizers of fresh-caught trout. The weather cooperated with sunny, warm days and oh, that moon! Each moonrise was dramatic and beautiful.

Stay tuned for information about our annual Mule Pack, Class of 2020, now in the planning stages. We're heading to the Western Sierras for a change, possibly to Mott Lake. Details should be published in October, if not before.
We found beauty day and night. Edie Nelson educated us all on the stunningly beautiful wildflower display still on show as we explored the mountain. We timed our trip with the full moon, and it did not disappoint. There was little need for a head lamp once the moon rose!
There were streams to cross on the way up and down. Dennis Winslow demonstrates his form "walking the tightrope" while Jean Rodgers found an easier way to get across! That's Mary Larkin-Berlinski going above and beyond as trip leader. Her motto: We leave no CAC member behind!
Dennis Winslow demonstrates the latest fashion in mosquito netting while seven brave souls cross the snow en route to Piute Pass and the glorious basin on the other side.
Fantastic scenery in every direction! The year's heavy and late snowfall graced us with a "Sierra Super Bloom" of wildflowers, while lakes, streams, and waterfalls were plentiful and dramatic.
Our base camp provided a magnificent setting. The lucky members of Group #1 were from bottom left: Tom Swaine, Renee Hamilton and "Commander Cody Adventure Dog," Emily Young (and behind her in a row of his own, Steve Branz), Karen Ebadi, Eva Eugster, Jean Rodgers and Mary Larkin-Berlinski. From top left: Dave Roberts, Jane Kiser, Dennis Winslow, Don Daniel, Fred Huxley, Edie Nelson and Stefan Berlinski.
Upcoming Outings
A note from your Outings Committee:
Many of our adventures fill almost as soon as we publicize the event. So first, thank you for your enthusiastic response to our outings! If the trip you want to attend is already full, we encourage you to send your deposit and join the wait list. Cancellations do occur and we frequently are able to confirm most if not all members on the wait list. Better yet, if you want to be assured of a space on an outing, volunteer to help organize it. We are always looking for volunteers to help us put together new and exciting opportunities to explore the great outdoors.
Kidd Lake Car Camping
September 6-8
The Kidd Lake weekend camping trip is now full. Kidd Lake offers an expansive group campsite with plenty of space, lakes that are refreshing but warm enough for swimming, and wilderness trails where our pooches can accompany hikers off-leash. The cost of $85 includes the campsite and all meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. All dogs must be well-behaved with other dogs and up-to-date on all shots. To join the waitlist, please send full payment of $85 to: Renee Hamilton, 1 McIntosh Court, Novato, CA 94949. Payment is also accepted via PayPal. Your check will not be deposited until you are confirmed on the trip. For more information, contact Renee at 415-686-3966 or rdmhamilton@gmail.com.
Willamette Water Trail Canoe Trip
September 7-14
The six-day, 85-mile canoe adventure along Oregon's Willamette Water Trail is now full. Our route takes us through urban and native habitats, and we will enjoy beer and wine tasting along the way. We meet Saturday, 9/7 at the Best Western in Eugene, OR and depart the following morning for the put-in at Armitage County Park on the McKenzie River. After 5 nights along the river, haul out at Wallace Marine Park on Friday, 9/13 and shuttle back for one more night at the Best Western in Eugene. The cost of $400/person includes meals from Sunday lunch through Friday lunch, canoe rentals, river fees, shuttle fees and two nights hotel accommodations (shared occupancy). Cost does not include transportation to Oregon, Saturday or Friday dinners. To join the waitlist, send a $100 deposit to Mary Larkin-Berlinski, PO Box 776, Moss Landing, CA 95039. For information, contact Mary at mlarkin804@sbcglobal.net or 831-345-6963.
Future Outings (in the works)
Outings Committee commitments and lack of new leaders meant that we don't have much going on for the rest of 2019. But fear not, all sorts of new adventures for 2020 are percolating and the new year looks promising! The following events are in early planning stages, so we don't have dates or costs yet. Stay tuned for details, which will be published as soon as we have them worked out:

  • A winter show shoe adventure
  • A kayak outing on Tomales Bay or perhaps elsewhere
  • A one-day caving adventure with our friends at Peak Adventures (Sac State)
  • A mule-pack trip to the Western Sierras
  • A four-day basecamp trip to Tuolomne Meadows
  • A canoe trip, perhaps to Labyrinth Canyon in Utah
  • A river raft trip in Cataract Canyon, Utah
  • A return to the Channel Islands in late April or early May
  • A special excursion to Great Basin National Park and the Ruby Mountains in September to see the fall colors
  • Weekend camping/hiking trips as we find leaders who would like to help
  • And Saturday Sorties to new destinations and those we have enjoyed in the past.

Saturday Sorties
In recognition of the far-flung nature of our membership as well as the beauty that the entire Bay Area has to offer, the Outings Committee has launched Saturday Sorties. Our goal is to bring the warmth and camaraderie we experience during hikes on Mount Tam to all our members, wherever they live, and create more opportunities for all to enjoy Nature’s bounty throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
Hike the Dipsea Trail
Saturday, October 5
Have you always wanted to hike the famed Dipsea Trail? Well, here’s your chance to do so with Patty Montmorency and fellow CAC members. This one-way 7.4-mile trail leads from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, followed by a picnic lunch (pack your own or buy a lunch at Parkside Restaurant) and a ride on the Marin Stage back up to the starting point. This Sortie is no walk in the park. With 676 (or so) steps up at the beginning and 300 more down at the end, conditioning, poles and plenty of water are recommended. The Dipsea Trail is an amalgamation of bits of several trails and is not easy to follow alone so we will have a lead and a sweep to keep us all together. Meet at Old Mill Park, Mill Valley, on the corner of Throckmorton Avenue and Cascade Way. There is free parking about 2 blocks from the start. Be ready to depart on the hike at 9am sharp. Bring your Clipper Card or exact change for the bus back to the starting point ($2 adult, $1 over 65). Complete information can be found on the CAC meetup site: http://meetup.com/CAC- outings/members. If you are unable to access the Meetup site, contact Ernie Castiaux (ecastiaux@gmail.com; 510-909-3301) for further information.
Cancellation Policy: Unless otherwise noted in the trip description,
all outing deposits and final payments become non-refundable
three weeks prior to the trip’s departure.
And just a reminder: Amazon Smile
The California Alpine Club Foundation is now a registered charity with Amazon Smile. When you shop through Amazon Smile, you have access to all the same Amazon products at no extra cost, but .5% of your purchase will be donated to the Foundation. To sign up with Amazon Smile, copy this link and paste it into the search bar: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0263904. You will be automatically asked if you wish to support the CAC Foundation. It's a wonderful way to grow our foundation's good work of promoting conservation and environmental education in the Bay Area and Tahoe region.
What’s on your bucket list?

Your CAC Outings Committee is eager to expand and enhance your opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. But we need your help! Is there an activity you would like us to offer? A destination that you've always wanted to explore? Please tell us! Send your ideas and/or wish list to Renee Hamilton at rdmhamilton@gmail.com (415.686.3966) or Ernie Castiaux at ecastiaux@hotmail.com (510.909.3301).