BEST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Hiking, Biking and Wine Tasting
July 12-20, 2008
Northern California contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital,
Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests,
the northern California coast, the Big Sur coastline area, and the Sierra
Nevada, including Yosemite Valley. It also has some of the best wine-making
regions in North America and an abundance of state and national parks.
This trip will explore some of the best this region offers. Our tour will start
with two days in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we will take a half day city
tour and drive out to Red Woods National Park and the Muir Woods. We will
then spend two days in Sonoma and Napa – home to over 400 wineries and
wonderful opportunities to hike, bike and of course – taste delicious wines. We
will finish the trip with 3 days of hiking in Yosemite National Park, which is best
known for its waterfalls, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias,
and a vast wilderness area.
This trip is geared towards adventurous fit people with an interest in doing a
variety of activities and eating regional and international cuisine. We hope you
will join us!
Detailed Itinerary
Below is a detailed itinerary for the trip. We may change the schedule due to
weather or availability of reservations. Your flexibility will be greatly appreciated,
and we will keep you informed of any changes to the itinerary in the months prior to
departure.
Saturday, July 12th
Fly to San Francisco
We will request that people take early morning flights into San Francisco to allow you
the rest of the day to explore Union Square and other nearby neighborhoods close to
our hotel. We will have an early welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant. We will stay
at The Chancellor Hotel on Union Square.
Sunday, July 13th
City day tour of San Francisco and free afternoon to explore1
We will participate in a half-day city tour of San Francisco, which includes a one hour
bay cruise. Scheduled stops include Vista Point at the Golden Gate Bridge, the
panoramic view of the city from atop Twin Peaks. Selected highlights and points of
interests include the Civic Center, the Opera House, Union Square, Golden Gate
Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Cable Cars, Chinatown, North Beach, Coit Tower,
Fisherman's Wharf, the Presidio, the Old Mission Dolores and Pier 39. You will have
the rest of the day to return to some of the places we visited on the tour or explore
new areas of interest. Dinner will be on your own, but there will be a group option to
eat in Chinatown. We will stay again at The Chancellor Hotel.
Monday, July 14th
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument
We will depart San Francisco after breakfast and head to the north, stopping for
several hours in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and the Muir
Woods National Monument. GGNRA is one of
the largest urban national parks in the world.
GGNRA was established in 1972 and contains
75,398 acres extend from Tomales Bay in
Marin County to San Mateo County in the
south, encompassing 59 miles of shoreline one of the nation’s largest coastal preserves.
Muir Woods National Monument is a remnant of ancient coast redwood forests that
blanketed many northern California coastal valleys before the 1800s. Local
businessman William Kent and his wife Elizabeth Thacher Kent bought land in this
valley in 1905 to protect one of the last stands of uncut redwoods. To ensure
permanent protection, they donated 295 acres of redwoods to the federal government. In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area a national
monument. At William Kent’s request, it was named for conservationist John Muir.
1
If you have already been to San Francisco and wish to opt out of the city tour, please advise the leaders through
the application process. Your trip fee will be adjusted accordingly.
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We will drive that afternoon to the charming city of Sonoma, in the famed California
Wine Country, where will have dinner and spend the night. We will be staying at the
Sonoma Valley Inn.
Tuesday, July 15th
Exploring Sonoma Valley by Bike and Wine Tasting
This day will be spent exploring Sonoma and visiting wineries
by bicycle. Sonoma Valley is a federally-designated wine
appellation region, meaning that the climate, soils, and
topography of the valley produce grapes of a distinctive and
extraordinary character. Ranked as one of the top wine producing regions in the
world, Sonoma Valley boasts more than thirty award-winning wineries and, with some
of the oldest vineyards and wineries in the state, is recognized as the birthplace of
California wine-making. We will eat dinner in Sonoma and stay another night at the
Sonoma Valley Inn.
Wednesday, July 16th
Explore Napa and drive to Yosemite National Park
Napa also boasts some of the best wineries in the region. We will offer the possibility
of visiting more wineries, or if you prefer, we will also offer a half-day hike into the
hills around Napa. The drive from Napa to Oakhurst is about 4 hours, so we will depart
in the mid-afternoon to arrive in time for dinner. We will stay at the Yosemite
Gateway Inn.
Thursday, July 17th-Saturday, July 19th
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park was established in 1890, and is the third oldest national park
in the U.S. The park was established for the purpose of preservation of the resources
that contribute to its uniqueness and attractiveness. Yosemite National Park is a
showcase of spectacular geological features, including the greatest
concentration of granite domes in the world and the largest exposed
granite monolith in the world. Yosemite possesses outstanding
recreational values and supreme scenic attractions, including alpine
and sub-alpine wilderness, three groves of giant sequoia trees and
thundering waterfalls that are among the world's highest. Yosemite
was the birthplace of the idea of the Sierra Club and plays an
important role in wildlife preservation and preserving biological
diversity.
Yosemite National Park is a world heritage site which has made a significant
contribution to California's cultural heritage, to the national park movement, and to
Yosemite's 4,000 years of cultural heritage by Native Americans. The park provides
solitude and inspiration and serves as an outdoor classroom for environmental
education.
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During our three days here we will do a series of day hikes, from 710 miles in length. The hikes will be moderate in pace, but may
be moderately strenuous to strenuous with elevation gains in
excess of 2-3,000 feet. Hikes will be picked in the spring and
communicated to participants via email.
On Saturday we will head back to the San Francisco area in the early afternoon and
stay at an airport hotel. The drive will take approximately 5 hours, and we will stop a
few times on the way back to eat and stretch our legs.
Sunday, July 20th
Fly back to the East Coast
Most flights to the East Coast depart in the morning.
California longer, you are welcome to do so.
If you wish to stay on in
Accommodations and Meals
Our accommodations will consist of double occupancy rooms in 3-4 star hotels in San
Francisco, Sonoma and Oakhurst, CA. The hotel in San Francisco is called The
Chancellor Hotel (http://www.chancellorhotel.com), which is centrally located in
Union Square. There is plenty of public transportation access to other parts of the
city.
In Sonoma we will be staying two nights at the Sonoma Valley Inn
(http://www.sonomavalleyinn.com/), which is located right in downtown Sonoma.
The next three nights will be spent at the Yosemite Gateway Inn
(http://www.yosemitegatewayinn.com) in Oakhurst, approximately 15 miles from the
south entrance to Yosemite National Park. The
property has a park-like setting nestled among
live oak trees high on a hill in a tranquil
mountain setting with stunning views.
The last night will be spent at in or near an
airport hotel to be named.
It takes
approximately 5 hours to drive back to San Francisco, and since most flights to the
East Coast depart in the morning we will need to be back near the city by the evening
before. Staying close to the airport will help us maximize our time in Yosemite on
Saturday as well.
Single supplements will be permitted based on availability in the hotels and finding
another participant who wishes to room alone.
All dinners except the second night in San Francisco are included in the trip fee
(excluding alcohol). We will strive to find a variety of different eating establishments
that feature local cuisine. The second night in San Francisco we will have an option
to go to San Francisco’s famed Chinatown, but you are welcome to explore other
restaurants on your own.
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Breakfast and lunches are your responsibility. All of the hotels have on-site
restaurants for breakfast, and the Sonoma Valley Inn does have a free continental
breakfast. We will also be within walking distance of several restaurants, cafes and
grocery stores. Some of our lunches will be in restaurants as well, although we will
stop at a local grocery store to allow you to purchase food to make lunches for the
hikes.
Transportation
You are encouraged to fly into the San Francisco airport (SFO). We will be arranging
shuttles from the airport to the Chancellor Hotel. If you wish to fly into a different
airport, such as Oakland or San Jose, you will be responsible for getting to the hotel
on your own. Please let the leaders know and will refund the portion of your trip fee
to cover the shuttle ride from SFO.
We will help your purchase your airline ticket and will notify you once the trip has
met its minimum number to begin the process. You are welcome to use frequent flier
miles, but check with your airline early to make sure they have seats available on the
days you wish to fly.
We will be renting at least two mini-vans, possibly three. For each vehicle we will
need a primary driver and a
backup driver. Please indicate
on your application if you would
be willing to drive. Most of the
days
will
involve
shorter
distances, but on the days we
drive to and from Yosemite will
be long. Keep this in mind before you volunteer to drive! Our intention is to empty
the backseat of one of the mini-vans for the bulk of the luggage and have the
majority of the people travel in the other mini-van(s). Since we will have 2-3 cars for
12-16 people, this will give us some flexibility to separate for meals not planned in
advance.
Estimated Costs and Cancellation
The estimated cost of this trip will be $1695 plus $300-450 for airfare to San
Francisco. The trip fee will include:
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All lodging in hotels (San Francisco, Sonoma and Oakhurst)
Shuttle from SFO to Chancellor Hotel2
Seven dinners
2
Please make every attempt to fly into the SFO. If you choose to fly into a different airport, please advise the
leaders. The cost of the one-way shuttle from SFO to the hotel will be refunded to you and can be used towards
your transportation from that other airport.
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Breakfasts at the Sonoma Valley Inn
City tour of San Francisco
Vehicle rental, insurance and gas
Bicycle and safety equipment rental in Sonoma
Park entrance fees
Medical evacuation insurance
Plan to bring about $300-400 for additional lunches and breakfasts, wine tastings and
personal spending money.
The approximate $1695 cost for the excursion is based on estimates for trip expenses.
The final cost of the trip will be adjusted in accordance with the best arrangements
the leaders can make. Any savings they achieve, as well as any cost increase, will be
returned or assessed to you, respectively.
Please be aware that, in accordance with AMC policy, you are subsidizing a portion of
the leaders’ expenses, but not all of them. In accordance with AMC rules, the leaders
may not realize a profit from this excursion. Any unspent funds resulting from
negotiating better rates for lodging, local transportation, etc. must be refunded to all
the participants. The trip fee also includes an AMC overhead cost to cover
administrative expenses of offering Major Excursions, including the trip’s publication
in the Outdoors and liability insurance.
A registration deposit of $300 is due with the application. You must also submit the
registration form, the Confidential Medical form, and the signed Acknowledgement
and Assumption of Risk and Release form for the AMC. The rest of the payment will be
due 90 days in advance of departure, which is April 12, 2008. Please make check
payable to the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Our cancellation policy is based on the precept that your cancellation shall not raise
the cost to any of the other participants or the leaders. Therefore, if you cancel, we
will refund any money you have paid, less any expenses already incurred, or future
expenses that will be incurred, that have been the result of your registration and that
cannot be avoided. Refunded money will also be less a $100 cancellation fee.
However, if you cancel and the trip still realizes full participation, then any and all
fees you have paid will be refunded to you, in full, minus the cancellation fee. If you
cancel after your airline tickets have been purchased, you still own the ticket and will
be subject to the airline’s cancellation policy.
When registration is complete, we will send all participants the names, addresses and
phone numbers of those going on the trip. We will be using email as our primary
source of communication. If you prefer snail mail and/or telephone communication,
please note that on your registration form.
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If you have any questions, please call us so that we can discuss them. Our numbers
are: Wyatt Biel at wyattbiel@excite.com or 781-648-5503 or Stacia Zukroff at
szukroff@yahoo.com or 781-648-5503.
About the leaders
Wyatt Biel is a leader with the Boston Chapter. He has led trips throughout New
England and American Southwest. He recently completed his third
major excursion to Hawaii, and has led trips to Turkey and the
Canadian Rockies with Stacia. He is a licensed nurse practitioner at a
family practice and also works part-time as a registered nurse at
Massachusetts General Hospital.
Stacia Zukroff leads about 2-3 trips per year, some of which have
included hiking and backpacking trips to the Canadian Rockies, a
backpacking and kayaking trip to New Zealand and Alaska, a trekking
trip to Nepal and Tanzania (Mt. Kilimanjaro). Her most recent trips
have been to Chile, Turkey, and Hawaii. She is the chair of major excursions and a
member of the Boston Chapter. She is Advanced Wilderness First Aid certified. Stacia
works with a study abroad program that sends students overseas to study.
Experience and risks
Physical Preparation
This trip will require a certain level of outdoor experience. You should have at least
intermediate hiking experience and be able to hike at least 7 – 10 miles over rugged
terrain for multiple days.
Weather
The weather in July can be unpredictable in San Francisco. There is often fog in the
morning and it has been known to rain. The weather in Yosemite and the wine
country should be a lot more stable and warm.
Clothing and Gear
Below is a list of the required gear for the trip.
Personal Gear
 Backpack
 1 medium duffel or small suitcase
 2 Nalgene bottles / Camelbak bladder
 High energy snacks for hiking
Personal Clothing
 Hiking boots (broken-in and waterproof)
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Waterproof wind and rain gear (top and bottom)
One insulating layer of top and bottom wool, synthetic fleece jacket and pants
Hat
Gloves or mittens
Synthetic tops and bottoms—hiking shorts and/or nylon pants, short sleeve and
long sleeve tops (Polypropylene, CoolMax, Bergelene, etc.)
2-3 pairs hiking socks w/ liners (minimum)
Accessories
 1 flashlight or headlamp w/ spare batteries
 Toiletries
 Sunglasses
 Whistle
 Personal first aid kit
 Sunscreen and bug repellent
 Ziplock bags for trash
Optional Gear
 Bike shorts
 Bike water bottle
 Gaiters (for rain and mud)
 Bandana
 Hiking poles
 Pack cover
 Pocket knife
 Casual clothing
 Camera and film
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