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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

February 4, 2005

East Bay: Nature lovers fall for urban cascades

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As the weather slowly starts to warm up, the conservation group Greenbelt Alliance is sponsoring a series of free hikes around the Bay Area to showcase these cascading streams before they become a mere trickle in a few months.

The hikes feature hidden waterfalls in the Berkeley hills, lush canyons leading up to thundering falls at the top of Mount Diablo and a spectacular three-tiered waterfall on a private preserve in Napa. Some of the hikes wind their way through rolling green hills and redwood forests normally closed to the public, while others lead you through picturesque gardens and parks. Almost all boast shimmering views of the Bay Area.

"You see a whole different perspective of the bay,'' said Cheryl Scott, education and volunteer assistant at Greenbelt who coordinates the hikes. "You really get a hands-on experience when you see the land and the open space that we're trying to protect.''

Formed in 1958, Greenbelt Alliance is a land conservation and urban planning organization dedicated to protecting open space and promoting livable communities. Operating on an annual $1.3 million budget funded by foundations and member donations, Greenbelt works with cities and counties to help redevelop urban areas, whether it's Oakland's Rockridge district or the long stretch of the San Pablo Avenue corridor.

Since 1990, the group also has put on a popular greenbelt outings program, leading nature hikes and tours throughout the nine Bay Area counties, drawing more than 1,000 residents each year. Spring features wildflower hikes, summer covers farm areas, and fall offers hikes to mountain peaks.

January through March is the season for waterfalls. The hikes vary in difficulty -- from a casual 5-mile stroll in Pacifica that follows Brooks Creek to a heart-pounding 16-mile trek to Murietta Falls, south of Livermore, for hard-core hikers.

A small group of hikers recently got a preview of two of the East Bay hikes -- Mount Diablo's thundering falls and the urban trek to Berkeley's little-known descending streams.

In the summer, Mount Diablo is parched, brown and imposing. But during the winter, the mountain becomes an oasis of lush green with rolling canyons of grass and endless rows of wispy oak trees.

The hike is a challenging 9-mile journey up Mount Diablo to Eagle Peak at almost 3,000 feet with a visit to the falls on Mount Diablo's North Peak.

For the preview hike in January, the group embarked on a 7-mile excursion on a path that followed Donner Creek and wound its way up through Donner Canyon.

The hike took place soon after the Bay Area was doused with rain, leaving the bottom of the trail a muddy quagmire. The hikers slogged their way through terrain, their boots making little suction noises as they trudged onward.

The leader of the group, Bob Solotar, paused in front of some thin, smooth twigs. "This is poison oak,'' he said, pointing to the innocuous- looking bush.

It was sunny enough for the hikers to quickly shed their sweatshirts and fleece jackets. The warm layers of clothing came in handy later at the higher elevations when the temperatures dropped.

The paths were well maintained and they ascended the mountain after less than a mile. The mud gave way to easy-to-traverse dirt and rock trails, with traces of deer, raccoons and horses. The trail wound its way through a handful of creeks and streams that were manageable to cross, even for the faint of heart. Nonetheless, walking sticks came in handy, as well as a hand on the other side of the water.

A variety of delightful surprises greeted hikers as they made their way up the trail: a wild rose bush, and beside it a tall tree with clusters of yellowish-green leaves that turned out to be mistletoe; white and yellow daffodil-like flowers scattered alongside the stream, the first signs of spring. Farther up, a small waterfall skipped over rocks down a grassy hillside.

A few gentle knolls created a sense of peace and complacency -- until the hikers ran smack into a steep hillside. The trekkers resolutely trudged upward, keeping their eyes focused in front of them, not daring to look up or down. The hill was enough of a cardiovascular workout that the hikers didn't have the breath to start whining.

At the top of the hill, Solotar greeted the group with a broad grin. "I have great news. I think the hard hiking is over.'' He paused. "But hike leaders are notorious liars.

"Try doing this on a hot day in May or June,'' said Solotar as he proceeded up the trail. "With the sun blazing down on you, you'd think you're in hell.''

The views are magnificent. Below were canyons and mountains covered with green grass and brush so soft that it looked like a velour blanket. There also were reminders of civilization with the town of Clayton within view and beyond that Concord and the bay.

"Ta-da!" Solotar said with a sweep of his hand. At the top, more than three miles later, was a spectacular sight - a torrent of water splashing down the mountain, pounding rocks, forming little whirlpools and then tumbling farther down.

"This is the fullest I've ever seen the falls,'' Solotar said as the band of hikers sat down to munch on pistachios and savor the view.

The hike took about four hours, but the full hike this month, which includes a lunch stop, is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's a good idea to give yourself plenty of time to stop and enjoy the views. "What's the rush,'' Solotar shrugged as the group made its way out of the mystic setting. "You're only going back to civilization. You're not there often enough?''

But even the center of civilization can offer hidden waterfalls.

A couple of hearty hikers last month took the 6-mile trek that begins at the North Berkeley BART Station and is led by Bob Johnson, who has been giving hikes for Greenbelt for six years.

The group headed east, winding its way through quiet neighborhoods and occasionally stopping to gaze at some of Berkeley's architectural gems -- 19th century Victorians, Tudors and Craftsman homes on streets lined with stunning magnolia and acacia trees.

The hikers made their way through Berkeley's gourmet ghetto and on up to Live Oak Park, one of the city's first public parks. After a brief pit stop, hikers strolled through redwood groves and followed a path along Codornices Creek, one of a handful of creeks running through the city. "The water is nice and clean because of the rain,'' Johnson noted as the water gently skipped over rocks and boulders.

While hikers at Mount Diablo were on the lookout for poison oak and rushing creeks, the biggest hazard on the Berkeley walk was being run over by cars barreling down Marin Avenue.

As Johnson led the hikers up through the North Berkeley hills, the sights included magnificent mansions, some with rushing creeks alongside them that could be seen only through peepholes in fences. "They probably have a ballroom, '' Johnson whispered as the group passed an estate. "And they also have a creek.''

The hikers stopped briefly at Indian Rock, where a quick scramble up revealed a hazy view that stretched from Oakland to Mount Tamalpais. The first waterfall sighting was at John Hinkel Park where the shady amphitheater was once the site for the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival. As the hikers climbed a steep set of steps they spotted a tumbling stream fed by Blackberry Creek trickling over some man-made rocks to prevent erosion.

After lunch at Cragmont Rock Park, the hikers continued their climb, passing a few of Berkeley's hidden paths. Tucked next to a wide driveway was yet another waterfall tumbling through branches of ivy.

The real treat came when the group went onto private property and stepped into a stretch of wilderness, seemingly light-years from the busy traffic and rows of houses. "Who would expect this in the middle of Berkeley?'' Johnson said. The group quietly made its way along a dirt path until it reached a thundering waterfall. Cascades of water tumbled onto rocks, at one point falling 10 feet into a pool of water and then trickling down into a creek.

"It's not as spectacular as some of the falls in the Bay Area,'' Johnson said. "But for the middle of Berkeley, it's kind of fun.''

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Urban wonders
Greenbelt Alliance leads the Waterfalls of Berkeley hike on Saturday and Feb. 13 and the Diablo's Hidden Falls hike on Feb. 12. It is also leading hikes to Murietta Falls, south of Livermore, on March 12. For more information, visit www.greenbelt.org.

E-mail comments to hchiang@sfchronicle.com.

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