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Home Resource Center In the News Home Greenbelt Alliance in the News |
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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
January 28, 2005 Climbing to cascades
around the bay
Nonprofit leads excursions for hikers who want to witness winter's runoff Harriet Chiang, Chronicle Staff WriterPhotos by Michael Maloney  It's
been wet. It's been bitterly cold. But the weeks of stormy weather have
created a silver lining -- rushing, thriving waterfalls. Some are less than
an hour's drive away, while others may not be far from your back door.
As the winter slowly starts to warm up, the Greenbelt Alliance is sponsoring a series of free hikes around the Bay Area to showcase these cascading streams before they dry up to a trickle in a few months. The hikes feature an incredible three-tiered waterfall on a private preserve in Napa; hidden waterfalls in the Berkeley hills; and lush canyons leading up to thundering falls at the top of Mount Diablo. Some of the hikes wind their way through rolling green hills and redwood forests normally closed to the public, while others lead hikers through picturesque gardens and parks. Almost all the outings 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 Alliance 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 membership donations, the group 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 led nature hikes and tours throughout the nine Bay Area counties, drawing more than 1,000 residents each year. Spring features wildflower hikes, summer means farm areas, and fall offers hikes to mountain peaks. January through March is the season for waterfalls. The hikes vary in difficulty, whether it's a casual 5-mile stroll in Pacifica that follows Brooks Creek or a heart-pounding 16-mile trek at Murietta Falls, south of Livermore, for hard-core hikers.
The land originally was purchased in 1945 by two professors at UC Berkeley, Dr. Archer Taylor and his wife, Hasseltine Byrd Taylor. After they died, their two daughters, Ann and Constance, decided to set up the preserve, donating the land in 1993 to The Land Trust of Napa County, a nonprofit that preserves wildlife and agricultural and recreational land in the county. The 380 acres of land is now jointly owned by the trust, the Taylor sisters and Ann Taylor's husband, Charles Schwing. Because it is privately owned, hikers must get permission to use the trails. Guided tours are recommended on the first visit because the trails are unmarked, making it easy to get lost. A small group of hikers recently got a preview of Sunday's 7-mile hike to Trinity Falls, better known as Devil's Well, a three-tiered waterfall. The Land Trust of Napa County is leading a similar hike on March 12. The hikers met in downtown Napa and were driven 10 miles to a back road on the outskirts of Napa. It was a foggy, cold morning, but when the hikers arrived at the Archer Taylor preserve, the sun had broken through. The hike was led by Vanessa Johnson of the Napa land trust, who brought along plenty of food and a first-aid kit, just in case. After parking in a field a stone's throw from the caretaker's house, the hikers signed in on a clipboard and made one last pit stop. Then they set off to explore this little-known area and its hidden beauty. The group followed a trail that had been well-maintained by volunteers, the going made easier by a soft mat of Douglas fir needles on the ground. The trail followed Redwood Creek, and soon the only sounds were the bubbling stream and the dull thud of footsteps. It was a relatively easy hike with an occasional tree to scramble over -- until the group ran smack into a hillside. Steep terrain made the going slow, although the dirt was soft enough to allow you to dig in as you climb. "It's not like this the whole way,'' Johnson said apologetically as she looked down at the panting hikers below her. The trail wound its way through shady redwoods, occasionally emerging to sunny meadows. The hikers hadn't gone far before they came across their first waterfall. Streams of water splashed down on huge rocks with filtered sun dancing on the surface. The falls were surrounded by tall, stately trees -- redwood, Douglas fir and bay laurel. "I get the same feeling with the great cathedrals of Europe -- that spiritual grandeur,'' Johnson said as she gazed upward. The last loggings on the land were in the early 1900s, making many of the trees about 100 years old. "They'll never be logged again,'' Johnson said.
Johnson reminded the hikers of other concerns. "That's poison oak,'' she told the group, pointing to a bush of thin bare branches. The hikers clambered over big rocks and tackled areas of steep, wet rocks, which made the footing tricky. When in doubt, go down butt first, Johnson advised. After a couple of hours, they arrived at the three-tiered Devil's Well. The falls are set in a deep canyon with walls covered with clumps of moss, grass and ferns. The water bursts out of the rocks into a wide, shallow pool and then trickles into a stream. "In the summer, it'll be gone,'' Johnson said as she gazed at the thundering falls. After lunch, the hikers scrambled up the trail to get a look at the top of the three waterfalls, which were pounding down the rocks and into a small, deep pool, an inviting spot on a hot day. "No one's ever touched bottom,'' Johnson said. More adventurous hikers might try the 7-mile loop along the top of the ridge, an all-day trek that on a clear day promises a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. But after three rugged miles, this group of hikers decided to head back. By the time they returned to the grove, they were tired, exhilarated and ready for a hot drink and a warm bath. Some advice: Bring layers of warm clothing. The temperatures can quickly drop as you climb higher. Watch for poison oak and ticks, although they're not too bad at this time of year. If you're not a veteran hiker -- or part goat -- it's a good idea to bring a hiking stick to help cross the creeks and down some of the more steep areas of the trail. Good hiking boots are essential to provide a better grip when maneuvering over wet rocks or digging in your heels when going downhill. Above all, pace yourself. Everyone in the group of hikers, who ranged in age from their 30s to their 70s, made it back, but it was definitely a workout. The good news is you can hike in the preserve year-round, and in a month or two, the creeks will be merely a ripple in the forest and the wet rocks will be dry. But the waterfalls also will begin to fade, and with them some of the Bay Area's most stunning gems of nature. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To learn more about other hikes sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance, visit www.greenbelt.org. The Land Trust of Napa County Web site is www.napalandtrust.org. E-mail Harriet Chiang at hchiang@sfchronicle.com. ### |
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Some
of the most spectacular falls are in the Archer Taylor Preserve, a privately
owned stretch of land in Napa with trails that wind through shady redwood
forests and sun-drenched meadows. 
Much
of the trail is through forests, providing a cool respite during the summer
when temperatures are often 10 degrees cooler than downtown Napa. The
area has a woodsy, almost untouched feel, which is not surprising given
the fact that only a few hundred hikers visit the preserve each year.
Ferns line the trail and manzanita trees and red toyon berry shrubs can
be seen higher up. "Watch out for newts,'' Johnson said as she gingerly
stepped over a banana slug. 
It
wasn't long before the hikers came across the first of a handful of creek
crossings, which can cause some mild anxiety. But they were manageable
- - especially if a hiker had a walking stick and someone on the other
side of the creek to lend a hand. 