“We are pleased that through oureffort to include this trail on the RidgeTrail route, bicycles are now allowedfor the first time. Our goal is to havethe entire Ridge Trail available forhikers, bikers, and equestrians, and wethank the National Park Service forworking with us to make this happen,”says Ridge Trail Executive DirectorJanet McBride.

Located between Alhambra Valleyand the town of Martinez, the Mt.Wanda property is a beautiful land-scape of grassland and valley, blue, andcoast live oaks. The summit of Mt.Wanda, accessed just off the RidgeTrail, offers sweeping views of Mt. Dia-blo, the Carquinez Strait, FranklinRidge, and Briones Regional Park.

The Mt. Wanda trailhead islocated at Franklin Canyon Road andAlhambra Avenue. The trail is an oldranch road that climbs steeply throughoak woodland to the top of an openridge and extends to the property’swestern boundary. The Ridge Trail seg-ment ends when it reaches privateland, but the hope is to eventuallyconnect to lands one-half mile to thewest owned by the Muir Heritage LandTrust, and then to East Bay MunicipalUtilities District lands. Near the endof the trail segment, a looping naturetrail turns off the ranch road and takesthe trail user down a ravine, throughhillsides of oak woodland, and back tothe ranch road.

This new stretch of Ridge Traillinks to an existing segment tothe north that crosses underHighway 4 and connects withthe California Riding and Hik-ing Trail, Carquinez StraitRegional Shoreline, the city ofMartinez, and the Benicia-Mar-tinez Bridge. In 2009, pedestrianswill be able to cross the newbridge, linking to the Ridge Trailin Benicia. When the bridgeopens, it will be a significant steptoward creating a 50-mile Ridge

Trail circuit around the CarquinezStrait, crossing both the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and the Al ZampaMemorial Bridge.

The 325-acre John Muir HistoricSite includes the Muir house, Mar-tinez Adobe, and the Mount Wandaproperty. This acreage was originallypart of the 2,600-acre Muir ranch,but over the years was sold off. TheNational Park Service purchased thehouses and grounds in the 1960s andthe Mount Wanda property in 1993(with assistance from the Muir Her-itage Land Trust, which spearheadeda fundraising campaign). Highway 4separates the houses from the MountWanda property.

A hike on this newly dedicatedRidge Trail is an opportunity to also

S U M M E R - F A L L 2 0 0 7

Ridge Trail Dedicated in John Muir National Historic Site

John Muir wrote, “I only went outfor a walk and finally concludedto stay out till sundown, for

going out, I found, was really goingin.” When Muir lived in Martinezfrom 1882 to 1914, he often walkedthe hills of his family’s ranch, and wasinspired by the land’s beauty. One ofhis walks was to a nearby 660-footpeak, which later was named for hiselder daughter, Wanda. Today, thepublic can also walk or ride to Mt.Wanda’s summit on a 1.25-mile trail,a recent addition to the Bay AreaRidge Trail.

Ridge Trail supporters celebratedthe dedication of this new multiusetrail segment in the John MuirNational Historic Site on April 21—John Muir’s birthday and this year’sEarth Day. Held a mile up the trail onan open meadow, the dedication wasco-hosted by the National Park Ser-vice. The superintendent of the JohnMuir National Historic Site, MarthaLee, and Ridge Trail Council Execu-tive Director Janet McBride welcomedthe dedication participants. Otherspeakers celebrated the trail opening:Kathy Hoffman, senior field represen-tative for Congressman George Miller;Paige D’Angelo, chief of staff forSupervisor Mary Piepho; JoanneDunec, president of the John MuirAssociation, and Linus Eukel, execu-tive director of the Muir HeritageLand Trust.

Ridge LinesO F T H E B A Y A R E A R I D G E T R A I L C O U N C I L

tour the grounds of the historic site,including the Muir house, and learnabout the legendary John Muir.

–Elizabeth Byers

To get to the trailhead: From Highway 4in Contra Costa County, exit at Alham-bra Avenue. Head south, then turn rightonto Franklin Canyon Road and makean immediate left into the parking lot.

Thanks to the John Muir Association andthe National Park Service for co-hostingthe dedication and to Access Adventures,East Bay Area Trails Council, JohnMuir Festival Center, Martinez OutdoorSports Society, and to our many volun-teers. Thanks also to Peets Coffee & Teafor providing beverages.

The Ridge Trail in the John Muir National Historic Site. Map by Ben Pease.

At the trail dedication, hikers take a spur off the Ridge Trail to walk to Mt. Wanda's summit. Photos byElizabeth Byers.

Volunteer ProfileEva Laevastu, a loyal friend

to the Ridge Trail, has con-tributed many hours over thepast three years. She not onlyserves on the Solano Transporta-tion Authority’s PedestrianAdvisory Committee for the BayArea Ridge Trail Council, butshe helps out in the office byupdating our member database,organizing photo files for ourwebsite, and stuffing envelopes.She serves on numerous othercounty committees: the SolanoTransportation Authority Alter-native Modes Committee,Solano County Parks and Recre-ation Commission, SolanoCounty Citizens Advisory Com-mittee for the General PlanUpdate, and the Tri-City and County Citizens Advisory Committee. Eva com-ments on her volunteer work: “After retiring, I had to decide what was importantto me and where to put my energies. The Bay Area Ridge Trail was at the top ofthe list. I fully support the idea and enjoy working with all of the dedicated staff,supporters, and volunteers to make the Ridge Trail a reality.”

2

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Dear Friends,

This edition of Ridge Lines offers a chance to highlight and reflect

upon our major accomplishments in 2006. New trails were opened,

many new miles were carefully planned, and great events celebrated

not just the trail, but the people, partners, and energizing vision that

drive us forward.

Last year will long be remembered as the year we reached the mile-

stone of 300 miles of dedicated, permanently protected trail. What a great accomplishment!

Milestones remind us of how far we’ve come—and where we want to go. Personally, 2006 will

be remembered as the year I joined the Ridge Trail Council, although I was only on board for a

scant 10 weeks at year’s end. It’s been a pleasure getting “grounded” in Ridge Trail history and

lore, and plans for the future.

The recent Mount Wanda dedication lends support to the idea that good things come in sets

of three. We celebrated not just the dedication of a mile of trail (newly open to full multiuse),

but also John Muir’s birthday and Earth Day. John Muir was a great naturalist, hiker, and

wilderness evangelist who inspired momentous change in his time, and whose words continue

to inspire. He encouraged us to “climb the mountains and get their good tidings.” Muir also

could have been scripting today’s Earth Day message when he reminded us to “tug on any-

thing at all and you’ll find it connected to everything else in the universe.”

The synergy among the birthday, Earth Day, and dedication event is striking. The Ridge Trail

beckons us to climb our Bay Area ridgelines and absorb nature’s peace and good tidings. The

Ridge Trail vision also includes a completely connected trail linking people and communities to

each other and to permanently protected open space. Cause for celebration indeed!

Happy Trails,

Janet McBride

Executive Director

COUNCIL NEWS

Our Volunteer Program Gains MomentumThanks to recent grants from the San Francisco Foundation and REI, we’re

boosting our volunteer program. In February, we hired Joel Gartland, former boardmember, as our part-time volunteer coordinator (see next news item). Joel willbuild our outreach and volunteer program and make it a sustainable and integralpart of our work. Although volunteers have always been the backbone of our orga-nization—actively planning and advocating for the Ridge Trail in theircommunities, building and maintaining trails, and leading trail outings—many ofour founding volunteers are retiring, so we are now bringing on our next genera-tion of volunteers.

We’ve organized lists of volunteers, started regular e-mail communications,offered first-aid training for leaders, increased the number of trail workdays, andcoordinated seven National Trails Day events this year. We’ve reached out to newvolunteers through Volunteer Match, Hands On Bay Area, Volunteer for Change,and other services. Events like our annual Ridge-to-Bridge and the Ridge TrailCruz bring out volunteers for a day of fun on the trail—it takes many volunteersto manage these complicated events.

Through our volunteer program, we will recruit and train new leaders for trailoutings and trail building, reach out to different user groups such as youth andurban residents, introduce people to the Ridge Trail through organized specialevents and regular outings, provide more opportunities for learning about trailbuilding and grassroots advocacy, and build strategic partnerships with other orga-nizations. We’ve started working with REI on trail workdays, and last year, morethan 150 volunteers helped us out on the trail.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Joel Gartland at 415-561-2595or volunteer@ridgetrail.org.

Joel Gartland Joins StaffWe’re pleased that Joel Gartland joined our staff as volun-teer coordinator in February 2007. A longtime Ridge Trailmember and volunteer, and a council board member forseven years—including trail committee chair for the last twoyears—he brings enthusiasm and indepth knowledge of theRidge Trail to this part-time position. A hiker and cyclist,Joel grew up just north of Boston and attended Duke Uni-versity, studying physics and computer science. He moved to

the Bay Area in 1994 and worked in the software industry before joining our staff.He’s learned his way around the Bay Area through his volunteer work with theRidge Trail Council!

Volunteers help build the Napa Solano Ridge Trail. Eva at the Lunch Canyon opening in May. Photo by DeeSwanhuyser.

Volunteers Help Plan the Trail and Staff Events

Left: Volunteer Eva Laevastu organized a meeting with volunteers and planners from Solano and Napacounties to coordinate how the group could work together to close key gaps—including trail access to thebridges, over Highway 680, and across other roadways, and connections at the Solano-Napa border.Left to right: Melanie Denninger, Coastal Conservancy; Janet McBride, Ridge Trail Council; JohnWoodbury, Napa County Regional Parks and Open Space District; Robert Guerrero and RobertMacauley, Solano Transportation Authority; Matt Walsh, Solano County Department of EnvironmentalManagement; Kathy Blume, Ridge Trail Council board member; Kathy Hoffman, representative for USCongressman George Miller; Dan Sykes, Solano County Parks; (kneeling) volunteer Eva Laevastu.Photo by Dee Swanhuyser.

Above left: Board Member Kathy Blume helps out at a refreshment stop at Ridge-to-Bridge 2007. Photo byAllison Stone.

Above right: A bike technician from the Saratoga REI store helps a ROMP (Responsible OrganizedMountain Peddlers) cyclist before the Ridge Trail Cruz ride. Photo by Karen Kidwell.

Thanks to your support, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council made important stridestoward our goal of a continuous 550-plus-mile trail. Many new people learnedabout the Ridge Trail and became involved in working toward its completion.Following are some of the highlights of 2006.

Trail DedicationsIn 2006, we celebrated a much-anticipated milestone: 300 miles of dedicatedRidge Trail for permanent enjoyment. We added nearly 16 miles to the RidgeTrail in Napa, Contra Costa, and Sonoma counties. The Crockett Hills and HoodMountain trails are on properties that just opened to the public, so not only didwe add to the Ridge Trail, but new lands were added to our Bay Area park system.

Yountville: In March, we dedicated 6.4 miles of pedestrian/bicycle lanes as aRidge Trail cross-valley route in Napa Valley. The trail parallels Solano Avenue,Washington Street, and Yountville Cross Road. The council worked with theTown of Yountville to incorporate the trail into the town pathways plan, deter-mine an alignment, and make improvements.

Crockett Hills Regional Park: The East Bay Regional Park District opened itsnew 1,300-acre park in June and the Ridge Trail Council dedicated its 300th mile.The 4.5-mile Ridge Trail segment climbs from the Crockett Ranch staging area upto open hills, which offer fantastic panoramic views. In the future, the trail willcross Highway 4 to the south and connect to the Fernandez Ranch, where a RidgeTrail segment is in the planning stages. With its Proposition 12 state park-bondfunding, administered by the Coastal Conservancy, the Ridge Trail Council pro-vided a $100,000 grant for the staging area and trail improvements.

Hood Mountain: With the expansion of the Hood Mountain Regional Park andOpen Preserve, we added five miles to the Ridge Trail in October. The SonomaCounty Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s 2003 purchase of a307-acre property adjacent to the preserve provided access from Highway 12. Toopen up the south side of Hood Mountain, Sonoma County Regional Parks—withtremendous volunteer assistance—upgraded the access road, and built a 25-carparking lot, equestrian-trailer parking, a trailhead, new multiuse trail segments,signage, drinking fountains, and restrooms. The Ridge Trail begins on the floor ofthe Sonoma Valley and climbs to the Hood Mountain Trail near the 2750' MountHood summit, offering bird’s-eye views. The Sonoma County Regional ParksDepartment, Sonoma Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, BayArea Ridge Trail Council, and Coastal Conservancy all contributed to funding theacquisition and improvements.

Trail PlanningNorth Slope, Sonoma Mountain: The Sonoma County Agricultural and OpenSpace District, working in partnership with Sonoma County Regional Parks, Cali-fornia State Parks, the Ridge Trail Council, and Landpaths, completed planningand design for a significant 4.5-mile Ridge Trail segment that links northern JackLondon State Historic Park to Sonoma Mountain Road. Although initially plan-ning to build the trail in three separate phases, with support from the CoastalConservancy, the partners will now build the trail in one phase. Regional Parksand State Parks will manage the trail.

Fernandez Ranch: Council staff collaborated with the Muir Heritage Land Trustand Restoration Design Group to develop a trail plan for this beautiful 702-acreparcel in Contra Costa County. Completed this year, the comprehensive planincludes a one-mile Ridge Trail route, as well as an additional 2.5 miles of trail.The plan calls for stream restoration, a 160-foot bridge, and a staging area. Whenbuilt, the Ridge Trail will connect to the East Bay Municipal Utility District(EBMUD) Pinole Watershed, and eventually to Crockett Hills (to the north) andthe Feeder Trail (to the south).

Pinole Watershed: EBMUD, inconsultation with the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service, adopted a habitatconservation plan (HCP) for thisproperty east of Pinole. The councilpartnered with EBMUD to establishthe best trail alignment, whileadhering to the HCP’s sensitivehabitat-protection requirements.The new Ridge Trail route willextend about 7.5 miles. Ultimately,it will connect Sobrante RidgeBotanic Park to the historic FeederTrail #1. A dedication is expectedthis year.

Vargas Plateau: We helpedfund a 2005 trail study forVargas Plateau to Garin/DryCreek and followed up byproviding support and com-ment on the 2006 East BayRegional Park DistrictVargas Plateau Land UsePlan—a blueprint for man-aging the district’s 1,030-acrelandbanked property east ofFremont. Under the plan, theland will open to the publicfor the first time, and includea new staging area and 4.5miles of new Ridge Trail.

Sanborn-Skyline County Park: With funding from the Coastal Conservancy, theSanta Clara County Department of Parks & Recreation drafted a comprehensivetrails plan for this park, which proposes major improvements and two miles ofnew Ridge Trail to add to the 4.4 miles of Ridge Trail already dedicated. We havealso been working with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to coordi-nate a Ridge Trail connection between Sanborn-Skyline and new trail alignmentopportunities through the El Sereño Open Space Preserve to the south.

La Honda Creek OpenSpace Preserve: A newmaster plan is addressingpublic access for thislarge preserve, whichcurrently receives limiteduse due to special-usepermit restrictions. Weare working to establishthe Ridge Trail alignment,identify appropriatestaging-area locations,and preserve full multi-use on the trail. TheRidge Trail route shouldadd about five miles toour network, and bringus within one-half mileof the El Corte deMadera Open SpacePreserve to the north.

B A Y A R E A R I D G E T R A I L C O U N C I L A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 0 6

a n n u a l r e p o r t 1

The Yountville dedication. Photo by Dee Swanhuyser.

Hikers climb the Ridge Trail after the Crockett Hills dedication. Photo by Elizabeth Byers.

Equestrians ride up the new Hood Mountain trail after the dedication. Photo by Elizabeth Byers.

The open grasslands of the Pinole Watershed. Photoby Janet McBride.

Hikers participate in an organized outing on Vargas Plateau.Photo by Steve Stiefvater.

La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. Photo by FrankCrossman.

Land Preservation and Public AccessOften, opening new miles of trail first requires us to obtain the right of publicaccess. We work closely with local public open-space districts and land trusts, andalso directly with willing landowners, to preserve land for future trail easements.Last year, outreach efforts continued in many areas around the Bay Area; oftenthese efforts take many years before an agreement or easement is finalized.

In 2006, the council successfully negotiated the donation of a trail easementon the Reichel property, located in Napa County’s Dry Creek Valley. This is thesecond trail easement acquisition by the Ridge Trail Council. The council alsotransferred two separate private property trail-access agreements to the MarinCounty Open Space District. Comprising .2 miles of trail, these two private-prop-erty segments are located on the 10.7-mile Ridge Trail that opened in 2005,between Loma Alta Open Space Preserve and Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

In the South Bay, the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority added a223-acre property to its holdings in the hills and canyons east of Alum Rock Park.In combination with several previously acquired properties, more than 1,100 acreshave now been protected where six miles of the Ridge Trail will be routed.

Multiuse Trail AccessOur vision is for a continuous Ridge Trail that will accommodate all major trail usergroups, including hikers, bikers, and equestrians. We work to ensure that thesegroups have access on the main alignment or, if that is not possible, on a viable

alternative. Ensuringgood multiuse access canbe challenging in areaswhere trails are narrow oruse restrictions apply.Also, some trails cur-rently being designed toserve as alternativetransportation routescan be challenging forequestrians.

In 2006, we achievedfull multiuse (new bicy-cle access) for a RidgeTrail segment in theJohn Muir NationalHistoric Site in ContraCosta County; SantaClara County Parksdrafted a new policythat allows bicycleaccess to about 20 mileswithin Sanborn-SkylinePark; and we advocatedfor multiuse access in LaHonda Creek OpenSpace Preserve, wherecurrent access isrestricted to hikers andequestrians.

Ridge Trail EventsRidge-to-Bridge: More than 145 people participated in the tenth annual Ridge-to-Bridge in April, hiking 30, 20, or 13 miles on the Ridge Trail, and ending atthe Golden Gate Bridge. This was our first Ridge-to-Bridge held without eventco-founder Barbara Weitz, who was accepting a lifetime achievement award at theCalifornia Trails and Greenways Conference. This was also the first Ridge-to-

Bridge where hikersgathered pledges toraise funds for theRidge Trail; thisresulted in an addi-tional $1,000 beingraised compared toprevious years. Manyvolunteers pitchedin—to lead hikes,transport food andwater, and work atthe rest stops.

Wine Tasting: InApril, the BenzigerFamily Winery inGlen Ellen hosted a special wine tasting for our year-end-appeal donors and othersupporters. Before the event, volunteers led a hike on the Ridge Trail in Jack Lon-don State Park.

Fernandez Ranch: The Ridge TrailCouncil participated in the Muir Her-itage Land Trust’s gathering to celebrateits acquisition of the 702-acre FernandezRanch, located just south of Highway 4and east of Pinole. The council is plan-ning a trail segment through theproperty. More than 300 joined the cel-ebration, participating in hikes andhorse-drawn carriage rides and learningabout the projects that are underway,including the Ridge Trail.

Tour de Fat: On a warm summer day, the annual Tour de Fat “Ballyhoo of Bikesand Beer” in Golden Gate Park attracted a crowd. Ridge Trail volunteers servedbeer and helped with set-up and take-down. New Belgium Brewing donated theentire proceeds of the event, $14,000, to the council and the San Francisco BikeCoalition. We raised more than twice the amount we raised in previous years.

East Bay Hills Ride: In the fall, 90 riders participated in the fifth annual eques-trian ride, which raised $10,000 for the Bay Area Ridge Trail (the event raised$5,000 and the Bay Area Barns and Trails Trust provided a generous $5,000match). Organized by the Tilden-Wildcat Horsemen’s Association and co-spon-sored by the Metropolitan Horsemen’s Association, the five-day ride covered 50miles on and connecting to the Ridge Trail.

Ridge Trail Cruz: In October, morethan 80 Ridge Trail supporters—hikers,bicyclists, and equestrians—joined usfor this event’s inaugural year. The Cruz,modeled after Ridge-to-Bridge, takesplace on the Ridge Trail in the SantaCruz Mountains—Sanborn-SkylineCounty Park, Castle Rock State Park,and Midpeninsula Regional Open SpaceDistrict preserves. This event is designedfor all trail-user groups, including chil-dren and youth. Hikers and riders raised additional funds through a “Cruzathon.”Volunteers, as well as the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, REI, andROMP (Responsible Organized Mountain Peddlers) provided invaluable assistance.

Rock-to-Rock: Over a four-day period, RidgeTrail supporters Bob Siegel and Janet Elliothiked a contiguous 65-mile section of theRidge Trail from Mussel Rock in Daly City toBig Rock in Marin County. Along the way,other friends joined the trip, and Ridge Trailstaff and board members provided support andencouragement.

Annual Lunch: One hundred RidgeTrail supporters—hikers, equestrians,and bicyclists—attended our year-endlunch and auction on October 28 at theAlpine Lodge in Mill Valley. At theevent, we honored two exceptional BayArea Ridge Trail volunteers—MarinCounty Committee Chair Barbara Weitzand Marin County Supervisor SteveKinsey. Many people participated in theevent’s morning outings. With the silentauction, we raised more than $10,000from the event.

a n n u a l r e p o r t 2

B A Y A R E A R I D G E T R A I L C O U N C I L A n n u a

Bicyclists and hikers on the Ridge Trail in Solano County’s LynchCanyon. Photo by Dee Swanhuyser.

The view from the Ridge Trail on San Geronimo Ridge in Marin County, where the council securedpublic access through two private properties. Photo by Elizabeth Byers.

Photo by Pat Koren.

Photo by Scott Hein.

Teenage hikers and board member Thomas Becknearing the end of the 23-mile hike. Photo byKaren Kidwell.

Janet Elliot and Bob Siegel at Big Rock. Photo by Pat Koren.

Left to right: Sharon McNamee, Marin CountyDepartment of Parks and Open Space; RalphMihan, Ridge Trail Council board member;Maureen Gaffney, mountain-bike-ride leader;Steve Kinsey, Marin County supervisor; RobertPiper; Bill Long, Ridge Trail Council chair.Photo by Dee Swanhuyser.

StaffingSince October, Janet McBride has served as our new executive director. Janetcame to us with years of experience working on trail and planning projects. WithJanet at the helm, we have been moving steadily toward our goal of completingthe Ridge Trail. Bern Smith joined the staff in June as our South and East Baytrail director.

Trail FundingProposition 40: With a multiyear $1.2 million planning grant from the StateCoastal Conservancy, we’ve been able to plan for new Ridge Trail segments bynegotiating with willing private landowners, preparing trail feasibility studies,designing trails, and preparing and reviewing environmental documents. Ourcurrent grant extends through March 2009. In 2006, the Prop 40 planning grantsprovided nearly 30 percent of our income and the Prop 40 trail constructiongrants provided another 9 percent.

Ridge Trail Grants: In close partner-ship with the State CoastalConservancy, we continued ourcompetitive Partner Grant Program,which provides funding to designand build the Ridge Trail. In June2006, we provided a $50,000 grantfor the Milpitas Berryessa Study AreaTrail Plan. Later in the summer, arelease of about $500,000 fromProposition 40 allowed us to issue acall for new grant applications. Wereceived nine project applicationsfrom around the region—four plan-ning projects and five constructionprojects. Council staff took the leadin reviewing, analyzing, and prioritiz-ing the proposals. We thencoordinated closely with the CoastalConservancy to bring projects forward for funding consideration, and in January, itsboard approved a $60,000 planning grant for the Milliken Trail Plan. Formal actionon the remaining funding requests will move forward in 2007.

State Park Bond and County Measures: The November election secured newfunding for parks and trails in the Bay Area. Voters approved state Proposition 84,the $5.4 billion Clean Water and Coastal Protection Bond Act. In Napa County,voters approved the formation of a Napa County Regional Parks and Open SpaceDistrict, funded by Napa County. Sonoma County voters approved the SonomaCounty Open Space, Clean Water, and Farmland Protection Measure, whichextended a quarter-cent sales tax from 2011 to 2031 to fund the work of theSonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. This newstate and local funding will help us get more miles of Ridge Trail in place.

MappingWith funding support from the State Coastal Conservancy and a long-standingpartnership with GreenInfo Network, we now have an up-to-date GIS databasesystem with mapping capability. This powerful tool allows us to accurately moni-tor and track trail planning and development, as well as create comprehensivemaps for both planning work and special projects.

Outreach We published an attractive booklet called New Trails,designed to supplement The Official Guide to the Bay AreaRidge Trail (by Jean Rusmore, published by Wilderness Press)until the release of the next edition. It features the twelvetrails dedicated since 2002, and contains detailed directionsand maps.

2006 TOTAL INCOME: $ 804,012

2006 TOTAL EXPENSES: $ 831,395

State ParkBonds29%

Membership21.3%

Administration11.5%

Fundraising11.5%

MemberServices12.7%

Foundations/Corporations

3.1%

Individuals16.5%

Events7%

Earthshare/Workplace Giving

2.5%

Interest0.1%

Net AssetsReleased

12%

Trail Construction

8.5%

Trail Planning,Coordination

and Construction49.9%

Trail Construction

Grants8.3%

Trail

Outreachand Communications

6.1%

Financial Statement

2006 TOTAL INCOME

State Park Bonds $ 232,873

Membership 171,378

Individuals 132, 765

Net Assets Released 96,704

Trail Construction Grants 68,660

Events 55,571

Foundations/Corporations 25,233

Earthshare/Workplace Giving 19,771

Interest 1,057

Total Income $ 804,012

2006 TOTAL EXPENSES

Trail Planning, Coordination, $ 415,149

and Construction

Member Services 105,617

Administration 95, 743

Fundraising 95,294

Trail Construction Grants 68,660

Trail Outreach 50,931

and Communications

Total Expenses $ 831,395

l R e p o r t 2 0 0 6

Trail Steward John Aranson reviews trail constructiondrawings with trail builder Jim Jacobsen. Photo byHolly Van Houten.

a n n u a l r e p o r t 3

The Bay Area Ridge Trail staff. Clockwise from top left: Karen Kidwell, John Aranson, MarthaBenioff, Bern Smith, Janet McBride, and Dee Swanhuyser. Not pictured: Joel Gartland.

Bruce FinchSteven FinleyMary Lou FitzpatrickPaul R. and Kathleen Fitzpatrick

Susan Flagg and CarloRocca

Robert FlanaganRobert FlintChrista FoerchtgottRobert ForrestRon FosterMolly FrakerThomas and Pamela FrameW. J. FrankJohn FrickeS. H. FriedbergJohn and Barbara Friedenbach

Robert FrieseRobert FruehsamerEd FryVincent Fuller, IIIJim GalvinAnn GanesanPeter B. and Kelly A. Garner

Toni GarrettRussell GarvinAlison GeballeMr. and Mrs. TheodoreGeballe

Gloria GeeStephen GelardiDaniel GelbaumEllen Gilkerson and LeslieLamport

Judy Gillette and John PriceSusan G. GinskyWalter H. GirdlestoneDonald GlaserLaurie GloverMark GoldbergMarilyn GoldhaberSeth GoldsmithPeter GoldsteinPamela L. GordonRobert and Helga GrabskeThorsten GraeveGilbert GrahamKim and Susan GrahamJames and Sharon GrantEdward and MadelyneGreaves

E. M. GreenawaltRobert GreeneDeon and Eldon GreshamMr. and Mrs. DonaldGrether

Wendy GrossmanJommer A. GrylerRobert and Lonnie GuinnDavid and Deanna Gustavson

Charles HaasGerhard HaasKathleen HaaseJohn and Ann HagedornMatt HahneDonna HalowRosemary Hamerton-KellySyd HammillDouglas HanfordPhilip Hanley and LindaEastman

Chris J. HannafanDavid HansenJune HarmanAlan HarperBrent and Nanette HarrisWilliam and Carol HarrisonReece K. HartKate HartleyAnn HatchMichael HeathmanCheryl HebertMonica HeidelbergLyn HejinianStephen Heller and ThereseHickey

Bonnie HermanRobert and Janet HermsenLorraine HernPanda HersheyMichael G. HerstineRobert HeyseMr. & Mrs. Arthur Hicks, IIJane HicksElla HirstRichard and Sandra Hitchcock

Linda HochDagmar HoheneckRichard HoldenRobert HoldenElizabeth HollowayFenwicke W. HolmesAlan HolroydeDavid HopkinsDennis HopkinsLawrence A. HoskenDaniel Hoth and KimRegan

Sally HoustonLaura HowardSara and Kip HowardJames J. HuangNadine A. HubbellG.B. HuberSusan Hudak and SteveTomlanovich

Elizabeth HudsonMary HuismanBill HyattAnthony IantoscaMarilee IrwinJ. A. JacksonCarol JacobsHolly JacobsJohn M. Bryan Family FundJeffrey D. JohnsonKenneth and Evelyn Johnson

Luanne JohnsonRobert E. JohnsonJean JohnstonPatricia Jordan-GrinsladeLois JosephBob KaneElizabeth KaplanMargaret KaplanLucy and Stanley KarpNancy Karp

Ron KarpelDr. and Mrs. Kenneth KaseAlan KatesPatricia KatesJim and Barbara KautzBeth KeerVannie KeightleyMichael KelleyJohn and Jennifer KellyMichael KennedyCarol KerstenRandy KeyworthJerry Cahill and KathleenKing

Robert KissickG.E. KleemanPat KochDoug and Jeanne KornsManish D. Kothari and Carmen Saura

Dawn KovellJennifer KrebsJosephine KreiderDoris KretschmerBetsy KriegMarianne KristoffersonDuane Kromm and Marilyn J.Farley

Bill KrumbeinJohn KunzRebecca KurlandSusan F. LaMarcaJohn Landis and BonnieBerch

Robert LangVictoria LangenheimBarbara Lanier and JohnWilson

Mary LanierDenny LantermanEric LarkinBruce LarsenWilliam G. Larsen, Jr.Eileen LaspaSherrill LavagninoRichard and Emmy LouLavenstein

Lynne LawPaul LawsCatherine Lee and PamelaReaves

Margaret LeeC and M LeithCarol LeonardAnthony Leuin and JeanBertrand

Roy LevinLeonard LevingMimi LevisonBrad and Regina LewisFrank LinMark and Jo LinderMelina LinderDorothy LindheimThe Rev. Eliza LinleyEd and Linda LiscomDavid LoebMari LoriaLos Viajeros Riding ClubPaul LudmerEdward and Carol LykeHelen MadsenSalem MagarianPamela MaloneyBarbara and FrancescoMancia

Timothy MannJ. C. ManningVickey and John ManningLinda and Bill ManryDavid MarisGlenn MartinsonDavid MatchettDavid and TheresaMathiasmeier

Steve MatsonPhilip and Dana MatthewsJames MayPat Potter McAndrewsDrew McCalleyMr. and Mrs. Tim McCarthyJon McCartyGregory and Karin McCluneJohn McCorduckSally McCravenWillinda and Peter McCreaMarshall McDonaldEdgar McEachronJody McGeenNancy McKownThomas McManusMarcia McNally and RandyHester

Sharon McNameeDan McNearJ. A. McQuownJudith M. MechamM. Carol Rhine-Medina andJose Medina

Shawn MehaffeyThomas T. MeinSteven R. MeyersKarri and Pete MichellCarol MillerDavid MillerThomas E. MillerWilliam MiskovetzDave Mlodzik and LynnetteOrme

David and Mary AnnMoffitt

Monterey Bay EquestriansTim MorganMary Morris and Robert Baylor

Ronald MorrisonDon and Norine MosesCarol A. MunchKoji MunemotoMaureen Anne MurphyJean MyersJohn and Barbara NagleNational Rice CompanyRosamond NaylorDouglas Nelson andMarianne Babal

J. S. NelsonAndrew L. and Aniceta S.Niven

Bruce NodaTamara D. NoremBrad and Judith O’BrienErmina O’Brien

Dr. David OakesJeffrey OdaKazuhisa OhtaKaren OkusuStephen Oliva and SarahLuis-Lopez

Susan Opp and JohnBonsignore

Erna OrdemanOrinda Garden ClubOrinda Hiking ClubG. C. OrmanKenneth OttesonThomas OwenWilliam PalleyRon ParkMichael ParkerSheri ParkerLeighton ParksKimberly ParryDonald A. PattersonTimothy PattersonJohn PaulyAnita PearsonLinda K. Persson and JamesG. Little

Julien PhillipsTeresa Picchi and Joel LinzerJudith PierceLisa PohmajevichHarvey PoppelRita PoppenkDarwin and Donna PoulosJames R. PrayWilliam PrestonLucy and Dave Proulx Don and Sandie PughDavid and Allison PuglisiSandford PurvianceCharles PurvisLeslie RallAmy RaoBert and Anne RaphaelArt and Pat RaviczChuck ReedJohn W. and Elizabeth ReedKaren B. RehderWilliam and Elizabeth Reilly Rebecca ReisWilliam and Carolyn RellerStephen RentmeestersBarbara and David RiceCraig Rice, M.D.Robert RinauroDonna RobbinsRoberta L. RobinsLeigh and Ivy RobinsonPaul RodwickMargaret RogersCarina RoqueDaniel RosenLisa RossiHenry and Beverly RowenCynthia and Allen RubyStephen and FrancineRuvolo

Marc D. RyersonStephen and Elizabeth Salveter

Joseph SaveriMs. Charlotte Schatz, RN James and Erica SchleicherDiane SchmidtW. SchneiderWalter SchnitziusPaul and Patty SchochPatricia SchonbergRichard and ThereseSchoofs

Mary SchramkeJo and Albert SchreckJean Schulz and BrookeClyde

Brian SchumacherPatricia ScofieldDonna ScottKaren and Ross ScroggsYudith SegevJohn SemionGerald and Susan ServentiHaim ShafirConnie and Kevin Shanahan

Mr. Kurt ShaverRobert and Nancy SheetsAlistair SherretClement and Shari ShuteSierra Club Bay ChapterBackpack Section

Sierra Club - Solano GroupJudy K. SimmonsMichael SimpsonRonald G. SimpsonGail Maureen SkinnerPaul and Betty SkovJanet SmallTimothy and Lucy Smallsreed

Alan and Patricia SmithBern SmithBill SmithJordan SmithMarcus SmithPatricia A. SmithRichard C. and Sandra A.Smith

Shelly Smith and NealKramer

Wesley and Jill Smith

Helen YanJeff YostDouglas and Terry YoungJohn and Edel YoungJames Yurchenco andAmy Lauterbach

Stefanie YurusJody ZaitlinDonald and Suzanne Zimmerman

Anonymous (HowardSwann and Anita Dyer)

Anonymous (Mary ElenaGoodan)

Anonymous (VirginiaHammerness)

MEMORIAL ANDHONOR GIFTS:

Sara Chenette, in honorof Jean Rusmore

Eleanor Hull, in memoryof Hal S. Decker

Jessica Lashbrook, inhonor of Anna SophiaDrumm

Sherrill Lavagnino, inhonor of Rick Rornbach

Karen Seaward, in honorof the wedding of JanaOlson and Roger Carr

Staff of the Bay AreaRidge Trail Council, inmemory of JanetMcBride’s mother

COMPANIES THATMATCH THEIREMPLOYEES’ GIFTS:

Applera TechnologiesBank of America Foundation

Chevron Corp.Gap FoundationGenentechGoogle Matching GiftsProgram

IBM International Foundation

Intuit FoundationLevi Strauss FoundationMerrill LynchPG&E Matching GiftsREISAPSun Microsystems, Inc.Tyco Matching Gifts Program

Willis Lease Finance Corporation

IN-KIND DONORS:

3Bo RestaurantAl BaumannBenziger Family WineryBuck’s RestaurantCentral MarketClif BarClub One and RobinKlaus

Dolphin ChartersAllen Fish and theGolden Gate RaptorObservatory

Fox ShoxFuzzy DudsMaureen GaffneyHildy GallagherJoel GartlandDon HerzogKaren KidwellSteve KinseyPaul KorhummelBill Long Magic TheatreJanet McBrideMidpeninsula RegionalOpen Space District

Maria MihanovichMiwok StablesMountain PlayNapa Valley Bike Tours Mary W. Novak, BethNovak Milliken andSpottswoode

Morris OlderBrian O’Neill and theGolden Gate NationalRecreation Area

Peet’s Coffee & TeaREISaitone’s Horse Trailersof Petaluma

Ryan SchroederSierra Club - Clair Tappaan Lodge

Bern SmithSandy SommerDee SwanhuyserPeter SwanhuyserBarbara WeitzWilderness PressDeborah YoungDavid Zebker

Bruce SnyderThomas SnyderCharlie SobeckMichael SogardJerome SolariMichael SosinGary SpratlingRichard StanleyMs. Jean StarkweatherDavid SteinbergNancy SteinhausWolfgang and Claire SteitzJosh SternKathleen SternMarjorie SternD. F. StevensKathy StewartClyde StitelerNathan StollSandor and Faye StrausMr. and Mrs. Robert J. Streich

Curtis StrommenKim Stryker and MarkAnderson

Michael StuberRonald StumpShelley SweetCharles Lawrence SwezeyPaul SzymanskiRowland TaborRichard and Ann A.Tavan

Roger and Sherry TaylorPerry TeaffAlan and Janie TeitelbaumDonna TendlerCarter P. ThacherJames F. ThacherJohn and Carry ThacherJohn ThieleBrian and CarolynThiessen

LakshmanThiruvenkatachari

JoAnn ThomasRichard ThomasJody ThompsonSandra TichenorDaniel TjoaJack TolvanenJodi D. TorresMarcia TorunoPeter and Sue La TourretteElizabeth TraugottFrank J. TsaiGregory and SharonTuretzky

Russ Turnbull and KathyCraig

John and Mary TurnerWilliam E. TurnerHolly Van HoutenScott Van TyleW. Bradley VestSharon VickBruce and Alie Victorine Grace VossMr. and Mrs. Glenn C.Voyles

Dr. and Mrs. John WachtelJanet and Julien WadeKen and ChristinaWaldeck

Michael and PamelaWalford

Susan WallingDavid WalshJudith WalshJimmy WangMr. David WardJohn WaterburyJeff WeaverDavid WegenkaCarl J. and Gerry I.Weinberg

Ilene WeinrebMorton WeinressGunnar WennerbergJames and JanetWenninger

Andy WerbackRobert and KarenWetherell

Juliette WheelerSiv WheelerMary Ellen White andJack Morton

Russell WiitalaWildcat Cove FoundationFred WilhelmMichel and Susan JohnsonWilley

Kraig and Susan WilliamsSam Williams and AnnAdams

Tina WilliamsAnn WilliamsonNicholas WillsonConnie WilsonMarilyn WinninghamTeri WissLynne WitheyOsa and Greg WolffDawna WolfsonWeldon and Carol WongWilma WoolMary E. WoolpertMarina Wright

B A Y A R E A R I D G E T R A I L C O U N C I L A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 0 6

SUPPORTERS OF OURWORK TO BUILD THERIDGE TRAIL:

The California CoastalConservancy, and the votersof California whose supportmakes our park-bond fund-ing possible.

Earth Share of Californiaand its members who sup-port us through theirworkshare giving programs.

$5,000 AND MORE:

Bay Area Barns and TrailsS. D. Bechtel, Jr., FoundationMark Jon BluthDinesh and Joy DesaiPatricia and Ted EliotGiant Steps FoundationLisa and Douglas GoldmanFund

New Belgium BrewingJohn S. OsterweisRecreational Equipment, Inc.Susan SpeicherAnonymous (3)

$2,500 - $4,999:

John HarringtonBill Long and Teili MaMary W. Novak, Beth NovakMilliken, and SpotteswoodeVineyard & Winery

Barbara and Leon Weitz

$1,000 - $2,499:

Phil ArnoldSteven and Beth BangertLinda BrownriggThomas CarlinoAlison ChaikenRonald and Susan CoddComcastTony Crabb and BarbaraGrasseschi

Peter Danzig and LavaThomas

Richard GaleClinton and Mary GillilandAnn GroveGarrett GruenerHover Family TrustSteven and Alison HusseyLee and Wini JebianKatz Family FoundationJoyce A. KaumeyerHollis LenderkingTom MarxLee and Linda Meier Tom and Karen MulvaneyCraig and Maja RamseyDorine Real and Lee TepperShauna Rose and RaymondSullivan

The Rosengarten-HorowitzFund

Peter RosmarinConnie and Dr. JamesShapiro

Patricia and Michael SoffelTarbell Family FoundationWilliam Laney ThorntonCharles and Andrea ThurberTilden-Wildcat Horsemen’sAssociation

TOSA FoundationTransportation Alternativesfor Marin

Fred and Barbara WinslowZae Winter Anonymous (3)

$500 - $999:

Access4BikesBruce and Martha AtwaterRobert and Jean BaerNeil and Gene BarthAl BaumannSteve and Terry BeckMartha BenioffMark BennettBicycle Trails Council ofMarin

Rachel BlattRichard C. BlumKathy BlumeDana Chaiken and SusanRoll

Elizabeth CzirakiRichard and Beth DeAtleyDavid DevineBrendan DysonJudith C. EtheridgeMark EvanoffBruce and Janet FischerNorman FritzAnnie GardinerRobert GreenVictor GrossGeorge HelderDonald and Gloria HerzogJorgen and MarionHildebrandt

Kathy HoffmanMaurice and Jan Holloway Ron HowieRod and Jonnie JacobsFred KanterKaren Kidwell and RodneyFarrow

Glenn KirbyDoris KleinPhilip LathrapDoris and Pete Lindfors Anne Giannini McWilliamsCathy Moyer and KathyConte

Paul Newhagen and AntjeMcNaughton-Newhagen

Middleton O’BrienMichael and Bonnie O’Halloran

Brian O’NeillStephanie and Roger PetersAlice PhilipsonLee Alan PochopAdda QuinnDouglas Ley and RedtreeProperties, LP

Charles W. ReeseToni Rembe and Arthur RockMary Ellen RicheyKathryn and Robert RiddellMatthew C. RogersJohn and Martha Ross Jean RusmoreR. Bruce Scarborough, M.D.Michael and Mary SchuhAndrew SesslerPaul and Kathleen Sidenblad

Robert Siegel and PatriciaKoren

Sandra G. SommerPatrick WaiteBarbara WalkerJustin Walker and BeatriceYormark

Mrs. Diane B. WilseyChuck WilsonH. James Wulfsberg

$250 - $499:

The Winifred & Harry B.Allen Foundation

Robert ArchibaldEdward ArensBarry and Jo ArikoDavid Arpi and NatalieGubb

Wilma AusternBonnie and Michael BarrBrad BaughMarian BeardSteven Berger and PaulaHughmanick

Annika BerridgeDavid L. BerryJerry and Celeste BinningsChristopher P. BoothJanet BowmanRandy J. BrabhamMark and Jenny Brandemuehl

Diane BrandtMelvin and Anna BrownRon and Joan BrownStuart H. BrownMargery BushmanElizabeth Byers and MarkCavagnero

John Caner and GeorgeBeier

Thomas J. and Judith CernyTim and Elizabeth ChoateBob ColbyBurton CorsenRobert and Juliette CowellJed and Sue CyrPat Dallam and Mike HarperKristi DavisDonna Dubinsky andLeonard Shustek

Paul and Karen EiseleHarold and Marian EllisHarry Englebright and EveSomjen

Robert EpsteinEvan Evans, IIILuke Evnin and DeannWright

James ForanCindy and George FosseliusMichael FrederichRobert FriendLisa Fuller and D. A. TenGrotenhuis

Maureen E. GaffneyHildy GallagherGarrod Farms Riding StablesDiane GibsonRonald GinderNancy GoldenEdward Goodstein andFrancesca Eastman

Mr. and Mrs. James Greene, Jr.Donald GregoryMartha GuthrieStephanie and GaryHargrave

Janet and Richard HartRoss and Karen HeitkampMichael and Juliet HelftJane Hiatt and Robert PearlDouglas HighsmithFrederick and Leelane HinesPeter HivelyRobert HoffmanPhilip and ColleenHollenbeck

Nancy HolterWilliam HudsonSheri Scott HuetteJosh and Heather HuffardDwight Jaffee and LynneHeinrich

Chris JensenPhillip and Katharine Johnson

Jan KohlmoosLynda KorsanYvonne KoshlandBarbara KosnarMarion Kramer, M.D.Lawrence KuechlerAnne K. Le BlancJan Leimert and Bob MillerThomas LipkisMaria and Helmut LippertSusie Livingstone and RussPritchett

Pamela Ann LoftusKate LorigJohn V. LowneyMartha and Hans LuemersGregory LuthLynn Mac Donald and JohnDickerson

Gordie MacDermottAndrea ManionEvan C. MarwellR. Kent Mather and MarciaPugsley

John and Nell McBethJanet McBrideJim McBrideWilliam and AnneMcDowell

Kathryn Kendrick McNeilRalph MihanJon and Janine Miller

Ross and Jess MillikanClayton MitchellGuy MorleyPaulette and Sandy MuirJudith NadaiNaomi Nakashima, M.D.Craig NeedhamMorris OlderJanet OultonWendy PageLeanne PalmerArmando and Bertha Palomar

Roberto and Dalia PerelmanRegina PhelpsRobert Piper and PatriciaBoyd

Jeff and Alison PoetschDavid PromerQuesta Engineering Corporation

R.O.M.P.R. Terrence RendlemanE. Michael Reyes, M.D.Stephen and Beth RobieAnn RosenbergBernard RossJack and Lynne RosserShuny SagaraGary and Judi SalvadoriW. Ferrell SandersRobert and Doris MaeSandie

Michael SantulloRobert SargentRobert and Caprice Scarborough

Stephen and Jeanne SchappDr. and Mrs. Philip SchildBruce SchineKevin SchoenfeldRena SchonbrunRichard and CynthiaSimons

Patricia SnowSteven SpringsteelJohn SutterDee and Peter SwanhuyserNeil and Beverley SweeneySara SyerJohn TakayamaDr. and Mrs. Gary TamkinSarah Tasker and Ken GrantDavid TaylorRichard S. Taylor and TracyGrubbs

Steve TerwilligerGary ThompsonJerry TorranceDavid Towle and LuvonneStewart

James TownsendKim VorrathDecker WalkerLi-Hsia Wang and HenryAbrons

Ron Weaver and LindaDyson-Weaver

Susan WeaverKent and Lisa WebberSharon Wheatley and DavidShapiro

James P. WigginsDock WilliamsLynne WitteRuth L. ZamistAnonymous (3)

$100 - $249:

John and Heather AbbisRick AbbottWilly and Charles AdamBeverly AdamsJan AdamsStephen AlbumDiana AldrichMichael AlexanderVicki AlexanderJeffry and Teri AllenJohn AllenRuthanne Allen-Hunt andJohn Hunt

John AmarantPeter C. AndersonRandy AndersonRick AndersonEugene and Patricia AngellMaryann and Jim AnnunziataDennis AntenoreRobert Arko and Aura Oslapas

Connie and Pat AshShelley and Dan AshJohn AshleyKaren AxelssonCathy Baird and Stan KarpJohn and Susan BairdRobert BairdMark BakerRod and Cris BakerCarolyn Sorensen BallingJulie BarneyFrank BarrettThomas R. BaruchJason and Lynn Baskett Robert and Elisabeth Bathgate

Frank S. BayleyGary and Autumn BeaRichard Beal and AndreaBiren

Steve and Jane BeckCharles and Jenny BeelerRichard BelesonClaudia A BellCort BenningfieldElaine BergerBob BermanKatherine Kay BermanWilliam BernellRobert BernerJack BertgesConnie and Frank BertoJim BestSandra and Bruce BeyaertBarbara BiebushPaul BilligDick BjorndalFranklin BlackfordLaura BlattLinda Bochte

William BoeckmannB BollingerDon BradleyMargaret Bales BradyKaren BremsDavid and Alice BrewAnn and Steve Brick Carl and Lisa BrodskyBrian BrosnahanGeoff BrosseauLisa BroughtonAlice BrownAllan BrownJudie BrownRobert BrownStephen and Ann BrownJosephine H. BrownbackKatherine BrubakerSusan and Dennis BruchEllen R. BryantCatherine BrygDavid BuchananElizabeth BuchnerMr. and Mrs. CharlesBureker

Sharon BurkeBob CantLisa CapaldiniAnne-Marie CapleLouis Caputo and RoseEufinger

Charles W. and GretchenCarlson

Paul CarmichaelAlice CaroubaBryce CarrollPatrick and Carla CarstensScott CarterKevin CastnerJoAnne CastroMark CatorJohn and Pamela CaywoodJeff ChaidezGordon B. ChamberlainKerry and Julia ChampionStephen and Peggy Chapman

Steven ChapmanAlicia ChazenAnthony and SharonChen

Sara ChenetteDr. and Mrs. David Chittenden

Gary ChockJim ChongRonald and Susan ChoyCarol Christensen, Ph.D.Anne Marie ClarkDavid ClarkStephanie ClarkJan ClaytonTim CleereSpencer ClevengerChristine CoatesTom CoatesBarbara and MortonCohen

Nancy CohenSamuel CohenKaren CollinsRichard ColtonDarius McKinney ContractorGary and Susan ConwayGary CookRobert and RenateCoombs

Jane CooperLarriane CorderRob CoulmanAgnes CoulonJon Cox and CatherineWiehe

Kenneth C. CrandallJohn and Janet CreelmanPatricia and ChristopherCross

Michael and DianeCulbert

Gail CurreySally DanielEllen DaniellChristopher DannRobert and Loni Dantzler Judy DavidsonLinda DavisBunny DawsonDaniel Dawson and JaniceFrazier

Marshall DawsonJudith Dean and BenEncisco

Paulette DeFalcoArline and Peter DehlingerDorothy DeProspero andGerald Glaser

Diablo Arabian HorseAssociation

Patricia A. DiamondJohn DiCelloJim DickersonKerry L. DickinsonJuanita DicksonBernard Dietz, D.D.S.Pete DocterBrian DoddClayton F. DrakeDaniel and Lee DrakeKatherine DuffyAlan and Mimi EdgarNancy ElliotSari EllovichThe Endurance FundLyndall ErbChristian and JacquelineErdman

Chuck EricksonConrad EssenJames and Ilsa EvansJanet EyreBob Fabry and Susan Taylor

Cheril FaganCraig FalchiRobbie and Anthony Fanning

Albert and Sheila FarisBarry FarraraCarl H. FeldmanJames and Bette FeltonAdela FeranRobert M. FerenczDouglas and Jane Ferguson

a n n u a l r e p o r t 4

T h a n k s t o a l l o u r 2 0 0 6 d o n o r s !

Make a Bequest or Estate Gift

We gratefully accept legacy gifts such as bequests,estate gifts, or IRA designations. Also, a recentchange in tax law, Section 408(d)(8) of the Inter-nal Revenue Code, allows direct transfers fromIRAs to charitable organizations for people aged70.5 or older until the end of this year. If you areinterested in making a bequest, a transfer from yourIRA, or have already named the Bay Area RidgeTrail Council in your will or trust, please contactDevelopment Director Karen Kidwell at 415-561-2595 or dd@ridgetrail.org.

S O L A N O

C O N T R A C O S TA

A L A M E D A

S A N TA C L A R A

S A N TA C R U Z

N A PA

M A R I N

S O N O M A

S A NM AT E O

PA

CI

FI

C

OC

EA

N

Pacifica

Half Moon Bay

Kenwood

Fairfield

Concord

WalnutCreek

Vacaville

HaywardLivermore

Fremont

Milpitas

Los Altos

San Jose

Los Gatos

Morgan Hill

Gilroy

Vallejo

NapaSonoma

Petaluma

Novato

Sebastopol

Santa Rosa

PinoleSan Rafael

Richmond

Sausalito

Berkeley

SanFrancisco

Oakland

San Bruno

SanMateo

Redwood City

Yountville

The proposed trail corridor represents a conceptual plan to connect the remaining parks and public open spaces within the Bay Area Ridge Trail corridor. This conceptual map conveys no rights to the public to enter private property without the owner’s permission.

0

0

5

5 10

10 MI

15 KM

CompletedRidge TrailSegments

ProposedTrail Corridor

INFORMATION KEY

N

San Franc is co Bay

1. SF WATERSHED HIKES/RIDESSPECIAL OUTINGS*San Mateo CountyTime: 10:00 AMDistance: 2 to 10 milesGuided hikes, and bike and equestrian rides, arescheduled every week in the SF-Peninsula Water-shed on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Outings requirewell-conditioned walkers, experienced mountainbikers, and accomplished equestrians with condi-tioned horses. Outings are limited to 20 people andfill up quickly.Contact: Call 650-652-3203 or sign up online atsfwater.org.

2. TOUR DE FATSan FranciscoSaturday, July 21The fifth annual Tour de Fat Ballyhoo of Bikes andBeer takes place at Speedway Meadow in GoldenGate Park. Sponsored by New Belgium Brewing,the fundraiser benefits the Bay Area Ridge TrailCouncil and the San Francisco Bike Coalition.Check our website at www.ridgetrail.org for moredetails.

3. SIX-DAY 100-MILE EAST BAY BENEFIT RIDEEast Bay Hills August 29 - September 3During Labor Day week, ride with members of theTilden-Wildcat Horsemen’s Association and theMetropolitan Horsemen’s Association in the EastBay Hills. Ride up to 100 miles, or 14 to 18 mileseach day in small groups at your own pace. The ridewill follow and/or parallel the Ridge Trail much ofthe first four days, and then proceed to Mt. Diablofor the final two days. Join in for one, more, or alldays. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided forriders and campers, and hay, carrots and water forthe horses. Fun evening entertainment, including atrip to the Chabot Space Observatory, campfires,and music is included. This ride will help raisefunds for the Bay Area Ridge Trail and for newtrails and equestrian improvements in the East Bay.The Bay Area Barns and Trails Trust will match thefirst $5,000 raised. The cost is $60/day, with a dis-count for five days at $325. This fee includescamping, food, and horse provisions. If you can’tride, join us by volunteering! Contact: Morris Older, 925-254-8943 or ebhillsride@comcast.net, or Martha Mikesell, 925-833-9279 or martha.mikesell@sbcglobal.net. Moreinformation is at www.twha.org (click on events).

4. RIDGE TRAIL CRUZSanta Clara County Saturday, September 29Join us for our second annual medium- and long-distance hike/bike/run in Santa Clara and SanMateo counties, modeled after our Ridge-to-Bridgeevent in Marin County. Hikers meet at SkylineRidge Open Space Preserve and are shuttled southto Sanborn-Skyline County Park. Mountain bikersstart at the same locations. Please contact us if youwould like to volunteer.Contact: Joel Gartland at 561-2595 orvolunteer@ridgetrail.org.

H I K E S , B I K E S , R I D E S , A N D W O R K P A R T I E S

Outings &UpkeepRidge Trail

S U M M E R - F A L L 2 0 0 7

3

1

4

2

5

3

5. ANNUAL RIDGE TRAIL LUNCHEONSanta Clara County Saturday, October 20Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PMJoin us for our annual luncheon to celebrateanother year of accomplishments and to honorJean Rusmore, author of the Official Guide to theBay Area Ridge Trail. A third edition of the guidewill be published in 2008. The lunch will also fea-ture short talks by people who have completed orare trying to complete the Ridge Trail. This yearour celebration will be held at Hidden Villa, anenvironmental education farm in Los Altos Hills.A variety of outings will be offered before lunch.Invitations will be mailed in the fall; check thewebsite for ticket purchase information starting inAugust. Contact: Karen Kidwell, Ridge Trail Council, 415-561-2595 or dd@ridgetrail.org

Donate to Our Annual AuctionThe council is planning its thirdannual auction for the October 20luncheon. Please contact Karen Kid-well at the Ridge Trail Council if youhave an item you want to contribute—outdoor-adventure items are popular!Check the website for more detailsabout the upcoming event.

Subscribe to Our E-Mail UpdatesOur newly designed monthly e-mailnewsletter is the best way to learnabout our latest outings and activities.To get on the mailing list, sign up onour website (www.ridgetrail.org) byclicking “Contact Us.” Also, checkour website frequently—new outings and trail workdays are posted on a weekly basis.

*Note: Outings listed as special outings are open to the public but the properties are only accessible during organized out-ings. These outings are special opportunities to see properties that do not have public access or have limited public access.

Ridge-to-Bridge 2007Our eleventh annual Ridge-to-Bridge, held on April 28, was a great success.One hundred fifty hikers participated, hiking 13, 20, or 30 miles. Three ofthe four shuttle buses were completely full. Hikers could start at Samuel P.Taylor State Park, Bolinas Ridge, or Pantoll, and all ended at the GoldenGate Bridge. Twenty-five people completed the 30-mile route! Many par-ticipants had sponsors and raised money for the Ridge Trail. Throughregistration fees and pledges to hikers, we raised more than $6,000 for theRidge Trail, and donated more than $1,000 of the proceeds to CaliforniaState Parks. Thanks also go to REI, Clif Bar, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Wilder-ness Press, and Pacific Gas & Electric for supporting the event.

During the event, REI volunteers staffed a booth inTennessee Valley. Photo by Janet McBride.

Early morning shadows on the Ridge-to-Bridgehike. Photo by Tia Watts.

In 2003, the Bay Area Ridge TrailCouncil and the Solano Land Trustdedicated 3.5 miles of the RidgeTrail in Lynch Canyon Open Space,located northwest of Interstate 80,between Vallejo and Fairfield. Theland trust had acquired the 1,039-acre property in 1996, but because ithad limited funding for manage-ment, public access was only allowedthrough guided tours. Today, theAzevedo family still runs cattle onthe ranch and finds that publicaccess has been compatible with itsranching operation.

On May 11 of thisyear, the Solano LandTrust and SolanoCounty celebrated thegrand opening of LynchCanyon. Under a three-year pilot plan, thecounty opened the parkto the public five days aweek, Wednesdaythrough Sunday (from8:00 AM to the posted closing time) and will hire rangers and provide trail main-tenance. It will also help pay for a volunteer and education coordinator employedby the land trust. As part of this partnership, the land trust added a county repre-sentative to its board, and that seat has been filled by Supervisor John Vasquez.

Lynch Canyon has steeply rolling hills of grassland with groves of buckeyesand oaks. The Ridge Trail climbs and descends a series of hilltops, and after tra-versing a saddle in the hills, rises to the 908-foot highpoint on the preserve’ssouthern boundary. The ridges offer sweeping panoramic views, extending fromthe Coast Range to San Francisco Bay and across the Delta to the Sierra Nevada.

R I D G E L I N E S • S U M M E R - F A L L 2 0 0 7

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

PERMIT NO. 3001

Bay Area Ridge Trail Council1007 General Kennedy Avenue, Suite 3San Francisco, California 94129

Lynch Canyon Opens to the Public

BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL COUNCIL(415) 561-2595 (PHONE)(415) 561-2599 (FAX)www.ridgetrail.org

Board ofDirectorsBill LongChairMary BurnsVice ChairMichael KelleySecretaryPhil ArnoldTreasurerThomas BeckRachel BlattKathy BlumeBarry ChristianJed CyrKristi DavisMark EvanoffMark FrederickJohn HarringtonSteve KinseyGlenn KirbyAndrea ManionRalph MihanFrank MorrisMorris OlderBrian O’NeillBrian SmithSandy SommerRay SullivanJim TownsendCarol VellutiniBarbara Weitz

StaffJanet McBrideExecutive DirectorJohn AransonTrail StewardMartha BenioffOffice ManagerJoel GartlandVolunteer CoordinatorKaren KidwellDevelopment DirectorBern SmithSouth & East Bay TrailDirectorDee SwanhuyserNorth Bay Trail Director

Ridge Lines Elizabeth ByersEditorBobbi SloanDesigner

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER.

Map by Ben Pease.

Directions to the trailhead: From I-80take the Hiddenbrooke/American Canyonexit between Vallejo and Fairfield. Turneast on McGary Road (the frontage roadon the south side of I-80) and proceed tothe I-80 underpass. Turn left at the under-pass. Proceed through the gate at the endof the cul-de-sac to the gravel parking lot.

Hikers on the recently dedicated Ridge Trail inthe John Muir National Historic Site. Photoby Elizabeth Byers.

Above photos by Dee Swanhuyser. Bottom right photo by ElizabethByers.

I N S I D E : 2 0 0 6 A n n u a l R e p o r t