Photo: Mark Maslow Big Sur Backcountry Trail Maintenance, California. Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08077A Price: $495 Deposit: $50 Capacity: 10 Leader:
The Trip The Ventana Wilderness is located in the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains along the Central Coast of California. The steep terrain rises from the ocean to more than 4,000 feet. It has tremendous wooded areas of fir and pine (the Santa Lucia fir is unique to this area), many different plant and animal communities, and a large migratory bird population. This remote wilderness has captured the hearts of visitors for generations. A hike in the Ventana Wilderness can involve traversing habitats of chaparral, coastal redwood groves, pine woodlands, and canyons of tanoaks and madrones, which descend to creeks with deep pools and waterfalls lined with maples and sycamores. The Project  Photo: Mark Maslow Working with the U.S. Forest Service, our primary focus will be the southern end of the Carmel River Trail between Church Creek Divide and Pine Valley. This is a popular trail that is suffering from erosion. As time permits, we will clear brush from the Pine Ridge and Bear Basin connector trails. We will make every effort to stick to the planned location and project. However, weather and other circumstances may force a change of plans, so you'll need to keep an open and flexible attitude. The area is prone to fires and rapid growth
of thick brush, and the Forest Service budget is severely limited, so volunteer
projects are
crucial to keeping trails open and rehabilitating overused wilderness
areas.
Meeting time and location will be provided to registered participants. Getting There The trailhead is located about 50 miles southwest from Salinas, California. If you fly, plan to arrive into San Jose, California and carpool with volunteers who are driving. The trailhead is in a remote spot and there is no shuttle or public transit available.
We plan to set up camp at Pine Valley, a large area located among mature pine and oak trees. There are many interesting destinations within day-hiking distance.All meals are provided, beginning with lunch on day one and ending with breakfast on the final day of the trip. The leaders have developed menus and meal plans that offer lots of variety, flavor, calories, and nutrition. The menu will be mainly vegetarian with plenty of protein sources. Food preferences will be accommodated as much as possible, considering the circumstances. Please inform the leader and cook of any allergies or dietary restrictions in advance. Group water will be treated in camp for camp use; personal water filters are recommended for field use. All participants will take turns working on meal prep and clean up.
The trip is appropriate for participants of all experience levels. However, you must be in good physical condition. The hike into camp from the trailhead is about five miles. Pack stock is expected to bring in tools, commissary equipment, and most food. You will carry in all of your personal gear, and you may be asked to carry an additional 5-10 pounds of food or group gear. Novice backpackers are welcome, but you must be able to carry your pack and gear on the moderately strenuous hike to the camp (and back out again at the end).
 Photo: Mark Maslow In addition to your regular backpacking gear, bring long pants and a pair of sturdy leather gloves for your work. We recommend that you plan to work in long-sleeved shirts, especially ones with snug cuffs, which will help protect you from ticks and poison oak. A well broken-in pair of leather hiking boots is also highly recommended. We will provide all the tools, food, and cooking gear, but you will need to bring your own utensils: plate, cup, spoon, knife. We will also have a full first-aid kit, but you should have your own supply of moleskin, bandages, aspirin, etc., for dealing with small, everyday aggravations. We will treat drinking water in camp, but you should be prepared to purify any water you collect during day hikes. A detailed equipment list will be provided to registered participants.
Maps: Maps of the area are published by both the Forest Service and by the local Sierra Club. For further details, plus a complete list of USGS topographic maps of the area, and books, please visit http://www.ventanawild.org/maps/maps.html Books: • Shaffer, Jeffrey P., Hiking the Big Sur Country: The Ventana Wilderness
• Henson, Paul, and Donald Usner, The Natural History of Big Sur
Conservation The Ventana Wilderness and surrounding open spaces contain unique and fragile environments in relatively close proximity to large and growing population areas. The Forest Service is currently in the process of updating its land management plan for the region. Click here to view the draft plan. The Forest Service preference is to implement Alternative 4, which emphasizes recreation. A coalition of advocacy groups favors Alternative 6, which would set primary goals of biological diversity and the health of the ecosystem. If you are interested in learning about volunteer efforts to preserve the areas within the Northern Santa Lucia range, visit the Ventana Wilderness Alliance. You can also learn about the efforts of the Sierra Club's Ventana Chapter
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Leader:
David Dalton is a Sierra Club Life Member who has made many backpacking trips into the Ventana Wilderness and Big Sur over the past 20 years. He has worked with the Ventana Wilderness Alliance on trail maintenance and support of Sierra Club trips, and has worked with the cook Charlie Reimann before. He lives in Silicon Valley California and is retired from the engineering world.
Charlie Reimann has led Sierra Club outings for more then 20 years, mostly with the Service subcommittee. He has been traveling the globe for more than 35 years, visiting five continents and dozens of countries. He has been leading trips in Costa Rica for several years and this will be his third trip to Nicaragua. He loves this part of the world and is eager to return. When he is not off on a trip, Charlie lives in Pasadena, California, and works for Caltech. General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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