Personal Bond
I have always found wonder, inspiration and friendship with others when out in nature. The spirit of Californians to conserve and share the experience of the state’s natural landscapes it is a big reason why I moved here and joined the Sierra Club. I was delighted and intrigued when I found a hikers hut so close by. Here was a beautiful place to backpack to and stay overnight among the oak and redwood covered hills only about an hour’s drive away. I signed up some time later, back in 2019, when I saw a request for hut maintenance volunteers in the Loma Prieta Chapter email newsletter. Maintaining the hut gets me out into nature regularly and adds purpose to the outing with some satisfying repair and maintenance work in support of the club’s mission.
Participation and Effect
A night at the hut provides people more time to experience and reflect on nature and how the hut enables that deeper sense to be shared with more people. Visitors can take pride in their contribution to the communal hut effort by leaving the hut in the same or better condition than when they arrived. Your hut experience depends directly on how the prior guests left the place. It also allows us maintenance volunteers more time to work on upkeep. A lot of work goes into providing this resource and guests play an important role.
Enduring Commitment
The hut presents a continual series of challenges. There are the usual breakdowns and refurbishments and I like to hike up with my tools in my pack for some fix it work in a beautiful setting. There also come big projects, like a deck replacement, say, and the uncommon situations like pandemics, storms and or fires that require guest communications, access and material logistics and professional help. It's refreshing to call on contractors who are more interested and helpful in the case of a volunteer Sierra Club project.
Community Building
I enjoy the teamwork and decision making with the Sierra Club team and other volunteers. The club has a great reputation and attracts good people with a can-do attitude that are a pleasure to work and socialize with. Being a hut volunteer is a great way to make a contribution that pays back with “staycations” in the beautiful parklands and open spaces right in our own backyard.
Future Outlook
I hope the hut continues for many years to provide a communal experience of nature. Beyond strengthening bonds between people it stands for a cooperative and humble, “leave no trace” mentality that is central to nature conservation. This is a common value taught in the Scouting tradition but which now sadly seems quaint and even derided in our hyper consumerist, self-centered culture.
The next bigger projects to come due in the next year or two for hut maintenance include re-staining the siding, refinishing the front deck table and benches, front deck repair, sealing the roof tiles.
Togetherness and Legacy
I have to thank Ollie Mayer for the vision and commitment to making the hut a reality. The Hiker’s Hut promotes connection between the volunteers and visitors who are willing to hike to a more remote area of the park. It is an unobtrusive, rustic styled cabin that fits in the setting well. It’s a way for people to meet and do some light work together, and to linger and share in the fullness of nature. I think this kind of enhanced, shared experience deepens our knowledge and respect for nature.