Nov.- Dec. 2023 Outings
Join our Meetup Group to see all our Sierra Club Outings and reserve your space! Membership is free and members are automatically notified as soon as hikes are posted. You will also be able to receive up-to-the-minute information about weather and route changes from hike leaders. Go to Meetup and search for San Luis Obispo Sierra Club Meetup Group or follow this link: San Luis Obispo Sierra Club Meetup Group (San Luis Obispo, CA) | Meetup
All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. Please bring drinking water to all outings and optionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are within area code 805 unless otherwise noted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult must accompany children under the age of 18. If you have any suggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader, call Outings Chair Lisa Ludovici at 310-864-4679, l.ludovici@outlook.com or Chuck Tribbey at 805-441-7597, cltquest@gmail.com. For information on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader. Environmentally friendly outdoor adventures farther afield are available to people of all ages and abilities, whether you’re seeking lodge-based explorations or supported treks, backpack journeys or vacations nearly anywhere in the world. Go to sierraclub.org/outings, or call 415-977-5522, or contact national.outings@sierraclub.org.
Sat. Nov. 11th, 8:00 A.M. Alan Peak (the real one!) : approximately 11 miles and 2,480 ft. of elevation gain. Strenuous but moderately paced. The trail to real Alan Peak was recently cleared. We will bypass Valencia Peak, summit Oats Peak and go on to Alan. Then return the same way, utilizing the hiker’s route. We’ll be looking for the rare Dacite Manzanita and enjoying sweeping views of the coastline along the way. Bring at least 3 liters water, lunch and snacks. Dress in layers for the weather, it can be breezy and cool at the start of the trail but warm and exposed on the interior. Lugsole boots are recommended for the gravelly trails and potential rattlesnakes in MDO. Meet at the Valencia Peak Trailhead across from the Bluff Trail. Please sign-up on Meetup. Call or text leader with questions: Lisa 310-864-4679.
Sat. Nov. 18, 9:00 A.M. Hike to Hazard Peak via the Barranca Trail. Join the leader on this moderately strenuous 9-mile hike in Montana de Oro State Park. There is about 1700 ft. of elevation gain. We will explore the back country of the park on this loop hike. There are great views of the coastline from Hazard Peak. Bring lunch, snacks, water and dress for the weather. Rain cancels. If you have doubts about the weather contact the leader. A reminder: dogs are not allowed on state park trails. Andrea 805-934-2792.
Sun. Nov. 19th, 2-3:30 P.M. Historic Walk of San Luis Obispo: Post World-War II Rebirth. Downtown stroll to learn about SLO city life from the mid forties with its pool halls and soda fountains to its transformation in the seventies. Meet at the corner of Santa Rosa and Pacific Sts. Leader: Joe Morris, 805-549-0355.
Thursday 11/23 - 8:30am - Pismo Preserve Discovery Trail. Get in a little morning exercise before settling into all the traditions of Thanksgiving. We'll do a fairly quick paced hike of Pismo Preserve "Discovery" trail. 5.2 mi. Start time 8:30 am. Meet at the picnic tables/bathrooms. If the parking lot is full you can park across the street from Ventana Grill. Well behaved dogs on leash are welcome.
Sun. Dec. 17, 5-6:30 p.m. Sierra Club Victorian Christmas Historic Walk. Guided stroll past 15 holiday-lit Victorian houses in the SLO Historic District to learn of Christmas customs, events, and locales of the 1890s. Flashlights recommended. Meet in front of St. Stephen's Church, corner of Nipomo and Pismo Sts. Leader: Joe Morris, 805-549-0355.
Sat. Dec. 23, 8:00 a.m. Semi-Annual Winter Solstice Hike on Blinn Ranch Trail. Moderate hike, approx. 9 miles and ele. gain and loss of 600 feet. Our popular semi-annual Winter Solstice Hike is BACK! We will meet in front of the Pacific Beverage Company in Santa Margarita at 8:00am (22255 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita) and drive about 30 minutes to the trailhead at the end of River Road. This is an out and back hike from the Blinn Ranch Trailhead to Sapwi campground, located on the north lake shore. We will have lunch at the lake and then return the way we came. Along the way we'll enjoy beautiful views of the lake, stately gray pines and sweeping oak woodland studded with amazing sandstone. Depending on our hiking speed, we will likely return to the cars around 3:30-4pm. Parking fees: $5 per car at the trailhead. Please sign-up on Meetup. Call or text Lisa for more info 310-864-4679.