Sebastopol Walks — November 28 — Forestville to Sebastopol

Sebastopol Walks takes a Sonoma Transit bus to Forestville and walks back to Sebastopol on the West County Trail. This walk takes us through scenic vineyards and wetlands, through Graton for a snack, the quiet lane of Barlow Road, and finally along the bike trail before reaching Sebastopol’s downtown plaza. The 7 mile walk will take about 3 ½ hours.

Please note the earlier start time! Meet at the town plaza at 8:15 to catch the 8:25 bus. Fare is $1.80, .85 for seniors (60+). Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and bring water, sunscreen and a snack. Heavy rain cancels. After the walk some of the group may wish to have lunch at a Sebastopol restaurant.

The walks are based on the book “Sebastopol Walks”, and can be purchased on the walk, at City Hall or the Chamber of Commerce for $3.00.

Contact: Richard Nichols
707-823-4071

rnichols@sonic.net

 

Joe Rodota & West County Trails Featured

I noticed new “National Rail-Trails Network” signs on the West County Trail near Graton a couple of weeks ago (they’ve been on the Joe Rodota Trail since Jan. 2009). They finally went up apparently because Rails to Trails Conservancy’s November 2009 trail of the month is…

California’s West County and Joe Rodota Trails

The fall grape harvest may be over, and most leaves will already be scattered on the ground, but late autumn in California’s Sonoma County is hardly a time when outdoors activity freezes. Some locals might gripe about daytime temperatures that occasionally dip into the 50s, yet the countryside remains a temperate treasure for rail-trail lovers almost year-round. So squeeze a little more flavor from the season and head about an hour north of San Francisco to explore a pair of pathways in the Russian River Valley: the West County and Joe Rodota trails. [Read the full story at Rails-to-Trails]

Halloween Central — Florence Ave.

The mummy (and friend) ready for Florence Ave.

Once again, Florence Avenue in downtown Sebastopol was the place to be for trick or treating. It’s been several years since Patrick Amiot and neighbors closed the street for an official party, but the crowds were scarcely thinner, with kids from two on up (presumably most of the costumed adults were accompanying small children). The few cars that ventured down Florence were forced to travel very slowly, making their way past the haunted houses and pumpkin lights. Our favorites included a house across from Marys Lane with a fog machine, black lighted graveyard and troll under the stairs; an “evil cheese” costume worn by neighborhood boy (the cheese had apparently gone very bad); and a talking head in a pizza box that insulted everyone passing through one of the haunted houses. That house also featured a ghoul in a tree that snatched off hats and — in my case — wigs.  A grand time was had by all and the candy bag was full by the time we staggered home.

Sebastopol Walks — A Senior Walk, Oct. 31, 2009

A Senior Walk
Saturday, October 31st
9:00 am, at the Plaza, Sebastopol

It’s Halloween! Seniors and walkers of all ages will be treated to a fun-filled walk with leader, Kathleen Shaffer, a member of the Sebastopol City Council. Meet at the Downtown Plaza at 9:00am. We’ll walk at an easy pace to the Sebastopol Memorial Cemetery and visit a few of the famous, historical Sebastopol family grave sites. Then we’ll walk back to the plaza along our town’s festively decorated neighborhoods. The walk will be just over two miles. Bring water and a snack, and wear a costume if you like. All ages are welcome! For information, contact Kathleen Shaffer at 829-0669.

This is the 10th in a series of Saturday walks in and about Sebastopol, lead by volunteers from the community. Our last walk for 2009 will include a bus ride to Forestville for the 7.5-mile walk back to the Plaza on Saturday, November 28th. To receive monthly email notices and for more information on upcoming walks in 2010, send your request to rnichols@sonic.net.

Safe Routes Article in Sonoma Family Life

I was checking through old email and stumbled on a link to an article that appeared in the Sonoma Family Life Magazine recently on the May 2009 walk and ride to school promotion:

During the month of May, The Sebastopol Safe Routes to School program offered Sebastopol Union School District Students the chance to win a bike. The Frequent Rider Mile Contest encouraged kids to choose alternatives to riding in a single family car on their way to/from school each day. [read more]

Walking and Rolling…Every Day

My son has vowed to walk or ride to school every single day of the school year. He admits that it will be tough and it has already made for some hard choices about after school activities (not very many of his friends’ parents are willing or able to walk or ride). We definitely want to encourage him, but even though we both walk or ride as much as possible, we’re having to confront the challenge of every day versus almost every day…

A New Train Coming

This isn’t really new news, but noteworthy nonetheless…Track crews continue to replace old ties on the Northwestern Pacific tracks through Santa Rosa. The crews are also removing old switches and other equipment after the new ties are installed. The stack of junked ties sitting next to the tracks just south of Hwy 12 has grown to the size of several buses. I suppose the usable ties will be sold for landscaping when the work is done.  Though SMART trains won’t run on the tracks until 2014, the North Coast Rail Authority hopes to have freight trains running sooner; in fact, the first train in eight years rolled through in June — carrying the new ties. NCRW had planned to have trains in operation this month (October, 2009), special permits were needed for some of the work and they now expect service to begin in 2010.

Shifting Ramps

Some months ago, construction  began on widening and reconstruction for the Stony Point Road Phase I project,  from Hwy 12 south past Sebastopol Road. The work on the $3 million project funded by stimulus money just reached the western side of the the Joe Rodota Trail crossing recently. I hadn’t looked the plans for the improvements and although I hoped that they included changes to the Joe Rodota Trail crossing — the most dangerous intersection on my commute due to the onramp to eastbound Hwy 12 — I wasn’t holding my breath. I was immensely pleased to see a new ramp being installed that will take trail users directly across the intersection at a relocated traffic lot instead of the present awkward and dangerous dogleg crossing. This was one of the key improvements cited by many participants in the Sonoma County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan public meetings. Hooray!
November 16 update: Unfortunately, the ramps were being installed only for emergency/official vehicle access and no changes to the crossing are included in the project. For the foreseeable future, this intersection will remain one of the most dangerous on the route.

Snake stories

Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus oregnaus oreganus)

I was biking home on the Joe Rodota Trail on Sept. 25th when I spotted a small snake on the pavement near the edge of the trail. I stopped–as I always do–to encourage the snake to move out of danger since some of the cyclists go pretty quickly on this stretch. As I stretched out my foot to nudge it away, I realized it didn’t look exactly like the baby gopher snakes I sometimes see. The markings were darker and its head had a distinctive triangular shape. I snatched my foot away as it drew back, hissed and buzzed its tail; I decided to use my front wheel to do the job instead.

This was the first time I’ve ever seen a rattler close to Sebastopol in the decades I’ve wandered around the area and have heard people who know about the local fauna swear that no rattlesnakes live nearby…but there it was. I wish I’d had my camera and I’ll be more careful next time I spot a snake on the path.

Some years ago, I was taking a run through near “The Dish” at Stanford and spotted a small snake at the side of the path. Just like last week, I intended to encourage it away from danger, only to realize it was a baby rattler. It hissed and struck at the long stick I picked up and used to nudge it away. When it didn’t move, I hooked the angry snake with my stick and gently moved it into the grass a few feet off the trail. No sooner had I backed away, a red-shouldered hawk swooped down from the dead tree behind me — where it been closely observing the whole drama — grabbed the snake and flew back to the tree for its feast.

Hut to Hut in the West County

Craig Anderson, executive director of LandPaths, wants to add a new option for touring Sonoma County. Taking an inspiration from a long European tradition of comfortable trekking, he would like to see a system of walking (and biking) routes connecting inns and other lodging . A recent USA Today story described a trip along Oregon’s Rogue River and  hut to hut hiking is well established in the Northeast. Like the Rogue River trip, Craig’s model would be roughing it in style rather than Appalachian Trail style lean-tos. Trekkers on the kick-off trip will start hiking at Shell Beach on the Sonoma Coast on the first Friday in October and finish Sunday afternoon in Freestone. Along the way, they’ll stay in Duncan’s Mills and Occidental; visit the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center; feast on organic, gourmet delectables; and enjoy (optional) spa treatment at Osmosis in Freestone at the end of the walk.

We won’t be joining them this time, but I love the concept and hope many others do too — and are excited enough to sign up. I think anything we can do to promote walking and trails in Sonoma County will make this a better place to live.

Addendum, Oct. 6: The Press Democrat gave the successful outing some very good press (including many online photos). Congratulations to Craig and his crew!