This spring the Bay Area RidgeTrail Council joined with Cali-fornia State Parks and the San

Francisco Bay Trail to celebrate theopening of a new multi-use Ridge Trailsegment in the Benicia State Recre-ation Area. The two-mile trail alongthe Carquinez Strait is also the routeof the Bay Trail; it is located just eastof the Carquinez Bridge on the DillonPoint Peninsula and offers tremendousviews of the strait and the East BayHills. Although the trail opened in thespring, the formal dedication will nottake place until September 27 (seeOutings & Upkeep). Save the date!

California State Parks, which ownsand manages the recreation area, oversawthe planning, design, and construction

of the trail. The RidgeTrail Council’s NorthBay Trail DirectorDee Swanhuysernotes, “Special thanksgo to State Parks Silverado DistrictMaintenance ChiefLorrie Thomas-Dossett,who shepherded thepaperwork and jumpedover a myriad of hurdlesto get final approvalfor the project; toState Parks Mainte-nance Chief DonBeers, who designedthe trail; and to StateParks MaintenanceWorker Toni McRorie,who helped managethe trail’s construc-

tion. They dedicated a tremendousamount of time to this project.” Mostof the trail was built by the Tahoe Cal-ifornia Conservation Corps and StateParks Sierra District trail crew supervi-sors; Sierra District MaintenanceChief Karl Knapp was particularlyhelpful. Construction of the two-miletrail occurred in record time—in lessthan two months!

“There were times when wethought the project wouldn’t happen,”says Lorrie Thomas-Dossett. “We hadto be creative and determined to keepthe trail project moving forwardthrough the regulatory constraints.Because all of the funders kept theirfaith and Dee Swanhuyser stayed posi-tive, we made the project work. It is

TRAILS AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

In 1990 Congress passed theAmericans with Disabilities Act,opening a world of possibilities forpeople with disabilities. The actcreated standards for a wide vari-ety of facilities such as restrooms,parking spaces, and buildingentrances. Applying the law torecreational trails has been moredifficult, but over the years, trailconstruction experts and disabilityadvocates have worked togetherto determine how to apply stan-dards to trails. While standardshave not been set, CaliforniaState Parks has been a leader increating design guidelines thatmake trails more accessible topeople with a range of abilities.The agency’s approach has beento remove obstacles that preventpeople from using trails withoutimpacting the natural setting. Formore information on the efforts tomake recreational trails more uni-versally accessible, please visitparks.ca.gov.

While the steep slopes andrough terrain of many Ridge Trailsegments make them moderatelydifficult to use, there are severalsegments that are fully accessible.Visit the other Ridge Trail seg-ments built to meet ADAstandards, including Fort Fun-ston’s Sunset Trail, Tilden Park’sNimitz Trail from InspirationPoint, and Coyote Creek Parkwayin San Jose. The southern portionof the Fifield-Cahill Road withinthe Crystal Springs Watershed,expected to open later this year, isalso being improved by the SanFrancisco Public Utilities Com-mission so it will be fullyaccessible to people with mobilityimpairments.

-Holly Van Houten

now a beautiful trail withincredible views.”

California State Parks,which has been a leader indesigning trails and parks to accommo-date all users, built the trail toAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA) standards for people who usemobility assisted devices (canes,crutches, and wheelchairs), both man-ual and motorized. The trail is mostlyfive feet wide and has a hardenedaggregate surface that makes it easierfor people with disabilities to use thetrail. In addition, State Parks designedand installed accommodating benchesand tables, constructed educational dis-plays, removed non-native plants, andinstalled a native plant garden adjacentto the trail.

The trail could not have been builtwithout the generous support of manypartners. The following organizationscontributed funding to the $346,000project: the Trust for Public Land($186,000); the Bay Trail ($100,000);the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council($30,000); and State Parks ($30,000 inkind). The California Coastal Conser-vancy provided funding fromProposition 12 for both the Bay AreaRidge Trail and Bay Trail grants.

The seven-mile stretch of trail fromthe Carquinez Bridge to the BeniciaBridge is unique because it is a sharedtrail between the Ridge Trail and theBay Trail. Both regional trails plan toeventually cross both bridges. The newbridge being built on Interstate 80 isdesigned to accommodate both pedes-trians and bicyclists when it iscompleted. Aside from also sharing aroute across the Golden Gate Bridge,this is the only alignment in the entireBay Area shared by both regional trails.

The entire Ridge Trail segmentalong the Carquinez Strait has a lot tooffer—the city of Benicia, fantasticviews of the strait, and the naturalbeauty of the state recreation area. Ifyou live anywhere in the Bay Area, it’sdefinitely worth the visit.

-Elizabeth Byers

Directions to the trail: From I-80 take I-780 to theBenicia State Recreation Area exit. From theentrance to the recreation area, a paved roadheads west and skirts the wetlands and the westernshore of Southampton Bay. Look for the trailheadon your right as you approach Dillon Point.

Ridge LinesS U M M E R 2 0 0 3

O 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

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Benicia Trail Opens

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Project partners from the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, California State Parks, Trust for Public Land,Coastal Conservancy, Bay Trail, and California Conservation Corps meet during the trail’s construction.Top center: The Dillon Point Peninsula from across the strait, before the trail was built. Top right: Christo-pher Rojas, State Parks equipment operator from the Sierra District, builds the trail. Top photos by DeeSwanhuyser.

Map by Ben Pease.

County. For many years she served asco-chair of the county committee andhelped dedicate the trail in Ed LevinCounty Park and Joseph D. GrantCounty Park. She enjoyed working withthe council’s dedicated board and staff.

DOUG NELSON, a landscapearchitect and Marin County resident,started volunteering for the Bay AreaRidge Trail in 1987 when the NationalPark Service managed the project. Inthose early days he served on the tech-nical advisory committee, whichestablished design guidelines for thetrail and produced a sign manual.Doug even designed the Ridge Trailsigns! When the Ridge Trail incorpo-rated as a nonprofit, Doug was afounding board member. He thenserved on the gap committee (which isnow the trail committee), and willcontinue to be involved in helping tocomplete the trail.

At the Ridge Trail Council’sMarch board of directors meeting, theboard re-elected its current slate ofofficers: Bill Long, chair; Mary Burns,vice chair; John Harrington, treasurer;and Michael Kelley, secretary. Thanksto Bill, Mary, John, and Michael fortheir years of dedicated service andtheir ongoing commitment!

Camp Near the Ridge Trail! You may think of the Ridge Trail

as a daytime destination, but you’d besurprised at the number of campgroundsand trail camps in parks where theRidge Trail is located. GreenInfo Net-work and Bay Nature magazinerecently published a Bay Area mapthat highlights the Ridge Trail, as wellas campgrounds and trail camps onpublic open-space lands. More than 20campgrounds are located near theRidge Trail. Check out this new mapand plan your Ridge Trail camping

experience! To obtain the map, pickup the April-June 2003 issue of BayNature or visit GreenInfo’s web site atgreeninfo.org for ordering information.For an interactive guide to camping youcan also visit the Bay Area Open SpaceCouncil’s web site at openspacecouncil.org.This online map enables you to zoominto a subregion, which highlights nearbycampgrounds. By clicking on a camp-ground, you can obtain detailed writteninformation on the park and its campsitesand view a slide show of the park.

Ridge Trail Advocates Featured in Book

Shepherd Canyon Booksrecently announced therelease of We’re in theMountains, Not Over the

Hill: Tales and Tips from Sea-soned Women Backpackers, by RidgeTrail member Susan Alcorn. The bookis a collection of stories about womenin the prime of their lives, from 40 toover 80, who continue to challengethemselves on the trail. Ridge Trailvolunteer and hike leader Doris Kleinis featured in the book, as well as IreneCline, the oldest woman to walk theAppalachian Trail; Emma Gatewood,the first woman, at age 67, to walk thelength of the Appalachian Trail; andLaurie Foot, the first woman over 45to hike and bike the American Dis-covery Trail. For information on howto order the book visit backpack.comor call 510-339-3441. If you want toexperience Doris in action, join her onan upcoming outing on June 1 or Sep-tember 20 (see Outings & Upkeep).

Ridge Trail Council Projects Funded

In April the Coastal Conservancyapproved four Ridge Trail constructiongrants. The grants are funded byProposition 12, the state park bondthat provided $3.48 million in fundingfor Ridge Trail-related projects. TheBay Area Conservancy Program of theCoastal Conservancy administers thepark bond monies by approving andmaking grants to the council. In turn,the council makes grants to its partneragencies and organizations.

• Almaden Quicksilver Staging Areaand Trail Improvements: A $130,000 grant to the Santa ClaraCounty Parks Department will fundthe construction of a new stagingarea at Almaden Quicksilver CountyPark, as well as trail and signageimprovements. The staging area willprovide parking for 25 cars and 7horse trailers, and will haverestrooms and picnic tables. Fourmiles of Ridge Trail traverse the4,000-acre park and with theseimprovements, the trail will now beaccessible to all three trail-user groups.

• Sierra Azul Staging Area:A $60,000 grant to the MidpeninsulaRegional Open Space District willfund the construction of a new stag-ing area at Sierra Azul Open SpacePreserve located across from AlmadenQuicksilver County Park. The stagingarea will have restroom facilities andprovide parking for 14 cars. Theimprovements will include creating asafe road crossing between the twoparks. An 11-mile Ridge Trail seg-ment is planned for the 15,000-acreSierra Azul Open Space Preserve.

• Crockett Hills Staging Area: A$100,000 grant to the East BayRegional Parks District will fundconstruction of a staging area formulti-use access to the district’sC&H Sugar property in the City ofCrockett in Contra Costa County.The district will match this grantwith its own funds. The 1,300-acreoak woodland/grassland property isjust south of the Carquinez Bridgeand east of Interstate 80, and is notcurrently accessible to the public. A4.5-mile segment of the Ridge Trailwill be routed through the propertywhen the staging area and trailimprovements are completed.

• Petaluma River Trail: A $120,000grant to the City of Petaluma willfund the design and construction ofa new section of the Ridge Trailalong the Petaluma River. This isthe first phase of a multi-year projectto realign the trail route off citystreets onto the Petaluma RiverTrail. The grant funds the first seg-ment of the eventual two-mile RidgeTrail segment.

New Board Members,Board Departures

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Councilis pleased to welcome three new boardmembers: Thomas Beck, Kathy Blume,and Frank Morris.

THOMAS BECK, a native ofTexas, moved to the Bay Area fiveyears ago after spending more than tenyears working for the Union Bank ofSwitzerland in London and Zurich.Thomas joined a Peninsula Watershedhike two years ago and has been acounty committee member and hikeleader ever since. He will also chairthe council’s outreach committee.

KATHY BLUME is a lifelong hikerand lover of the outdoors, and cur-rently leads hikes on the King andSwett Ranches in Solano County thatwill soon have a segment of the RidgeTrail. Kathy retired after a 20-yearcareer in the U.S.Air Force thatincluded stints inSoutheast Asiaand Europe. Sheplays the cello,and every weekplays chambermusic with friendsand also plays inthe local community symphony. Kathyhas been active with the library foun-dation and her homeownersassociation.

FRANK MORRIS is a Bay Areanative and enjoys being involved withcommunity-oriented projects thatshare a vision of preserving open spaceand promoting natural resource con-servation. He isemployed as asenior waterresources special-ist with theSolano CountyWater Agencyand has workedon water qualityand water resource issues for over 25years. He is presently vice president ofthe Solano Land Trust’s board and hasserved as a board member of theGreen Valley Landowners Associationfor over ten years. He enjoys hiking,boating, and exploring new regionsand habitats.

The council says goodbye to threeboard members and thanks them fortheir many years of dedicated service:Mim Carlson, Judy Etheridge, andDoug Nelson.

MIM CARLSON served on theboard for seven years and during thistime was a member of the governance,strategic planning, and executive com-mittees. A hiker from Contra CostaCounty, Mim is a leadership consul-tant for nonprofits; she currentlyserves as an interim executive director.Mim led the search effort for theRidge Trail Council’s executive direc-tor in 2001 and early 2002.

JUDY ETHERIDGE is an avidequestrian who served on the RidgeTrail board since 1995. She now lives inthe East Bay but during most of herboard tenure she lived in Santa Clara

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THE VIEW FROM HERE

Dear Friends, Thank you for making last year such a special one for the

Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. On a personal level, it marked myfirst year as the new executive director, but more importantly itmarked our 15th anniversary year. This past year again provedthe rule—your ongoing generous support enables us to makegreat progress at completing the region’s premier long-distancetrail. And in completing the Ridge Trail, we also preserve, pro-

tect, and connect some very special open spaces along the way.In a year when staying close to home to enjoy one’s family and friends seemed

ever more important, thousands of Ridge Trail Council members and volunteersjoined together to make a positive difference in their communities. By constructingnew segments of trail, protecting open lands along the ridgeline for a future trail,convincing local officials that trails are indeed very important for our health, well-ness, and wellbeing, and exposing schoolchildren to a trail for the first time in theirlives, we’re leading the way toward a more connected and livable Bay Area.

I hope you will take a moment to review this annual report to see the many suc-cesses you have made possible. We could not create and protect the Bay Area RidgeTrail without you. Thanks for all your support, encouragement, and involvement.We’ll keep up the good work and be sure to stay in touch as together we preserve thebest of the Bay Area for future generations.

Happy Trails,

Holly Van HoutenExecutive Director

Big Rock Trail Opens On April 1, the Marin County Open

Space District opened the Big Rock Trail tothe public. The trail will be dedicated this fall.This new three-mile multi-use trail off Lucas Val-ley Road in San Rafael is a critical segment of theRidge Trail that climbs to Big Rock Ridge. Anunderpass is also planned for Lucas Valley Road,which will connect the Big Rock Trail with the new 2.5-mile Loma Alta Trail tothe south, dedicated in 2001. On June 21, two outings are scheduled on the trail.This is an opportunity to hear about how the project came together from twoinsiders—John Aranson, who constructed the trail for the district before comingto work for the Ridge Trail Council, and Steve Kinsey, Marin County supervisorand Ridge Trail board member (see Outings & Upkeep). Stay tuned for more infor-mation about this trail in a future issue!

Above: Trail users in Almaden QuicksilverCounty Park can learn mining history. Themine’s dust precipitators cooled the fumes andreduced the amount of ash and vapor thatescaped into the air while the ore was heated tocondense into mercury. Photo by JohnFalkowski, Santa Clara County Parks Depart-ment. Below: The C&H Sugar property willfeature a segment of the Ridge Trail and be opento the public in the near future. Photo courtesy ofthe East Bay Regional Park District.

The entrance to the new Big RockTrail. Photo by Chris Bramham,Marin County Open Space District.

NEWS

Kathy Blume

Frank Morris

Accomplishments in 2002

Thanks to your support, last yearthe Bay Area Ridge Trail Councilmade significant progress toward itsgoals of dedicating new trails, preserv-ing the ridgelines, gaining access toprivate lands, and getting people moreinvolved with the trail.

DEDICATED NEW TRAILS

Last year was an amazing year forcompleting sections of the Ridge Trail.We had five ribbon-cutting dedications,adding nearly eight miles of new trail tobring the total dedicated miles to 234.

• The 1.5 mile Boccardo Trail, east ofSan Jose, opened in May; this wasour first partnership with the SantaClara County Open Space Author-ity. The trail provides access to theauthority’s newly acquired 534-acreproperty, and extends the trail sys-tem in Alum Rock City Park up tothe ridgeline overlooking San Jose.

• The 2.2-mile Sonoma Ridge Trailopened in August and extends the trailsystem within Jack London State His-toric Park. The new trail realigned asection of old trail and added a com-pletely new section through a parcelpreviously owned by the SonomaDevelopmental Center. The trail con-struction was overseen by LandPaths, aSonoma-based nonprofit, which usedCalifornia Conservation Corps crewsand countless hours of volunteer laborto complete the project.

• The Brookside Trail opened in Octo-ber in Marin County. While only aquarter mile in length, this is a particu-larly critical trail for local equestriansto access the Mount Burdell OpenSpace Preserve from nearby stables.With this new trail segment, the RidgeTrail now continues for 10.5 milesfrom Indian Tree Open Space Preserveto the top of Mount Burdell. TheMarin County Open Space Districtmanages the trail.

• The 3.5-mile Lynch Canyon Trailopened in November on the SolanoLand Trust’s 1,039-acre LynchCanyon Open Space. The dedicationoccurred ten years after the land trustobtained an option to purchase theproperty and protect it from becom-ing a landfill.

• In June, a new 1.5-mile community-connector trail opened. The River-to-Ridge Trail that links the SanFrancisco Bay Trail to the RidgeTrail segment in Napa’s SkylineWilderness Park. Managed by theSkyline Park Citizens Association,the trail provides greater access tothe park.

HELPED PRESERVE OPEN SPACES

Securing new lands for long-termprotection is key to the eventual comple-tion of the Ridge Trail. In 2002, ourbehind-the-scenes efforts for grant fund-ing helped protect the following areas:

• California State Parks added 600acres of land to Jack London StateHistoric Park by acquiring ridgelineproperty from the Sonoma Develop-mental Center. The new SonomaRidge Trail segment is routedthrough this parcel.

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• The Midpeninsula Regional OpenSpace District acquired two privateinholdings in Sierra Azul Open SpacePreserve, which are critical to com-pleting an 11-mile section of the RidgeTrail through the preserve.

• The Santa Clara County OpenSpace Authority acquired the 62-acre Aoki property, which protects aprominent property on San Jose’seastern ridgeline between AlumRock Park and Joseph D. GrantCounty Park.

GAINED ACCESS TOPRIVATE LANDS

With some 150 miles ofprivate lands to cross, theRidge Trail Council hasfocused on reaching out tolandowners along the pro-posed route to encouragetheir participation in the trail. InMay we successfully signed ourfirst agreement with a landowner inMarin County that provides publictrail access across private lands. Wewill have a dedication ceremony laterin 2003; in the meantime, this newsection is being managed by the coun-cil’s staff and volunteers. We also laidthe groundwork for new trail access in2003 by making substantial progress inour negotiations with another half-dozen landowners.

PROMOTED TRAIL ACCESSWITHIN WATERSHED LANDS

For many years we have workedclosely with public park agencies tocomplete new trails that will form theRidge Trail. With much of that workcompleted, we have been turning ourattention to public lands that are notmanaged for public access, specificallythe various watershed lands owned byutility districts.

This year we finally convinced theSan Francisco Public Utilities Com-mission to provide ongoing public trailaccess to the Peninsula Watershedridgeline; our outreach efforts weresuccessful when commission membersunanimously voted in support of trailaccess at their December meeting.

In 2002, we also began efforts toprovide access to the Pinole Water-shed in Contra Costa County and theMilliken and Rector Reservoirs inNapa County.

ASSISTED PARTNERS WITH PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

It often takes many years to get apublic agency to agree to constructnew sections of trail; a great deal of

time is spent identifying and resolv-ing environmental issues that couldblock the new trail section. We helpedlay the groundwork for the followingtrail sections:

• Historic Feeder Trail #1: Workedwith Contra Costa County and theEast Bay Regional Park District toresolve legal access issues in thisFranklin Ridge trail.

• Coyote Lake-Bear Ranch CountyPark: Worked with the Santa ClaraCounty Parks Department to determine

how access and trail use would be incor-porated into the park’s master plan.

• Harry Dean Trail: Assisted in thepreparation of a trail master plan forthis Pacifica trail.

• Rector Ridge Trail: Surveyed theRector Reservoir property in NapaCounty for archeological and historicalresources and completed a plant surveyfor the Department of Fish and Game.

We also provided technical assis-tance throughout the region onrouting and constructing the RidgeTrail so it can provide access to allthree trail user groups.

PROVIDED FINANCIALRESOURCES TO TRAIL PARTNERS

We awarded $324,000 in grants toour public agency partners from Propo-sition 12 funds. Once we have grantedall these park bond funds in mid-2003,we will have provided nearly $2 millionto our partners, leading to the eventualcompletion of over 50 miles of dedi-cated Ridge Trail. The grant recipientsinclude the East Bay Regional Park Dis-trict, LandPaths, Marin County OpenSpace District, Midpeninsula RegionalOpen Space District, Santa ClaraCounty Open Space Authority, andSanta Clara County Parks Department.

LED COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Councilcontinues to make community mem-bers aware of the trail and educate ouryouth about the outdoors.

• We led about 80 outings that tookhundreds of people in all nine coun-

ties out on the trail. We also estab-lished a new “by-invitation” outingsprogram, which gets the public ontoprivate lands that may soon includea segment of the Ridge Trail.

• The council introduced more than500 low-income schoolchildren to theoutdoors in eight of the nine Bay Areacounties through our Ridge, Kids &Stewards Program. We provided edu-cational services to schools inCalistoga, Marin City, and theBayview and Potrero Hill neighbor-hoods of San Francisco, and partneredwith the Golden Gate NationalRecreation Area and San MateoCounty Parks Department to providekids with stewardship experiences.

• Our staff and volunteers workedclosely with Jean Rusmore and

Wilderness Press to completely updatethe Ridge Trail official guidebook,which was published last August.

• We received media coverage in theSan Francisco Chronicle, Napa ValleyRegister, San Jose Mercury News,Santa Rosa Press Democrat, MarinIndependent Journal, and on KQED-FM radio and the KRON-4 Bay AreaBackroads television show.

• We supported efforts to commemo-rate the work of former CaliforniaState Parks Director and Ridge Trailvisionary William Penn Mott, Jr. byarchiving our historical records atU.C. Berkeley’s Bancroft Library.

INCREASED OUR CAPACITY BUILDING

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Councilcrafted a three-year strategic plan andinitiated a complementary fund devel-opment plan this past year. Leadershipwas provided by our newly hired Exec-utive Director Holly Van Houten, whojoined the organization in April. Shehas over seven years experience incommunity trail planning and partner-ship development with the NationalPark Service, including several years’service on the council’s board of direc-tors in the mid 1990s.

We also added a new trail stewardstaff position to take on the responsi-bility of overseeing construction,maintenance, and management ofRidge Trail segments on private lands.John Aranson signed on in April aswell with more than 14 years of expe-rience as a park ranger with the MarinCounty Open Space District. Whileworking for the district he supervisedthe construction of many new trails,including several that now bear RidgeTrail signs!

A N N U A L R E P O R T & S T R A T E G I C P L A N

The scenic Lynch Canyon Trail opened in November.

Hikers at the Boccardo Trail dedication climbed tothe top of the ridge. Photos by Elizabeth Byers.

We celebrated the opening of the River-to-Ridge Trail last year.

A N N U A L R E P O R T &

Our Strategic Plan: 2003-2005In March, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council board of directors adopted a

three-year strategic plan. The plan came out of a multi-year planning process inwhich board members and staff asked themselves a key question: What are thebest ways to get more miles of Ridge Trail on the ground?

The results of that process identified a new era for the Ridge Trail, in whichthe council moves from more of an advocacy role—working to get agency partnersto build the trail—to a more direct role in acquiring, constructing, and managingtrail segments ourselves. A catalyst for this change was the tremendous opportu-nity presented by the $3.4 million Proposition 12 grant from the State CoastalConservancy for Ridge Trail-related projects. The change also came out of thedesire to craft new strategies and approaches that would help crack the trail’stoughest nut—creating the trail on private lands.

The strategic plan defines the next era of the Ridge Trail. As described below,the strategic plan contains new initiatives, as well as a continuation of our “breadand butter work,” specifically, completing more sections of new trail. In 2005 whenwe review how we have implemented this plan, we can determine our success bymeasuring how many miles of trail we have added to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Toadd these new miles, the strategic plan addresses how we will work with publicagency partners on public lands and with landowners on private lands. It addresseshow to get more people involved with the trail as members, volunteers, and neigh-bors, and how we will ensure the organization’s and the trail’s financial future.

THE STRATEGIC PLAN IDENTIFIES SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS:

Work with public agency partners to complete trail segmentsLeveraging the existing Proposition 12 planning, acquisition, and construction

grant, along with other public funds such as Propositions 40 and 50, we will workwith public agency partners to schedule the completion of the remaining sectionsof the trail on public lands. We will also work with non-park public agencies, suchas utility districts, to open their lands to managed public-trail use. The council willhelp create new open-space special districts in the counties of Solano and Napa,where none currently exist. And it will ensure that county, regional, and statetransportation agencies include Ridge Trail highway crossing needs in their plans.

Work with private landowners to complete trail segmentsThe council will coordinate private land acquisition priorities with public

agencies and private land trusts to create new trail corridors along the ridgeline.The council will sign trail access agreements with private landowners, constructthe trail, and begin management and maintenance of sections where there is noother willing public partner to do so. It will use these successes as models toencourage other private landowners to participate in the Ridge Trail.

Close multi-use trail gapsThe council will identify gaps within the existing dedicated route that are not

open to equestrians and/or mountain bicyclists, and work with land managers toidentify strategies, projects, and timeframes for closing those gaps.

Build community investment in the trailWe will expand the membership of the council to increase our local political

clout, expand the pool of volunteers, and raise the vital funding support needed tofulfill our mission. We will renew and expand our volunteer programs to assistwith trail construction and maintenance, and expand the general public’s aware-ness of the Ridge Trail through media, marketing, outreach, and the web.

Secure ongoing supportThe council will improve its ability to raise funds for trail construction, man-

agement, and maintenance by diversifying its funding base. It will strengthen andexpand its major donor program; expand its membership base; create strategicpartnerships with foundations and corporations; diversify the board of directors;and increase volunteer recruitment.

2003 WORK PLAN PRIORITIES

To ensure that we are making progress on our three-year objectives, the coun-cil will annually develop work plan priorities jointly between the board, countycommittees, and staff. Some of the priorities for 2003 include plans to:

• Dedicate 30 miles of new Ridge Trail segments.

• Complete contracts for Proposition 12 grants with our partners.

• Secure a grant from the Coastal Conservancy for Ridge Trail funding fromProposition 40 and 50 bond funds.

• Complete a three-year fund development plan.

• Reinvigorate our major donor program honoring William Penn Mott, Jr..

• Sign trail easements on private lands where we have verbal agreements tomove forward.

• Articulate our multi-use philosophy to trail users and develop more multi-useevents

• Create more opportunities for members to get involved with the work of thecouncil.

OUTCOMES: HOW WE WILL MEASURE SUCCESS

To measure the effectiveness of the strategic plan, the staff and board of theRidge Trail Council commit to achieving these five outcomes by the end of 2005:

• Dedicate new trail. Dedicate 300 miles of the Ridge Trail.

• Close remaining gaps. Have a plan in place that will lead to the dedication of400 miles in 2010.

• Increase members. Count 6,000 people as members and supporters of the RidgeTrail Council.

• Increase volunteers. Increase volunteers by 500 people who help plan, con-struct, and maintain Ridge Trail segments.

• Operate with financial stability. Raise funds from a diversified funding basethat support needed operating expenses.

To obtain a copy of our strategic plan, call the office at 415-561-2595 or send an e-mailto info@ridgetrail.org.

The board, staff, and county committee members gathered in February to discuss the strategic plan.Front row: Bill Long, Kathy Hoffman, Mark Evanoff, Dee Swanhuyser. 2nd row: Ruth Zamist, HollyVan Houten, Mary Lou Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Chandler, Don Herzog, Carol Kunze, Michael Kelley,David Hansen. 3rd row: Kathy Blume, Carol Vellutini, Sandy Sommer, Mary Burns, Patty Ciesla,Mary Davey, Mark Frederick, Garnetta Annable, Ray Sullivan, Bill Smith. Back row: Steve Kinsey,Camie Bontaites, John Aranson, Martha Benioff, Bob Power, Joel Gartland, Doug Kerseg, ThomasBeck, Steve Fiala, Glenn Kirby.

Top: The Ridge Trail Council strives to create amulti-use trail for hikers, equestrians, and bicy-clists. Photo by Elizabeth Byers. Bottom: We willdedicate new sections of trail this year, includingthe new Big Rock Trail in Marin County, whichwas built by the Marin County Open Space Dis-trict. Photo by Chris Bramham, Marin CountyOpen Space District.

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& S T R A T E G I C P L A N

How Many Miles to Complete the Ridge Trail?

At the board retreat in February, the board of directors gave clear direction:“Get more trail!” As we put finishing touches on the strategic plan, we set twotargets for ourselves: 300 miles of dedicated trail in 2005 and 400 miles in 2010.At 234 miles open today, both goals will be challenging, but with the support ofour members, supporters, and volunteers we’re confident we can make it.

Some of you might now be thinking: “Four hundred miles in 2010—great!That means the trail will be done in just seven years!” Well no, the trail won’t befinished by 2010; we know we’re into it for the long run and expect it will takelonger than seven years to complete because we now know the trail will be longerthan 400 miles.

While the original planned corridor penciled out at about 400 miles, last year,thanks to some very detailed analysis and mapping by volunteers Ron Brown, BenPease, our two trail directors, and volunteers at the county committee levels, webegan to realize we were looking at something more like a 550-mile primary trailsystem. This trail system recognizes the flexibility and resourcefulness of ourcounty committee volunteers in taking advantage of regional opportunities, suchas crossing both the Carquinez Bridge and the Benicia Bridge or creating a shortroute and a long route through Santa Clara County.

Our job has become more challenging because not only are we looking at atrail system, but we’re facing the hardest miles ahead by tackling private land sec-tions and needing to work more closely with public agencies to acquire new landsand eventually develop trail sections.

Although 550 miles is an even bigger challenge than the 400 we faced before,we’re helped by tremendous community support. The extension of the route inSanta Clara County was selected in large part because of the great enthusiasm andsupport of the local trail activists. In short, they saw how being part of theregional Ridge Trail system would help them complete local, close-to-home sec-tions. And the emerging importance of “community connector” trails confirmswhat we knew all along—that people want trails close to home to access thenearby ridgetops. This local support helps us build new alliances and partnershipsto complete a regional system of trails.

While we remain focused on creating the primary route of the Ridge Trail,closest to the ridgeline, we look forward to the new challenges of creating a trailsystem and to the new partnerships they bring.

-Holly Van Houten

Financial SummaryNote: These charts represent estimated figures since the 2002 audit is not complete as ofpress time. Copies of the previous year’s financial audit are available for review in theBay Area Ridge Trail Council’s office.

ALAMEDA ANDCONTRA COSTACOUNTIES

Don deFremery Steve FialaMichael KelleyGlenn KirbyJohn Mercurio Dick QuigleyJohn Rabold

MARIN COUNTY

Al Bauman Connie Berto Albert DiLimaDon Gregory Don Herzog Fred Kanter Bill Long Gerald McGowin Barbara Weitz Ruth Zamist

NAPA COUNTY

Chip Bouril Jennifer Chandler Laurie Davis Carol Kunze Nancy GarrettJo Maillard Milan Pittman Linda Reichel Ken Stanton Jessica Tuteur John Tuteur

Virginia HoltzLars LarsenKitty MonihanVinaya Natu

SOLANO COUNTY

Randy Anderson Cindy Apaka Kathy Blume Jane Bogner Donna Burla Carlo Carlucci Harry Englebright Christa Foerchtgott Hew Hesterman Kathy Hoffman Luanne Johnson Doris Klein Frank Morris Dan SmithRuss Turnbull Rollye Wiskerson

SONOMA COUNTY

Rick AbbottChris BenzigerKenton ClarkMickey CookePat Eliot Dale Godfrey David Hansen Dave Henderson Chris Jones Toni McRorie Carol Vellutini

SAN MATEOCOUNTY

Thomas BeckMel BrownPat DixonBob EmertJohn GervaisBob GreeneBob GuinnDoug KersegDick LavensteinErnst MeissnerJean RusmoreFranklin SheehanBill SmithSandy SommerRon Weaver

SAN FRANCISCOCOUNTY

Doris LindforsAndrea ManionRay Sullivan

SANTA CLARACOUNTY

Garnetta AnnablePatty CieslaKate DraydenMary Lou FitzpatrickJim ForanMark FrederickJoel GartlandKelly GibsonMatt Hahne

Volunteer Acknowledgement

We are indebted to the many volun-teers who serve on the Ridge TrailCouncil’s county committees. Thesecommittees provide the local voice formoving the trail forward. The commit-tees help to plan new routes, organizeoutings and work days, and host dedica-tion festivities. Volunteers havededicated themselves to completing thetrail and having fun in the process. Weare thankful for all your hard work! If you would like to be part of your localcounty committee, contact the Ridge Trail office and we’ll put you in touch withthe committee chair.

2002 Total Revenue: $784,479

2002 Total Expenses: $790,152

Trail Planning& Development47%

Government55%

Administrative8%

Newsletter andPublications7%

Trail Grants8%

Ridge Kids& Stewards

EnvironmentalEducation

9%

Fundraisingand Member

Services21%

Earthshare Workplace Giving4%

Year-End Appeal4%

Major Donors and Individuals

4%

Foundationsand Corporations

7%

Membership26%

A N N U A L R E P O R T & S T R A T E G I C P L A N / 3

Dedicated North Bay county committee mem-bers. Front: Carol Kunze, Napa County; CarolVellutini,Sonoma County. Back: Kathy Blume,Solano County; North Bay Trail Director DeeSwanhuyser; Jennifer Chandler, Napa County;Kathy Hoffman, Solano County.

Above: The recently dedicated River-to-Ridge Trail is a community-connector trail that is part ofthe 550-mile Ridge Trail system. Photo by Elizabeth Byers. Top right: The Ridge, Kids & Stew-ards Program teaches Marcus Foster Elementary School fourth graders about native andnon-native plants. Bottom right: Fifth graders at the Berkeley Arts Magnet School work on theRidge Trail.

A N N U A L R E P O R T & S T R A T E G I C P L A N / 4

Tim and Georgia HarrisLori HarrisonWilliam & Carol HarrisonElizabeth HarveyKevin HayashiRichard and Koren Hung HayashiKeith HaycockGeorge HeighoMaxine HeiligerPeter HeineckeKaren & Ross HeitkampStephen Heller and Therese HickeyWarren & Patricia HellmanPaul A. Hensleigh, M.D.Panda HersheyBill HeterBrian & Katrina HigginsSandra & Tom HillFrederick & Leelane HinesRichard HoldenPhilip & Colleen HollenbeckTed HolmanAlan HolroydeDavid HopkinsCay HorstmannSally HoustonRoy & Joanne Lee HowardRobert & Karen HowellHilary HubbardNadine A. HubbellOlivier HubertJ. HulbertMatthew J. HultMr. and Mrs. Ivan HumphreysAndy Huntington and Melissa SchoenBill HyattBarbara Roth ImrieMarilee IrwinCharles H. and Ellen JamesJanet JezekCarolyn JohnsonKenneth & Evelyn JohnsonPhillip & Katharine JohnsonChris JonesMelanie JonesFred KanterJeff KaplanDave & Barbara KarlinKevin and Janey KasterRobert KatzDonald & Phyllis KeeseyBill & Lisa KellyJohn & Jennifer KellyThomas KellyJohn KelsoVirginia KennedyStephen & Marcia KentDoug KersegLois Kershner and Tom ScannellB. KetronAlison KeyeRandy KeyworthCarol KingFred King and Donna TaniguchiJanet & George KingJohn KinselChris & Elsa KirkpatrickJustin KitchAnita KleinAnne KohlstaedtRonald KooDoug and Jeanne KornsBarbara KosnarManish D. Kothari and Carmen SauraMarion Kramer, M.D.David KrigelDuane Kromm and Marilyn J. FarleyLawrence KuechlerMr. and Mrs. Irwin D. KuntzJohn KunzRebecca KurlandSue La TourretteChari LakshmanEric LarkinLesley Lathrop-HannaDonald Laub, M.D.Louise LaufersweilerRichard & Emmy Lou LavensteinJoyce LawJohn Le RoyAnne K. LeBlancDiane LechnerCatherine LeeDiana L. LeeJim LeeKitt & James LeeC. & M. LeithCarol LeonardAnthony Leuin and Jean BertrandMimi LevisonBrad Lewis and Regina WrightMarshall and Elaine LimMark and Mary Jo LinderDorothy LindheimThe Rev. Eliza LinleyThomas LipkisMaria & Helmut LippertBruce A. LockeRuth LockhartPeter LoganGregory J. LongRichard LongRobert and Eliane LongMari LoriaKate LorigLos Viajeros Riding ClubHeath LukatchGregory LuthMike MahonSandy MailliardMilt Mallory and Mary ArtibeeLawrence Manhart, Sr.Andrea ManionTimothy MannSeth ManningJoseph MannionLinda and Bill ManryRobert Marcus, M.D.Susan MargolisJeffrey & Creda MarkhamRyan MarlinghausWilliam H. & Jane Ellen MarshallRandall MartinLucille D. MartineauPiero MartinucciR. Kent MatherDavid & Theresa MathiasmeierJack MathiesonJames MayRobert MaynardDavid McAdamJohn & Nell McBethGregory & Karin McCluneWilliam & Anne McDowellJody McGeenNicholas McGeganMr. and Mrs. Douglas McGregorPhilip & Mary McHaleFrances Ann McKenneyDonald J. McLeodKathryn Kendrick McNeilJohn C. McNultyJ. A. McQuownJames MeakinDennis & Cynthia MeisterLorenz MenrathCeline M. MeunierAngele MeyerJacob & Hila MichaelsenKarri & Pete MichellJon & Janine MillerLiz MillerLincoln MintzClayton MitchellMike MonroeJohn & Margaret MooneyJames MooreJoan Moretz-HombergGuy MorleyMary Morris and Robert Baylor

MEMORIAL GIFTSMichael and Anna Kelleher, in memory of Chloe Kelleher

Lynn Duggan Winter, in memory ofBessie, Esther, Salome, and Moonie

Henry J. Ralston, in memory of DianeRalston

GOVERMENT SUPPORTCalifornia Coastal Conservancy

FOUNDATION DONORSBernard Osher FoundationRichard and Rhoda Goldman FundThe PG&E Corporation Foundation

WILLIAM PENN MOTT, JR.,FOUNDERSMaureen HaywoodGreg and Susan WagemanMaja RamseyClyde StitelerStephen and Diane BienemanJoyce GoberJohn HarringtonAppraisal AssociatesMark Jon BluthTony Crabb and Barbara GrasseschiMary Davey, and all the generouspeople who contributed to her “non-event”!

Lisa & Douglas Goldman FundAmb. L. W. and Mrs. Jean LaneMelvin & Joan LaneTAUPO Community Fund of theCommunity Foundation Silicon Valley

Garnetta AnnableCynthia AnthonyLisa C. Berry and Leslie F. JohnsonRichard C. BlumAlan & Patricia BurnsThomas CarlinoMim Carlson and Robert TreppaThe John and Nancy Cassidy FamilyFoundation of the Peninsula

Community FoundationAlison ChaikenJulian CortellaRichard Delap and Dora K. ChengGordy and Linda FergusonS. Flaniken and Mark RandolphRichard GaleDonald & Gloria HerzogDawn & Christian HoghRon HowieJonnie & Rodney JacobsLee & Wini JebianGlenn KirbyDoris KleinRob KnourekDoris and Pete LindforsBill LongCorenne McKinleyAl MecklerRoss & Jess MillikanTim MullerPaul Newhagen and AntjeMcNaughton-Newhagen

Mr. and Mrs. John NicholsJohn S. OsterweisProAction FoundationRedtree PropertiesKathryn & Robert RiddellToni and Arthur RockShauna Rose & Raymond SullivanJean & Ted RusmoreThe Schwab Fund for CharitableGiving, Eric and Elaine Hahn

Andrew SesslerBrian Smith and Alison McLeanJohn SutterRon Weaver and Linda Dyson-WeaverBarbara & Leon WeitzFred WinslowCharlotte Ziems and Stewart Alsop

TRAIL PARTNERSDick AldrichSusan AnstrandSusan BarkanNeil & Gene BarthBrad BaughSteve & Terry BeckEugene Belogorsky, M.D.Beltane RanchSteven Berger and Paula HughmanickSheldon M. BerzRebecca Green and Thomas BirdsallLoren J. BohnettMark BrandemuehlJanet BrownMargaret Meier BrushMary BurnsMichael G. and Deborah ButlerElizabeth Byers and Mark CavagneroRay ChristensenBurton CorsenHal CranstonP. D. DanzigDaniel Dawson and Janice FrazierEduard De JongRichard & Beth DeatleyChristopher & Nancy DeyoDonna Dubinsky and Leonard ShustekHarry and Eve Somjen EnglebrightRobert EpsteinMark EvanoffEvan Evans, IIIColeman and Arlene FanninJames ForanRobert FriendNancy GoldenCecil Gomez Memorial FundDaniel Gordon Family FoundationDouglas GormanE. M. GreenawaltMr. and Mrs. James Greene, Jr.Ann GroveCharles HaasJeffrey HeimbuckDouglas HighsmithMaurice & Jan HollowayDaniel Hoth and Kim ReganHover Family TrustWilliam HudsonInterBillLois JosephDr. & Mrs. Kenneth KaseEric KastnerMary KelleyRob KirbyJan KohlmoosCarol KunzeDenny LantermanMr. & Mrs. Philip LathrapJan Leimert and Bob MillerSusie Livingstone and Russ PritchettLynn Mac Donald and John DickersonGordon MacDermottSalem MagarianChristine MartensAdair McClatchyAnne Giannini McWilliamsJames McWilliamsDavid MillerEd MinerRobert & Lora MoncrieffJudith NadaiJohn C. NorthwayJohn & Donna NovitskyMiddleton O’BrienBrian O’NeillClyde & Janet OstlerLeslie Ottavi

Kenneth OttesonThomas OwenWilliam Parkin and Margaret SheridanR. Terrence RendlemanJack & Margo RestrickKaren D. Roche and Malcolm L. JonesW. SandersRobert & Caprice ScarboroughKeith SchakelStephen & Jeanne SchappPatricia ScofieldPaul SidenbladFrank SilverJean SimpsonWesley & Jill SmithAbraham & Marian SofaerMichael SogardSandra G. SommerKristine Steensma, M.D.Mary Jean Stempien and JamesStricker

Angel & Priscilla StoyanofJustin TanousGary ThompsonDaniel TjoaRichard & Marge TobiasJessica TuteurJustin Walker and Beatrice YormarkVirginia & Richard WelshDock Williams

TRAIL ADVOCATESJohn & Heather AbbisWilly & Charles AdamBeverly AdamsMichael AfendakisGlenn & Janet AhlstromIngrid Akerblom, M.D.Esteban AkhlaghiRalph & Susan AlcornEsther AldayMichael AlexanderHarold AllenJeffry and Teri AllenThe Winifred & Harry B. AllenFoundation

Carol AndersonRick AndersonNick & Marcia AntonAlbert ArabiaBruce ArmstrongJohn ArnoldDavid ArpiKeith C. ArrolJames ArthurJan AskinPamela J. Asselmeier, Esq.Mary Lou AtkinsRhett AtkinsonRichard AugerLinda and Richard AverettKaren AxelssonJune A. BaileyTheresa BainRod & Cris BakerSteve BangertNancie BarkerBonnie & Michael BarrLorraine A. BarrabeeSue Bartalo and Dave FischerBruce BartlettJames & Diane BartooThomas R. BaruchMarjorie K. BaumanAl BaumannFrank S. BayleyBrian & Kathleen BeanIrwin BearJonathan A. BeckSteve & Jane BeckThomas J. BeckCharles and Jenny BeelerRichard & Ann BehrmanKaren BelliniPaula BelloniMartha BenioffDon and Deborah BennettKathleen BennettCort BenningfieldRobert and Mari BensonJonn BenzieElaine BergerRobert & Wendy BergmanBerkeley Hills RealtyErwin BerlinerBob BermanKatherine K. BermanWilliam BernellJim BestSandra & Bruce BeyaertJanet R. BeyersBicycle Trails Council of East BayBarbara BiebushKen BillheimerPaul BilligJerry and Celeste BinningsPeter and Patricia BiociniSandra BirdJohn and Diane BlackmanLaura MacKallor BlakelyTerrence BlaschkeWilliam BoeckmannDonna Bohling and Doug KalishMark BoninoJulie BonomoLiz BordowHomer BousheyCharlie BowenC.A. BowerMaureen BowmanRandy J. BrabhamMargaret Bales BradyGene and Kittie BrodskyJean BronsteinGeoff BrosseauNathan BrostromAllan BrownRobert BrownRobert V. and Patricia M. BrownRon & Joan BrownStephen & Ann BrownLinda BrownriggJohn M. Bryan Family FundCatherine BrygDavid BuchananRichard & Marsha BuchenTeresa BuckmanKimberly S. Budil and Dale SloneJoseph BurkeCasandra R. BurrMarlene BurrowPhilip & Marjorie BushThe Gerald Cahill and Kathleen KingFund of the Marin CommunityFoundation

Harvey Cain, and FamilyMarianne Locher CalhounSandy Callahan-ButinKevin CameronJohn Caner and George BeierBob CantAnne-Marie CapleLouis Caputo and Rose EufingerJohn CarberryCharles W. and Gretchen CarlsonPaul CarmichaelPatrick & Carla CarstensArt CarterG. Aasen CasellaNicolle CasermaKevin CastnerJoAnne CastroArthur CerfJonathan M. ChangAlicia ChazenLaurel Chessin

Thomas D. ChildersSam ChiouTim and Elizabeth ChoateGary ChockRonald & Susan ChoyCarol Christensen, Ph.D.Barry ChristianKristen ClarkJan ClaytonLynne ClenfieldNancy CohenSamuel CohenCommunity Foundation of Santa CruzCounty

Richard & Ruth ConleySharon ConnorAlison J. CookGlenda CookRobert CooleyKarin Corfee and Todd AukerMichael & Lois CornellJerry CottinghamRobert CowellJon Cox and Catherine WieheMary R. CoxRobert and Terri CrabbJohn CrawfordWilliam & Nancy CregerPatricia & Christopher CrossJean CrossleyGail CurreyElizabeth CzirakiEllen DaniellDaniel DaSilvaTom & Veralyn DavidsCarolyn DaviesKathleen DaviesKenneth Davis and Carole BuffumLynden DavisMark DavisChris DawsonAlan & Mary Ann De MossCarl and Barbara J. DebevecJoseph Del RiegoDiablo Hiking ClubPatricia A. DiamondJim DickersonDebbie DicksGaeir DietrichRoberta DikemanLucien A. & Catherine DiminoBruce & Joan DoddCarolyn E. Doggett and Roger SeverinLinda DomeierTracy Ann DotenPaul DotyRuss & Verna DowStephen DowlerBob DownsDaniel & Lee DrakeThomas DresnerEileen DrewPaul DubowKatherine DuffyJohn P. DunhamTom DunlapCatherine DycaicoDaniel M. Dye and Estela Alvarez-DyeCharles M. DykeAshley EasterlingSheryll EbbsPatrick EdsellPaul EisenbergPatricia & Ted EliotErnie & Nancy ElliotDiana EllisHarold and Marian EllisTracy ElmoreEunice EltonThe Endurance FundChristian & Jacqueline ErdmanCaroline EricksonRobert J. EricksonJudith C. EtheridgeJim Eyer and Michelle EllisonJanet EyreBob Fabry and Susan TaylorAlbert & Sheila FarisBarry FarraraMarcia FeinByron FeldhakeRobert & Kathy FeldmanJames & Bette FeltonSteve FialaFelix FieldsLouis FisherPaul R. and Kathleen FitzpatrickBarry FlickerChrista FoerchtgottCarleen FosterRon FosterMark & Nancy FranichMichael FrederichS.H. FriedbergJohn and Barbara FriedenbachFrederick FurtekHarvey GallaherRobert GambleDiann GarciaGarrod Farms Riding StablesRussell GarvinDavid GatelyAlison GeballeMr. & Mrs. Theodore GeballeDavid GersonLuciano GiampaLynn and James GibbonsDenise GilbertEllen Gilkerson and Leslie LamportStephen & Margaret GillJudy Gillette and John PriceClinton & Mary GillilandNoralea GipnerDonald GlaserMargaret GnamMarilyn GoldhaberSeth GoldsmithPeter GoldsteinErica & Barry GoodePamela L. GordonAndrea GoslineLorraine GraceThorsten GraeveKim & Susan GrahamEdward & Madelyne GreavesRobert GreeneAnne GregersenDonald GregoryDeon and Eldon GreshamLuther GreulichMarc GrishamWilliam GrothDaniel & Linda GuerraChristie GurneyDavid & Deanna GustavsonWilliam GuthrieLance & Katherine GyorfiGerhard HaasMary HaberCarolann HaggertyMatt HahneMarshal HainesCarl & Sarajane HakenenEarl F. HaleMichael & Katherine HallDouglas HambleyRosemary Hamerton-KellyDoug HamiltonJudith HamiltonDavid HammillDavid HamptonKevin P. Handley and Carola B. Fellenz

Zerne Haning, IIIElin HansenLaurence and Valerie HansenJared HardnerMary Jane HargroveMark & Kimberley HarmonAlan Harper

A N N U A L R E P O R T & S T R A T E G I C P L A NRonald MorrisonWilliam and Martha MosesJanice MouraDiedre MoyTimothy K. MuellerMark MummCarol A. MunchGertrude MuseyNaomi Nakashima, M.D.Vinaya NatuRosamond NaylorCraig NeedhamRichard W. NeilDavid NelsonDouglas Nelson and Marianne BabalWilliam and Joanna NelsonRichard & Gloria NewhouseWilliam & Nancy NewmeyerCarl NiehausKermit NolanPaul NormanWilliam & Dorothy NormarkBoyce & Peggy NuteErmina O’BrienNada O’NealStephanie OanaAndrew OgilvieDave OlsonRadley OlsonSusan Opp and John BonsignoreErna OrdemanOrinda Hiking ClubG. C. OrmanJohn OrmondMrs. John E. OsherNancy OswaldTerry PackKevin PadgettWendy PageArmando & Bertha PalomarDavid PankratzParadigm WineryRon Paris and ZShirley ParkSheri ParkerKay ParkinLeighton ParksGary M. ParsonsJohn ParsonsBob ParthunRoberta PaskosDonald A. PattersonJacqueline PattersonTimothy PattersonCaroline PaulMrs. Richard PayneMartine PeanAnita PearsonRoberto & Dalia PerelmanLinda K. Persson and James G. LittleKirk Pessner and Russ MillerKaren PeterosW. Robert PhillipsTeresa Picchi and Joel LinzerJudith PierceJohn Pisacane, D.M.D.Harry K. PlantCarolyn PlathDavid I. PlotnikoffLee Alan PochopJeff & Alison PoetschJames PokorskiMatt PoppeHarvey PoppelRita PoppenkDarwin & Donna PoulosDonald & Virginia PoultonKatie PovejsilRoger PowersPreserve Area Ridgelands CommitteeBarbara M. and Thomas PrestonDorothea ProctorDaren ProutyCarol ProvanDon & Sandie PughP. R. & Karen PurserSandford PurvianceCharles PurvisC. Delos PutzChris QuinnDan & Helen QuinnR.O.M.P.John RaboldRobert & Patricia RaburnGayna Radtke, EALeslie RallSatish RamakrishnanLindi RamsdenLinda RamusArt and Pat RaviczFrancisco RazoDorine Real and Lee TepperChuck ReedRonald ReichJeff & Linda ReichelAndrea & Glenn ReidGeorge J. ReitterIra RennerBarbara and David RiceCraig Rice, M.D.Neville RichMary Ellen RicheyCarol RiddellJulie RidenourRhonda RighterPam RinoLeigh & Ivy RobinsonDante RodriguezJose RodriguezPaul RodwickJames RoetheJohn RollinsJack W. RoseDaniel RosenSteven & Elizabeth RosenbergEdward RosenthalPeter RosmarinGordon RouseMichael RowbothamSuellen RowlisonPeter & Rose RoyceAlvin L. RoyseAllison SaetherShuny SagaraRichard SagebielDonna SamsonPat SandovalSanta Clara County Parks and Recreation

Martin SargentRobert SargentWesley SawyerVictoria ScharnikowDeidre ScheildlerPhilip and Shirley SchildBruce SchineJames and Erica SchleicherGeorge SchlesingerWalter SchnitziusKevin SchoenfeldRichard & Therese SchoofsCynthia SchottJo & Albert SchreckJean Schulz and Brooke ClydeMarion SchwartzJohn SemionConnie & Kevin ShanahanPatricia & Merrill ShanksSteven ShapiroRobert and Nancy SheetsChristine S. Shirley and Tony Anthony

Joan ShumateRobert & Patricia SiegelAllene & Bob SielingPatricia SilveriaDwight SimpsonMichael SimpsonAshok Singhal and Jeannette HungGail Maureen Skinner

Malcolm Slaney and Michele CovellFrancis SmallJanet SmallTimothy and Lucy SmallsreedAlan R. and Patricia SmithAnn Warren SmithBill SmithBrendan SmithDana SmithDarlene SmithJames & Peggy SmithMaureen A. SmithNikki SmithShelly Smith and Neal KramerTim S. SmithBruce SnyderMarion H. SoftkyJerome SolariKarl SorensenMichael SosebeeCarl and Leitha SpetzlerKevin StammRichard StanleyS.M. StasseitchArt and Peggy StaufferSusan StecklairRobert StephensMarjorie SternD.F. StevensKathy StewartM. J. StewartTimothy StewartTerry D. StoneRuth StotterMarshall L. StoweRonald V. StradiottoDoug StraightSandor & Faye StrausCurtis StrommenKim Stryker and Mark AndersonBarry StubbsRobert & Juliette SuhrJames SvandaDee and Peter SwanhuyserM. E. Sweeney and J. WagnitzShelley SweetCharles SwezeyBarbara TatumRichard & Ann A. TavanDavid TaylorRichard S. TaylorRoger & Sherry TaylorAlan TeitelbaumLisa Fuller and D. A. Ten GrotenhuisSteve TerwilligerCarter P. ThacherRonald TheisenJohn ThielenJeanne ThomasRichard ThomasKirk ThompsonEric TileniusC. TollafieldCarol ToppJudith Tornese and Jerry WintersJerry TorranceJodi D. TorresDavid Towle and Luvonne StewartElizabeth TraugottKaren TraversiDonald TruebloodNathan E. TruebloodAnn TrutnerRuss TurnbullAnn TurnerJohn & Mary TurnerRobert G. TurnerMichael Tyler and Amy SchustackFrank UbhausDonald and Carol Van HoutenDr. Karen Van ZinoMark VaughnSharon VickMary VinellaRandall & Suet VogelWillem and Maida VroeghDr. & Mrs. John WachtelKen & Christina WaldeckMichael & Pamela WalfordRolene WalkerTeresa WalkerJudith WalshJoanna WamplerDouglas WardThe Warwick FamilyShlomo WaserJohn G. and Marcia WaterburyJeff WeaverDiane and Robert WebberKent & Lisa WebberDavid WegenkaAndy & Sam WerbackHeidi WestmorelandRobert & Karen WetherellSharon Wheatley and David Shapiro, M.D.

Jim WhitakerTom WhitakerLeslie W. WidmannSusan & David WightJohn WileyFred WilhelmSteve WilhelmMary L. WilhelmyKraig & Suzan WilliamsT. Craig Williams and L. Eileen KellerAnn WilliamsonNicholas WillsonJoss WilsonWallace W. WilsonCharlene WiltseeTiana WimmerMike and Robin WintonTeri WissLynne WitheyLynne WitteSuzanne Wittrig and Alfonso BanuelosStanley WojcickiDawna WolfsonDouglas WongWeldon & Carol WongLinda F. WoodsRobert WoodwardWilma WoolNathaniel Wyatt and Sarah SweedlerMarilyn & Irvin YalomHelen YanLawrence and Laraine Cho YeeMr. & Mrs. Harout YenikomshianJohn William & Edel YoungFlorence YounkerApril ZacharyRuth L. ZamistJohn Zysman

IN-KIND DONORSClif BarJohn RaboldHeller, Erhman, White & McAuliffeSquire, Sanders & Company

GIFTS TO SUPPORT THE RIDGE KIDS AND STEWARDS PROGRAMThe Bernard Osher FoundationThe San Francisco FoundationThe ARK FoundationThe Elizabeth and Stephen BechtelFoundation

The Furthur FoundationGroup California Casualty, Inc.The Van Loben Sels FoundationAndrea Manion

And special thanks to EarthShare of California

Thanks to all our donors in 2002!

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Pacifica

Half Moon Bay

Kenwood

Fairfield

Concord

WalnutCreek

Vacaville

HaywardLivermore

Fremont

Milpitas

Los Altos

San Jose

Los Gatos

Morgan Hill

Gilroy

Santa Cruz

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.

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INFORMATION KEY

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Prepared by CartoGraphics, S.F. Revised 1/02 by Bobbi Sloan Design

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1. GREEN GULCH & RIDGE TRAIL HIKEMarin CountySunday, June 1Time: 9:30 AM-3:00 PMDistance: 9.5 miles; steepAdmire the gardens at the Green Gulch Farm ZenCenter near Muir Beach on our way to a strenuous(but slow) climb up to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Themorning climb will be rewarded by spring flowers andsplendid views of the ocean (if clear weather). Contact: Doris Klein, 707-643-4468 ordklein@scrserv.com.

2. TENNESSEE VALLEY WORK DAYNATIONAL TRAILS DAY Marin CountySaturday, June 7National Trails Day is a day to celebrate, build, main-tain, and recognize trails in America; typically nearlyone million people participate in 2,000 eventsnationwide. Join the Bay Area Ridge Trail Counciland the Golden Gate National Recreation Area torepair the Miwok Trail, the route of the Bay AreaRidge Trail in the Marin Headlands. We will improvethe causeway, build water bars, improve the treads,and remove dilapidated structures. Tools will be pro-vided. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and food, andwear work clothes. We’ll have refreshments and raffleprizes.Contact: Call John Aranson at 415-897-5245 toRSVP

3. MOUNTAIN BIKE BASICS Alameda CountySaturdays, June 7, July 12, August 9Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PMThe Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay teachesmountain bike classes, offered monthly. Learn to rideprepared, responsibly, and skillfully. The ride willinclude a slice of the Ridge Trail. A short, ten-milegroup ride usually follows the class. Classes are usu-ally the second Saturday of each month. Contact: To RSVP, please contact Mike Kowalewski,510-444-2453 or sothira@aol.com. For informationon the council visit www.btceb.org.

4. EQUINES ON MONTE BELLO RIDGE Santa Clara CountySunday, June 8Time: 9:30 AM-2:00 PMExplore the ridges and valleys on your horse, learnabout Mother Nature, and enjoy the views. Time andlength of ride may vary with riders and capabilities,changes in weather, or seasonal trail closures. Norental horses, stallions, riding double or ponying.Walk-trot pace; minors must wear helmet. Breast col-lars and lead lines are required. Cancels with rain onride day, or heavy rains the week prior so please leavean e-mail address and check morning of ride.Weather can be highly variable, so bring layers ofclothing, lunch, and drinking water. Contact: RSVP at 650-691-2150; limited to smallgroups.

5. MOUNT MADONNA COUNTY PARKSanta Clara CountySaturday, June 14Time: 10:00 AM-3:00 PMDistance: 7 milesPace: ModerateHike through forests of redwoods, laurels, eucalyptus,and Douglas fir, as well as beautiful meadows.Directions: The park is on Hecker Pass Road fivemiles west of Gilroy. Meet at the Sprig Lake parkingarea.Contact: Matt Hahne, 408-749-9968

6. KING/SWETT RANCHES HIKESBY-INVITATION HIKESSolano CountySaturdays, June 14 and July 5Time: 9:00 AM-1:00 PMDistance: 6 to 7 miles with less than 1000’ elevationgainPace: ModerateExplore lands that are not yet open to the public butwill soon include a segment of the Bay Area RidgeTrail. Excellent views of bay, marsh, creeks, and grass-lands abound. Each hike will go to another corner ofthe ranches. There are no trails; long pants, water,snacks, and good boots are recommended. Sponsoredby the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Solano LandTrust. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: Meet at the Park and Ride Lot at the Hid-denbrooke Parkway/American Canyon Road exit ofI-80. We will carpool to the trailhead. Contact: Call Kathy for information at 707-864-2108

7. LOMA ALTA/BIG ROCK BIKE RIDEMarin CountySaturday, June 21Time: 9:00 AM-1:00 PMDistance: 25 milesTerrain/Pace: A rigorous ride with many steepclimbs and descentsCome join John Aranson, trail steward for the BayArea Ridge Trail, on an advanced mountain bike ridethrough the newly opened sections of the Ridge Trailin Central Marin. We will climb up White’s Hill tothe Loma Alta Open Space Preserve, ride over LomaAlta to the newly opened Big Rock Ridge Trail, climbup to the top of Big Rock Ridge, and then down BigCat Fire Road to Pacheco Valley. We will return toFairfax via the Fox Lane bike trail. On Big RockRidge we’ll meet with hikers (see next outing) to hearabout how the project came together. John Aransonconstructed the trail for the district before coming towork for the Ridge Trail Council and Steve Kinsey,Marin County supervisor and Ridge Trail board mem-ber, will also join the group. Please bring plenty ofwater and food. Directions: Meet at the Fairfax Theater in down-town Fairfax at 9:00 AMContact: Call John Aranson at 415-897-5245 formore information

8. BIG ROCK HIKE

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

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Marin CountySaturday, June 21Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PMDistance: 6 milesThis is a chance to hike the trail off Lucas Valley Roadwith Supervisor Steve Kinsey. The Marin CountyOpen Space District opened the trail in April. Outingparticipants will meet up with mountain bikers (seeprevious outing) at the top of Big Rock Ridge to hearabout how the trail project came together. Contact: David Escobar, 415-499-3092.

9. HIGHWAY CLEANUPSan Mateo CountySaturdays, July 5 and September 6Time: 9:30 AM-11:30 AMJoin the San Mateo County Committee the first Sat-urday of every other month to help clean up a stretchof Highway 280 in San Mateo. Sponsored by the BayArea Ridge Trail.Contact: Franklin Sheehan, 650-341-3205

10. EQUINES AT PURISIMA CREEKSan Mateo CountySunday, July 6 Time: 8:30 AM-12:00 PMSee June 8 equestrian outing for details.

11. TOUR DE FAT: BIKE AND BEER COMMUNITY FESTIVALBerkeley, Alameda CountySaturday, July 26Time: Morning ride, 9:00-11:00 AM; Festival, 11:00 AM-6:00 PMJoin the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and the NewBelgium Brewing Company (maker of Fat Tire Ale)for the Tour de Fat, a festival that celebrates bikesand beer. This is part of a national tour for the brew-ing company that involves fun morning rides, a bikerodeo, activities for kids, and beer tasting. Volunteersfrom the Ridge Trail Council are running the beertent so we get proceeds off every glass of beer sold.Please come join us, drink up, and help support aworthy cause! And if you’d like to volunteer duringthe day, you would be very welcome!Directions: Berkeley’s Civic Center Park is located indowntown Berkeley at Center and Martin Luther KingStreets, close to parking, BART, and AC Transit. Contact: Contact Ruth at 415-454-8984 if you canvolunteer or visit www.newbelgium.com for moreinformation on the festival.

12. EVENING RIDE AT WINDY HILLSan Mateo CountySaturday, August 2Time: 4:00 PM-8:00 PMSee June 8 equestrian outing for details. Bring dinner.

13. MARTINEZ VOLKSWALK Contra Costa CountySaturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10Time: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PMDistance: 6.2 milesTerrain: Two alternate routes, one with moderatehills and one with a long, steep hill.This is the second in a series of volkswalks on differ-ent sections of the Ridge Trail. Start any timebetween 8 AM and 12 PM and walk at your own paceon a well-marked trail. Sponsored by the Vaca ValleyVolks, the Solano County affiliate of the AmericanVolkssport Association—a network of 450 clubsacross the country that hosts 3,000+ events a year.Free, unless walking for volkssport credit. A com-memorative patch with the Ridge Trail logo will beavailable for a small fee. Directions: Register at Martinez Regional ShorelinePark, Marina Vista at Ferry Street, Martinez. Contact: For more information visit VacaVolks.orgor contact Jill Simmons at 707-448-5148 orinfo@VacaVolks.org. For more information on volkss-porting, visit ava.org.

14. SANBORN-SKYLINE HIKESaturday, September 6Santa Clara CountyTime: 10:00 AM-3:00 PMDistance: 7 miles, 1500’ elevation gainHike in the deep forests of the Santa Cruz Mountainsabove Saratoga and near the proposed Ridge Trailroute.Contact: Matt Hahne, 408-749-9968 evenings

15. GREEN VALLEY FALLS HIKEBY-INVITATION OUTINGSolano CountySaturday, September 20Time: 9:00 AM-12:30 PMHike to a beautiful waterfall on City of Vallejo water-shed lands. The trail is primitive, and steep in placeswith some streams to cross.Directions: Parking is scarce. Carpool from centralVallejo at 8:15 AM; up-county folks can meet there ifthey have a full car.Contact: To reserve a space contact Doris Klein,707-643-4468 or dklein@scrserv.com

16. BENICIA TRAIL DEDICATIONSolano CountySaturday, September 27Time: 10:00 AMCheck the fall issue of Ridge Lines for details on thededication. The ceremony will be at the picnic areanear the new trail segment in the state recreationarea. After the dedication, outing leaders will leadhikes and rides on the new trail.

Note on Peninsula Watershed OutingsAs of press time, the San Francisco Public Utili-

ties Commission (PUC) has not established anopening date for the Fifield-Cahill Road in thePeninsula Watershed. In the interim, we will con-tinue our watershed outings; the next two arescheduled for June 14 and 28. Check for otherupcoming outings on our website at ridgetrail.org.

Volunteers Franklin Sheehan and Friends Take on the Interstate

For many years Franklin Sheehan has led an Adopt-a-Highway programfor the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s San Mateo County Committee. Thegroup was originally organized in 1994 by the late Jim Trumbull. A retiredSan Francisco State math professor, Franklin coordinates a dozen volunteersto clean a two-mile stretch of Interstate 280 every other month. The volun-teers include Jean Rusmore, author of the Official Guide to the Bay AreaRidge Trail. Jean remarks, “Franklin always sends out witty ‘invitations’ toget people to join in the ‘fun’ of cleaning up the highway. I chuckle everytime I read a new invitation.”

The stretch of highway that the Ridge Trail Council sponsors is justsouth of Highway 92. “You never know what you’ll find out there,” com-ments Franklin, “We once had a lucky volunteer who found a $100 bill. Wealso found a motorcycle, innumerable nuts and bolts—that make us wonderwhy we don’t find significant sections of cars and trucks on the road—andpieces of a jigsaw puzzle that I have accumulated over the past several years.When enough pieces have been collected, I plan to retire and work atputting the puzzle together.”

When not volunteering, Franklin has spent time hiking most of theRidge Trail route from San Francisco to Santa Clara County. To join in thehighway cleanup fun, call Franklin (see Outings & Upkeep for dates andcontact information).

V O L U N T E E R P R O F I L EV O L U N T E E R P R O F I L E

Left: Dianne Hunt, Julien Wade,Janet Wade, and Arnold Vold aftera successful cleanup. Photo byFranklin Sheehan. Right: CountyCommittee Member Bill Smith(right) presents a Bay Area RidgeTrail award to Franklin Sheehan.Photo by Dianne Hunt.

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2003 Trail Dedication PreviewWe anticipate that the following Ridge Trail segments will be dedicated this

year. The Benicia and Big Rock Trails have already opened, and the PeninsulaWatershed will open soon for guided tours. Stay tuned for dedication dates!

• Benicia Trail (Solano County): 2 miles, September 27 Dedication

• Peninsula Watershed (San Mateo County): 9.5 miles

• Big Rock Trail (Marin County): 3 miles

• Sierra Azul (Santa Clara County): 11 miles

• Almaden Quicksilver (Santa Clara County): 4 miles

R I D G E L I N E S • S U M M E R 2 0 0 3

Please note that occasionally we share our membership list with other worthy nonprofitorganizations. Exchanging names greatly benefits both organizations. It helps us publicizethe Ridge Trail and increase the number of people who support our organization. If youdo not want your name to be included in these exchanges, however, please call us at415-561-2595 or e-mail us at info@ridgetrail.org, and we’ll make sure your name isremoved from future exchanges.

Thanks to Clif Bar for becoming aproduct sponsor of the Bay AreaRidge Trail Council.

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

■■ new member ■■ renewal

Name

Address

City/State/Zip

County

Phone (h) (w)

Credit card number (circle one: mc/visa/amex)

expiration date

name on card

____ $15 Anniversary Cap

____ $40 Trail TrekkerRidge Lines—our newsletterInvitations to trail dedications and eventsVolunteer opportunities

____ $15 Trail Scout (students age 25 and under):All of the above

____ $55 Trail BlazerAll of the above

____ $100 Trail AdvocateAll of the above, plus:Personal invitations to specialeventsRecognition of your gift in Ridge Lines

____ $250 Trail PartnerAll of the above, plus:Official Guide to the Bay AreaRidge Trail by Jean Rusmore

____ $500 William Penn Mott Jr. Trail FounderAll of the above

Membership contributions are tax deductible less the market value of the perks.

Return your membership application and/or cap order with a check or money order to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, 1007 General Kennedy Ave., Suite 3, San Francisco CA 94129

Where have you been seen lately in your Bay Area Ridge Trail baseball cap?

Below, North Bay Trail Director Dee Swanhuyser on a typical day at work. Only$15 guarantees the ride of your life! Seeorder form on this page.

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

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

Board ofDirectorsBill LongChairMary BurnsVice ChairMichael KelleySecretaryJohn HarringtonTreasurerThomas BeckKathy BlumeMary C. DaveyMark EvanoffSteve FialaMark FrederickJoel GartlandDavid HansenDon HerzogDoug KersegSteve KinseyGlenn KirbyCarol KunzeFrank MorrisBrian O’NeillBrian SmithSandy SommerRay SullivanCarol VellutiniBarbara WeitzRuth Zamist

StaffHolly Van HoutenExecutive DirectorBob PowerSouth & East Bay Trail DirectorDee SwanhuyserNorth Bay Trail DirectorJohn AransonTrail StewardCamie BontaitesProgram CoordinatorMartha BenioffOffice Manager

Ridge Lines EditorElizabeth ByersDesignerBobbi Sloan DesignPrinterLasting Impressions

Printed on recycled paper.

The view from the Ridge Trailin the Marin Headlands. Photoby Elizabeth Byers.

Also pictured: Ridge Trail council member and volunteerJohn Tuteur (right) and his bull.

AnnualReportandStrategicPlanInside!