Two-Heel Drive

A quick Google search yields a host of local groups leading hikes in the region. I’ve gone on hikes with these:

• Bay Area Linkup: This is where Winehiker Russ organizes all many of his hikes. There’s a monthly fee after a free trial period. Just so’s you’ll know: Linkup rules are enforced with a zeal that would give the Church Lady a screaming orgasm.
• Intrepid Northern California Hikers (INCH): Notorious for stupendously strenuous hikes. They hike hard, they hike fast — they do wait around for stragglers but if you’re slow, don’t expect anybody to hang back to keep you company. If you’re into brisk 20-milers with 4,000 feet of elevation gain, INCH is your kind of club. INCH hike write-ups are often breezy and entertaining.
• FOMFOK: Mike Wimble and his wife, Kathy, of Sunnyvale lead mostly moderate hikes around the South Bay and in the Santa Cruz mountains. I’ve hiked with them a bunch of times because a) they’re good company on the trail; and b) they hike at my pace, which could be charitably described as “comfortable.” Mike always hauls a big camera along so I know I’ll have time to stop and take pictures.
• East Bay Casual Hiking: I went on at least one outing with this group when I was just getting into hiking. It seems well-organized. Most of the hikes are closer to Contra Costa County rather than, say, Fremont or Hayward in the southern end of the East Bay.
• Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter: Steve Sergeant of The Wildebeat hangs out here and leads backpacking outings. Sierra Club folks are known for keeping a brisk pace — I once hiked with a couple of ultra-marathoners who described being passed by Sierra Club hikers during one of their races.
• NorthCA_Hiking: A Yahoo Groups club that goes on hikes and backpacking outings around Sacramento and the Sierra. Very welcoming folks who had me along for a couple overnighters last summer. You have to request to be allowed into the group — this keeps the spammers away. Several members are from the Bay Area.

More clubs who have Web sites (props to this page for assembling these):

Bay Area Jewish Singles Hiking Club
Bay Area Orienteering Club.

Berkeley Hiking Club

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association

Coastwalk

Contra Costa Hills Club

Hayward Hiking Club

Montclair Hiking Club

North Bay Christian Hikers


Orinda Hiking Club


Pacific Trail Society

San Francisco Hiking Club


Stanford Outing Club

Women’s East Bay Hiking Club

Now you can’t say you can’t find anybody to hike with.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 7:40 am and is filed under Bay Area hiking clubs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.