Mt. Diablo Mitchell Canyon Felix Smith Memorial Table Dedication, and Eagle Peak Loop

Mt. Diablo Mitchell Canyon Felix Smith Memorial Table Dedication, and Eagle Peak Loop

Leaders: Jerry Geffner and Ken Robin

Leader Emails: piscestail@sbcglobal.net;  k.robin@sbcglobal.net

Leader Phones: 510-653-3137; 510-926-9220

Meeting Date and Day: Sunday, November 22, 2020

Rating: Level-2 and Level-4 for Eagle Peak Loop

Mileage: 3.6 miles and 7.8 miles for Eagle Peak Loop

Elevation Gain: 200 feet and 2500 feet for Eagle Peak Loop

Description: Celebrate the dedication of Felix Smith’s memorial table in Mt. Diablo State Park. Felix was an early president of the San Francisco Hiking Club, and an enthusiastic hiker and hike leader in the Bay Area for decades. He hosted several club events at his home in the Castro. Felix was a research physicist at Stanford and continued to write and publish well into his 90s.  Jerry will lead the first hike option, relatively easy, on a 1.8 mile hike to the site of the memorial table. We will follow Mitchell Canyon trail, a gradual uphill fire road along beautiful Mitchell Creek.  At the memorial table we’ll have the dedication ceremony, and then lunch together. Those preferring the easier hike will return back to the trail head, for a total of 3.6 miles.  For those preferring a more rigorous hiking experience, Ken will lead the group continuing up Mitchell Canyon trail for a loop up to Eagle Peak, totaling 7.8 miles, and a 2500 elevation gain. Past the memorial table, the trail becomes steeper for the next few miles, so it’s quite a slog, on a fire road yet! But there are rewards. As we rise out of the canyon, views open up in many directions, including the Mt. Diablo summit and Eagle Peak. At Eagle Peak trail, the trail becomes single track, with spectacular views.  In places the trail is narrow and on the edge of some  drop-offs. From Eagle Peak (over 2300 feet elevation) you can see the Sierra Mountains, Mt. Tam, and mountains north of Napa. Parts of the descent are narrow and steep, so hiking poles are very useful. We progress from chaparral to grassland to forest.

Bring/Wear: Water, lunch, Sunscreen, layers for a Spring Hike. If going on the Eagle Peak loop, hiking poles would be useful.  And a MASK!

Rain Policy: Canceled in the event of rain.

Meeting Place: Mitchell Canyon Trailhead.  There is a $6 parking fee, cash or check only.  Cross the Bay Bridge and follow the signs to I-580. From I-580 in Alameda County exit #19b onto CA 24. Drive east about 12 miles on CA 24 to the I- 680 split, then exit #46b onto Ygnacio Valley Road. Travel east on Ygnacio Valley Road about 8 miles, and turn right onto Clayton Road. Drive south about 1 mile, then turn right onto Mitchell Canyon Road. Continue to the trailhead at the end of the road, about 1.5 miles.
Google Maps link

Meeting Time: 10:15 am

Meeting Departure Time: 10:30 am

Driving Distance: 32 miles

Total Bridge Tolls and Entry Fees: $12

Alternative Meeting Place: Rockridge BART Station, Oakland, CA (We'll be at the bottom of the escalator.)

Alternative Meeting Time: 9:00 am

Alternative Meeting Departure Time: 9:15 am

Car Pool Fees from Rockridge BART: $7

COVID-19 Precautions:  Most Bay Area counties have relaxed gathering restrictions.  Below are the regulations that still must be followed:

• We need to stay at least 6' apart at all times;
• You need to keep whatever type of mask you prefer around your neck at all times to be prepared to put it in place at a moment's notice when encountering others.  Some prefer to wear a mask at all times - even better!  The easiest solution some of us have found is to wear a bandana around your neck, shifting it up over your nose and mouth when passing or speaking with others;
• Ideally, unless you're members of one household, there should be one passenger in the back right seat only.  Drivers and passengers can decide what they feel comfortable with.  PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED A RIDE AND/OR CAN TAKE A PASSENGER, AND WHAT YOUR COMFORT