Author: Sharon Bone

Running the Distance with Pacific Coast Trail Runs

Pacific Coast Trail Runs – Inaugural Ridge Trail Race Series.
Find a trail race with a distance that suits you!

In August, inspired by the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s very own annual Ridge to Bridge trail event and fundraiser, Pacific Coast Trail Runs (PCTR) launched a four-race trail running series benefiting the Ridge Trail.

The final event—with 10k, 17k, 35k and 50k options wending through Huddart and Wunderlich Parks—was on November 18. With a portion of every participant’s entry fee donated directly to the Council, the series raised $4,000 (and a ton of awareness!) for the Ridge Trail.

PCTR was founded in 2000 and has been treating long distance runners to challenging courses with breathtaking scenery ever since. Whether tackling eight kilometers on Mt. Diablo or 100 miles through the Marin Headlands, runners could always count on PCTR for stunning views, solid organization, friendly vibes, and great post-race eats. (Their finish line BBQ is legendary among Bay Area trail runners!)

Still, when husband-and-wife team Greg Lanctot and Jennifer Lopez-Lanctot bought PCTR in November 2016, they had big ideas about making it an even better organization. Most significantly, they wanted to get PCTR involved in the Bay Area trail community in meaningful ways.

“Trails are our element and so the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is one of our benefactors,” says Greg. “Our events put wear and tear on trails; we want to do our part to keep them in great condition. We also want to contribute to the completion of the Ridge Trail loop. More great trails mean more great course options.”

When Greg and Jennifer first approached the Ridge Trail Council to talk about collaborating, they were surprised to find out that no other trail race production company had partnered with the Council before. “It’s such a natural fit,” says Greg, “it’s a no-brainer. And we’re happy to be the first!”

The Ridge Trail series, which PCTR plans to produce annually moving forward, raises more than just money. Greg made sure, at each race, to talk to participants about the Ridge Trail and why PCTR was raising funds for it. “Runners who already knew about the Ridge Trail were the most excited,” he says. “They feel a deep connection to the trails they run and wanted to know how they could get involved. They loved the idea of doing trail work on trails they love.”

PCTR will announce details about the next Ridge Trail Series in 2018. But with about two dozen races per year, there’s always a beautiful course on the horizon.

Visit PCTR’s website to check out their calendar

510 Hikers Conquering 36 miles of Ridge Trail

Increasing diversity, community, and friendship on the trail

The sun was barely up when Nicholas Collins and 30 other trail runners and hikers met at the Tilden Park Steam Trains on a recent Saturday morning. From there, they carpooled over to Redwood Gate to meet fellow members of the 510 Hikers. Nicholas founded this Oakland-based hiking group in 2013.

The combined group of more than 40 set out on the Ridge Trail together around 8:45. There was a sweet 4.25 mile loop through Redwood Park for those who wanted a relatively short option. But the early risers blasted all the way back to the steam trains. This nine-and-a-half mile stretch of  Ridge Trail traverses Redwood Regional Park, Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve and the hills east of Grizzly Peak before getting back to Tilden. 510 Hikers caters to hikers of all speeds and abilities–but the core group always inspires people to challenge themselves. The lead group finished this hilly 9.5 miles in just two hours.

It was Stage 3 of a four-part 510 Hikers series that Nicholas designed to raise awareness about the Ridge Trail. The series, which takes place over four consecutive Saturdays in December, treats participants to about 36 continuous Ridge Trail miles, from Lake Chabot to Wildcat Canyon.

“I’ve hiked over 100 Bay Area trails in the past few years, so I end up seeing Ridge Trail signs all over the place,” says Nicholas. “But it was only recently that I decided to do the research and find out what it’s all about. Now I see the RT as an unbelievable gift to the Bay Area, and I want to spread the word.”

510 Hikers is a large and growing group that welcomes all comers. “All types, speeds, colors and everything else,” says Nicholas, who is African American. Bothered by the general lack of diversity on trails, he made a conscious effort when he first founded the group to entice people of color to join. But, he explains, the way he promotes the group has shifted organically over time. He now emphasizes inclusivity, regular attendance, and to leave all attitude, prejudice and pretension at home. He encourages participants to push themselves physically and–just as importantly–to take part in the community service projects the group does.

“We focus mainly on homelessness right here in our neighborhoods,” he says. “Serving hot meals and putting together shoe and coat drives are a few of the many things 510 Hikers have proudly come together to do. Our group’s philosophy is that, yeah, hiking increases fitness and physical strength, but it can also heal the soul. The trails are great, but it’s just as much about connecting with people face-to-face. The trails are almost secondary to the friendships built over time between so many of our hikers.”

To find out about the next 510 Hikers adventure–on or off the Ridge Trail–visit the group’s Facebook page.

Napa chef bikepacks Ridge Trail in 13-day sprint

See the video! Even in the densely populated Bay Area, open space, remote locations and unobstructed scenic views are out there waiting to be discovered. The Ridge Trail partnered with Don Nolan, a veteran cyclist from Healdsburg, to raise awareness of the opportunities “to get away from the city,” without going far away.

“Bay Ridge Trail is really about uniting communities. Preserving open space is what they do,” says Nolan. “Anyone can get involved in helping to preserve it. Individuals can get involved in their community’s decision-making process,” he added.

“Riding the ridge trails is my dream ride. I knew I needed a team to support me, so I discussed my adventure plans with the Ridge Trail,” said Nolan. He trained on the route one year to prepare for his ride on the 550-mile route. The route includes 370 connected miles of Ridge Trail. Nolan began by riding different trail segments, camped overnight, and tested his cycling equipment, his tent and his clothes. Nolan knew he needed to be ready for all common weather conditions of the Bay Area – fog, rain, heat and cold.

“I like to challenge myself… riding my bike and getting outside in the open space” he said. Nolan alternated his days camping out with a night in a hotel in places where there were no campgrounds. The route Nolan traveled included both climbs and descents of 5,000 to 6,000 feet in elevation every day. He bought food daily to limit the weight he carried on his bike. During his rides, Nolan found many remote areas surprisingly close to densely populated urban areas.

Late last year Nolan began discussing his ride with Bay Area Ridge Trail. “I knew I needed a big team to support me,” he remarked. Nolan sought help from members of individual communities along the way to guide him to the safest routes where trails did not connect. He also asked cyclists to ride along with him for part of the route.

“I enjoy the experience of my ride and the beauty along the way. Everywhere I go along the ridge lines are scenic views,” he explained. Nolan’s ride was part of this year’s “Ridge to Bridge” hiking, biking, running event held on April 22, to raise funds to build and connect more Bay Area trails.

 

REI Co-op Invests in the Ridge Trail

REI Co-op believes trails are a crucial to getting outside and life well-lived. To support this philosophy, the retailer is helping create lasting legacies in select communities by investing in large, longer-term projects that connect people and communities to the outdoors. This year the Ridge Trail Council was thrilled to become an REI Co-op Rewilding Grantee. The multi-year grant will be used to raise awareness about the Ridge Trail.

With more than six million active Co-op members and 143 stores, the Co-op invests in outdoor places by investing in trails—this is why it partners with community organizations like the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, who share its goal of creating, improving, and sustaining access to inspiring places. Kristen Ragain, the Co-op’s community affairs program manager, says, “The Co-op began the Rewilding program to invest in projects that can change the way people experience the outdoors.” Because the Bay Area is the Co-op’s biggest market—with 10 stores in close proximity to the Ridge Trail—the Co-op looked at the Ridge Trail project as an immense opportunity given the trail’s regional focus and impact on so many people in diverse communities.” The intent of the grant is to invest in building the Council’s organizational capacity.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail has had a long association with the Co-op through Ridge Trail Day. Over the past nine years, this collaborative workday—largely supported by local Co-op stores—has brought in 4,200 volunteers who have dedicated 16,000 hours to caring for the Ridge Trail. In addition, the Co-op has provided the Ridge Trail Council with $400,000 in grant funding over the last 26 years.

Under the current Legacy Grant, the Co-op and the Ridge Trail will collaborate in new ways. Through the REI Co-op Outdoor School, the Co-op will lead outings and offer in-store programs about the Ridge Trail. The Co-op values playing an active role furthering the mission of its grantees. The Ridge Trail Council is extremely grateful for its partnership with REI Co-op!

A Trail runner’s perspective: The Ridge Trail ensures access to nature for all

Board member Matt Zinn still remembers the confused looks he got during his first Ridge to Bridge (a Ridge Trail sponsored long-distance hike and ride), when he told the other participants he was going to run the route from Mount Tam down to the Presidio. “Everyone was perplexed!” he says. “People assumed you could hike Ridge to Bridge, or bike it, or even ride a horse—but run it?” That was different.

Trail running is one of the lesser-known uses of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, in comparison to hiking or mountain biking. But the trail runners are out there, blazing their way through the fog of the Marin Headlands and the golden hills of the Sierra Azul Preserve.

One reason Matt thinks the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is so important is that it provides an advocacy voice for public access in addition to open space protection. The Bay Area is lucky to have an abundance of open spaces with many advocates passionate about preserving open space, and some of those advocates leaning towards closing off protected areas from the public. In contrast, “the Ridge Trail promotes opportunities specifically to advocate for public trails in public spaces,” Matt says. The Ridge Trail Council gives people all around the Bay Area the chance to experience beautiful open spaces, from the inspiring redwood forests to the scrubby chaparral woodlands.

The beauty of trail running, Matt says, is that it gives you “a way to explore a trail yourself that you wouldn’t normally experience.” Just the sounds of bird song in your ears, and the firm ground of the Ridge Trail underneath.

Making the loop – two friends share their circumnavigation

It started with a dare. Somewhere on the travels of Dan Nowell and Prentiss Willson, they stumbled upon a book, Bay Area Ridge Trail: The Official Guide. Dan loosely dared Prentiss to hike the entire route and thus began a 350-mile journey to hike the Ridge Trail over two years, cementing what would become a 15-year friendship. Dan and Prentiss share an infectious spirit. Both are long-legged and athletic, and have amassed an impressive collection of life stories–making them excellent trail companions.

Their inaugural hike was in the Marin Headlands. Although Dan grew up in Mill Valley and spent untold hours wandering the hills on Mount Tam and around Tennessee Valley, he was awestruck. “The Ridge Trail brought me closer to my home. On that first hike I was inspired by my hometown in a way I didn’t think was still possible. In my own backyard, the Ridge Trail was hiding undiscovered gems.”

In addition to being circumnavigators, Dan and Prentiss understand that the Ridge Trail is user-supported—they are both donors. Prentiss is a Legacy Circle member. Prentiss says he included the Ridge Trail in his estate plan because, “the idea that someday it could be one contiguous trail is just awesome and I want to help make that happen (and hope I’m still here, in which case I’ll do it again).”

To find tools and resource to plan your circumnavigation or section hike see our TRAIL TOOLS page.

To find out how you can include the Ridge Trail in your planned giving visit our PLANNED GIVING page.

Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail

The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is a 50-mile loop travelling both the scenic shores and sweeping ridgelines of the Carquinez Strait, where the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta meet. This vision for this trail was developed in 2020 by five regional trails – the Ridge Trail, Bay Trail, Delta Trail, SF Water Trail and the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail. – and several community partners including the City of Benicia and Contra Costa County. 

The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is 70% complete but there are still 9 gaps on the trail that we are working to close. The Ridge Trail helps lead a Working Group of land managers and trail partners to complete all the gaps in the trail. In 2020, we completed the trail at Almond Ranch and added 1.6 miles to the loop. Our upcoming construction projects include:

Get Involved! Help us spread the word about the trail by visiting our website and getting outside to explore! Get involved with our local Trail Advocacy Group to advocate for more local trails. Contact advocacy@ridgetrail.org to learn more.

Resources:
Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail 2020 Vision Plan
Explore the Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail – Maps & Itineraries

 

Silicon Valley Trail Loop Study: Reducing Emissions

In the heart of Silicon Valley, an intersection of existing and planned trails and transit—including the Ridge Trail, the San Francisco Bay Trail, and the City of San Jose Trail Network—offers the opportunity to travel by trail and transit instead of by car. The Silicon Valley Trail Loop (SVTL) makes it convenient and fun to leave the car at home while commuting to work or school, running errands, enjoying urban attractions, or getting to nearby wild natural areas. The trail and public access possibilities will be greatly expanded by the opening of the new Berryessa BART station next year, which will directly intersect this trail loop and the Ridge Trail itself.

Combining trails and transit for commute and non-commute trips also helps cut greenhouse gases. For this project, the Ridge Trail, Bay Trail, and other partners completed a study focused on the SVTL that forecast greenhouse gas emissions reductions from replacing car trips with trail and transit trips, and surveyed options that large-scale tech employers, planners and decision-makers could use to encourage the shift from cars to trails and transit for commuting. A fully completed trail loop ranked as the #1 factor that would result in the greatest shift from cars to trail-and-transit commutes. Even low-cost simple measures to promote bicycling to work have a significant impact, such as policies allowing bicycles in buildings, “social” measures such as active commute contests or “bike-pooling,” and safety seminars.

You can plan your own trips with a new app we have developed in partnership with Trailhead Labs. Not only does this tool help plan trips, it also calculates carbon and cost savings!

Download:
Silicon Valley Trail Finder app
SVTL full study
SVTL executive Summary