Sonoma Mountain Journal 2018
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Volume 18, no. 1 December, 2018 This year’s Journal highlights THE PLEASURES OF OPEN SPACE recreation on Sonoma Mountain Tracy Salcedo and throughout its range. “There’s a trail up there. Mexican dons taking horseback rides to Inside Always has been.” the summit to enjoy the views. We feel the – Milo Shepard same impulse when we turn to each other Letter from the Chair and say, “Let’s go for a hike.” Walking and A Living Chain: Mtn Stewards Back when I was a runner, this was my talking bridges culture and ti me. modus operandi. Aft er writi ng for hours, I’d Recreation in the Sonoma Mtns bog down, brain clutt ered and distracted. The modern era of recreati on on Sonoma Done, I’d think. And I’d head out. I’d run Mountain began in the late nineteenth A Mountain, A Chain & a Claim from my home offi ce on the lower skirts century. Both locals and visitors came for the same things we cherish now: secluded Sonoma Mountain Trek of Sonoma Mountain up into the state park, and out to the ruins of Jack London’s redwood groves, tucked-away cascades, Wolf House. I’d lay hands on the mossy wildfl owers in bloom. But outdoor acti vity ruins, channeling the writer who had come was drawn from a wider palett e in those The fi rst peoples of southern before. I’d breathe in the fragrance of days. Local elders Milo Shepard and Jim Sonoma county, the Coast redwood and yellowed rye grass; I’d sweat Berkland recalled fi shing the mountain’s Miwok, placed oona-pa’is streams for steelhead and rainbow trout. — Sonoma Mountain — at out stagnancy and lethargy. Then I’d run the center of the world, home to begin again. I’d re-created myself Others remember hunti ng deer and wild imagining its summit as by recreati ng on my mountain. boar in the canyons above Glen Ellen an island in the primordial and Eldridge. Such acti viti es have since ocean at the beginning of For me, Sonoma Mountain holds an fallen out of favor. These days, a hunter time. irresisti ble lure. There are miles of trails up descending the trail heft ing a gutt ed deer Geologists tell a similar story there to discover, to explore, to become or a boy strolling into town to sell his catch —that Sonoma Mountain’s favorites to tramp down again and again. of a hundred crawdads – as Berkland did in layers of volcanic and Jack London State Historic Park is my the late 1930s, at a penny apiece – would sedimentary rock, pushed personal touchstone. For me and my Glen draw surprise, anger, and likely arrest. upward by tectonic forces, Ellen neighbors, the park trails are familiar, rose from the depths of a The arrival of the railroad in the 1880s shallow sea. comfortable, easy on both body and mind. But even aft er decades of living in the brought pleasure seekers from nearby citi es mountain’s shadow, I have found myself, and spawned a crop of boardinghouses on occasion, wandering into new places and guest ranches. Tourists would pile off with long histories, my feet treading in the trains and head for the hills, where the footsteps of those who passed here local families off ered overnight hospitality. decades, perhaps centuries, before. I love While the best known was Jack London’s that. Even when I am alone, these ghost continued on page 4 The mission of Sonoma Mountain companions keep me company. Preservation is to preserve the mountain’s scenic, agricultural Did the Sonoma Valley’s indigenous people and natural resources; expand stroll the mountain’s meadows and canyons recreational opportunities there; for pleasure? Choosing a route from village to neighboring village, or to the harvest oak and provide a forum for or hunti ng ground, why not choose the way constructive discussion of issues with the view, or along the cooling creek, relating to the mountain. or through the redwoods? I can imagine Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org 1 2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 1 11/28/2018 12:12:20 PM quarter-million residents who live around Center (SDC) to Jack London State Historic the mountain to explore the beauty and Park in 2001. Letter diversity of our mountain and develop a We’ve conti nued this kind of policy deeper connecti on to and sense of place from the nudging as a founding member of the SDC here, we will all be enriched. Chair Coaliti onfour years ago. That group met You can help by using your donati on monthly with multi ple “stakeholders” to envelope or PayPal on our website: form community consensus and protect • Order copies of the book at a the open space at SDC. special discount, $35 per copy We are also members of the SDC Lands (donati on envelope). Sense of Place: Committ ee. That group has created a fi ne • Make a special donati on for the The Mountain and detailed set of recommendati ons on book ($100 or more includes a issues like protecti ng and giving access in Your Backyard copy of the book). to the riparian corridors (Sonoma Creek • Include your regular donati on to Meg Beeler runs through SDC and has potenti al to be SMP so we can carry on the rest one of the few community access points Imagine narrowing 3000 beauti ful images of our work advocati ng for the for the creek); creati ng bike trails from of the mountain to the best 130 photos. mountain. Highway 12 to Arnold through the campus; Imagine pouring over ten detailed maps using some of the bott omlands for local of the mountain’s creeks and watersheds SMP in Acti on: Behind the Scenes organic faming; protecti ng the wildlife (three!), geology, plant communiti es, Much of SMP’s work for 25 years has corridor through campus; and so on. wildlife, parks, and more to provide been behind the scenes, keeping our eyes readers with a comprehensive and and ears tuned to what’s needed on the We’re determined to make sure the 700 detailed view of the mountain’s riches. mountain. acres of SDC open space is preserved and That’s what your SMP Board has been transferred to Jack London or Regional Our biggest successes—besides preventi ng privileged to do this last year (along with Parks. To that end, SMP conti nues to a huge development and road over the fundraising) during the creati on of Where work with local legislators and the County mountain in the early 1990’s—have been the World Begins: Sonoma Mountain to ensure that the State fully funds the implementi ng County Development Stories and Images. land-and-building transfers, interim uses, Guidelines that apply to Sonoma, Taylor, a governance structure like the Presidio and the Mayacamas Mountains, and Trust, and a specifi c plan to guide future leading the eff ort to transfer 600 acres land and building use at SDC. (the orchard and Grandmother Redwood area) of the Sonoma Developmental For ti mely updates, give us your email and check our FB page. Join Us in 2019! Quarterly Steering Committ ee meeti ngs: January 23; April 24; July 24 & October 23 (Wednesdays) 3:30 to 5:30 PM at the Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge The book is at the printer! You’ll receive your copy in January if you’ve ordered (SDC campus. For directi ons call: 996-9967) one. If not, use the enclosed envelope Guest speakers deepen our knowledge to get a special discounted price (we’ll of the mountain at each meeti ng. contact you for pick up), or order on our You’re encouraged to join us! website sonomamountain.org. Donate, order book: Arthur Dawson & Mickey Cooke We’re using book readings and Year of P.O. Box 1772, Glen Ellen, CA 95442 at the SMP booth, Glen Ellen Village Fair. Sonoma Mountain events to build public awareness, engagement, and interest sonomamountain.org (Paypal/credit card) SMP’s current board: in what may be the world’s smallest Keep up with Issues and Events: Meg Beeler, Chair; mountain range—composed of Sonoma, • SMP on Facebook Arthur Dawson, Vice-Chair; Taylor, and Bennett Mountains—in your Nancy Kirwan, Secretary; • SDC Updates backyard! Jack Nisson, Treasurer. • Local Development Challenges As we’ve all experienced since the fi res, nature heals. So we encourage the 2 Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org 2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 2 11/28/2018 12:12:23 PM IVING HAIN logs to the mill on Asbury Creek. Even as Following his passing, his half-sister Eliza A L C : he watched the forest on the mountain Shepard conti nued Jack’s ethic of practi cal MOUNTAIN STEWARDS get cut down, he fell in love with the trees. stewardship. In 1934, in order to remain At some point, no longer willing to take solvent, she and Charmian turned the Arthur Dawson part in the destructi on, he quit. As far as Beauty Ranch into a dude ranch where we know, all the other truly large trees people could enjoy the mountain London It takes more than one lifeti me were cut. had loved. Aft er Eliza died, her son, Irving, took over management of the ranch. to save a mountain.” Someone else owned the land on which It soon became a popular desti nati on —Mickey Cooke the Grandmother Redwood stood. during World War Two, when gas rati oning Perhaps Thompson lobbied for it to be prevented people from going farther Twenty-fi ve years ago, a friend and left standing and his passion carried the from the Bay Area on vacati on.