Volume 18, no. 1 December, 2018

This year’s Journal highlights THE PLEASURES OF OPEN SPACE recreation on 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 , 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 , 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 ’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 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

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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 ( • 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. It was longti me Glen Ellen resident took me day. We’ll never know for certain. We do during those years that SMP founders, up the mountain to see something. He know that Thompson was remembered Mickey Cooke and Pat Eliot worked as wouldn’t tell me what. We hiked to Fern in the Sonoma Index-Tribune as a “soul teenagers and got to know the mountain Lake at Eldridge, circled around to its back that felt keenly the color and beauty of on horseback. side, and followed a rutt ed and rocky nature.” Whether or not Thompson was dirt road up a steep hill. As the old road responsible for its protecti on, someone For much of the twenti eth century, there fl att ened out, we entered the quiet of decided to save it. was no urgent need to offi cially protect a redwood forest. The trees were three Sonoma Mountain. There were no grand or four feet across. They were big, but development plans. Those who wanted to judging by the girth of the family circles wander had the freedom to roam as long they were part of, their parents had been as they were respectf ul. But eventually much bigger. ti mes changed. In 1993, Pat and Mickey, Bob paused for a moment and said quietly, who both now lived on the mountain, “It’s been a while, but I think this is the and several others, formed Sonoma place.” He nodded toward a faint path Mountain Preservati on to preserve “the partly blocked by spindly tan reaching scenic, agricultural, and natural resources for light from the gloom of the forest fl oor. of Sonoma Mountain.” At that ti me, It looked like an animal trail. He gestured about 1,200 acres (about 3 percent) of with an open hand, “You fi rst.” I plunged the mountain were under some sort of through the leaves, shuffl ed down a small protecti on. Aft er a successful campaign incline, and stepped over a log. I felt the to prevent a large development from presence before I saw it. Looking up, I going in along the southern ridgetop, stopped in my tracks. the group draft ed the Sonoma Mountain Development Guidelines, which were Just ahead was a giganti c redwood tree, adopted by the county. three or four ti mes the width of any other on the mountain, its cinnamon bark Around the same ti me, local arti st Kristi furrowed and brown. Fourteen or fi ft een Of course, Thompson was late on the Vreeland was learning about wildlife feet across, it rose in a huge column that scene; he sett led in a place nati ve corridors and biological islands and disappeared overhead into the foliage of people had already been stewarding for realized that Sonoma Mountain was on the much smaller trees surrounding it. hundreds of generati ons. Their practi ces the verge of being surrounded by urban Enormous branches, the size of full-grown maintained a complicated mix of habitats areas and vineyards. Landscapes in such trees themselves, curved out and then up, that sustained people and fostered a rich situati ons tend to lose much of their parallel to the trunk. Aft er several minutes biodiversity on the mountain. Thompson biodiversity. She noti ced that the only of silence, Bob said simply, “Thought you’d was sti ll living on Sonoma Mountain in remaining semi-wild link between the like this.” 1905 when Jack London bought the fi rst mountain and the Mayacamas Range to parcel of his Beauty Ranch. There was no the east was on the Eldridge property I later heard about the man who may logging at that ti me, but the hardwood (formerly Sonoma Developmental Center). have saved that tree, now called the forests were being cut for fi rewood and The idea of the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Grandmother Redwood, for the future. His charcoal to heat San Francisco. Redwood Corridor caught on quickly. Using moti on- name was William Thompson, but many was in his eighti es, Jack about thirty; sensing cameras, UC Berkeley graduate people called him “Redwood.” When he London used to ride his horse over the fi rst arrived in the early 1850s he hauled mountainside to visit Thompson. continued on page 6 Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org 3

2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 3 11/28/2018 12:12:24 PM The Pleasures of Open Space Continued from page 1

dells – magical places where they fostered Today, besides hikers, mountain bikers, friendships and fell in love. and horseback riders, you’ll also see Beauty Ranch, which Charmian London runners, birders, geocachers, botanists, and Jack’s half-sister Eliza Shepard opened The railroads shut down in the 1930s and ropes course parti cipants discovering to guests in 1934, there were many others. and early ’40s. Pat Eliot, who was born the mountain for themselves. They fl ock Bruning’s Waldruhe Resort, high on the in 1929, remembered that during World here for eternal reasons – for views that mountain’s north side, was also a popular War Two, the London ranch was sti ll “very stretch to Mounts Tamalpais, Diablo, desti nati on. Aft er long hikes or rides, popular, because if you had a gas rati on and Saint Helena; for blooms of shooti ng guests would return in the evenings to card and lived in San Francisco, Sonoma stars and rare phantom orchids; for home-cooked meals and dancing to fi ddle was as far as you could make it on your acorn woodpeckers in the oaks and red- music. allotment. You couldn’t get to Yosemite or shouldered hawks riding the thermals. Tahoe.” Aft er the war, these more distant Not everyone arrived by train. Mickey Not least of all, many come to deepen places became accessible again and most Cooke recalls her mother’s tale of a trek friendships old and new, walking side by Sonoma Mountain resorts were out of she made in 1917. Traveling by ferry from side on paths well traveled and long loved. business by 1960. San Francisco to Sausalito, she and her These days, I don’t run. I walk. And my old young companions pedaled forty miles These days, recreati on on Sonoma dog walks with me. Our haunts are low by bike, much of it on unpaved roads, to Mountain depends on a wealth of public on the mountain, near home, on quiet the Sonoma Valley. Reaching Glen Ellen, open space that has taken more than streets shaded by old oaks and fragrant they decided to visit the London estate. half a century to build. Jack London State bays. When I can go long, I’m not so much “But it was a terribly hot day as they rode Historic Park, established in 1959 and drawn by the lure of the summit, but by up the road to the Beauty Ranch,” Cooke greatly expanded since, encompasses rambling routes that follow the creeks and related. “When they got to Eliza Shepard’s more than 1,400 acres and twenty-nine meander through the meadows. I sti ll re- house, she saw how drenched they were miles of trail which connect to other create by recreati ng, and my touchstone with sweat and brought out a big pitcher parks and public easements. On the west remains my home mountain. of cold water. The memory of that gesture side, Crane Canyon Regional Park off ers stayed with my mother all of her life.” fi ve miles of trails, a disc golf course and a picnic area. Properti es like the Van To the modern wanderer these sound like Hoosear Wildfl ower Preserve, along lower glory days. The only rule was to leave a Carriger Creek, and Fairfi eld Osborn, on gate as you found it – open or closed. At the mountain’s upper slopes, off er limited the mountain resorts, local teens were public access as part of the thousands oft en the grunts, making beds, prepping of acres currently protected on the meals, scrubbing dishes, and maintaining mountain. Whether you can set foot on the grounds. But when they had a few the land or not, these open spaces buff er hours, they ventured to swimming the experience of the hiker and the city holes, waterfalls, meadows, and shady dweller stuck in traffi c. 4 Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org

2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 4 11/28/2018 12:12:33 PM A Mountain, a Chain and a Claim Sonoma Mountain is part of the Sonoma Mountains, which stretch twenty-three miles from Sears Point on to Bennett and Taylor Mountains near Santa Rosa. The Sonoma Mountains are a disti nct mountain chain within the Coast Range, which runs hundreds of miles from Humboldt County to Santa Barbara.

The Sonoma Mountains fi t the Oxford English Dicti onary’s defi niti on of a mountain range as: “A line of mountains connected by high ground.” The chain has only a few low points or passes—notably at Tolay Gap east of Petaluma and south of Santa Rosa near Grange Road. Geologically, the range stands out as an isolated porti on of the Sonoma Volcanics.

At ten miles across, Sutt er Butt es in the Central Valley have been called the world’s “shortest mountain range.” This has been disputed—the Butt es are circular in form and don’t really fi t the defi niti on of a range as a linear feature. It could be argued that the Sonoma Mountains are more worthy of that ti tle, though making such a claim seems about as impressive as winning a barking contest between Tea Cup Chihuahuas and wouldn’t really Cartography by: Alex Young, be in keeping with the humble spirit of the place. Sonoma Ecology Center

Swimming, Camping, Fishing and a Hundred Miles of Trail: Recreation in the Sonoma Mountains With eight regional and state parks spanning nearly twenty square miles, the Sonoma Mountains off er a wealth of opportuniti es for recreati on and cultural enrichment (please check park websites for updates):

ACCESSIBILITY TRAIL PICNIC SWIM, BOAT, PARK ACRES DOGS HORSES BIKES OTHER MILES AREA CAMP, FISH (all have ADA parking & --REGIONAL-- restrooms)

Crane Creek 128 4 on leash X X X Disc golf 1.2 mi trail

North Slope picnic area & 820 4.5 No X X X Sonoma Mtn. vista

trails, picnic & Spring Lake 320 7 on leash X X X X Discovery Center campsites

Disc golf Taylor Mtn. 1100 7 on leash X X X picnic area

Tolay Lake 3400 11+ on leash X X X Fall Festi val

--STATE--

Petaluma outside 28 0 Museum museum Adobe on leash

pavement Trione-Annadel 5200 40 X X X Environmental Ed center only limited picnic area & Jack London 1400 29 X X X Museums on leash museums 12,396 104 TOTAL acres miles

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2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 5 11/28/2018 12:12:35 PM A Living Chain: Mountain Stewards Second Annual Continued from page 3 said, “Nobody leaves unti l we fi gure this SONOMA MOUNTAIN TREK out.” They did, and in an example of April 13 &14 student Jodi Hilty and her colleagues how cooperati on and communicati on Join LandPath’s TrekSonoma, Sonoma confi rmed that foxes, , mountain between disparate interests can succeed, Mountain Preservati on, and the Greenbelt lions, deer, and other wildlife were using the transfer of the land to the state park Alliance for a long mountain wander. happened with no special legislati on. this strip of land to pass between Sonoma Led by wildlife ecologist Meghan Mountain and the Mayacamas. Elsewhere on the mountain, the Open Walla-Murphy and historical ecologist Arthur Dawson, we will explore a varied Almost simultaneously, the state was Space District purchased a conservati on landscape, from ridgetops with far vistas considering renti ng or selling the SDC easement to create the Van Hoosear to deeply shaded redwood groves, orchard, on the mountain slopes above Wildfl ower Preserve. One of the owners tracking the stories of nature and human the facility’s main campus. When was Marilyn Goode, also a member of history. the community caught wind of the Sonoma Mountain Preservati on, who possibility, several groups mobilized worked closely with Ellie Insley from the Trek includes: 6-7 miles walking/day; to keep the property within the public Ecology Center to make it a reality. transportati on of gear and shutt le; domain. Sonoma Mountain Preservati on overnight at Jack London Vineyard; home- The district also began purchasing members, including Pat, Mickey, and cooked organic and/or local meals. property and easements between Jacobs George Ellman, joined with Richard Cost to be determined. Rental tents and Ranch and Jack London State Historic Park. Dale and Caitlin Cornwall of the Ecology sleeping pads available. Kim Batchelder, planner with the district, Center, and Kathleen Miller and others was tasked with developing a four-and- For more info, please contact: from the Parent Hospital Associati on a-half mile trail over that terrain high on of Sonoma State Hospital to work on Meghan Walla-Murphy the mountain’s north slope. A number of the issue. The recently formed Sonoma [email protected] people and organizati ons were involved County Agricultural Preservati on and in funding, planning, and executi ng that Open Space District was enlisted to buy eff ort, including Steve Ehret at County the development rights to the upper 200 well beyond Sonoma County. When they Parks, the Coastal Conservancy, the Bay acres (of 600 under negoti ati on). The work approached Sam Schuchat, director of Area Ridge Trail Council, Conservati on on the wildlife corridor demonstrated the the Coastal Conservancy, he said, “Oh Corps North Bay, and trail constructi on property’s ecological value and how it yeah, I can see Sonoma Mountain from crews under Mark Campbell and Doug was a key link in a much larger landscape my offi ce in Oakland.” They knew at that Hanford. The District was also able to mosaic. moment that they were in, and ulti mately acquire parcels along the East Slope to the eff ort was successful. All this made a compelling argument as conti nue the trail south of the state park. the community began talking to legislators Land Paths, with lots of volunteer labor, In the years since Bob showed me the about opti ons for protecti ng the land, was instrumental in developing that trail, Grand-mother Redwood, I’ve paid the gift which included adding it to Jack London which completed a nine-mile conti nuous forward to many others. Today, use of the State Historic Park. Aft er months of path on the upper slopes of the mountain. informal path (now in Jack London State wrangling over the details, which included Historic Park) is discouraged because of In 2009, Kirsten Linquist, Mickey Cooke’s control of the property’s water resources, concerns about soil compacti on. Instead, daughter, was working as a realtor when the issue reached a bureaucrati c standsti ll. visitors follow a new trail approaching the she discovered that the top of Sonoma Legislator Pat Wiggins called everyone into tree from above, which ends at a viewing Mountain was for sale. She called Wendy her offi ce—department heads, community area. It lacks the inti macy I experienced Eliot, Pat Eliot’s daughter, who was members—and locked the door. She on my fi rst visit, but the tree is much acquisiti on director for the Sonoma Land bett er protected. It’s probably been ten Trust. Wendy told her, “We’ve years since I’ve seen Bob. But every ti me got to get this. We’ve got to I visit the Grandmother Tree, I thank get this for our moms. This is him and Redwood Thompson, and all a mountain that should be like those who care for the mountain and Mount Diablo or Tamalpais. have cared for it. It’s a legacy that’s been Another iconic mountain passed hand to hand since the beginning that should be protected so of human ti me. It is not something any people can experience this single person can do. It requires a chain place.” Reaching that goal of many links across the generati ons. required looking for support

6 Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org

2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 6 11/28/2018 12:12:39 PM Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org 7

2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 7 11/28/2018 12:12:47 PM PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID O’DELL

Thanks to Our Recent Donors Albert & Sharon Janulaw Hal & Ashlee Koch Morry & Donna Strauss Arthur & Jill Dawson Hans Gerhard Nancy & David Woltering Photo Credits Beverly Jeanne Mager Jack & Hope Nisson Nancy Evers Kirwan Page 1: Brett Cooper & James Fontanilla Jacquelyn Lehmer Paul & Sheila Leach Shepard family Brian Shepard Joan Geary Peter Poullada & Nancy Sheppard Carol Velluti ni Joe Lieber Pieter & Karen Everard Page 2: Charles Levine & Elisa Stancil John & Barbara Mackinzie Richard Lanzerotti Meg Beeler (both) Christi na Bertea John Branscome Sean Wadsworth Page 3: Dave Manley Jolle Bauti sta Sonoma Ecology Center Ed Cooper Dave Marti nelli Karen Collins Sonoma Land Trust David & Marjorie Hansen Kathleen McCauley Anast Steward Hume Page 4: David & Vicki Stollmeyer Kathleen Mugele Susan Gorin Berger family (b&w) Diane & Byrant Hichwa Kevin & Donna Wilson Susannah Schroll Uli Kolbe (color) Donna Halow Margareta Freeman Tamara Tovey Page 6: Doug Hanford Marti n & Dixey van der Kamp Ted Eliot Sonoma Ag Eric Hongisto Matt Maguire Wayne Berry + Open Space Eugene & Rosemary McCreary Meg Beeler & Tom von Tersch Wendy Eliot Gordon & Lois Peacock Michael Sheffi eld William & Nancy Murray Grace Pratt Mike Benziger 8 Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org

2018 JOURNAL FINAL.indd 8 11/28/2018 12:12:48 PM