Hiking California's Wine Country- A Guide to the Area's Greatest Hikes.pdf

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Acknowledgments
It is to my wife, Harmony, that I am most grateful. Her encouragement, wisdom,
and patience enabled me to complete this project. More importantly, she shares
my vision of life, and I am honored to travel that road with her.
It is not possible for me to express how grateful I am for my parents, Ron and
Jane. I had the great fortune of being their son, and from them I learned integrity,
hard work, and selflessness. Through them, I received the blessing of growing
up in Sonoma County. The genesis of this book lies in the many hikes, Boy
Scout outings, and other adventures in this corner of the world that they made
possible. Their giving does not end there. Their logistical support was the
linchpin of the entire project. More importantly, they happily invested in my
children while I was on the trail. Their selfless giving is an outward expression
of their love for me and my family.
I am thankful for the input that others have put into this book. John Phillips
was instrumental in helping me understand the geomorphology and geology of
the Wine Country. His thoughts on the area’s geography were essential to my
understanding of what was where. Equally important, he encouraged me to be
bold in writing about places where there is a paucity of information.
Steve Moore, of Teac Mor Vineyards, has been one of my best friends since
high school. His conversations about grape growing have been entertaining and
informative, and they shaped the way I think about earth and agriculture.
Longtime friends Steve and Cathi Fowler of the Honor Mansion in
Healdsburg are the fount of Wine Country insights. Their taste is excellent, and I
trust their recommendations without question. More importantly, they have
always been supportive of me even when I did not deserve it. I am humbled and
grateful.
I was joined on the trail by a few people, and I appreciated their company
immensely. In addition to my wife, my children, Carson and Laramie, joined me
on a few hikes. I had a great day with my father-in-law, Bill McPherson, in
Sonoma. It was a blast hiking, talking, and exploring with him. My brother, Matt
Suess, joined me for a great day hiking the Palisades shuttle. I never get enough
time with my hero. My nephew, Conor Lawlor, was brave enough to spend a
very long day on the trail with me. I had an excellent time with him and hope
that we are able to do it again soon.
Introduction
“I firmly believe, from what I have seen, that this is the chosen spot of
all the earth as far as Nature is concerned.”
Luther Burbank, the preeminent botanist and horticulturalist, wrote this
sentiment in a letter to his sister describing the land around Santa Rosa.
Burbank, a man of deep and abiding understanding about the natural world, had
hit upon the magic that permeates California’s Wine Country.
Even beyond being an ideal place for the production of grapes, the Wine
Country is a land blessed by nature’s gentlest and kindest hand. It has an optimal
climate, rarely enduring extreme heat or extreme cold, but remaining
comfortably temperate throughout most of the year. Yet, the climate is only the
beginning of the wonderful environment of the Wine Country. It is a beautiful
land, with rolling hills, rugged mountains, large rivers, towering redwoods, a
stunning coastline, and a remarkable amount of remote backcountry beckoning
to be explored. Even though Luther Burbank is not associated with the area’s
wine-making history, it is not surprising that the land he saw as the choicest
place on Earth for the raising of plants would be given over to the production of
grapes and the making of some of the finest wines in the world.
While the Wine Country is justly famous as a destination for viticulture
tourism, it is often overlooked as a fantastic place for hitting the trail and
exploring some fantastically beautiful landscapes. Many of the qualities that help
produce world-class wines also make the Wine Country an incredible hiking
experience. The temperate climate means that all of the trails can be hiked year-
round. Whether it is the heart of winter or the peak of summer, you can still get
out and hike spectacular trails. The land itself demands to be enjoyed and
presents itself to the hiker with amazing diversity. Hikes in the Wine Country
travel through large, lovely valleys filled with vast vineyards as well as to
rugged mountaintops with sweeping views. The windswept coastline and tall
redwoods seem far removed from the volcanic cliffs and serpentine deserts that
are only a short distance away.
As beautiful and diverse as the land may be, it is embellished by human
works, both past and present. The vineyards and wineries add a peaceful, bucolic
quality to many of the trails. They cover the ground with their ordered rows, a
giant, productive quilt yielding some of the finest wine grapes in the world.
Where many human endeavors detract from the beauty of the land, viticulture
only seems to increase it. Vineyards are not the only man-made works that can
be appreciated from the trails in the Wine Country. Many of the hikes are filled
with history, including the birth of California statehood, colonial forts, and
rugged pioneers. The Wine Country is one of the most historic parts of
California, and hikers have a fantastic opportunity to explore these landmarks
while enjoying the wonderful natural setting.
Geography
The heart of the Wine Country consists of Napa and Sonoma Counties, the
northernmost and most rural of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Their
inclusion with the large urban area is based on, among other things, their
presence along the northern edge of San Francisco Bay and their historic
orientation toward the events and economics of the bay. Geographically,
however, Napa and Sonoma Counties both lie at the southern end of the North
Coast Range. This means that many of the factors that go into the production of
wine are brought about by a geography that is northward looking, away from the
bay.
California’s North Coast Range hugs the coastline, extending north from San
Francisco Bay until it pushes up against the vast Klamath Mountains. From
there, it continues north along the coast as a narrow strip of mountains until it
merges into Oregon’s Coast Range. This mountainous region can be divided into
the three general regions. The first is the long string of rugged, low hills and
ridges that extend north from San Francisco Bay all the way to Oregon. The
second region lies to the east and consists of an extensive high-elevation alpine
area with vast stands of conifer forests; a few small, alpine lakes; and tall,
rugged peaks over 7,000 feet high. The highest point is Mount Linn, sometimes
known as South Yolla Bolly Mountain, which climbs to a lofty 8,092 feet. This
part of the North Coast Range begins north of Lake County’s Clear Lake and
continues north until it runs into the geologically distinct Klamath Mountains.
The third and final area is in the south, between Clear Lake and San Francisco
Bay. This area is also very mountainous, but the elevation is much lower and the
mountains are punctuated by several large valleys.
The Wine Country covers most of the third area—the lower mountains and
valleys—as well as a section of the coastal hills and ridges. The spine of this
entire area is the long Mayacamas Mountains, a significant subrange of the
North Coast Range. The Mayacamas extend from the Cow Mountain area, on the
west side of Clear Lake, nearly 75 miles to the south, where the mountains
finally fade away into the tidal marshes at San Francisco Bay. These are the

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