Carol Vellutini
Chapter Outings Chair

Congratulations to North Group Outings Chair Allison on the birth of her baby girl. Thank you Susan for taking over in her absence.

Napa Group leader Alison had a successful car camping outing for singles. Sonoma and Napa will be offering more of these. Pat and I had a fun camping trip to the Sonoma Coast earlier.

Thanks also to Sonoma Group leaders Paul, Jim and Roger for training new backpackers and leading intermediate and advanced members into the wilderness. Paul's backpacking seminar was informative and well done.

If you are signing up for the winter trips, please mail your checks in early to avoid being disappointed. Trips fill up fast. Please be sure you have a Sno-Park, if one is required. Santa Rosa area, note that Sonoma Outfitters has passes and also rents snowshoes. Ask for Chard. If you are reserving at Clair Tappaan for a Friday night, also call that in early.

garbage in the dark 1,400-foot catacomb. Right before the rains Bill and I, with the help of Santa Rosa environmental specialist Steve, led a group to clean up the trash. With the aid of flashlights we took out a pickup load of yucky garbage. Had we not cleaned it up, the first flush would have carried it downstream. We timed it just right as two weeks later Santa Rosa creek was running at 1000 cubic feet per second right by there. All creeks need to be kept free of trash.

Sonoma Group will be putting up the Hood Mt. Regional Park sign on the Nattkemper Trail and sprucing up Clark's bench sometime soon. We will need lots of volunteers to help carry up supplies.