Activities sections

This page provides a short description for the each of the Bay Chapter's activities sections. For more detailed information, visit the sections' web pages. If the section does not have a web page, you can contact the chapter office.

Backcountry Skiing Section
The Backcountry Skiing Section organizes day tours, hut trips, snowcamps, and winter mountaineering trips for both Nordic and Alpine tourers. Participants must provide appropriate equipment for each trip. Leader contact and approval are necessary before each trip to ensure that essential arrangements have been made and that the trip members have qualifying experience and necessary equipment. Leaders must receive trip deposits prior to the trip cutoff date. A donation may be collected by the leader to support expenses of the Backcountry Skiing Section. Sierra Club hut usage costs $10 per person per night. Participants share a mutual interest in organizing challenging ski tours, and in developing an appreciation for and confidence in cross-country winter travel. They are encouraged to become actively involved in the Backcountry Skiing Section.

Backpacking Section
Trips vary from easy trail walking to serious mountaineering. All trips involve overnight camping in the field unless otherwise stated. Trips occur during all seasons of the year.

Leader contact and approval is required before each trip to ensure that essential arrangements have been made and that trip members have qualifying experience and necessary equipment. No reservation is confirmed unless payment is made to the leader, immediately upon approval. Refund policies vary according to the leader, and are subject to leader's discretion. Cancellations less than seven days prior to trip departure are not subject to refund.

Central commissary means the leader provides breakfast and dinner as well as cooking equipment at cost. It is the leader's option to provide commissary or declare the trip hot water or individual commissary, each individual to bring and prepare all his/her own food. Trip members will bring their own lunches and are responsible for cooking and other camp chores. Carpools are advised with passengers sharing total expenses.

Car Camping Section
The Car Camping Section offers a variety of camping trips in California campgrounds. The usual duration is 3 or 4 nights. Participants stay in campgrounds and explore the surrounding area. Daily hikes are generally planned by trip leaders. Pets and children under age 18 are not allowed.

East Bay Dinners (see the Events & Activities section of the Yodeler)
These dinners, held at the Berkeley Yacht Club, offer informative and entertaining slide shows about our natural environment, presented by adventurous, world-traveling guest speakers. Dinner programs are usually scheduled on the 4th Thursday of each month, except for June, July, and August.

Gay and Lesbian Sierrans Section
The Gay and Lesbian Sierrans enlist the Bay Area's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in local conservation efforts by encouraging membership in the Sierra Club, conducting a wide range of recreational programs, and motivating volunteers to address the Club's environmental priorities. GLS activities are scheduled every weekend and include day hikes, bike trips, car camping, backpacking, winter sports, and service trips, as well as occasional natural history and historical tours. Special events occur frequently throughout the year. Activities are open to all.

Hiking Section
Hikes are open to all, whether or not you are a Sierra Club member, and they go rain or shine unless otherwise noted. A voluntary donation for Hiking Section expenses may be suggested, but we do not charge fees for outings. Leaders will be at the meeting places on time and cannot wait for latecomers. Hikers should always carry ample food and water; leaders may exclude ill-equipped individuals.

Canine Hikes
are provided for people and dogs to enjoy and explore the outdoors together. Dogs hike and play off-leash, but must be well socialized with other dogs and under voice control at all times. Always bring the 4 Ls: leashes, litterbags, lunch, and liquids, with extra water for hiker and dog.

Inner City Outings (ICO)
Inner City Outings provides backpacking, day hikes, car camping, outings, and river rafting, led by experienced, competent, and motivated leaders, to segments of the Bay Area community that would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience Northern California's natural wonders. These trips go to local state and county parks, national forests and wilderness areas, and national parks.

ICO's immediate objectives are to promote interpersonal skills, to improve trip participants' self-esteem through active involvement with nature, and to have fun. This in turn serves an ultimate objective: to broaden the base for the Sierra Club's environmental education efforts. We work with a wide variety of community agencies: junior and high schools, elementary schools, alternative schools, hiking groups within a school or a church; drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs; juvenile delinquent facilities; and group homes and street programs. Most participants in ICO are young people from urban communities, but we also conduct groups for disabled persons, abused women, or any population that may not have access to outdoor activities.

River Touring Section
The River Touring Section offers a wide variety of activities for flat water and whitewater paddlers. Participants must have prior experience and must provide their own equipment.

Sierra Couples
Several outings per year especially for families, with or without children.

Sierra Singles
Variety of activities for all adults, especially singles. (Age range: late 20s-early 60s.) Children welcome at some events as noted. Hikes, camping, bicycling, softball, social/cultural activities; details in our monthly newsletter.

Snow Camping Section
Our mission is to provide training in winter backcountry skills for experienced backpackers, and to extend the usual three backpacking seasons to a fourth season. The training series includes one day of classroom instruction (Saturday, January 18, 2003) and two weekend trips (dates tbd) in the snow. A special group for families with children is also available. For "graduates" of our series, we offer weekend (and longer) trips of varying difficulty.

Solo Sierrans
We are singles who care about each other and the environment. We offer fun, friendship, and an opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor, social, and cultural activities. Our group is for all ages, with most participants over fifty. We offer day hikes, camping, bicycling, and potlucks. All are welcome; you need not be a member.