About us
This is not a regular group. Please do not ask to join UNLESS you have hikes regularly with the Sonoma County Wanderers. This is a sub group of the Sonoma County Wanderers. You need to first be an active member of the Sonoma County Wanderers. Once you have an established hiking record (20+ hikes) with the Sonoma County Wanderers and are ready to hit the road and see distant parts of the world then you are ready to join this second group! This is a hiking and traveling group. Adventure and fitness are the name of the game!!
Most important fact to be aware of!!
There is limited availability on the trips. If you are serious about traveling out of Sonoma/Marin county with the group then you will need to have a STRONG presence on the moderate-strenuous and strenuous Sonoma County Wanderer hikes with the organizers...Leigh, Joseph or Yannick. We have found that Annabel and similar hikes will NOT prepare you for hiking outside of California. I will always put the hikers that have been recently hiking the long strenuous and moderate- strenuous hikes consistently on the list first. Those are the hikers that are going to be prepared for these trips. Another hiking habit to develop to prepare for these trips is to sign up for multiple day hikes in a row without a day break in between. The trips sound exciting and adventurous but they are not for everyone. If you truly enjoy the moderate 2-3.5 hour hikes the best and find yourself gravitating to those choices, then a SIGHTSEEING international trip is more suitable for you rather than a trekking trip.
Upcoming events
4
Cliffs, Castles & Celtic Paths on the Emerald Isle of Ireland
Location not specified yetItinerary: Ireland for meeting.docx
May 1–17, 2025
### Trip Overview
Embark on a breathtaking journey through the heart of Ireland, from the lively streets of Dublin to the remote cliffs and emerald isles of the northwest. With spectacular moderate hikes, cinematic scenery, island adventures, and warm local charm, this trip blends outdoor exploration with cultural immersion. Our group will travel together in a private 32 passenger bus with our own driver AND personal guide — Con O’Donnell, a longtime member of our hiking group.
### Planned Highlights-some changes to be expected
- Dublin sightseeing, including Trinity College & the Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse, and historic castles
- Hikes at Giant’s Causeway, Malin Head, Mount Errigal, Glenveagh, Aranmore Island, Glencolmcille, and Sliabh Liag
- Scenic journey from Donegal to Dingle with stops at Sligo, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, and Adare
- Iconic hikes on the Dingle Way and the Kerry Way
- Evenings in colorful towns with music, pubs, and local culture
### Day-to-Day Summary
May 1: Depart San Francisco
May 2–3: Dublin sightseeing and hop-on-hop-off bus tour
May 4–7: Letterkenny based hiking — Giant’s Causeway, Malin Head, Ards Forest, Mount Errigal, Glenveagh
May 8: Ferry to Aranmore Island — hike and overnight
May 9–11: Donegal based hiking — Glencolmcille, Sliabh Liag
May 12: Scenic drive to Dingle via Sligo, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty, Adare
May 13–14: Best of the Dingle Way hikes, transfer to Killarney
May 15–16: Two days hiking the Kerry Way highlights, return to Dublin
May 17: Fly homeIt is moderate hiking with a challenge or two thrown in!
### Cost
- Double Occupancy: $3,000 per person (this is a bit higher than usual due to the dedicated bus and driver we will have)
- Single Occupancy: +$700
- Airfare: Approx. $1,200 round-trip nonstop SFO–Dublin
- Business class approx. $4,400
We can take about 18 people. Everyone will go on the waiting list. People that have been hiking regularly in 2025 on the longer day hikes will get first dibs!
Please be aware that all ADDITIONS AND ADD ONS TO THE TRIP NEED TO BE DONE AFTER THE ESTABLISHED TRIP.25 attendees
Redwoods Hiking Retreat at Mendocino Woodlands St. Park! Memorial Wknd
Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association, 39350 Little Lake Rd, Mendocino, CA, US4 nights and 3 full days of hiking on trails that most of you never knew existed. You will spend this time deep in the redwoods in Mendocino. The trails are SPECTACULAR, and we will never leave the park. Each day is 5-13 miles of hiking. You also will have time to relax, reflect and rejuvenate! Those forests have something special...trust me!!
You have the alternative to also take a shorter walk with Diane Evans and using the park map to guide you
You will be assigned a tent cabin, put on a meal team to provide, cook and clean up for one meal in the dining hall. All other meals will be provided and served to you.
This is $250 pp. for the event pp.
- $250 pp for the event. You are welcome to check in any day, but it is REQUIRED that you stay until Monday to be part of the "clean up and get out" effort.
- If you stay offsite, in a vehicle parked in the parking lot or in your own tent in the small tent area there is fee of $150 pp. to participate.
We will be staying in the tent cabins. 2-3 to a tent unless you WANT 4. You can group yourself up, if you like. Otherwise, I will be organizing the cabins. If you have designated roommates that you have already planned on, please indicate in the comments.
More details to follow BUT mark your calendars and get your $100 deposit in and once you have completed the camper information sheet as well, (Camper information for Mendocino Retreat 2025.xlsx) you will be assigned a tent cabin, roommates, meal team and added to the RSVP attending list.
Send your checks to Leigh Skizewski 2305 Lytton Springs Rd Healdsburg,CA 95448.
Events:
Thursday...early bird welcome at 5:00 pm. Feel free to come Thursday or Friday!
Dinner will be served around 6:30
Friday Morning:
Official start at 8AM. Breakfast and self-serve picnic station will be available for your lunch.
We will do a 9-13 mile moderate hike. You are welcome to turn around and return to camp at any time. With a swim available. We will have a dinner team for Friday night.
There will be a special appearance from the Wanderer Thespians. There will be a short comedy skit presented after dinner. Watch out! The drama skills will amaze you. Hopefully we will have the famous director, Susanna again!
Saturday
8AM Breakfast and self-serve picnic station will be available for your lunch.
9AM We will do a 9-13 mile moderate hike. You are welcome to turn around and return to camp at any time. The craft corner will be open in the afternoon. Last year we did nature journaling.
Dinner will be served by a meal team and then we will have the Wanderer Variety Show. We take any entries to the show. It would be great if you come up with something, but if you want to simply watch, that is fine!
Sunday
8AM Breakfast and self-serve picnic station will be available for your lunch.
We will do a 9-13 mile moderate hike. You are welcome to turn around and return to camp at any time.
We will make the rounds to see all of the tent cabins that decorated and declare a yearly winner. There is a tent cabin contest every year. Please feel free to enter or not!
Dinner will be served by a meal team and then we will have our anniversary party!! We will once again have live music by the fire.
Monday
Breakfast to be served by a meal team.
Final awards and badges to be presented and then we clean up and get out!1 attendee
Dreams CAN come true!! AN EPIC BACKPACKING TREK IN THE REMOTE ALASKA RANGE
Location not specified yetTraverse the Alaskan frontier through one of the most wild and remote landscapes left on Earth.
Lake Clark is the second least visited national park for a reason. There are no roads to get here, and you won’t be hiking on any trails. The only way in is by a jaw-dropping float plane ride from Anchorage, touching down in a world 125 miles from civilization.
Join a group of friendly adventurers and follow your expert guide across wide open tundra, through roaring glacial rivers, and over towering mountain passes. You’ll camp next to lakes so blue they seem to glow. You’ll discover an ancient landscape roamed by bears and caribou, alive with waterfalls and glaciers, and crowned by frozen peaks that rise like walls.
This is a true backpacking adventure. You’ll return with a story only a handful of people on Earth will ever share.Ok...all of you know...I haven't recently been backpacking. My last backpacking trip was probably 15 years ago. BUT, that being said, I have always been interested in this trip. The price ($5300) is what always held me back, but now ....I'm realizing that it has been a dream of mine and I better do it if I'm going to do it. I'm not getting younger!!
Backpack Lake Clark National Park - Guided Adventure in Alaska
I'm just seeing if there is anyone that would be interested in joining me!!!! I talked with the guide regarding the "very strenuous" part and he said that it would be very doable for consistent older hikers, like ourselves. He rates it very strenuous, because he gets a lot of younger people with families and busy careers that only go to the gym. The route is also very flexible, and he can adjust it to our desires.
These dates are flexible and there also is a Denali option, that might be an option instead. This is a work in progress..
Who's in for my last backpacking adventure?????
15 attendees
Past events
459
