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austin sierra club outings

local outings...

HIKING eventSATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH - TURKEY CREEK HIKE

We’ll meet at 9 am at the Nature Trail parking lot and begin hiking at 9:15. DOGS are OK!Directions- City Park road is just west of 360 off of 2222. Travel up City Park Road until you pass thorough gates announcing Emma Long Park. Shortly after the gates, you will see a small sign that announces the nature trail parking lot ahead. Park and look for our group. BRING WATER FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG. Bring snacks and dog treats, hiking shoes, a hat and sun screen. Any questions? Call Jan for info at 326-2690 or email .

learn to rowSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, 2 PM - ROWING LESSON ON LADY BIRD LAKE

Rowing Club in downtown Austin. Go out on the lake in an 8-person rowing shell http://bit.ly/jXoVU, with experienced rowers to show you how. See http://bit.ly/bxzde for photos of what this outing will be like. It’s free and it’s fun. If attending, email Jack at for directions/map and parking.

********** EVENT CANCELLED ** Sorry, but the trail has been closed ****

HIKING eventSATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH - 5-MILE HIKE ON SLAUGHTER CREEK TRAIL

Meet at 10 am. The hike will be limited to 6 people since the trail is located in a sensitive environmental area in far south Austin. Email Katie at to reserve your spot and get directions to the trailhead.

HIKING eventNOVEMBER 22ND, SUNDAY - BRIGHT LEAF AFTERNOON HIKE

Meet at 3pm at the Bright Leaf Preserve trailhead parking lot for a hilly 4 mile hike with excellent fall colors. From the MOPAC/2222 intersection, take 2222 west 1.1 miles . Just ater passing the traffic light at Mesa Drive, turn left on Creek Mountain Road. Go 0.1 mile to bottom of hill and turn right on Old Bull Creek Road. Go 0.1 mile and turn left through an unmarked gate to the parking lot. No reservations needed. Pets not permitted in the preserve. For more info: http://www.brightleaf.org or email Niles Seldon .

HIKING eventCAMPING outingWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH - ANNUAL BIG BEND TRIP. THANKSGIVING AT BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK - A Sierra Club Fundraiser

for complete details, follow this link: BIGBEND2009

HIKING event SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 – HIKING AT MCKINNEY ROUGHS

Meet at 9 am at SE corner of Omni parking lot off of South I-35 and Ben White. We will explore the various eco-zones of this beautiful park and walk through pine forests as well as along the unspoiled shoreline of the Colorado River. The hike will be 7-9 miles and we will walk at a good pace. We will stop for lunch at a 200 year old pecan tree. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen, hiking shoes, hat and snacks. Call Jan for info at 326-2690 or
email .

Important Legal Notices:
  • In order to participate on one of the Sierra Club's outings, you will need to sign a liabilityLegal notices waiver. If you would like to read a copy prior to the outing, please see: Sierra Club Liability Waiver Form OR call (415) 977-5630.
  • In the interest of facilitating the logistics of some outing, it is customary that participants make carpooling arrangements. The Sierra Club does not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

*** THE FOLLOWING EVENT IS NOT PRODUCED OR SPONSORED BY THE SIERRA CLUB AND THE CLUB WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ITS PLANNING OR PRESENTATION ****

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH - 7 PM - LECTURE AT UT

Global Warming - Lone Star Impacts, a lecture by Dr. Gerald R. North
Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanography,
Harold J. Haynes Endowed Chair in Geosciences at Texas A&M University. Climate change is coming to Texas but how much and in what ways will Texas be affected by global warming? Will central Texas become a desert? Will rainfall actually increase? Will there be more wildfires? Will there be more hurricanes? What kind of climate change does Texas need to be ready for? Climate expert Gerald North will discuss climate change and its effect on the Lone Star state and its people. Location: UT Campus, Welch Hall 2.224. Schedule: 5:45-7pm - Pre-lecture Fun; 7-8:15pm - Lecture

HIKING eventSATURDAY, DECEMBER 5TH: 11-MILE GEORGETOWN GREENBELT HIKE

Meet at 9 AM at Gateway REI (9901 Capital of Texas Highway) to hikefrom Georgetown to Lake Georgetown Dam. Bring lunch and water. For more information: email Philip at .

HIKING eventSATURDAY, DECEMBER 19TH: HOLIDAY SHOPPING HIKE

Starting at 11:30am at the Downtown Public Library, 800 Guadalupe. Join us for a combination holiday shopping excursion and urban walk, as we bypass the crowded malls and big box stores, and visit places featuring local and earth-friendly merchandise. Stops may include the Farmers Market, second hand shops, and various unique merchants. Bring reusable shopping bag, cash for lunch, and Cap Metro fare. Reservations not needed. Niles Seldon .

CAMPING outingHIKING event

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31ST – SATURDAY, JANUARY 2ND: ONCE IN A BLUE MOON NEW YEAR’S CAMPOUT

Celebrate the New Year under a Blue Moon at Bastrop State Park. Thursday night, we’ll usher in the New Year under the full moon; Friday and Saturday offer the opportunity for hiking, biking, fishing, and recovering from Thursday night in the Lost Pines of Bastrop and Buescher State Parks. Bring a party food and a libation to share for New Year’s Eve. Decorations and silly hats will be furnished by the Club. Fee: $40. Fee includes camping fee, breakfast, lunch, and New Year’s Day dinner on Friday, breakfast on Saturday, and silly hats. Additional fees: park entrance and parking for vehicles not parked at campsites. Contact Steve Funderburg ( ) for more information or to sign up.

HIKING eventSUNDAY, JANUARY 10TH: SHOW OFF YOUR NEW STUFF HIKE

Starting at Noon at REI Downtown, 601 N Lamar. Whether your new possessions are material (jackets, boots, backpacks - perhaps brought by Santa) or abstract (attitudes, beliefs, resolutions), this 4 mile hike will give the opportunity to show the new you for 2010. Reservations not needed. Join us for food and drink afterwards. Niles Seldon .
OAKLEAF LOGO
Exploring Austin's green spaces on your own?

Check out this website which lists the Austin Nature Preserves. The site provides links to lots of the small pockets of green around the Austin area - great for a family afternoon nature outing. NATURE PRESERVES

dog no dogOk, about those dogs. First, let's establish that we love 'em, bless their furry hearts. Unfortunately, not all dogs are fully socialized and not all people share our affection for them. Because of some nasty instances in California (where else?) in which dogs not fully under the control of their owners managed to chomp a hike participant, Sierra Club National lawyers (who else?) have told us to restrict dogs from all outings unless the outings leaders specifically state that the hike is 'dog-friendly.' Please observe all restrictions on pets posted for an outing. If there is no mention of pets (either 'dog-friendly' or 'no dogs, please') please check with the outings leader before bringing Bowser along on a hike. Thanks. (woof)

austin sierra club outings

social events ...


These events will bring together Sierra Club members and potential members, both singles and families, in order to learn about, enjoy, and discuss the outdoors, our environment and issues related to both. Sierra Club Social Events may be led by a Sierra Club member who is not a certified Outings Leader.

Sierra Social eventNONE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED.

austin sierra club outings

major outings and fund-raisers...

Aninini Beach, Hawaii TripMajor Outings are trips longer than a weekend. A portion of the trip fee, after all trip expenses have been deducted, is returned to the Austin Sierra Club as a donation and is applied to club expenses such as the cost of the production of the monthly newsletter, The Austin Sierran. Major Outings are always led by qualified and certified Sierra Club Outings Leaders, all of whom are experienced leaders and are trained in Wilderness First Aid.

Major Outings are planned yearly by participating Outings Leaders at a special meeting in January. If you would like to contribute ideas for a major outing, inquire about a specific major outing or simply be kept informed of upcoming outings as they are planned, please contact the current Outings Chair, Steve Funderburg ( )
Legally required notice: Seller of Travel identification number: CST 2087766-40 Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California .
The following MAJOR OUTINGS are currently planned for 2009. Watch this space for major trips as they are planned and developed. Details will be added as they come available.

Watch this space for additional details as they become available or contact the trip leader to be placed on a contact list of interested participants.

  • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29 - ANNUAL BIG BEND TRIP. THANKSGIVING AT BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
    A Sierra Club Fundraiser

    Spend the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in magnificent Big Bend National Park, where you will experience the deep canyons of the Rio Grande river, the vast openness of the Chihuahuan desert, and the awe-inspiring views from the Chisos Mountains. Desert hikes will include remote canyons, isolated springs, and unique geological formations. In the mountains, we will find sharp contrasts as the plant and animal life changes rapidly from the agave and lechugilla of the desert to the grasslands and pinon pine, alligator juniper and live oak at the higher elevations. Animals of the Big Bend include coyotes, javelina, mule deer, hawks, golden eagles, and, very rarely, mountain lions and black bears.

    Base Camp: Rio Grande Village, with restrooms, showers (until 6:00 pm) and which is a short distance from the Hot Springs. A second camp will be set up at the Chisos Basin, surrounded by the magnificent Chisos mountains.

    Average Thanksgiving temperatures are about 30 to 70 degrees, but we have had temperatures as low as 16 and as high as 90 on some trips.

    Transportation: 15-passenger vans, limited to 10 passengers for comfort. The vans will leave Wednesday morning and arrive in Big Bend by the evening. Vans will return to Austin on Sunday by about 6 pm.

    Price: $260 for Rio Grande Village ($285 for non-members), or $270 for Chisos Basin ($295 for non-members). This includes transportation, all meals in camp (including a big Thanksgiving feast), entrance and camping fees. The fee is based on the current price of gasoline. If the price of gas rises significantly, a surcharge may be assessed at the time of the trip.

    Pre-trip Information: Participants will receive a pre-trip newsletter in November with complete hike descriptions and an equipment checklist. There will be a pre-trip meeting on Wednesday, November 11 at 6:30 pm (location to be determined). It is important that you attend this meeting, as final transportation arrangements will be made.

    Contact Steve Funderburg at 512-809-6094 or if you need additional information

or follow this link for more details and photos: Big Bend 2009.

  • XC SKI 2009 JAN 20th THROUGH JANUARY 25TH, 2010 - Craftsbury Commons, VT

    Come a join us for 4-days of XC skiing at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Commons, VT ( www.craftsbury.com ). We went there last year. There are 85km of groomed trails, linked to Catamount Trail (more miles of trails than you can handle). Lodging in informal friendly hotel type double rooms with shared bath. Three home cooked hearty meals daily in central dining hall, vegetarian available. Possible day trip to Stowe, VT and Trapp Family Lodge & XC Ski Resort. Trip price of app $800 (depending on final number of participants) include lodging, meals, trail pass, ground transportation, donation to Sierra Club. R/T airfare (estimated at $340), ski rental ($15/day), lessons, 1-2 meals eating out, and misc are your expense. You need to make you own airplane reservations to arrive at Burlington (BTV) before 4.00pm Wednesday, January 20, 2010 and leave Burlington (BTV) after noon on Monday, January 25, 2010. Trip limited to maximum 10 people. For further details contact Doug Strange,     .
SPECIAL NOTICE FOR BACKPACKERS: Disappointed that the Austin Group does not offer more backpack trips? Check out the outings available on the DALLAS SIERRA CLUB website. They frequently offer a lot more backpack trips than we do.
Are you a camping 'newbie'? Check out the Austin Sierra Club Camping Guide for information about what to bring, what to expect and some of the secrets of the woods that will help you camp like a pro. Click on this link: CAMPING

Can't find the outing you are looking for? Check out the special links to outdoor activities. The links includes paths to the outings offerings of other Lone Star Sierra Clubs around the state as well as to other non-Sierra Club outdoor outings organizations. Check it out at: ADDITIONAL OUTINGS LINKS
Antelope Canyon, Escalante TripWant to see what we see when we go on an outing? Check out the Austin Sierra Club Outings Photo Gallery and take a VIRTUAL TRIP with us.

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Last updated:  November 18, 2009   Content © 1999-2002 by the Sierra Club.