Mt. Diablo has been beckoning me this April, as I’ve been out there three times this month already – Diablo 50K, then a prep hike in Mitchell Canyon and finally the Four Days Diablo adventure. The Four Days Diablo is an event that’s put together by the Save Mount Diablo non-profit, that cannot be described simply, as it’s so many things rolled into one:
- it’s a group hike through six regional parks traversing land banks and not-yet-public lands
- camping with gourmet food and drinks
- education on conserving the Diablo range
- learning about the Bay Miwoks that lived around here for more than 10,000 years
- lessons on geology and ecology of this land
- guest speakers sharing their knowledge of flora and fauna
- wildflowers galore
- not to mention a fundraiser as well!
With 22 people in the group (plus Ted Clement the executive director, staff & volunteers that made sure we were pampered before and after the hikes), being with fellow nature/mountain lovers for four days was just a rare treat.
The overall hike added up to about 33 miles, 7,785 ft of climbing and roughly 15 hours of moving time. Not exactly “glamping”, for sure! The Four Days Diablo route follows a virtual Diablo Trail that connects six different regional preserves, offering expansive views of the peaks all four days. As I started discussing this travelogue with my wife, we came to a quick realization how immensely dense in experience these four days were! Each of the threads could’ve easily unraveled into a long blog on its own. So this one will largely be pictures showcasing highlights of this epic journey.
Four Days Diablo: Day #1 – Shell Ridge
Robert Simmons (a long time supporter of Save Mount Diablo) led us on the initial section of the hike telling us about the fascinating origin of the conservation effort as well as how some of the trails came to be.
The Wall Point rollers were probably the hardest section of Day 1. We all slowly made it up distracting ourselves with so many endemic plants and flowers. We got to Rock City around 4:30pm and Save Mount Diablo had reserved the entire Live Oak Campground for us! We setup our respective tents and were treated to an amazing dinner cooked up by the staff! Post-dinner, guest speaker Joseph Belli gave a talk about condors and read an excerpt from his book “Beneath a Black and White Sky“.
Four Days Diablo: Day #2 – Curry Canyon
Our naturalist on this section was Malcolm Sproul, who’s been with the organization for three decades! He was a veritable source of knowledge on the flora and fauna, having wandered these trails for so long.
Day 2 wasn’t as difficult and we were all happy to get to Curry Canyon Ranch (a new’ish land acquisition by Save Mount Diablo) with real showers, a ranch house, a fantastic performance by Save Mount Diablo’s very own Blue Eyed Grass band, followed by an amazing dinner cooked on-site by Postino! Stewart Beatty, the owner and chef of this restaurant, was there in person with his family to pamper us all, and with their incredible generosity had donated the entire dinner to Save Mount Diablo! Guest speaker for the night was Vishal Subramanyan, a wildlife conservation photographer. He gave us a presentation of his work, and we were especially spellbound to hear about the tales of Notch, a bobcat that Vishal followed for over six years.
Four Days Diablo: Day #3 – Highlands Ridge
This was one of the most scenic days of Four Days Diablo, on the rolling Highlands Ridge with expansive views. This included one segment through a private property (we had permission to use it!) and another section through a Land Bank – preserved land owned by Save Mount Diablo, but not open to public yet. Hiking on Highlands Ridge really gave one the immense scope of the conservation effort led by Save Mount Diablo.
This was another hard day, though not as warm as the first one. Dinner tonite was catered by Live Oak Grilling and they had cooked up another feast for us! We went for a night hike with Sean Burke, an ex-Mt. Diablo ranger and now Director of Land Programs at Save Mount Diablo, to visit an archaeological site with many bedrock mortars. The Morgan Territory campsite was gusty! I woke up in the middle of the night to gale winds and wondering if the tent stakes were going to hold!
Four Days Diablo: Day #4 – Morgan Territory
This last day was relatively short as we had to get to the staging area by lunch. However, Morgan Territory was unique amongst the four days, with so many bedrock mortar sites, a remnant of the thriving Native American population that lived here for thousands of years.
When we got back to the staging area, I felt sad that it was over already – always so damn hard to leave the mountains! The staff and volunteers were there to welcome us back – lots of high fives, hugs and a sense of accomplishment for sure. As much as this blog is about remembering & documenting this unique experience, it’s also a nudge to those that read it to support the beautiful land that’s in our backyard. Multiple times during these four days, I felt that we don’t have to really travel far to experience awe and wonder. It’s just a short drive!
Support Save Mount Diablo
While most of us in the Bay Area see the head of the Mt. Diablo range (near Walnut Creek), it’s hard to fathom the extent of this range – the southern most tip is in the Kern County, near Bakersfield! That’s a span of over 200 miles, covering 12 different counties! Here’s a video that Save Mount Diablo released in 2024 about the Diablo Range:
Follow this link to support Save Mount Diablo to continue its important conservation efforts to preserve, defend, restore, educate and enjoy this beautiful land.
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