VIGNETTE > California Alpine Club

In 1913, a few hikers from Oakland and San Francisco met Sunday mornings to hike in Marin. Notices in The Call, a San Francisco newspaper, informed hikers of these outings. They formed a club and distributed a printed hike schedule.  By 1914 the club had 84 members. They adopted California Alpine Club as the club’s name and the arrowhead as its symbol.  During World War I, 74 of the 206 members served in the military. In the 1920s, the club purchased a stone cottage on Throckmorton Ridge. Since then, the building has been expanded several times, mostly with volunteer help. It now has a professional kitchen, a large event hall and sleeping accommodations in the main building as well as in a dormitory building. It is located at 730 Panoramic Highway, near the Mountain Home Inn. In 1952, with a membership of close to 500, younger members urged the club to purchase a ski lodge a mile off Highway 50 at Echo Summit. The historic lodge with its commanding view of Lake Tahoe is a favorite retreat for members to ski and hike in the Sierra. Both lodges have been maintained, enlarged and preserved by dedicated members.  Today, the club offers its more than 700 members weekly hikes, social events, outings and other activities.