Cedar Hill State Park Day Hike/Bike (11/17/2007)

Join us for a day hike/mountain bike event at Cedar Hill State Park on Saturday, November 17^th. CHSP is an 1826 acre urban, nature preserve located on the 7500 acre Joe Pool Reservoir.  The CHSP has over 15 miles of bike trails designed by the Dallas Off-Road Biking Assoc (DORBA). These trails are both hiker and biker friendly and wind through native tall grass prairie remnants (some listed as endangered) and upland forests. There are a variety of trail lengths to hike/bike; we’ll determine which to follow at the park.  Let’s also plan to have an optional, picnic lunch after our hike/bike (~1:00 PM?) back at the trailhead.

Please RSVP by November 15th to the Evite or Young Sierrans’ email address. The park is about a 30-40 minute drive from downtown, so if you are interested in ride-sharing please see the link below. All are welcome; you need not be a Sierra Club member to attend. 

Date: Saturday, November 17th

Location: CHSP is located in Cedar Hill, TX.  Address: 1570 W FM 1382, 75104. I-35 S to 67 to exit W FM 1382 to park entrance. The DORBA Trail is located on the western side of the park.  Once you enter the park, take the South Spine Rd past the camping areas to the circle drive parking area near the DORBA trail. CHSP link: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/cedar_hill/

Ride-Share: If interested, please see the online spreadsheet for details (be sure to save your changes – ctrl-s). http://www.editgrid.com/user/youngsierrans/Ride_Share_-_Day_Hike_%26_Bike_Event_-_11-17-2007

Time: Plan to arrive at DORBA trailhead by 10:00 AM.

Cost: Park entrance fee = ~$5 per vehicle. BYO Picnic Lunch.

Details: Additional details, our contact numbers and a weather update will be sent via email to all yes/maybe RSVPs by 11/16. In the meantime, feel free to email youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org with any questions.

Great Trinity Forest Day Hike (11/4)

Please join us for a guided day hike in the Great Trinity Forest on Sunday, 11/4. The Great Trinity Forest is less than 4 miles from downtown and is one of Dallas’ true natural treasures. An organization called Groundwork Dallas currently helps maintain 3 hiking trails in the Great Trinity Forest: The Gateway Trail, The Texas Buckeye Trail and The Sycamore/Dixon Trail. Each trail is a natural surface nature trail and offers the hiker a unique opportunity to experience the magic of the Great Trinity Forest, one of the largest (7,000 acres) urban, bottomland, hardwood forests in the country.

Groundwork Dallas will guide us on a 4 mile hike (approx. 2 hours) that would be considered “easy” to “moderate” since the terrain is level or on a modest incline. We will also provide everyone with trash bags that can be used to help clean up the forest while we are hiking.

Let’s meet up at Kozy Kitchen for breakfast and then we will drive to the trail head to start our hike around 10:30 AM!

• Breakfast at Kozy Kitchen at 9 AM. (http://thekozy.net/)
• Hike begins at 10:30 AM (The Gateway Trail)
• Hike starts at Renda Rd meadow trailhead (http://www.groundworkdallas.org/GT4.htm)
• Trail could be muddy so wear appropriate shoes. Bring gloves for trash pick up.
• Cost of breakfast is individual responsibility. Cost of hike is FREE!
• In case of rain, please check BLOG on Sunday morning for status. We will also send a weather update email to all Evite “yes” and “maybe” respondents.

All 20s/30s are welcome; you need not be a Sierra Club member to attend. Please RSVP by 10/31 to the Evite or email youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org so we can inform Groundwork Dallas of our number of participants.

You are welcome to attend one or both of these activities. If you would just like to come to the hike, please email youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org to get more details on where to meet. We hope to see you there!

Plano Recycling Center Tour and Optional Lunch (10/27/07)

Please join the Young Sierrans for a guided tour of the City of Plano’s Allied Waste Services Recycling Center (AWSRC). This facility unveiled state-of-the-art recycling technology earlier this year. Among the innovations incorporated into the recycling facility is computer-controlled infrared technology that recognizes and separates various types of plastics without human intervention. Materials processed at this site are shipped to more than 100 mills across the globe.

Please RSVP by October 24th to the Evite or to Peter’s/Young Sierrans’ (youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org) email address. The optional lunch will be held at either Kelly’s Eastside or the Fillmore Pub following the tour. All are welcome; you need not be a Sierra Club member to attend.

Date: Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Location: AWSRC = 4200 E 14th St, 75074 (just East of Los Rios Blvd, South side). Kelly’s Eastside or Fillmore Pub. Both restaurants are located in downtown Plano (E 15th St and K Ave, 75074), which is less than a 10 minute drive from the AWSRC. We’ll decide after the tour.

Time: Plan to arrive at the AWSRC by 10:15 AM; the tour begins at 10:30 AM. Lunch will begin around 12:15 PM or after the tour concludes.

Cost: Tour = FREE!! Lunch = Individual responsibility.

Details: Additional details (if any) and my contact number will be sent via email to all “yes/maybe” RSVPs on 10/25. In the meantime, feel free to email me any questions. The facility will be in operation during our tour.

Weather: The tour will be held rain or shine.

Shakespeare in the Park (10/13/07)

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” – Oscar Wilde

Please join the Young Sierrans for an evening at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheater in Dallas to enjoy Shakespeare’s melodrama “Macbeth.” We are planning a group reservation and will need participants to *firmly* RSVP by October 10th to the Evite or Peter’s/Young Sierrans’ email address.

Date: Saturday, October 13th, 2007

Location: Samuell-Grand Park – 6200 E Grand Ave., 75223. The Amphitheater is located inside the S-G Park off Tenison Parkway, across from the Tenison Park Golf Course.

Time: Early admission/seating is at 7:00 PM (show begins at 8:15 PM). Let’s meet at 7:00 and eat prior to the performance.

Cost: Discounted group rate of $5 per person (10+ folks; $7 if fewer). Peter will front the group fee based on RSVPs received by 10/10. Pay Peter at the event. If you RSVP and don’t show, Peter will spam your email address hourly until you send him the $. 🙂

Details: SITP is a casual, outdoor event where you can bring your own picnic and favorite adult beverages. Recommended items to bring:

• blankets, etc. on which to sit in our group’s reserved lawn area
• food and drink of choice
• bug spray

Shakepeare Dallas FAQs: Shakespeare Dallas FAQs

Weather: SD rain-out policy is determined at 8:00 PM, prior to show. If weather is poor all day and Peter can get a refund, we’ll cancel on Saturday by email/blog/phone and plan an alternate dinner location for those interested.

TrinityVote – Election Day Countdown

With the November 6th election date fewer than two months away (early voting begins in late October!) it’s time to remind everyone that our work to protect the Trinity River Park from the proposed tollway project is not complete. There are many volunteer opportunities still available that range in time commitment – please visit www.trinityvote.com or contact Brooks Love (brooks.love@trinityvote.com), volunteer coordinator, for more information.

It’s important that when discussing the ordinance that you urge voters to vote *FOR* Proposition 1. The ordinance has the following effect: No road may be built within Dallas’ Trinity River levees unless it meets these criteria:

• 35 mph or less
• 4 lanes or fewer
• provides direct park access

For more details and specific ordinance verbiage, please see the TrinityVote website (http://www.trinityvote.com/ballot.asp).

10/3/07 Update – Yard signs are now available – pick yours up today to show your support!