Sonoma hikers warm up for Thanksgiving hikes at Sugarloaf, Jack London parks

Already worried about the upcoming holiday season and its effects on your waistline? Consider these events as tune-ups for the popular Thanksgiving Weekend hikes coming later this month.

Join the intrepid hiking duo of Bill Myers and Dave Chalk on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Jack London State Historic Park to climb to the Sonoma Ridge Trail and explore the East Slope extension. Plan on arriving at the upper parking lot by 9:45 a.m. for a prompt 10 a.m. departure; note that there is a $10 parking fee. This is a very strenuous hike of 12 miles with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet. Please bring a lunch and liquids and wear clothing appropriate for the weather, rain or shine.

Bill & Dave Hikes are sponsored by Sonoma County Regional Parks, California State Parks, Team Sugarloaf, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council.

On the same day, Nov. 16, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park will be the site of three hikes, each targeted to a different interest. From 10 a.m. to noon, Breck Parkman will lead a cultural anthropology walk in honor of the original inhabitants of the area. Join this leisurely walk on the Meadow Trail as the retired Bay Area District Senior Archaeologist speaks of Sugarloaf’s cultural history, ecology and geology. Meet at the White Barn. Bring a small dish to share for a post-walk picnic. This is a bilingual, free event, please register at brownpapertickets.com/event/441963. Parking fees apply. Contact Alma at alma@sonomaecologycenter.org with your questions.

That same day, from 9 a.m. to noon, “Excursiones,” the Spanish-language hiking for fitness series, continues with a 4.3-mile round-trip hike to Neptune, on the park’s Planet Trail. Meet at the White Barn. Register at brownpapertickets.com/event/4347253; para más información, mande un correo electrónico a alma@sonomaecologycenter.org.

Lastly, a Forest Therapy walk will begin at 9:30 a.m., also on Saturday, Nov. 16, led by a certified Association of Nature and Forest Therapy practitioner. Cost is $20 or free with a Park Rx from your doctor. Register at brownpapertickets.com/event/4090665.