Why We Love the Mountain

Mount Diablo is part of me and as many of us might say, it’s my mountain. That personal ownership of a place speaks to its ability to shape and transform us, to wend itself into our fiber and to stand as an icon we can always find our way back to. This is a place of natural wonder and remote beauty no doubt, but it is also a place we share with others, where we make and mark celebrations and memories. No less fascinating than what we find in nature is who we find admiring it and that spark of understanding we see across their face when they learn something new.

It is why I became a volunteer here and certainly why I dedicate myself to leading this wonderful organization that seeks to spark that imagination in everyone who visits. It is why I am passionate about building an education center in Mitchell Canyon so that we have the best tools available to imbue those who come with the same sense of ownership that I have. And to make it their mountain.

Since moving to the East Bay 10 years ago, I was thrilled to discover the wonders of Mount Diablo.  I have been fortunate to ride my bike up to the Junction weekly and to be able to observe the ever changing mountain.  My work at the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center as a docent inspired me to help lead this campaign to re-imagine what that site could be for visitors and for student field trips.  We have the ability to create a plaza and classroom that will serve the visitors and students for the next 50 years in a tribute to our motto…”Preservation through Education”.  My wife and I were honored to make a significant contribution to the campaign to make this vision a reality.

My introduction to Mount Diablo came as a young boy traveling the harrowing curvy roads to Rock City for a picnic with family visiting our Concord home. Many pairs of jeans were worn out sliding down those fantastic sandstone formations. I was fortunate to have Michael Marchiano as a neighbor and he introduced me to our wonderful natural world. When he was employed by Diablo Ranch, I was able to travel with him on the property. My favorite memory of that was standing in the shade of some large valley oaks on a summer day and seeing a big puff of feathers nearby. A Cooper’s Hawk had just made a catch for a meal. I never saw the birds. It was a very quick experience but one that left me in awe of how much can go unnoticed if I was not alert. I am now so focused on observing, learning, and being constantly amazed at the world within Mount Diablo State Park. I know that there are many boys and girls who like me would be captivated by the stories that could be shared and the knowledge passed on about life in the world outside our cities and suburban communities.

Mount Diablo has served as an escape for me on many weekends after long weeks of work and commuting. As a student, I studied Entomology at U. C. Berkeley and enjoyed exploring Mitchell Canyon in search of insects, birds and other animals. When I retired from the State of California, I became a Mount Diablo State Park docent volunteer. I love to teach visitors - especially children - about the insects, as well as other fauna and flora that can be seen on the mountain. My wife and I have hiked many parts of Mount Diablo State Park with our family.
I am truly excited about the possibility of teaching school children in a new, classroom-like setting in Mitchell Canyon, and providing all visitors with fascinating educational displays. That is why we support and have donated to the campaign to build a new education center and dream of the joys it will bring to all who come to Mitchell Canyon for decades to come!

After I retired from over 30 years in public education, I began cycling, hiking, and studying Mount Diablo.  I was surprised to learn how few school groups visit the mountain, and how many Contra Costa residents have never been to Mount Diablo.  I noticed that other parks and agencies had robust school programs, but not Mount Diablo.  I learned that the narrow roads of the park are not suitable for school buses.  As a result, students came in carpools driven by parents who were available during the school day.  Other students were not coming.
I jumped at the opportunity to expand access to all student communities by building a permanent education center in Mitchell Canyon, which is accessible by school buses.  My dream is that students from all neighborhoods will visit the park, and, maybe, their parents will follow.

Our family goes to the mountain to hike and enjoy the wildflowers and the birds throughout the seasons.  As a volunteer docent working at the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center, I delight in sharing the exhibits with the children and their families.  I would like to see a classroom built for the students and an outdoor patio which could then tell the story of the mountain to visitors and help us preserve its treasures for the next hundred years.   For that reason, we have contributed to and support the current campaign to raise funds to make the dream of an educational center happen as soon as possible.

Mount Diablo has been a part of my life since I moved to Walnut Creek 40 year ago. I have completed many hikes over the years, and my favorite hike was one I shared with my son and his boy scout troop. We departed from Mitchell Canyon and hiked all the way up the summit and back on a beautiful spring day. That was the first time I had ever been to Mitchell Canyon and that was also the hardest hike I’ve ever done! More recently I often visit the park by bike, along with my husband. We chose Mount Diablo as the place to exchange our vows 10 years ago, and we return to our Wedding Spot many times to share a kiss. Mount Diablo is the natural crown jewel of the San Francisco Bay Area and deserves an accessible and modern Education Center for future generations to experience adventures of their own.

I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying  the amazing parks here in the Bay Area since I moved here 40 years ago.  And of all the parks I’ve visited I do believe that Mount Diablo is the most magnificent park of all.  It’s majesty, beauty and variety never cease to delight me.
A few years ago I began volunteering at the park, helping visitors learn about its trails, its flora and fauna, and its many other attractions.  While it’s easy to appreciate Mount Diablo the moment one arrives at the mountain, in order for visitors to get the most out of their visit I believe that the park needs a much improved visitor center.  A larger, modern center, with an outdoor pavilion, containing far more interpretive displays than the current small trailer allows for, would greatly enrich the experience of all of the park’s visitors.  And the design that’s been proposed to modernize the facility will finally allow for school field trips to introduce this magical place to thousands of children throughout the East Bay.
Many people have generously contributed to our fundraising campaign to allow a new center to be built.  I hope you’ll join the effort. 

I have a lifelong history and love for Mount Diablo. As a boy I explored every crevice and cave of Rock City. As a teenager I would cruise on my bike from the summit to the base. As a young adult I’d enjoy the Round Top and Lookout picnic areas with friends. When I became a parent, my wife and I shared the wonders of the mountain—including snow—with our two children. As an older adult, I continue to visit the summit to marvel at the miles of surrounding landscape. What is your Mount Diablo Story?