In October 2025, I helped lead a Stanford Alpine Club intro to backpacking trip to Point Reyes. We drove two hours from Stanford to the Bear Valley visitor center on a Saturday morning and hiked six miles to Wildcat campsite. It had rained that morning and was misty during the hike, which felt super refreshing coming from Palo Alto where the grass and everything is dry during that time of the year.
We hung out at the beach during the afternoon and made a campfire with smores at night. So many bugs were jumping onto my feet and ankles from the sand; it was insane. The next morning, I got up around 45 minutes before sunrise and made my way to the beach to watch the huge waves and the beach and mountains begin to lighten.
Wildcat campsite is so nice, and it was fun meeting and talking to different people throughout the weekend. I think that outdoor trips in general are nice for getting to spend quality, undistracted time with people.