OCHBC Mission:

Our mission is to get hikers and backpackers together for the purpose of:

This is all done with the purpose enjoying all that nature provides while meeting other outdoor enthusiasts and staying fit and healthy.

Why A Club:

Trekking with the OCHBC is a great way to get introduced to hiking and backpacking. As a club member, you will benefit from the experience, motivation, and support of a group. The group will introduce you to local hiking areas and will show you a constantly rotating selection from of our local trails. With over 2,000 members, the OCHBC is also a terrific way to meet new hiking buddies who hike at your level and speed. Most importantly, because we do a variety of weekly get-in-shape hikes, you will have the opportunity to get in better physical and mental shape prior to going out on your next extended adventure.

Who Should Join:

The group is for everybody. We welcome hikers, backpackers, and campers of all abilities and experience levels. We encourage both the new and experienced, the young and old, the slow and fast to get off the couch and to take a hike. The OCHBC group works because on any outing you will find someone that matches your fitness level, your hiking speed, and your personality. However, you should be able to walk at least 5 miles comfortably before joining this group. While there is no commitment and certainly no pressure, we do encourage those who join to commit to at least 6 hikes per year; consistancy yields both health dividends (one member has lost 60 lbs over the last 6 months) and experience.

Who Should Not Join:

While everybody is welcome, this group may not be for everybody. If you don't like laughing, sweating, pushing yourself, climbing hills, getting dirty, hanging out in the wilderness with the bears, bugs, and snakes, and/or experiencing mild levels of exhaustion at the end of a hike then this group might not be for you. If you are looking for a walking group, if you don't like climbing hills, or if you are not ready to push yourself there are plenty of other highly recommended groups available on the meet-up system. You should be able to walk at least 5 miles with hills comfortably before joining this group.

Out of shape? Slow? New to hiking?:

We hope to have many members so likely there will be somebody walking at your pace and your speed. This particular club welcomes all types especially those who are new to hiking or who have limited experience. However, we do expect you (1) to know your limits, (2) to know the rating of the route you are attempting, (3) to know the trail route before you go on the hike, and (4) always practice the 10 Essentials. We also encourage you to bring a hiking buddy who hikes at your level. We do care about you, but we don't want to sacrifice our hike to make sure that you are keeping up. If you find that this group is too fast for you, we encourage you to try one of the walking groups on meetup.com. If you have not exercised in a while, please get a complete physical prior to beginning strenuous exercise.

Distances/Pacing:

Our hiking pace in the past has been between 2.5 to 3.5 miles/hour. If you can walk 4 to 6 miles in two hours then you should be able to keep up. Our hikes are usually between 6 and 10 miles in length. Keep in mind the terrain in the mountains will it more difficult. Yes, we do hike trails with names like "Dreaded Hill". (Note as measured on my treadmill, 2.5 to 3.0 is considered a "moderate" pace; 3.0 to 3.5 is considered a "quick" pace, 3.5 to 4.0 is considered a "fast" pace, 4.0 to 4.5 is considered a "very fast" pace, and above 4.5 is considered to be a "jog").

New Members:

To be an active OCHBC'er, simply fill out a profile. Here are a few tips for filling out your profile:

  1. Do not include any personal information (ie phone number or e-mail addresses) Our pages are not private, thus, your profile information will be visible to everyone including programs designed to capture e-mail addresses for spammers.
  2. You do not need to list your last name. It is helpful if you use a last initial so we can tell the difference between Bob S. and Bob T. If you wish to change your "name" click on account (on the right upper corner) and you can edit your name at any time. We frown on using aliases (ie anything but your real name) because it makes it REALLY difficult to get to know you.
  3. While your picture is not mandatory, it is requested and an image of something that reflects who you are is mandatory. We are a close knit group and request that you *please post your picture* so that we can put a face with a name. None of us want to go hiking or backpacking with strangers or weirdos. We assume that if you don't have your visible picture posted in 'bright light' then you might have something to hide.
  4. We kindly REQUEST that you fill out each profile question. If you have an incomplete profile (ie unanswered questions or one word answers), your request may be banished by OCHBC powers that be. After all, if you aren't willing to spend the time and put some thought into completing a 2 minute profile, you are probably a MINO (member in name only; aka "not an active member").

When Do We Meet:

Initially our events are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday mornings at 7/8/9/10:00AM. Our start times are a function of the expected weather and the season. I know that starting early is tough for Saturday Night people, but we have found that starting late in the day can make for a warm afternoon of baking in the California sun. We have a perfect record of zero deaths, zero dehydrations and only a few minor sunstrokes and we want to keep it that way. BRINGING WATER ON HIKES IS MANDATORY.

Safe Hiking:

We practice safe hiking techniques. We assume and expect that you have read and will follow the 10 Hiking Essentials on every hike no matter how short or long. Hiking is a risky activity.

About RSVP'ing:

OK, now that you are a member of OCHBC, what now? Events are posted on the event board. There is no obligation to attend every event. There is also no need to RSVP 'no' if you will NOT make the event; however, if you RSVP 'yes', we will be looking for you. Again, if you sign up for a hike and can't make it, EVEN AT THE LAST MINUTE, please change Your RSVP or call the organizer. If you RSVP YES, we will be looking for you. That being said, BE EARLY, the organizer will leave AT or ON the start time posted.

About Departure Times:

Please show up 15 minutes *early* to events. If you have not been to the meet up area before assume that you will get lost; plan on being 30 minutes early. If you are not very good with directions request the organizers cell phone number. NOTE: The organizer will leave at the start time as posted. If you are the "fashionably late" type, the group may have started.

Where Do We Meet:

We hope to have weekly hikes scheduled at various Orange County locations. These locations may include Aliso-Wood Canyons Park, Anaheim Hills Trail, Bedford Peak, Carbon Canyon, Caspers Wilderness Park, Crystal Cove State Park, Modjeska Canyon, Morgan Trail, O'Neil Regional Park, Peters Canyon Park, San Mateo Wilderness Park, Santiago Peak, and Whiting Ranch to name a few. Make sure that you double check the locations because we will be rotating in these new routes.

What about Fees:

The OCHBC is now a NON-PROFIT organization. If you like hiking with the OCHBC your voluntary membership contribution is requested. As a non-profit, no one personally benefits from your contributions. We certainly will accept any donations (running this website does cost $$$) but we are OK if you just want to participate! After all, we are doing this because we love the outdoors (and/or we hate lifes' little cubicles) and are passionate about sharing this with the community.

RSVP Policy for Events Requiring Payments/Deposits:

On shared cost events be sure too pay close attention to the RSVP deadline. A deposit payment or payment-in-full is required within 24-hour of RSVP'ing 'yes', NO EXCEPTIONS. If you do not/cannot make the payment with your 'yes' RSVP within 24 hours we will bump you from the RSVP 'yes' list to give another member the opportunity to go. If you have to cancel after you have already paid we will make every effort to fill your spot to get you reimbursed (no one who has cancelled has lost their money) but we will not guarantee that we can find a replacement. In the event that a shared cost charter gets canceled all payments will be refunded immediately.

About the Leaders:

These are leader-less hikes! We are not guides, we are not professionals, and we don't lead the hikes per se. We don't have anyone who is wilderness-certified and most of us don't know basic first aid or have map skills that we can depend on. Because we are just a group of hikers that meet-up, which means that you want to control your own pace, choose your own route, pick where to eat and when to turn around. If you don't like a posted hike, organize your own and submit (we will post almost anything that is fitness (cardio) or hiking related).

About Posting a Hike:

Meet-up only allows us 20 assistant organizers. Therefore we save the assistant organizer slots for the most active leaders of local conditioning hikes. Anyone can post a hike by going through one of the assistant organizers. However, we will stop posting your hikes if (1) the safety of others are put at risk on your hikes, (b) the ratings come in low, and/or, (c) if we get negative feedback on the hikes. Otherwise, we encourage you to become a hike organizer.

Risks and Disclaimers:

When you sign up for MeetUp.com, all members of Meetup must agree to their Terms of Service . Section 5.2 specifically releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings. However, just to make sure, I am adding this OCHBC Waiver of Liability.

Wild Animals:

There are mountian lions in the local hills and they do eat people. We try and avoid them, and rattlesnakes, at all costs. The Organizers and Assistant Organizers have no control over wildlife.

The Other Type of Wild Animals (Harassment Notice)

The OCHBC is a hiking club only and therefore does not tolerate or condone harassment in any form including unwelcome advances, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, etc. Please notify an organizer if you feel that you are being harassed and the offender will be warned and if it continues will then be removed from the club. If you are looking for a date, we strongly recommend these sites: eHarmony.com or FriendFinder. :-)

Comments:

This sounds great... but I have suggestions/feedback... what do I do? If you have a constructive feedback, feel free to write the organizer at any time! If you just want to complain for no reason, we request that you find a psychologist. One can be recommended if you do not already have one.

Summary:

Clubs can have distinct personalities; some are laid back, some are more aggressive, some are younger, some are older. We hope to have many members so likely there will be somebody walking at your pace and your speed and therefore diversified. However, not everybody is a PLU ("people like us"), therefore the organizers reserve the right to give you the old eight-ball (i.e. kick you out). If you have a bad experience with a member or a hike leader, please let me know.

Steve