Hiking Club (Over the Hill Hikers)

Welcome to the Over the Hill Hiking Club website.

Contact: Marjorie Babuik
Email: marjoriebabuik1@mymts.net

Welcome to the Over the Hill Hiking Club!

Our hikes take place in a variety of areas around the Coachella Valley and High Desert, including Coachella Valley Preserve, Idyllwild, Joshua Tree, Whitewater, Indian Canyons and Pioneertown Mountains Preserve. Some hike areas have entrance fees.

There are no membership fees for the hiking club.

Current Members: If your contact information has changed since you originally joined, please provide us with your updated information.

New Members: New members should have some previous hiking experience. To be considered for membership, please provide the following information by email to marjoriebabuik1@mymts.net:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Cell phone number and/or home phone number in Shadow Hills
  • Street address in Shadow Hills
  • A summary of your previous hiking experience, including a self-assessment of your hiking ability
  • Your confirmation that you provided the HOA with your signed Waiver.

Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email confirming:

  • you were added to the membership roster, and
  • the hike leaders were notified of your membership.

You may then register for hikes in keeping with our registration policy.

To hike with our Chartered Club, the HOA requires that you sign a Waiver. It is YOUR responsibility to provide the HOA with your signed Waiver and to confirm to us in writing that you did so. The Waiver is available at https://www.scshca.com/waiverlanding/. A completed waiver covers activity for all the clubs you have joined, so if you have already completed one for the HOA, you do not have to complete a separate form for the Hiking Club.

What to Bring on a Hike

For every hike, hikers should have with them:

  • Appropriate hiking shoes or boots (no sneakers or tennis shoes)
  • Hiking poles
  • Identification
  • Medical insurance cards
  • Name and phone number of an emergency contact person
  • Appropriate clothing (hikes to Idyllwild and the high desert are frequently 20 degrees cooler than valley hikes)
  • Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
  • Sufficient water (1-2 bottles or personal requirements)
  • Tissues (and plastic bag to carry out any used tissue for bathroom stops)
  • Snacks high in carbohydrates
  • Plastic bag for trash (carry out all that you carried in)
  • Waist pack or backpack

Registering for hikes

Registration for individual hikes will open two (2) weeks before the hike date and will close at 6:00 PM the evening before a hike. In making a reservation, please email the contact person shown for the specific hike.

Hikers will be registered for hikes in the date and time order in which their reservation request is received. You will be notified by return email:

  • that you are confirmed for the requested hike, or
  • that the hike is full.

There will be no wait lists for hikes.

The number of hikers per hike is usually limited to 20 but may be increased or decreased occasionally at the discretion of the hike leader. If you find you cannot attend a hike for which you registered, please promptly email your cancellation to the hike leader so that the vacated spot can be opened for another hiker.

When you register for a hike, please be certain to mark the date on your calendar. Given that registration is only 2 weeks out from the hike date, there will be no reminder email sent to you.

Our hike leaders are listed on the website with their contact information. Each hike will have a leader. A volunteer sweep will be designated by the leader. Hike leaders have previously hiked the hikes they lead.

Our Hikes

Our hikes are categorized using the following criteria:

  • Easy: up to 5 miles long; elevation gain of up to 500’
  • Easy/Moderate: up to 5 miles long; elevation gain between 500’ & 1,000’
  • Moderate: up to 8 miles long; maximum elevation gain of 1,500’
  • Strenuous: over 8 miles long; over 1,500’ elevation gain.

With hikes you will experience:

  • rocky and/or narrow trails, often with loose gravel;
  • elevation gains that may be scattered throughout a hike or concentrated at the front or back end of a hike; and
  • little or no shade.

The Morning of a Hike

Hikers will meet at 7:15 AM at the west end of the Montecito Clubhouse parking lot, near the HOA office, where they will check in with the hike leader. Informal carpools will be formed, and the hike leader will provide drivers with directions to the trailhead. If the hike leader emailed driving directions, please print and bring those direction with you whether or not you plan to drive. Passengers will pay the driver 10 cents/mile to a maximum of $5.00 per person. Please remember to bring small bills with you if you do not plan to drive. Drivers are always needed and appreciated.

Guests

Guests are permitted if there are spaces available at 7:30 AM three (3) days before the hike. Guests are required to have proper hiking footwear. All guests must sign a waiver. The waiver is available at https://scshca.com/waiverlanding/. Guests have the choice of signing the electronic version of the waiver or downloading a hardcopy of the waiver.

Our Hiking Schedule

The hiking schedule can be found on the Sun City Shadow Hills’ website Hiking Club page at: www.scshca.com/hiking.

General Questions? Email Marjorie Babuik at marjoriebabuik1@mymts.net.

Questions about individual hikes? Email the hike leader for that specific hike.

Hike Leaders:

Documents

📄 Hiking Club Information

📄 2024 Jan to Mar Hiking Schedule

Hike Leaders

Click on a hike leader photo for bio.

Photos