Art (and History) Walk on Fitch Mtn.

In contrast to the deluge that marked the official opening of the new Fitch Mountain improvements back in May, a group of about 60 people of all ages enjoyed a perfect morning hike up to the 994-foot summit of the mountain today.

Fitch Mountain Park and Open Space Preserve is a 173-acre property that encompasses the entire peak of Fitch Mountain and surrounding slopes east of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. The property is now owned by the City of Healdsburg with stewardship assistance from LandPaths.

Designer/artist Johanna Grawunder led us to the top of the mountain to present her “Summit Variations”, the artful interpretation of wood & steel benches. Her art was chosen by the Art Commission, because of their “outstanding expression of art in nature, their strong interactive element and commemoration of our local indigenous culture”. Hikers learned that Fitch Mountain is located on the ancestral home of the Southern Pomo people, past, present, and future.

It didn’t take long before hikers took possession of the benches and enjoyed some relaxing time.

Local historian Ted Calvert was happy to be part of the hike and to give a concise historical and cultural presentation of Fitch Mountain and the fun times at Camp Rose and Del Rio Woods, with longtime community members chiming in with their own recollections. Ted was accompanied by several generations of his own family.

Mayor David Hagele spontaneously talked about the rejuvenating force of nature as the group explored the dense forest of coast redwood, Douglas fir, California bay, madrone, oaks, and a rich array of understory species. People made their way back down the mountain on their own time.

We do have two active transportation suggestions for the City to improve the Fitch Mountain experience: 1) make the trail safer by installing steps on the steepest sections of the trail to prevent slips and falls, especially on the descent, and 2) provide a bike rack at the trailhead that is functional.

Move! Healdsburg would like to thank both Johanna and Ted for sharing their inspiration and knowledge and helping community members appreciate our beloved Fitch Mountain even more than we already did!

If anyone has ideas for future community walks or rides, please send an email to: admin@movehealdsburg.org. Community walk ideas in the planning included the Riddell Preserve and the “Alleys of Healdsburg”, and there will be a bike ride to help celebrate Active Aging Week on October 3rd.

To learn more about Move! Healdsburg, see upcoming events and get involved, visit: https://movehealdsburg.org