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Posted by: John_Hamilton on 09/06/2013 01:38 PM Updated by: thepinetree on 09/14/2013 01:30 AM
Expires: 01/01/2018 12:00 AM

7th Annual Ebbetts Scenic Celebration September 14th

Hermit Valley, CA...The Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association (EPSBA) will be hosting their 7th Annual Scenic Celebration on Saturday, September 14th, 2013. We invite all you music and mountain fans to “Come Play on the Pass” with us and enjoy one of the last free, outdoor, live music events of the year. The centerpiece of our celebration will again be our day long, live music event in Hermit Valley which we affectionately refer to as “Hermitfest” but visitors should definitely make a weekend of it and spend some time checking out the entire Scenic Byway from Arnold to Markleevile...

This year our Hermit Valley performers will include a few new faces as well as returning favorites including the Tour Guides, Cantamos, Bill Welles, The Hot Dark, Jim Marsh with Mom’s Chili Boys, Ten Dollar Pony and more. The music begins around noon and will officially end at 7 pm but those of you who have attended before know that the acoustic music may continue around the campfire long into the evening. There will be food and beverages and the work of a few local artisans available for admiring and purchase. Bill Welles, a long time Hermitest favorite, will be kicking of the music at noon so plan to be here early if you want to make sure to see him.

Jim Marsh was selected as this year’s Artist in the Woods instructor/participant by the US Forest Service and the Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association. He will be offering a workshop to musicians at 10 am in Hermit Valley on September 14th and will be debuting a song inspired by the Ebbetts Pass area during Hermitfest.

Jim's workshop will begin at 10 a.m. The workshop is limited to 12 students at a cost of $30 per student. To register go to www.3forests.us/ or call Mike Needs for more information at (209) 795-1381 ext. 312.
Hermit Valley is a beautiful little spot with plenty of opportunity for hiking and playing in the river. Fall weather is generally warm and sunny but a quick afternoon rain shower is always a possibility in the mountains and you’ll want to make sure you bring warm clothing as the mornings and evenings can be quite chilly. Primitive campsites are available on a first come basis for those wishing to spend the night. There are sites in the immediate vicinity of the event as well as a few more on the river side of the road nearby which should afford a bit more privacy. While we welcome your dogs, please bring only well socialized dogs and keep them on a six foot leash.

In addition to the celebration in Hermit Valley, Markleeville will be celebrating the day at the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce offices in downtown Markleeville where they have a variety of activities planned. On the Arnold side you may want to stop and have breakfast, visit the Logging Museum, hike a portion of the Rim Trail (you are on your own this year…no guided hikes will be available) or stop in at Big Trees State Park to admire the giant redwoods on your way to Hermit Valley. It looks like the pools at Grover Hot Springs State Park, outside Markleeville, will be open this year but you may want to verify that as the date gets closer..

Hermit Valley is located on Highway 4 in the Stanislaus National Forest about 38 miles east of Arnold and 23 miles west of Markleeville on the North Fork of the Mokelumne River at about the 7000 foot elevation. If you haven’t driven the pass before, remember that we are a scenic byway for good reason. The higher elevation portion of Highway 4 between Lake Alpine on the west and Silver Creek on the east is narrow, twisty, steep and so worth the drive with beautiful mountain views and many opportunities to get out of your car and take a closer look. The route over the top is not recommended for large RVs or trailers.

Ebbetts Pass was honored with National Scenic Byway status in 2005. It is one of only seven nationally-designated byways in California. The Ebbetts Pass Byway Association is the non-profit organization tasked with preserving, enhancing and promoting the unique resources of the byway. The EPSBA had developed a guidebook for the area which is available on our website for those who want to know more about the history, geology, wildlife and recreation available in the area.

This event is made possible by the generous support our event partners and sponsors so make sure to visit them and let them know you appreciate their support of this event. Our 2013 major sponsors include the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce, Barry Ward Realty, Bear Valley Business Association, Calaveras Big Trees Association, Century 21 Realty of Arnold and Murphys, Ebbetts Pass Lumber & Ebbetts Pass Ace Hardware, Tom's Automotive and the US Forest Service. Visit our website for a complete list of our 2013 sponsors.

For more information about the Ebbetts Pass area, this event and what’s happening along the byway all year long, visit www.scenic4.org or www.facebook.com/Scenic4 or e-mail us at info@scenic4.org.

We also want to thank Pioneer Electric, our local media and the many other organizations who all help to promote this event. We especially want to thank
Ron Schaner of the Tour Guides who coordinates and schedules the musicians for this event every year and is a tireless supporter of the byway.

For other events in the area and lodging information, contact the Calaveras Visitors Bureau at 209-736-0049 (www.gocalaveras.com) or the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce at 530-694-2475 (www.alpinecounty.com). On the west side you can also visitwww.bearvalley.com, www.cometoarnold.com and www.visitmurphys.com.

You can always check out the latest on Hermitfest on our Hermitfest FB page.

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