Allen Parker Steck (May 17, 1926 – February 23, 2023) was an American mountaineer and rock climber .
90-641: Allen Steck was born in Oakland, California on May 17, 1926. He started climbing with his brother George. In 1940 when Allen was 14, the two completed the first ascent of the northwest ridge of Mount Maclure (12,886 feet (3,928 m)). He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Discharged in 1946, he joined the Rock Climbing Section of the Sierra Club , and began climbing on Berkeley crags such as Indian Rock and Cragmont. He enrolled at
180-736: A disproportionate death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic and Delta cron hybrid variant within the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2023, prior to and during the Covid pandemic, Oakland became the first city in American history to lose three professional major league sports teams to other cities within a span of five years. Oakland is in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay . The United States Census Bureau says
270-532: A fall on Mount Whitney in 1930. He is remembered for discovering Pete Starr's body in the Minarets , in 1933, after all other searchers gave up. Clyde later returned to the site with Jules Eichorn, and they buried Starr's body where Clyde had found it on Michael Minaret. Norman Clyde still guided parties into the Sierra into the 1960s, when he was in his seventies. In the 1950s and 1960s, he lived by himself at
360-448: A hammer and cobbler's anvil in order to make field repairs to client's boots. In 1931, Underhill wrote that Clyde's backpack was an "especially picturesque enormity of skyscraper architecture". Clyde was also well known for wearing a campaign hat . Clyde led or participated in many mountain rescues and is credited with saving a number of lives. He also helped in many recoveries of dead climbers, such as 18-year-old Howard Lamel, killed in
450-599: A linguistic grouping later called the Ohlone (a Miwok word meaning "western people"). In Oakland, they were concentrated around Lake Merritt and Temescal Creek , a stream that enters the San Francisco Bay at Emeryville . In 1772, the area that later became Oakland was colonized, along with the rest of California, by Spanish settlers for the king of Spain . In the early 19th century, the Spanish crown granted
540-603: A major rail terminal in the late 1860s and 1870s. In 1868, the Central Pacific constructed the Oakland Long Wharf at Oakland Point, the site of today's Port of Oakland . A number of horsecar and cable car lines were constructed in Oakland during the latter half of the 19th century. The first electric streetcar set out from Oakland to Berkeley in 1891, and other lines were converted and added over
630-446: A marsh-lined wildlife haven, Lake Merritt was dredged and bordered with parks from the 1890s to the 1910s. Despite this reduction in habitat, Oakland is home to a number of rare and endangered species, many of which are localized to serpentine soils and bedrock. Lake Merritt is surrounded by residential and business districts, including downtown and Grand Lake . The city of Piedmont , incorporated in Oakland's central foothills after
720-597: A new plant there, Oakland had become known as the " Detroit of the West," referring to the major auto manufacturing center in Michigan. Oakland expanded during the 1920s, as its population expanded with factory workers. Approximately 13,000 homes were built in the 3 years between 1921 and 1924, more than during the 13 years between 1907 and 1920. Many of the large downtown office buildings, apartment buildings, and single-family houses still standing in Oakland were built during
810-514: A perfect-bound edition in 1962 by La Siesta Press (Glendale, California), edited by Walt Wheelock. 1931 was a seminal year in the history of mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada, and Norman Clyde was in the thick of it. Sierra Club leader Francis P. Farquhar invited Harvard philosophy professor and Appalachian Mountain Club member Robert L. M. Underhill to come to the Sierra Nevada to teach
900-719: A preparatory academy was founded in Oakland that soon became the College of California , and in 1869, the first campus of the University of California . The university moved just north to Berkeley in the 1870s. During the 1850s, just as gold was discovered in California, Oakland started growing and further developing because land was becoming too expensive in San Francisco . People in China were struggling financially as
990-690: A press release praising his accomplishments in Glacier National Park. He returned to climb in Glacier National Park in 1924 and 1937. In 1925, he completed 53 climbs in the Sierra Nevada, and told Francis Farquhar that "I sometimes think I climbed enough peaks this summer to render me a candidate for a padded cell — at least some people look at the matter in that way. However, I get a lot of enjoyment from this rather strenuous form of diversion." In 1926, he climbed in Yellowstone National Park , Grand Teton National Park ,
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#17327909121231080-666: A result of the First Opium War , the Second Opium War , and the Taiping Rebellion , so they began migrating to Oakland, many of whom were recruited to work on railroads. However, the Chinese struggled to settle because they were discriminated against by the white community and their living quarters were burned down on several occasions. The city and its environs quickly grew with the railroads, becoming
1170-503: A small epidemic of Pneumonic plague which killed a dozen people in Oakland. This started when a man went hunting in Contra Costa Valley and killed a squirrel. After eating the squirrel, he fell ill four days later and another household member contracted the plague. This in turn was passed on either directly or indirectly to about a dozen others. The officials in Oakland acted quickly by issuing death certificates to monitor
1260-514: A total of US$ 57 million during the 2001–2011 timeframe to plaintiffs claiming police abuse; this is the largest sum paid by any city in California. On October 10, 2011, protesters and civic activists began " Occupy Oakland " demonstrations at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Downtown Oakland . African-Americans dropped to 28% of Oakland's population in 2010, from nearly half in 1980, due to fast-rising rents and an extreme housing crisis in
1350-462: A vacant three-bedroom house in West Oakland. The group, calling themselves Moms 4 Housing , said their goal was to protest what they said was a large number of vacant houses in Oakland owned by redevelopment companies while the city experienced a housing crisis. Two months later they were evicted from the house by three dozen sheriff's deputies, as hundreds of supporters demonstrated in favor of
1440-536: Is Norman Clyde, whose amazing achievements in scaling practically all the peaks in the High Sierra are well known to mountaineers. More than one climber has exulted in a supposedly first ascent, only to find later that Clyde went up that "unclimbed peak" in the winter of, say, 1920! There are many seasoned climbers who can look back on their early days as novices in the mountains and remember with gratitude what they learned from Clyde. Jointly with Allen Steck , he
1530-729: Is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California . It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County , with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the most populous city in the East Bay, the third most populous city in the Bay Area, and the eighth most populous city in California. It serves as the Bay Area's trade center:
1620-411: Is far enough inland that the fog often burns off by midday, allowing it to have typically sunny California days. The hills tend to have more fog than the flatlands, as the fog drifts down from Berkeley . The U.S. Weather Bureau kept weather records in downtown Oakland from October 4, 1894, to July 31, 1958. During that time, the record high temperature was 104 °F (40 °C) on June 24, 1957, and
1710-511: Is now downtown Oakland. In 1852, the Town of Oakland was incorporated by the state legislature. During this time, Oakland had 75–100 inhabitants, two hotels, a wharf, two warehouses, and only cattle trails. Two years later, on March 25, 1854, Oakland re-incorporated as the City of Oakland. Horace Carpentier was elected the first mayor, though a scandal ended his mayorship in less than a year. In 1853,
1800-417: Is the only beach in Oakland. Oaklanders refer to their city's terrain as "the flatlands" and "the hills" . Until recent waves of gentrification, these terms also symbolized Oakland's deep economic divide, with "the hills" being more affluent communities. About two-thirds of Oakland lies in the flat plain of the East Bay, with one-third rising into the foothills and hills of the East Bay range. Ruptures along
1890-495: Is typified by the temperate and seasonal Mediterranean climate. Summers are usually dry and warm and winters are cool and damp. It has features found in both nearby coastal cities such as San Francisco and inland cities such as San Jose , making it warmer than San Francisco and cooler than San Jose. Its position on San Francisco Bay across from the Bay Bridge means the northern part of the city can have cooling maritime fog . It
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#17327909121231980-717: The Alps , completing the first ascent by an American of the Comici route on the north face of the Cima Grande in the Dolomites together with his Austrian friend Karl Lugmayer. From June 30 to July 4, 1950, with John Salathé , he completed the first ascent of Steck-Salathé Route up the 1,600-foot (490 m) north face of Sentinel Rock in Yosemite Valley. Steck described the climb in an article originally published in
2070-908: The Beartooth Mountains and Absaroka Range of Montana, and the Sawtooth Range of Idaho. He made several additional first ascents in California that year. In 1928, he was a leader of the High Trip to the Canadian Rockies organized by the Sierra Club, the Mazamas of Oregon, and The Mountaineers of the State of Washington. During this trip, he encountered professional mountain guides, and probably decided on this as his own career path. He spent six weeks traversing
2160-518: The Black Panther Party at Merritt College (then located at a former high school on Grove Street, now occupied by Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute ), which emphasized Black nationalism , advocated armed self-defense against police, and was involved in several incidents that ended in the deaths of police officers and other Black Panther members. Among their social programs were feeding children and providing other services to
2250-480: The Jim Crow South carried their racial attitudes, causing tensions to rise among black and white workers competing for better-paying jobs in the Bay Area. The racial harmony Oakland African-Americans had been accustomed to prior to the war evaporated. Also migrating to the area during this time were many Mexican Americans from southwestern states such as New Mexico , Texas , and Colorado . Many worked for
2340-642: The Oakland Hills . East Oakland, which includes the East Oakland Hills, encompasses more than half of Oakland's land area, stretching from Lakeshore Avenue on the east shore of Lake Merritt southeast to the San Leandro border. North Oakland encompasses the neighborhoods between downtown and Berkeley and Emeryville . West Oakland is the area between downtown and the Bay, partially surrounded by
2430-527: The Oakland Museum (established 1970). Norman Clyde Norman Clyde (April 8, 1885 – December 23, 1972) was a mountaineer , mountain guide , freelance writer , nature photographer , and self-trained naturalist . He is well known for achieving over 130 first ascents , many in California's Sierra Nevada and Montana's Glacier National Park . He also set a speed climbing record on California's Mount Shasta in 1923. The Bancroft Library at
2520-679: The Oakland Point , and encompassing the Port of Oakland . In 2011, Oakland was ranked the tenth most walkable city in the United States by Walk Score . Lake Merritt, an urban estuary near downtown, is a mix of fresh and salt water draining in and out from the Oakland Harbor at the San Francisco Bay and one of Oakland's most notable features. It was designated the United States' first official wildlife refuge in 1870. Originally
2610-541: The Port of Oakland is the busiest port in Northern California , and the fifth- or sixth-busiest in the United States. A charter city , Oakland was incorporated on May 4, 1852, in the wake of the state's increasing population due to the California gold rush . Oakland's territory covers what was once a mosaic of California coastal terrace prairie , oak woodland , and north coastal scrub . In
2700-664: The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge also sustained damage and was closed to traffic for one month. On October 20, 1991, a massive firestorm swept down from the Berkeley /Oakland hills above the Caldecott Tunnel. Twenty-five people were killed, 150 people were injured, and nearly 4,000 homes destroyed. With the loss of life and an estimated economic loss of US$ 1.5 billion, this was the worst urban firestorm in American history, until 2017. During
2790-616: The San Gabriels of Southern California, probably in 1929. In 1930, he wrote an article describing his trip from the summit of Mount Whitney to the lowest point in Death Valley between sunrise and sunset. Clyde's first published works appeared as a series of articles entitled "Close Ups of the High Sierra" in 1928, in the Automobile Club of Southern California's magazine, Touring Topics, and were later republished as
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2880-697: The Sierra Club and was called the California Himalayan Expedition to Makalu. This was the first major American mountaineering expedition to the Himalaya. They attempted the southeast ridge but were turned back at 7,100 m (23,300 ft) by a constant barrage of storms, as well as food shortages and lack of bottled oxygen. On June 22, 1963, he completed the first ascent of the 1,000-foot (300 m) Southeast Face of Clyde Minaret (12,281 feet (3,743 m)) with Dick Long, John Evans and Chuck Wilts. On August 6, 1965, he completed
2970-478: The Sierra Club Bulletin in 1951: "The ascent of this wall was probably the toughest that either of us had ever made, or ever hoped to make again. Though John has 51 years to my 24, the climb seemed to have little effect on his endurance; only toward the end of the third day, did he seem to show signs of wear, but then both of us were ready to acknowledge the pleasures of simple back country hiking. It
3060-549: The Southern Pacific Railroad , at its major rail yard in West Oakland. Their young men encountered hostility and discrimination by Armed Forces personnel, and tensions broke out in " zoot suit riots " in downtown Oakland in 1943 in the wake of a major disturbance in Los Angeles that year. In 1946, National City Lines (NCL), a General Motors holding company , acquired 64% of Key System stock; during
3150-741: The University of California, Berkeley has 1467 articles written by Clyde in its archives. Clyde was born in Philadelphia , the son of a Reformed Presbyterian minister. He attended Geneva College graduating in the Classics in June 1909. After teaching at several rural schools, including schools in Fargo, North Dakota and Mount Pleasant, Utah , he enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley in 1911. After two years of graduate work he returned to teaching, mostly in northern California, including
3240-544: The University of California, Berkeley , majoring in German. His early climbing influences included Dick Leonard and David Brower . Steck began climbing in Yosemite Valley in 1947, initially learning the use of pitons by trial and error. He said that at that time, there "was no body of people who could help you learn these things." He has been a Life Member of the Sierra Club since 1947. In 1949, he climbed in
3330-490: The 1906 earthquake, is a small independent city surrounded by the city of Oakland. Oakland has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csb ) with an average of 260 sunny days per year. In general, the city features warm, dry summers, and cool, wet winters. Based on data gathered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Oakland is ranked No. 1 in climate among U.S. cities. Oakland's climate
3420-427: The 1920s; they reflect the architectural styles of the time. Russell Clifford Durant established Durant Field at 82nd Avenue and East 14th Street in 1916. The first transcontinental airmail flight finished its journey at Durant Field on August 9, 1920, flown by Army Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker and Navy Lt. Bert Acosta . Durant Field was often called Oakland Airport, though the current Oakland International Airport
3510-477: The 1950s California Supreme Court lawsuit Vallerga v. Dept. Alcoholic Bev. Control, when the bar challenged a state law for the right to serve gay patrons and won in 1959. In 1960, Kaiser Corporation opened its new headquarters; it was the largest skyscraper in Oakland, as well as "the largest office tower west of Chicago " up to that time. In the postwar period, suburban development increased around Oakland, and wealthier residents moved to new housing . Despite
3600-528: The 20th century with its port, shipyards , and manufacturing industry. In the 21st century, between 2019 and 2023, after the city and county refused requests for hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits to the privately owned teams, Oakland lost three teams of the major North American sports leagues within a span of five years. The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Huchiun natives, who lived there for thousands of years. The Huchiun belonged to
3690-601: The Deep South: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas, as well as Missouri and Tennessee. Henry J. Kaiser 's representatives recruited sharecroppers and tenant farmers from rural areas to work in his shipyards. African Americans were part of the Great Migration by which five million persons left the South, mostly for the West, from 1940 to 1970. White migrants from
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3780-489: The East Bay area to Luis María Peralta for his Rancho San Antonio . The grant was confirmed by the successor Mexican republic upon its independence from Spain. Upon his death in 1842, Peralta divided his land among his four sons. Most of Oakland was within the shares given to Antonio Maria and Vicente. The portion of the parcel that is now Oakland was called Encinar (misrendered at an early date and carried forward as "encinal") – Spanish for " oak grove " – due to
3870-806: The Fruitvale District, and included the Josiah Lusk Canning Company, the Oakland Preserving Company (which started the Del Monte brand), and the California Packing Company. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called on defense industries with government contracts to integrate their workforces and provide opportunities for all Americans. Tens of thousands of laborers came from around the country, especially poor whites and blacks from
3960-730: The Kings-Kern Divide region of the southern Sierra. In 1920, Clyde journeyed with a Sierra Club group from Yosemite Valley to the Evolution Basin , completing many climbs along the way. He set a speed climbing record on Mount Shasta in 1923, ascending from Horse Camp at approximately 8,000 feet (2,400 m) to the summit at 14,162 feet (4,317 m) in 3 hours and 17 minutes. That year, he also spent 36 days in Glacier National Park, Montana, where he climbed 36 mountains, including 11 first ascents, one of which bears his name ( Clyde Peak ). The National Park Service issued
4050-431: The Oakland ports requiring the authorities at the port to inspect the arriving vessels for the presence of infected rats. Quarantine authorities at these ports inspected over a thousand vessels per year for plague and yellow fever. By 1908, over 5,000 people were detained in quarantine. Hunters were sent to poison the affected areas in Oakland and shoot the squirrels, but the eradication work was limited in its range because
4140-482: The Sierra Nevada. There, on August 13, 1931, the party completed the first ascent of the last unclimbed 14,000+ foot peak in California, which remained unnamed due to its remote location above the Palisade Glaciers. After a challenging ascent to the summit, the climbers were caught in an intense lightning storm, and Eichorn barely escaped electrocution when "a thunderbolt whizzed right by my ear". The mountain
4230-571: The State Board of Health and the United States Public Health Service were only allotted about $ 60,000 a year to eradicate the disease. During this period Oakland did not have sufficient health facilities, so some of the infected patients were treated at home. The State Board of Health along with Oakland also advised physicians to promptly report any cases of infected patients. Yet, in 1919 it still resulted in
4320-418: The Steck-Salathé Route. His nickname is "the Silver Fox." His 75th birthday was marked by meeting up with a large group of friends at Red Rocks, climbing classics like the Crimson Crysalis, Lotta Balls and the chimneys of Epinephrine. Allen also gave a slide show at Desert Rock Sports of the first ascent of the Hummingbird Ridge of Mt. Logan - slides that had been in storage since the early 1960s. At 86, Steck
4410-419: The area defined as the Central Business District in Oakland's 1998 General Plan. Brown's plan and other redevelopment projects were controversial due to potential rent increases and gentrification , which would displace lower-income residents from downtown Oakland into outlying neighborhoods and cities. Due to allegations of misconduct by the Oakland Police Department , the City of Oakland has paid claims for
4500-411: The automobile industry went through restructuring, many jobs were lost. In addition, labor unrest increased as workers struggled to protect their livelihoods. Oakland was the center of a general strike during the first week of December 1946, one of six cities across the country that had such a strike after World War II. The Mary's First and Last Chance in Oakland was a lesbian bar, once the focus of
4590-622: The bay. On November 27, 1908, Homer took a ferry across the bay in a driving rainstorm and met for lunch with Frank and twenty three other businessmen at the Hotel Metropole at 13th and Jefferson. This gathering became the first meeting of the Tri-City Rotary Club, renamed in 1911 The Rotary Club of Oakland, the third Rotary Club in the world. This group established the tradition of weekly meetings, something most clubs worldwide follow today. In 1917, General Motors opened an automobile factory in East Oakland called Oakland Assembly . It produced Chevrolet cars and then GMC trucks until 1963, when it
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#17327909121234680-530: The book, Close Ups of the High Sierra, published by La Siesta Press (Glendale, California) in 1962. In 1998, Spotted Dog Press published an expanded edition of the book, Norman Clyde: Close Up of the High Sierra , edited by Wynne Benti. The foreword to the 1998 edition of Close Ups of the High Sierra included a brief biography of Clyde, written by Benti, which contained the first in-depth information published about Clyde's wife, Winifred Bolster. Clyde's life and mountaineering achievements were later documented in
4770-403: The caretaker of the local lodges, including Glacier Lodge on Big Pine Creek , and Lon Chaney Cabin , a fishing cabin that belonged to Lon Chaney, Sr. He earned some sporadic income as a mountain guide and freelance writer. Clyde began climbing in the Sierra Nevada in 1910, when he visited Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks , writing to his mother that "I climbed the highest mountains in
4860-483: The city's total area is 78.0 square miles (202 km ), including 55.8 square miles (145 km ) of land and 22.2 square miles (57 km ) (28.48 percent) of water. Oakland's highest point is near Grizzly Peak Blvd, east of Berkeley, just over 1,760 feet (540 m) above sea level at about 37°52′43″N 122°13′27″W / 37.8786°N 122.2241°W / 37.8786; -122.2241 . Oakland has 19 miles (31 km) of shoreline, but Radio Beach
4950-412: The course of the 1890s. The various streetcar companies operating in Oakland were acquired by Francis "Borax" Smith and consolidated into what eventually became known as the Key System , the predecessor of today's publicly owned AC Transit . Oakland was one of the worst affected cities in California that was impacted by the San Francisco plague of 1900–1904 . Quarantine measures were set in place at
5040-442: The disease she died at age 28 in 1919. His wife's death appears to have profoundly affected him, as he moved to the Eastern Sierra to spend much of his latter life alone in the mountains. He became principal of the high school in Independence , California in 1924, but resigned in 1928. He admitted firing a pistol during a confrontation with some students who allegedly came to vandalize the school on Halloween night. One bullet hit
5130-569: The east (up to 30 inches [760 mm]), with nearly all precipitation falling between November and April. Overnight lows are mild. Oakland seldom experiences warm nights with the warmest recorded night of 72 °F (22 °C) in September 1971 and an average of 64 °F (18 °C) for the annual warmest low. The coldest day of the year averages a mild 50 °F (10 °C) and has never been recorded below 36 °F (2 °C). The National Weather Service today has two official weather stations in Oakland: Oakland International Airport and
5220-404: The first ascent of Hummingbird Ridge on Mount Logan (19,850 feet (6,050 m)) in the St. Elias Range located on the border between the Yukon and Alaska, a climb that took 35 days. The climb has never been repeated, despite numerous attempts, and is considered among the most challenging climbs in mountaineering history for that reason. Mount Logan is the second-highest peak in North America. He
5310-539: The large oak forest that covered the area, which eventually led to the city's name. According to Stanford University historian Albert Camarillo, the Peralta family struggled to keep their land after the incorporation of California into the United States after the Mexican–American War . Camarillo claims the family was the victim of targeted racial violence . He writes in Chicanos in California , "They lost everything when squatters cut down their fruit trees, killed their cattle, destroyed their buildings, and even fenced off
5400-408: The late 18th century, it became part of a large rancho grant in the colony of New Spain , and was known for its plentiful oak tree stands. Its land served as a resource when its hillside oak and redwood timber were logged to build San Francisco . The fertile flatland soils helped it become a prolific agricultural region. In the 1850s, what became the first campus of the University of California
5490-409: The latest techniques of roped climbing. Underhill had learned these techniques in the Alps , and had practiced them himself earlier that summer in the Tetons and the Canadian Rockies. After some young climbers were instructed in the techniques, a group including Clyde, Jules Eichorn , Lewis Clark, Bestor Robinson and Glen Dawson traveled south to the Palisades , the most rugged and alpine part of
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#17327909121235580-421: The major increases in the number and proportion of African Americans in the city, in 1966 only 16 of the city's 661 police officers were black. Tensions between the black community and the largely white police force were high, as expectations during the civil rights era increased to gain social justice and equality before the law. Police abuse of blacks was common. Students Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded
5670-452: The mid-1990s, Oakland's economy began to recover as it transitioned to new types of jobs. In addition, the city participated in large development and urban renewal projects, concentrated especially in the downtown area, at the Port of Oakland , and at the Oakland International Airport . After his 1999 inauguration, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown continued his predecessor Elihu Harris' public policy of supporting downtown housing development in
5760-407: The mountain" and "one of the most aesthetic lines in the Sierra." Along with Steve Roper , he was the long-time editor of the mountaineering journal Ascent , which was originally published by the Sierra Club and later by the American Alpine Club . Steck and Roper also wrote the book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America , first published in 1979. Allen celebrated his 70th birthday by reascending
5850-509: The nearby San Andreas Fault caused severe earth movement in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1906 and 1989. San Andreas quakes induces creep (movement occurring on earthquake faults) in the Hayward fault, which runs directly through Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose and other Bay Area cities. Oakland has more than 50 distinct neighborhoods. The city's greater divisions include downtown Oakland and its greater Central Business District , Lake Merritt , East Oakland , North Oakland , West Oakland , and
5940-403: The nearby town of Alameda being made an island. In 1906, the city's population doubled with refugees made homeless after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. In 1908, the lawyer, former miner, and newspaper owner Homer Wood (1880–1976) suggested to his friend Frank Bilger of Blake and Bilger Rock Quarry and Paving Company that he organize a gathering to establish a Rotary Club east of
6030-416: The needy. As in many other American cities during the 1980s, crack cocaine became a serious problem in Oakland. Drug dealing in general, and the dealing of crack cocaine in particular, resulted in elevated rates of violent crime, causing Oakland to consistently be listed as one of America's most crime-ridden cities. In 1980, Oakland's Black population reached its 20th-century peak at approximately 47% of
6120-444: The next several years NCL engaged in the conspiratorial dissolution of Oakland's electric streetcar system. The city's expensive electric streetcar fleet was converted to cheaper diesel buses. The state Legislature created the Alameda and Contra Costa Transit District in 1955, which operates today as AC Transit , the third-largest bus-only transit system in the nation. After the war, as Oakland's shipbuilding industry declined and
6210-492: The old Baker ranch-house on Baker Creek near Big Pine . Clyde, who had been trained in the classics, loved to read books in Latin and Greek . At the Baker ranch-house, Clyde had thousands of rare classical books. At age 80, he was still sleeping outside the ranch-house on a mattress and sleeping bag, as long as it was fair weather. In the spring of 1968, he transferred to a skilled nursing facility in Bishop where he could receive adequate care. In 1969, his cancerous left eye
6300-400: The overall city population. The 6.9 M w Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on October 17, 1989. The rupture was related to the San Andreas fault system and affected the entire San Francisco Bay Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX ( Violent ). Many structures in Oakland were badly damaged including the double-decker portion of Interstate 880 that collapsed. The eastern span of
6390-465: The record low temperature was 24 °F (−4 °C) on January 23, 1949. Dry, warm offshore "Diablo" winds (similar to the Santa Ana winds of Southern California) sometimes occur, especially in fall, and raise the fire danger. In 1991, such an episode allowed the catastrophic Oakland Hills fire to spread and consume many homes. Oakland, like much of Northern California, is susceptible to winter rainstorms and Atmospheric rivers . The wettest "rain year"
6480-553: The region". He also visited McCloud, near Mount Shasta, that summer. He began a regimented program of mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada in 1914, including the first of his first ascents. He joined the Sierra Club in 1914. He first climbed Mount Shasta in 1916, and climbed that peak a total of twelve times. While living in Southern California during his wife's illness, he climbed Mount San Jacinto in 1917. Following his wife's death in 1919, he climbed extensively in
6570-615: The region. The city inspected warehouses and live/work spaces after a fire broke out in the Ghost Ship warehouse , killing 36 people in 2016. Oakland is the second U.S. city, after Denver , to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms . In June 2019, the City Council passed the resolution in a unanimous vote ending the investigation and imposition of criminal penalties for use and possession of natural entheogens . In November 2019, two homeless mothers and their children moved into
6660-517: The roads leading to the rancho. Especially insidious were the actions of attorney Horace Carpentier , who tricked Vicente Peralta into signing a 'lease' which turned out to be a mortgage against the 19,000-acre rancho. The lands became Carpentier's when Peralta refused to repay the loan he believed was fraudulently incurred. The Peraltas had no choice but to abandon the homesite they had occupied for two generations." In 1851, three men— Horace Carpentier , Edson Adams, and Andrew Moon—began developing what
6750-531: The side of a car carrying eight high school students; there were no injuries. Clyde said that considerable damage had been done to the school grounds the previous Halloween. He had been issued a license to carry a concealed firearm on February 2, 1928. The episode marked the end of his career as a schoolteacher and principal, as he resigned in exchange for an agreement by the District Attorney not to press charges. Subsequently, he spent his winters as
6840-439: The spread of plague. At the time of incorporation in 1852, Oakland had consisted of the territory that lay south of today's major intersection of San Pablo Avenue, Broadway, and Fourteenth Street. The city gradually annexed farmlands and settlements to the east and the north. Oakland's rise to industrial prominence, and its subsequent need for a seaport, led to the digging of a shipping and tidal channel in 1902. This resulted in
6930-588: The towns of McCloud and Weaverville . He taught history, science, and Latin. He continued graduate studies at the University of California in Berkeley in 1923–24. On June 15, 1915, Norman Clyde married Winifred May Bolster in Pasadena , California. She was a nurse at a tuberculosis hospital and contracted the disease herself at approximately the time of their marriage. After four years of suffering from
7020-440: The women. The incident received nationwide coverage. The company that owns the house later said they would sell it to a nonprofit affordable housing group. As of 2019, Oakland's per-capita homeless rate was higher than San Francisco and Berkeley. Between 2014 and 2020, Oakland strengthened its protections for tenants in order to reduce the displacement of its long-time residents. Between January 2020 and March 2022, Oakland suffered
7110-459: The younger men bagged 32 first ascents in ten weeks traveling through the High Sierra. From June 23–26, the trio climbed 10 of the 12 major pinnacles of the Devils Crags . He served as climbing leader on many High Trips sponsored by the Sierra Club and became known as "the pack that walks like a man" because of the huge backpacks he carried. In addition to as many as five cameras, he carried
7200-520: Was accompanied to the summit by Dick Long, John Evans, Jim Wilson, Frank Coale and Paul Bacon. In 1969, he co-founded Mountain Travel with Leo LeBon. The company is now known as Mountain Travel Sobek. In July, 1970, Steck and Doug Robinson completed the first ascent of the "Doors of Perception" route on North Palisade rated III 5.8, described as "the most striking feature on the northeast face of
7290-567: Was founded in Oakland, and Oakland was selected as the western terminal of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. The following year, Oakland's Lake Merritt became the United States' first officially designated wildlife refuge, now a National Historic Landmark . Following the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake , many San Francisco citizens moved to Oakland, enlarging the population, increasing its housing stock, and improving its infrastructure. It continued to grow in
7380-522: Was from July 1997 to June 1998 with 47.76 inches (1,213.1 mm) and the driest from July 2020 to June 2021 with 8.03 inches (204.0 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 15.35 inches (390 mm) in January 1911. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 4.75 inches (121 mm) on December 31, 2022. Rainfall near the bayfront is only 23 inches (580 mm), but is higher in the Oakland Hills to
7470-476: Was just too damned hot". In 1952, he went to work at a Berkeley ski, mountaineering and backpacking store called The Ski Hut, and later worked for their equipment manufacturing division Trailwise. He specialized in sleeping bag design. Steck participated in the first attempt on Makalu in Nepal which was made by an American team led by William Siri in the spring of 1954. The expedition was composed of members of
7560-470: Was moved to Fremont in southern Alameda County. Also in 1916, the Fageol Motor Company chose East Oakland for their first factory, manufacturing farming tractors from 1918 to 1923. By 1920, Oakland was the home of numerous manufacturing industries, including metals , canneries, bakeries, internal combustion engines , automobiles, and shipbuilding. By 1929, when Chrysler expanded with
7650-515: Was named Thunderbolt Peak to commemorate that close call. Three days later on August 16, Eichorn, Clyde, Underhill and Dawson completed the first ascent of the East Face of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. The route was extremely exposed, especially the famous Fresh Air Traverse. Steve Roper called this route "one of the classic routes of the Sierra, partly because of its spectacular location and partly because it
7740-658: Was removed. He died in Bishop on December 23, 1972, at age 87, surrounded by the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada that he loved so much. The cause of death was "metastatic melanoma – primary in eye." Norman Clyde received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from his alma mater, Geneva College, in 1939. He received the college's Distinguished Service Award in 1962. In 1947, the Sierra Club Handbook praised Clyde's mountaineering accomplishments: Outstanding among members who have helped others gain mountain experience
7830-469: Was soon established four miles (6.4 km) to the southwest. During World War II, the East Bay Area was home to many war-related industries. Oakland's Moore Dry Dock Company expanded its shipbuilding capabilities and built over 100 ships. Valued at $ 100 million in 1943, Oakland's canning industry was its second-most-valuable war contribution after shipbuilding. The largest canneries were in
7920-604: Was still gym climbing twice a week, public speaking, and occasionally visiting the high peaks. His memoir, A Mountaineer's Life , was published by Patagonia in 2017. Steck died on February 23, 2023, at the age of 96. Jointly with Norman Clyde , he was the first recipient of the Sierra Club's Francis P. Farquhar Mountaineering Award in 1970. In 1995, he won the American Alpine Club's Literary Award for co-authoring Fifty Classic Climbs of North America with Steve Roper. Oakland, California Oakland
8010-593: Was the first really big wall to be climbed in the range." Porcella & Burns wrote that "the climb heralded a new standard of technical competence in Californian rock climbing…" These events led to a lifelong friendship between Clyde and Jules Eichorn. In 1932, he climbed El Picacho del Diablo in Baja California, Mexico, and climbed it again in 1937. He met David Brower in the Sierra Nevada in 1933, and in 1934 spent time with Brower and Hervey Voge as
8100-845: Was the first recipient of the Sierra Club's Francis P. Farquhar Mountaineering Award in 1970. Clyde Minaret , Clyde Spires , Clyde's Ledge, Clyde's Meadow along the Mountaineer's Route on Mount Whitney, and Norman Clyde Peak bear his name. His ashes were scattered from Norman Clyde Peak by Smoke Blanchard , his son Bob Blanchard, and a party that included Jules Eichorn . The Eastern California Museum in Independence has an extensive collection of memorabilia, documents and photos pertaining to Clyde's life on display. Wall Street Journal extreme sports correspondent Michael J. Ybarra described this exhibit as "absorbing". Norman Clyde's life and mountaineering achievements were documented in
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