Spook Walk in Ripon draws walkers on Halloween
People from all over California were at Caswell State Park on Halloween to participate in the annual Spook Walk.
“You hear these things rustling in the bush and it’s just a squirrel or a chipmunk but it’s kind of creepy,” said walk organizer Joan Sykes. “There are wild grape vines that are all over and they kind of give you that spooky feeling.”
Sykes, dressed as the Big Bad Wolf dressed as Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma, is a member of the local chapter of the American Volkssport Association, a walking club.
About 45 people, many from chapters from as far away as Lake Tahoe and Clear Lake, dressed in costume and took to the the trail Saturday on 3- to 6-mile-long walks.
Volkssporting started in Germany in 1968, developed as a noncompetitive alternative to public running races and a way to stay fit.
Some of the walkers on Saturday, such as couple Grace and Wayne Holloway, actually began Volkssporting in Germany in the 1970s. Wayne was based there for the military.
“My first walk was a 12K with three teenagers,” Grace Holloway said.
Gertrude Vagley and her daughter Carol Jennings, both of Sacramento, also began Volkssporting in Germany around the same time.
On Saturday, Vagley showed off her “distance and event book,” which logged the kilometers on walks dating back to1989.
They, like most of the walkers, said they try to do a walk with their local clubs or others around California every weekend.
The Spook Walk is one of six hosted by the local AVA chapter called the Delta Tule Trekkers.
Participants from other clubs said they enjoy the Spook Walk because of the beautiful setting and the fun decorations such as ghosts and skeletons hanging from the trees.
The walk continues Sunday and includes lunch that is offered on a donation basis. Participants can walk for free or pay $3, which earns mileage credit with the AVA. Members get pins and patches after attaining certain mileage milestones.
Participants needn’t be club members to enjoy the trails at Caswell, though. Steve Hofer of Kingsburg was camping in the park Friday night when he heard about the event and decided to get some exercise and meet new people.
“(The park) is a gem here in this area, I never realized,” he said. “The natural overgrowth is so stunning.”
The walk is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Caswell State Park, 2800 Austin Road, in Ripon. Participants who want credit must sign up before noon. For more information about the Delta Tule Trekkers, email deltatuletrekkers@inreach.com or go to www.deltatuletrekkers.org.
Erin Tracy: 209-578-2366, @ModestoBeeCrime
This story was originally published October 31, 2015 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Spook Walk in Ripon draws walkers on Halloween."