BY BRUCE LINDNER ………

 Mkay, one last tribute to my dad, then I’ll give it a rest for a while.

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My daughter Lisa took a picture a few months ago of my dad out stretching his legs in the neighborhood. I cropped it and enhanced it a bit.

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I call it “Going Home to Las Trampas.”

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Believe it or not, my dad was a big time nature fanatic and conservationist. I know that doesn’t square with ‘nuclear physicist,’ but it’s true. Those hills in the distance are called the Las Trampas Ridge. As kids, we used to hike up there, have camp-outs, etc. It’s about 1,000 feet high and forms the western side of the San Ramon Valley.

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On the opposite side of the valley is Mount Diablo, at 3,850 feet. It's a kid’s paradise up there too, with caves and trails to explore, unique wildlife, and a view from the summit that takes your breath away. You can see all of San Francisco to the west, and the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east.

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Back in the 1970s, as the population (and property values) were beginning to explode, some real estate developers set their sites on Las Trampas Ridge. If they’d had their way, those pristine hills would be covered in 7-11s, cul-de-sacs and swimming pools today. But my dad and another gentleman named Hulet Hornbeck (I swear that was his real name) declared environmental war on the developers.

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In the end, the greenies won and the greedies lost. But that’s not the end of the story.

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At the Southeastern slope of Mount Diablo is Morgan Territory. Developers had their eyes on that too, but thanks to Team Hornbeck-Lindner, it’s now a state-protected wilderness, off limits to human encroachment.

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Someone posted this article about his and Hornbeck’s efforts in my thread yesterday. I don’t recall seeing it before, but I’ve seen the inset YouTube clip. 

👇🏼

https://audiblemountdiablo.com/morgan-territorys-manfred-lindner?fbclid=IwAR2Un3PUNsMDZti3cnKo5OoaOPxw6solv9vi5ezgynoflF5jtACTlKI8TlY

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I’m hoping to scatter my parent’s ashes at either Las Trampas Ridge or out in Morgan Territory. I’ve gotta run that past the rest of the family. But I like the symbolism in Lisa’s picture; a 103 year old Manny Lindner, shuffling off towards the hillsides and wildlife he spent half his life fighting for. 💚

Comments

[Brad Bivvins]

Post all you want about your Dad. We are all going to be here to listen and feel the warmth of your memories. Thank you.

[MarkAndrews]

I second Brad's advice...I will ALWAYS read you and stories about your dad anytime! Blessings and peace...