Today a global technology team took a long hike that started on the Montini Preserve, and finished on the Overlook Trail and Mountain Cemetery. With over 50 people in attendance from all over the world (see the picture to the right), it was something to behold. Attendees were from the U.S., Canada, Israel, Japan, China, the Czech Republic, and who knows where else. They were here in the Bay Area for their annual conference for employees and customers of the Scylla NoSQL parallel database system.

The hike was very ably led by Melissa Beasley and Lisa Turchet, both yoga instructors and hike leaders for The Lodge at Sonoma. Melissa led the hike and Lisa made sure no one was left behind. This hike was part of a “thank you” as well as a team building exercise for the company, as with any very distributed company it can be difficult to build relationships that are challenged by both distance and time zone issues. Having been a part of a global organization, I know these challenges personally. Face time is really important, especially in a relaxed atmosphere such as a nature hike.

So it was good that our trails could be used to build relationships, introduce visitors to the awesomeness that is the Sonoma Valley, and generally show them a good time. Thank you to The Lodge at Sonoma, and particularly to the hike leaders Melissa Beasley and Lisa Turchet, for leading such a great event on our cherished trails!