It was Thanksgiving, and with no family in the area it meant it was time for a hike. This time I decided to go up to Napa and do Sugarloaf Mountain and Tulucay Benchmark. I left early, and got up to Skyline Wilderness Park by 8. It was chilly, since the sun hadn't risen over the ridge yet.
Near the start of the trail, scaring away the turkeys.
I took the most direct way up. The trail starts easy, going over to the advanced disc golf course. At the course it starts climbing, but never at a bad grade.
First viewpoint, looking north along Napa Valley.
There are a few viewpoints on this lower section, and all the peaks along Napa Valley were visible. It was a beautiful and clear day. The trail I took then goes into the stream's canyon for a while. It was steep but a good hiking trail. At the other end of the canyon I came out and started the real climb.
The trails are well marked.
As you climb, the views get better. Closer to the top I could see Mt Tam across San Pablo Bay. I had to stop on the way up to watch some deer just below me in a field.
Two of the deer.
The summit isn't very interesting. It is in the forest without any views. I stopped for a drink, then started over to the higher benchmark. The descent down to the col is easy, in open forest. There is an unmarked fence at the low point. It was easy to cross since the top strand was not barbed.
Burned manzanitas.
The climb up the other side was more interesting. There were some sections with lots of burned bushes to pick through. Luckily the density was fairly low and it was not difficult. A little higher up the bushes end and it is just low brush and rocks.
Almost at the summit.
I stopped a little below the summit to set up the radio. I had good cell service on top, and had no problem spotting or getting contacts. I was hoping for some good DX, but I didn't get much. As I was sitting I noticed an open spot on the ridge south of the towers. That might be a better place to setup and operate from.
The benchmark itself.
After I was done on the radio I went up to the high point to tag it before retracing my steps down to the col and back up to Sugarloaf peak. Since I wasn't in a rush, I took the long way down, continuing across the summit the way I came.
View back up to the peak.
The views descending were excellent, lots of open areas. In a few years, if more brush grows back, a better route to the benchmark might be from this area. The south side of the hills were open grass, and you'd just have to cross the gully separating them from the trail area.
Reservoir through the trees.
At the base of the peak there is a dam with a small reservoir. I hiked along the the west side, then up along some of the ridges west of the peak. It was a gorgeous day and I was in no hurry to get back. The views from some of the ridges were great. The park seems to be popular with mountain bikers, and I was passed by quite a few of them.
Vineyards at the southern end of the valley.
The trail ends at the RV campground section of the park, and I had to cross it as well as part of the disc golf course to get back to the car. It seems like the course wasn't designed very well, since a tee was on the opposite side of the path from the hole, and some golfers had to wait for me to go by. Overall, this was an excellent hike to a nice peak. Would recommend.
Trailhead: Skyline Wilderness Park, Imola Ave.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Pick your route to the top of Sugarloaf, then bushwhack across the col to the summit.
Red Tape: None.
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