Bald Mountain

Bald Mountain is a small peak on the side of Mt Umunhum. It is on the nifty ninety list, or I wouldn't have stopped for the walk up. There is a parking lot and a few roadside spots at the trailhead, on the road up to the summit of Umunhum. This is the only parking lot between the Hicks Road lot and the summit lot.

On the way up.

I knew it was an easy hike up, but I didn't realize how easy. There is basically no elevation gain from the parking lot to the summit. The trail is a fire road. The summit has barely any prominence, and is more a clear area with nice views. Possibly a nice spot for a picnic.

Almaden Reservoir.

It was a bit hazy, but there were still decent views. I'm not sure why this summit needs to be included on the list, Mt Umunhum is much more interesting and has even more and better views. Either way, I'm glad to check it off the list.

There were a few flowers out already in February.

White Hill

 After a quiet Christmas, I was ready to get out. I decided to do a combined SOTA/Nifty Ninety trip, and went up to Marin to get Pine Mountain and White Hill, both on the ninety list. Only Pine Mtn, however, has the prominence for SOTA.

White Hill

It was overcast when I left the Azalea Hill trailhead. I got there early enough there was plenty of parking available. All the mountain bike tracks in the mud were nice, they let me know how deep it was before I stepped.

Playing radio on the summit of Pine Mountain.

It is an easy hike up to the top of Pine Mountain. I set up in the same spot I had on previous visits and got on the air. My new QCX-mini did wonderfully, and the 5watter held its own on 40 as well. Its always fun to make contacts with homebrew rigs.

Muddy ridge.

It was cold and windy, and the clouds were pretty threatening, so I didn't stay too long on the summit. I retraced my steps back to the main fire road on the ridge and followed it to my turnoff. Here it drops down into the woods for a ways before coming up to White Hill.

Almost at the summit.

There are some steep parts on the way up to the summit, but the ridge itself is quite nice. The views are excellent up there. I had been in the area before during orienteering events, but I'm not sure I had been to the summit ever. Now there's no question, I've stood on the high point.

Cascade Creek.

The descent to the trail junction was quite steep. There is then some side hill trails to get around a corner of private property, then more descending down to the Cascade Creek. There were a number of bikes on this section, and plenty of people in the valley. I crossed the brook, then started a long climb back up the ridge to my car. 

The Marin hills after a storm.

In retrospect, putting a big 1000 foot climb at the end of a long run might not have been the best planning, but I made it to the ridge. Starting at Cascade Creek may have been a better option. As I climbed, the sun started coming out and it began to turn into a pretty nice day. Back at the car I stretched then headed down for the drive home, happy with the day's outing.

Garin Peak

What better way to start the year than peakbagging? New Year's Day was a nice day to go for an easy hike over Garin Peak. 

Near the trailhead.

We started at the main Garin Park parking lot. There were plenty of spaces open. People must have partied too hard the night before. The first part of the trail is paved, but then the dirt starts for a nice loop. 

Rocks in the middle of the field.

The trail is not difficult, and the views were nice. The grass was starting to turn green, but it will be a while before it gets to the bright, vibrant green that we get in the spring. 

View to the south.

We brought sandwiches, and had some lunch at the summit. It was a nice place for a picnic. On the way down, one of the groups we passed told us they saw a bobcat. They were loud enough I'm sure it was scared away and we had no chance of seeing it. 

W6/NC-092 Poverty Ridge

The forecast was for a beautiful day, so why not spend it all outside? I had had my eye on this peak for a while but was waiting for a nice day before attempting it. Poverty Ridge is about nine miles from the nearest trailhead, and the approach is all on a ridge, so cold or rain or wind would make it a miserable hike. 

Heading down the trail.

The standard route seems to start at the Twin Gates trailhead in Joe Grant park, so this is where I started. I got to the lot shortly after it opened at 8, but wasn't the first car. Once I was ready, I headed up the hill and north.

Looking back towards Mt Hamilton.

There is a steep initial climb, then lots of ridge. My first destination was Antler Point, a peak on the Nifty Ninety list. There is a trail that leads to one of the summits, but maps show the other one is higher.

View from near Antler Point of Day Mountain and Black Mountain.

Antler Point was quite nice, and is worth the hike out. The trail-less slope down from the point is very steep. Not one you'd want to go up. I crossed the marshy ground at the bottom and followed an old road through a broken gate to the next trail, a well traveled dirt road.

The fanciest gate on the way.

This middle section is relatively flat, with lots of short and gentle ups and downs. I saw a hawk of some sort sitting on the ground a short distance off the trail, which I was not expecting. Usually I see them flying around or perched on something higher up. Maybe I interrupted its lunch. 

Tree at the summit, looking west.

The last climb to the summit is the biggest, but it is not steep. Just before the summit there is another gate, this one with a mailbox. I tagged the summit then went back to the fence to set up the radio. I figured it was a good spot, close to a steep dropoff to the east. 

Looking south at Day Mountain and Mt Hamilton.

I did work France on 20m, so it may have helped. I did not have good cell service on top, so I relied on RBNHole to spot me. Before leaving I called a few times on 2m and 70cm, but didn't hear anyone. 

Antler Point in the foreground, on the way back.

I mostly retraced my steps to get back. I didn't, however, see a reason to go over Antler Point again, so I took the trail around the west side. The valley it went through, by the Pala Seca cabin, was quite nice. There were also a lot more people in this section. Must be about as far as normal people want to go on a day hike. 

A nice rock in the Canada de Pala.

The trail goes by peak 2844, a P300, so I decided to climb over it on my way back. It is not too far above the trail, and an easy side trip. The views on top were excellent, especially of the Mt Hamilton area. 

Copernicus Peak is on the left, with the small tower.

Back at the car I was pretty tired after running and hiking over 18 miles. But I was satisfied, I couldn't have asked for a better day to be out in the Diablo Range. 

Trailhead: Twin Gates Trailhead, Joe Grant Park
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take the Canada de Pala trail along the ridge. You can either take the Pala Seca trail over Antler Point or go around. Cross the marshy area on the old road to the well maintained one, and follow it and the ridge north until you get to the summit.
Red Tape: None. No signs or indications of private property.

St Joseph's Hill

 St Joseph's Hill is an easy hike to a nice viewpoint in the south bay. We parked near the boat launch for Lexington Reservoir, and headed up the trail. The first section is steep, but partially paved. The trail the levels out, before climbing more after the next junction.

View to the north.

There is a small network of trails around the summit. It was the day after Thanksgiving, so the trails were pretty busy. We got to the summit right as another group was leaving, and grabbed the bench to have lunch. 

Lexington Reservoir.

We continued around the south side of the hill to go down. There were great views of the reservoir and Highway 17. The hike down was quick, and seemed less busy than the route up. 

Forest near the start.

Vollmer Peak, Grizzly Peak, Wildcat Peak

For my run, I decided to go up to Tilden park to get some more peaks off the Nifty Ninety list, Vollmer Peak, Grizzly Peak, and Wildcat Peak. I started at the Meadows Picnic Area, just off of Central Park Drive. 

Heading up the trail on a beautiful day.

I took the fire road trail up towards the main ridge. It was a gorgeous day, and the trails were rather busy. The walk along the ridge was awesome, as you'd expect. SF was clearly visible across the bay, and Diablo on the other side. 

SF, Golden Gate, Mt Tam.

I had been to Vollmer Peak before, but I went up to the top anyways to play radio for a while. I made contacts on 20m and 40m, but there was some interference on 30m from the towers up there. After making a few final ones on 2m, I packed up and headed down and over towards Grizzly Peak.

Grizzly Peak summit. Not that impressive.

The parking area at the end of the tower access road was closed to parking, and there weren't many people in the area. I walked up the road to the summit, taking a few pictures before turning around for the long descent back towards the car. 

Wildcat Creek, a short distance below Lake Anza.

It was a nice trip down to the starting area, then over towards Wildcat Peak. There were enough switchbacks on the climb that it wasn't too difficult, but I did start seeing more and more people. 

View to the north east from the summit.

Wildcat Peak was very crowded. I stopped long enough to enjoy the view and refill my water before continuing along the ridge. This section was much less busy, and the views were just as nice. 

Sunset over SF and Marin.

It was a nice ridge run, then a steep descent back to Wildcat Creek. The return to the car wasn't as bad as I feared. I was much more tired a year or two ago when I did a similar loop during an orienteering event. I must be getting in better shape. 

Eucalyptus grove.

Overall a great day for a loop in a nice park. 

W6/NC-340 Tulucay Benchmark

 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.

Rose Hill

 Black Diamond Mines Park preserves some ghost towns from when the area was the biggest coal mining area in California. In non-Covid times, you can go on tours of the mines and such, but since everything was closed, I just went for a run. 

Overcast views.

It was overcast and chilly when the gate finally was opened and I parked in the main lot. There were a lot of people unloading bikes, and I saw lots of mountain bikers while out. I started up the hill to the east, beginning a big loop around the park.

On one ridge. 

Despite all the people I saw in the parking lots, the trails were fairly empty once you got away from the roads. It had been a few years since I had been to the park, and it was much nicer than I remember. Gorgeous open ridges with great views in all directions. Just awesome.

Imagine the spring, with green grass and wildflowers.

My first destination was Peak 919, a P300 peak in the park. 

No longer overcast!

On the way I passed by the group campsite, then Star Mine. The entrance is gated shut, but you can look down the entry shaft. I can't imagine walking down it every day for work. 

Star Mine entrance.

After going by Star mine, I started climbing up towards the top of 919. This is also the first section that was in the trees. The high point is a little distance off the trail, but it isn't a hard bushwhack. 

Back down in the valley. A very nice valley.

The top is rocky, and you can just about get above the bushes for a view. I decided to go down the west face of the hill, since that was the direction I wanted to go eventually. This was a mistake. It was super steep, and there were some short class 3 moves to get down. I would just backtrack to the trail next time.

Oak hills of the east bay.

Back on the trail I continued into a wide, gentle valley. This is one of the prettiest areas of the park, I think. On the north side there is a sign pointing out the tailings from one of the old mines. I took the trail that goes up and over the tailing pile, then climbed the rest of the way up to the ridge.

The tailings of one of the coal mines.

It was fun to be able to hike up the hill faster than the mountain bikers. Normally runners can't keep up. Up on the ridge I wound my way around to the pass above Nortonville. Here I crossed the trail, and took the use trail up the steep slope to the top of Rose Hill.

Nortonville cemetery.

The views from Rose Hill were superb. It is the highest point in the park, and it feels like you can see everything. As I was enjoying the hill, I heard some rustling in the grass. When I looked over, I saw a cat head pop up. This scared me, since I didn't know what kind of cat it was. We looked at each other, than the cat turned and walked away. I could see the small tail and knew then it was a bobcat. I might not be here writing if it had been a mountain lion.

Mount Diablo and North Peak.

After my cat encounter I decided not to hang around, and headed down the other side of the peak, back to the trail. I passed some cows, then made my way back to the car. It had been an excellent outing, and I would recommend the park to anyone, just not in the summer.