Mission Peak Trail, Fremont, CA

The journey to Fremont to hike Mission Peak is well worth the drive. Mission Peak Trail is primarily a nice, wide fire trail, with a slight scramble near the peak which tops out at 2,615 feet.

The final push...

Olma and I hiked this trail to the summit in about an hour and a half. It's a steady and, at times, steep climb. The trail is pretty much exposed to the sun at all times, so, on sunny days, make sure you apply the sunblock and bring adequate hydration.

Almost there.

It's also a good idea to bring some type of windbreaker or sweater as it can get a bit gusty and chilly at the summit. We stayed at the summit long enough to eat lunch (I believe it was Lara bars, blueberries, and bananas).

Hey look! A tree!

The view from the summit was impressive and this was on a day that was slightly cloudy in the Bay Area. I can't wait to see what it looks like on a clear day. 

We made it!

Wildlife in the area was predominantly of the bovine variety. There must be a cattle ranch nearby. We also spotted several squirrels and hawks.

After your day on Mission Peak, a good place to refuel is The Country Way Restaurant on nearby Mowry Way. Nothing fancy; just good diner food.

We're both looking forward to another hike on Mission Peak.

Perhaps the mountain grew 102 ft since this marker was placed?

Rory Needs a New Pair of Boots

I've been thinking about getting a new pair of hiking boots for awhile now. I currently hike in my Hi Tec Cape Trail boots. They've served me well, and I've put a lot of miles on them, but I'm looking to upgrade to a sturdier boot with more waterproof qualities. The Capre Trails are a great lightweight hiking boot for warm weather, but they've left me wet a few times.

Hi Tec Cape Trail II

I picked a boot up off the shelf while shopping at REI last week, and was initially impressed with their construction and aggressive tread pattern. The boot I picked up was an Oboz Beartooth, and the salesperson in the shoe department mentioned to me that it was one of the store's better hiking boots. I thought, "At $200.00, they better be good."

That evening, at home, I did a Google search on the boots and came across an outstanding gear review site which I will share with all my readers here. Backpack Gear Test has been up and running for about 10 years and Rick Dreher, who reviewed the Oboz, has over 40 years of hiking experience under his belt. He gave the Beartooth boots a favorable review, so it looks like I'll be making an investment.

Oboz Beartooth

If any of you out there have any advice or tips in this area, please feel free to comment below. I would greatly appreciate it.

Happy hiking!                                                                                    3K3WV5U9MJR2

Mt. Whitney Lottery

Last night, Olma and I attended a presentation at REI on the subject of summiting Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada.

The couple who gave the presentation, Ronald and Joan Breuch, have summited Whitney (14,505 ft elev) on several occasions and have also successfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and hiked to Machu Picchu.

The Breuch's inspired both Olma and I to apply for a permit to hike up Mt. Whitney this fall. I submitted our requests today through an online lottery system. With a lottery system, it looks as though there will be a lot of other hikers up there with us. We're both really looking forward to this next adventure.

I think we better start training.

Windy Hill, Portola Valley, CA

I enjoyed hiking this hill with my co-worker, Oscar. From the trailhead at the parking lot, we followed the Betsy Crowder Trail to its junction with the Spring Ridge Trail. We climbed this trail, which is wide enough to be considered a fire road, for about 1,200 feet in elevation gain to the summit of Windy Hill, just above Skyline Boulevard. It took us about an hour, which wasn't too bad. We were in no hurry (not true...I had a date with Olma for Mardi Gras that evening in Berkeley, so I kept telling Oscar to shake a leg).

While hiking, I spotted several red-tailed hawks. Oscar mentioned that the last time he had hiked up here, he ran across a newt and a flock of quail.

We brought good weather with us and from the summit, were able to see Stanford University and beyond, all the way out to the East Bay Hills, including Mount Diablo and Mission Peak. To the west, we gazed upon the rolling hills and valleys all the way out to the Pacific Ocean. Magnificent hike for views of the beautiful Bay Area we live in.

View to the south

A tree that caught my eye near the start of the trail

View of the East Bay hills

A bench to rest on near the summit

Another view of the East Bay from the summit

Survey marker at the summit of Windy Hill