Mt St Helena

I left home very early in the morning because I had read that the parking lot filled up fast. I got to Napa in time to see the sun start to rise, and took a nap in the empty parking lot until it was light out (I’m not keen on hiking in the dark).

The hike started off in such a lush, mossy forest that I found pretty beautiful and magical. After the monument, the trail becomes a little faint, and steep until you get to the wide road to the summit. A few cars passed me during the hike, but I was alone on the trail until about half a mile from the top. It was windy and fairly cool out, but I was too warm to leave a sweater on. It was pretty ideal. After about half an hour, it was completely clear views.

I’d say that the elevation gain was pretty good. There are a couple of steeper sections, but it felt like a good, consistent climb rather than a difficult slog.