I have been wanting to hike on the trails of the beautiful Henry Coe State Park for sometime and therefore when I noticed Mount Sizer as one of the six peak NorCal challenges, I set my eyes on it. 

Finally it was on this pleasant Spring day that all of us were ready for it. We did attempt as a group few times earlier this year but it dd not happen. This time of the year the mid day sun in average can be reach 80+ degrees but we got a respite because of a moisture plume (very rare) the day before. As a result the average was around 65 degrees with a cool breeze best for hiking. 

The beautiful drive from the East Dunne exit off 101 to the park visitor center is about 30 minutes. The trail head elevation at the visitor center is at about 2750 ft. There were already few cars in the parking when we arrived at about 7.45 am, as the park gates are open 24 by 7 though you have to self pay for the parking slip. When we started we had to put on our beanies and hand gloves. The weather was really chilly for the first 20 minutes or so but the temperature gradually started to get warmer.

While the plan was to do the hike clockwise but because we noticed the Coral Trail just off the parking lot so just hopped on to it. After few minutes we figured out that that we were going anti clockwise. But later we realized that the clockwise would have been little more challenging. Thus we continued on via Manzanita point road and the little longer Poverty Flat road, followed by the Blue Ridge road that eventually took us to Mt Sizer. peak. Interestingly there is no signage of the peak. But I guess that is how the park authorities left it. The hike up was a pretty gradual elevation. After having our lunch snack we started to head back. Well that is when we realized the variance in the trail elevation. It would have been much more strenuous than we thought if we hiked up clockwise.  After the Skeels Meadow camp the trail road becomes Hobb Road which passes through the Deer Horn camp. As planned we took a detour via Middle ridge trail and the Frog Lake Trail as we wanted to get a view of the beautiful Frogs Lake that also has the Frog Lake camp. We did spent sometime around the lake. There were few hikers and campers also enjoying the serene lake surroundings. Finally we rejoined the Hobbs road before completing the loop via the Monument Trail and ending up on the East Dunne Avenue that exits a little further away from the parking lot. 

We reached the parking lot around 2.15 pm saving ourselves couple hours from the high temperature that was already engulfing the area. It was a good fulfilling hike for all of us and another day to look back in my hiking diaries.