On Thursday I rescheduled my Mt. Umunhum hike because of the weather and had mixed feelings about not hiking. So late Friday afternoon I had a wild idea and reached out to my good friend Winson to see if he would be interested in hiking Mt. Diablo and seeing all the snow. He agreed and today’s hike was spectacular!  

Winston and I started off from the East side in Diablo and headed out at 730am. We went up the Dan Cook / Summit Trail to start out. The trails were muddy, and the weather was overcast. We dressed in layers but within 30 minutes we were peeling off layers.  There were a few other hikers on the trail but for the most part we were alone.  

There were little spots of snow here and there, but it was not until we hit Rock City that we encountered measurable snow. The snow was soft and fluffy, just right for snowballs. The depth was ankle deep for the most part all the way up until we got closer to the summit.  

About a mile from the summit the sun broke out and the views were gorgeous. Manny pictures were taken along the way.  

We hit the summit and instead of going right to the top we took the Marry Bowman Trail loop around the summit. We were the first to break trail and now at times was up past our knees. 

As we hit the summit about noon after making the loop the clouds rolled back in. The weather was still just cool but no wind. We had lunch at the top, took pictures, and then headed back.  

By this time more hikers, skiers, bikers, and a few runners were at the top. Apparently, the East Gate was now open, and people were able to drive up to the Juniper Campground, but it was crazy parking and there were a lot of people.  

It was warming up on our way down and the snow was turning to slush and where we had once been now muddy and slushy. The snow was just starting to melt and fall from the trees.  

We made it back to our starting point by 3pm. We hiked 13.8 miles in about 6:30 and gained 3788 in elevation.  

It was an incredible day to be on Mt. Diablo. Thanks to Winston for coming with me on this whim! I have posted all the pictures and videos of my hike to this page. Also, there is a link to the All-Trails route we took. If you would like to ask more questions about my hikes, please feel free to message me and I will share all my info. If you are interested in my hikes, you can follow me on my Facebook page Jason’s Hiking Adventures, Instagram @jasonshikingadventures, and All Trails. Link to the trail we took below! 

Thanks for reading! 

All Trails Map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-f461285–445