New trail – New trail – New trail!!!

It feels kind of surreal to be at a brand new trail in the bay area. Not that I don’t appreciate the longstanding trails of old, but it is a welcome change, like sunshine after a spring shower. The bridges, benches, parking area and structures all feel somewhat like being in line for a brand new ride at Disney’s California. There is still a fresh new sheen to the coating on everything that makes you feel like the first visitors to the grand opening. The new roads, with little traffic, make it look like a great ride for cyclists. And the trail, itself, seems to have been designed with mountain bikes in mind.

This is a pleasant hike at a pretty gradual pitch all the way to the top. The most difficult portion seeming to be the stairs from the parking area to the summit. There is also a newer portion, not yet open, leading to another viewing area in the future. On a clear day, the views are incredible. You can see most of the valley, Mt. Diablo, the ocean may be visible with the right weather, and lots of air traffic flying overhead. Several passenger jets, helicopters and even a fighter jet flew past while eating lunch at the top.

While another local summit on our list seemed to be more of an Instagram opportunity for non-hikers – Umunhum is a lesser known, more appealing hike, with an entirely different attitude. It’s cooler, quieter, less populated and people seemed more enjoyable and happier to be here. I am a huge proponent of greeting people you encounter on the trail – It is called “HI”-king after all. We should say hello to each other on the trail. It really does make for a better experience. All in all, a fun hike, or ride, for all levels that was well worth the trip. It’s a great collaboration to put this together and so far they have done an excellent job.

Things to note:
1) Parking is extremely limited. There is one small lot at the trail head and 4, or 5 spots on the road across from it. And that is all, unless you go further down the road near the entrance to the park where there is another small lot, or to the summit, which has plenty of parking. There is no parking on the road anywhere that I saw, with the exception of those 4-ish spots. I almost had to park at the top and do a down-and-back to the summit, which was going to be a huge disappointment.
2) There are restrooms at the parking lots for the trail head staging area as well as near the summit. There is not running water, however, which would make a wonderful addition to the park. While not a particularly difficult hike, I hope that filling water bottles for hikers and cyclists at the top is in the plans for the future.