Saturday April 8, 2023 a 6th peak of the Bay Area Six Peak Challenge was conquered by a strong group of hikers in the hill of Los Altos! In about 5.5 hours, 16.80 miles hiked, and 3228 in elevation Black Mountain was summited! This hike was also a trip down memory lane for me. Read on to find out!  

It was a beautiful day for the group to be out at the Rancho San Antonio County Park and apparently everyone else in the county decided to show up too. The weather was cool with a thin overcast. 

I arrived at 745am, and all the parking lots were packed. I personally had to park almost a mile away and double time it into the park to meet the group at the trail head. I arrived just after our planned start time of 815 and the group was already there waiting. I hate to be late! 

We took our group picture and off we went on the Coyote Trail up to the Stephen Abbors trail. The trails were dry, with just a few other hikers and trail runners. The group was in good spirits and regaling each other with their stories.  

The trail was lush with vegetation, but few flowers were blooming. By the time we hit the Abbors trail I had already peeled down to my t-shirt.       

We stayed on the Abbors trail and connected with the Quary trail. As we continued up both trails the grade became steeper but manageable. 

Finally, we hit the Black Mountain Trail and it was a straight steep shot to the top. The clouds had rolled back in and it became cooler at we hit the summit at about 11am.  

There were a few other hikers and bikers at the top and there was a slight breeze. We celebrated with lunch and a photo. Then we hit the trail back down.  

We came back on the Balck Mountain Trail and connected with the Chamise Trail. The Black Mountain trail was also very lush with vegetation, more flowers, and a few surprise waterfalls.  

As we connected with the Chamise Trail we stopped by the Mary Davey memorial for a short break. We then pressed on and hit the Rogue Valley Trail which took us into Deer Hollow Farm.  

This part of the hike was a trip back down memory lane. I grew up in Los Altos and Rancho San Antonio park was my backyard. In my youth I lived with my grandparents and went to school in Los Altos. I often visited Deer Hollow with my friends, had adventures in the hills and creeks, and biked all over with my Huffy BMX bike. A lot has changed for the better. The farm has been upgraded, the Catholic school is gone, and the trails have been improved significantly. I even saw where I could access the park through the Catholic school road that is now blocked off and million-dollar houses are now built there. Awe the memories!  

After passing through the farm we connected with the Lower Meadow Trail, Permanente Creek Trail, then the South Meadow Trail to get back to our cars. The parking lots were still packed when we finished up at about 215.   

There are 2 two extra peaks to go in the Six Peak Challenge, Rose and Sizer. Be on the lookout for when I go after them!  

 It was an incredible day to be on Black Mountain. Thanks to all who hiked today! 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 and Bay Are Hikers, Instagram @jasonshikingadventures, Social Hiker, and All Trails. Thanks for reading! 

All Trails Map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/black-mountain-via-stephen-e-arbors-black-mountain-and-chamise-loop-21be992