The day started off early. We wanted to be on the trail at 7:30am to try to avoid the heat.  This meant little sleep the night before since we had to be on the road by 6:15am. I’d pay for that lack of sleep later in the day after the hike, but hey we all got up in time, got caffeinated, and made our way to the trail.

Driving out was normal until I exited the highway. I drive out to a lot of hiking spots but never heard of this spot. It was definitely a “where are we? 🤷🏻‍♂️”moment when we met the dirt road. Anyone know what the military land out there is for? I should note, this dirt road can be handled by any car, unless you drive something that sits 2 inches off the ground. In that case you are going to want to borrow someone’s car.  You will be on a combination of dirt and pavement for several miles.

Once we got out of the truck we did the responsible thing and layered on the sunscreen. I burn at times and that’s no bueno. After we got ready to start, I clicked start on the Garmin watch and we began the hike. The climb up is about 3.5 miles. It’s an easy climb up as you don’t really face steep climbs for long distances. While you climb, stop and take a look around at the views. The day we went, the mountains surrounding us were all green still. That was really nice to see.

Starting early gave us the mountain to ourselves. That was nice cause it was quiet and we got to take in nature as she wanted us to see and hear.

When we arrived at the top, we got to see some incredible 360 degree views. We took those in, ate some peanut butter and honey sandwiches, took some photos, signed the book, and then left the summit saying “that was fun”.

On the way down we saw several more people coming up. The tip here is if you want the mountain to yourself go early. I’m sure you’ll have a great hike any time of day though. Just different experiences.

All in all, I had a great time hiking Corte Madera. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did when you go.