June 15th, 2024 – my sixth hike of the challenge!
My Garmin tracked 18.62 miles and 3188 feet of elevation gain:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/15931352077
AllTrails Route & My Activity Recording:
Mount Umunhum Trail via Woods Trail
(I hiked a few extra out-and-backs that added some mileage and elevation gain after I reached the summit)
I noted the elevation changes for each of the miles leading to the summit:
Mile 1 – 87 ft
Mile 2 – 382 ft (+295)
Mile 3 – 709 ft (+327)
Mile 4 – 1160 ft (+451)
Mile 5 – 1466 ft (+306)
Mile 6 – 1714 ft (+248)
Mile 7 – 2015 ft (+301)
Mile 8 – 2340 ft (+325)
Mile 8.41 (turnaround point) – 2492 ft (+152)
Trail Conditions:
Most of the route was on dirt/gravel paths, with some asphalt sections. Woods and Barlow were wide trails, and Mount Umunhum was more narrow. The route alternates between sections of tree cover and direct sunlight. Overall, the elevation gain was gradual – Barlow Road felt like the steepest climb, as did the staircases near the summit.
Summit:
Phenomenally beautiful – I was in awe! When I walked up to the viewing platform and looked at the valley below, it was one of those views where I actually felt a little dizzy as my eyes adjusted and I wrapped my head around just how high above the ground I was. I spent some time walking around the summit, and I felt so grateful to experience such an amazing place, and for this summit to be the finale of my Bay Area Six-Pack of Peaks journey.
Wildlife:
I encountered a lot of wildlife close to the summit – alligator and fence lizards, a hummingbird, and even a rattlesnake cruising down the trail. On the return hike, there was a quail and a gopher snake a few miles from the Woods trailhead.
Tips:
- Carry lots of water and wear sunscreen! I brought 1.5 quarts of water in my backpack and a 3/4 liter water bottle, but I should’ve carried even more.
- Trekking poles were useful, especially for stability on some of the steeper descents.
Out of the six peaks that I hiked during the challenge (Mission Peak, Mount Saint Helena, Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais, Black Mountain, and Mount Umunhum), this uphill hike felt the most gradual. It was a long climb, but I caught glimpses of the radar tower on the summit throughout the hike and used it as a marker to measure my progress.
I learned so many valuable lessons from my experience hiking the Bay Area Six-Pack of Peaks challenge, and what I learned most from Mount Umunhum is that I can achieve so much more than I could have previously imagined. Prior to this year, I don’t think I’d ever hiked further than 5 miles in one go, and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’d hiked alone. At Mount Umunhum, I realized that in the span of 6 months, I’d built my way up to solo hiking over 18 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation gain in one day. For the Bay Area Six-Pack of Peaks challenge, I hiked over 80 miles and over 20,000 feet of elevation gain in total, and 5 of the 6 peaks had been solo hikes. On top of that, Mount Umunhum marked over 260 miles of hiking overall for the year. I’ve fallen completely head over heels in love with hiking, and while I’ve completed this challenge, this is only the beginning – my bucket list keeps growing, and I can’t wait for the next adventure!
Responses
Congratulations, Rachel! You found a great way to turn what can be one of the easier hikes into serious challenge.
So what’s next on your list?