Early morning on Mt. St. Helena

The first mile of this hike is a wonderful adventure, scrambling over rocks, walking through dry river beds, and absolutely gorgeous on the eyes. Unfortunately, it quickly opens onto wide fire road, and continues open, with no shade all the way to the top. Fortunately, we started early, and the air in February stayed cool and pleasant. We enjoyed the hike overall, as the views of the sunrise, and overlooking the mountain range made up for some really boring trail.