Mission Peak on an Early Weekday Morning

I began the hike to Mission Peak from the parking structure at Ohlone College at 7AM on a Wednesday, and I highly recommend this starting point and time. Apparently the hike can be crowded, but I only encountered about a dozen people on the way up.  Interestingly, all those hikers were coming down, even though I started at 7AM.  The trail is wide and easy to hike until about the last 1/4 mile before the top where it becomes steep and rocky, with some sections being loose, slippery gravel.

Finally, the views from the top are almost 360 degree panoramic beauty. On the way down I met a couple deer on the trail, as well as (no surprise) numerous California Rock Squirrels.