Mount Saint Helena aka Mount Switchbacks

The first part of the hike that took place in the forest wasn’t so bad. It was uphill pretty much the whole way, but the incline was fine. There were a few rocks to climb over, and some downed trees to crawl under, but overall it was the easiest part.

Once we reached the fire road, it was simple in the fact that it was one way to the peak. No other trails were needed.  What made this harder than the first part was the sun exposure. Aside from a few random shady spots, the sun was hitting us hard. Thank God for sunscreen.

There are numerous switchbacks on this hike. A good number of smaller ones in the forest area, and three larger ones as you get closer to the peak.

The hill to the actual peak was the most strenuous due to the angle of it, but it’s only for a short distance.

There were very few people on the trail. In total, we came across six.

The views are absolutely spectacular.  The best of any of the hikes we’ve done so far. It was especially cool seeing both Mount Diablo and Mount Tam, knowing we also hiked those this year.

Easily my favorite hike this year… so far.