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Homepage Forums Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge™ Q&A Northern California – St Helena is WAY out there

  • Northern California – St Helena is WAY out there

    Posted by Jason on November 12, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    The Norcal Challenge. I do love these challenges, but for the Northern California one, its just unfortunate that Mt St Helena is always included in this challenge.

    My biggest Challenge is not the hike, but finding the time commitment to drive all the way from San Jose to this park. there are so many more parks in the Bay Area to choose from. The challenge shouldn’t be how long a drive is it to get there, but the hike itself.

    Maybe for 2022 you add on additional peaks but maybe add on a few other mountains closer. I can find you like 3-7 challenging peaks but closer in the area.

    Robert replied 2 years, 3 months ago 6 Members · 11 Replies
  • 11 Replies
  • Jeff

    Administrator
    November 12, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    Jason, a timely post. We are looking at dropping Mission Peak (too crowded), adding Rose Peak back in (and hopefully Mount Sizer). We are always looking for a few more good peaks to consider, so let’s hear your suggestions!

    • Jason

      Member
      December 21, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      My suggestion would be that you still have 6 Peaks Challenge, but maybe what you do is have two other peaks as options in case one peak is too hard to get to, off limits due to fire, covid or something else. And to add a layer of challenge, you COULD make the optional two peaks harder to make it more even.

      Because for me, I would rather my time commitment be on the mountain, not on the drive to or from.

      But yeah, I can make some additional suggestions to add for 2022 or beyond now that i am done with Helena.

  • Laurie

    Member
    November 12, 2021 at 5:35 pm

    Not all of us live in the South Bay. While St Helena is a bit of a drive for us (in Benicia), Mt Umunhum is further. It’s good to have the peaks spread out so all of us have some closer and some farther. No complaints about removing Mission Peak though.!

    Thanks,

    Laurie

    • Jason

      Member
      December 21, 2021 at 12:07 pm

      Well living in San Jose, all but one are north of us, and within range, hour, to an hour and a half. That one is like 2 and a half hours and we pass so many other options to do instead.

      Its just that all the others are in the Bay area, Helena is out of the area completely.

  • Karl

    Member
    November 17, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    Yup! 2.5+ hours, each way, from my house. More time driving than hiking. Once a year isn’t bad, though!

    • Jason

      Member
      December 21, 2021 at 12:16 pm

      Yeah, its the one outliner. If you look at all the other peaks for 2021, they are all in the general area, but Helena is so much farther away than its next closest peak – which I guess is Diablo.

  • Terry

    Member
    December 21, 2021 at 9:43 pm

    Mt Rose would be quite a bit farther. It’s way the heck up at Tahoe, on the Nevada side. (Unless there’s something I don’t know about closer.)

    • Jason

      Member
      December 23, 2021 at 6:54 am

      I think there is a Mount Rose up by tahoe, but I think what they’re talking about is Rose Peak which is in the Bay Area unless I’m wrong.

      Rose Peak
      (888) 324-2757
      https://maps.app.goo.gl/U9XfARKdnU3Ldrk88

    • Terry

      Member
      December 23, 2021 at 12:02 pm

      Aha, thanks much! I hadn’t found that on prior searches. That’s LOTS closer!

  • Jason

    Member
    December 23, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    Yeah I think this one was part of the 2021 six pack of peaks, but then they had to change it to Mission Peak or something because of fire or Covid or both.

    • Robert

      Member
      December 31, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      Yup. Rose Peak and Sizer were on the list but we needed alternates because of fire closures. Hopefully they stay open in 2022.

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