We have been planning on this hike for a few weeks now as a group and finally got to do it today! Last time we tried, we ended up starting on the same trail way down below and the tower seemed out of reach even after hiking for about 8 miles. This time we all decided to meet at Bald Mountain parking lot. On our drive up that windy road which by the way was quite scary with so many bikers around, our friends who reached ahead of us informed us about the tight parking situation as mentioned in many of the reviews. They also suggested going all the way up to the summit and instead do an upside-down hike to Bald Mountain which sounded like a great idea and a good solution to the current parking situation.

Before we started the hike, took the steps to get an up close view of the “Cube” or “The Box” which towers over the valley at an elevation of about 3400ft. This place brims with history on how native Indians called it home for many years before it became the “Silicon Valley”. After taking in the beautiful views of the vast expanse of the land down below from that elevation which is considered the highest of all the mountains in Santa Cruz area, we embarked on our hike.

It was a gentle hike down to Bald Mountain on the not so narrow trail which was wet from the recent rains but not too muddy at the same time. I did carry my poles thinking it might be rocky at places but never had to use it as it was pretty gentle throughout. With so many stories to share and chatting all the way, we covered the 3.7miles one-way in about 1.5 hours. We did make sure to stop along the way to absorb the beauty all around.

After a brief snack break and using the well kept restrooms, started our hike back up to the summit. The cool weather continued and made the hike back up quite enjoyable. Even though we were climbing up, it didn't feel like it as the grade wasn't very steep. This trail can comfortably be rated as an easy one! We finished up the hike and started our drive back down the windy road feeling good about marking it off the list.