Another great Central Coast hike. We started off this morning around 8:30 from the Velencia Peak Trail. Temps were right around 50 degrees with a lite breeze. Surprisingly, there weren't many cars there yet on a Saturday at 8:30. My friend Laurel and I didn't run into any challengers, but we did see lots of bikers and trail runners on the trails up to Oat Peak. From Oat Peak to Alan Peak, we saw on 2 others on the trail running. No hikers!

Anyway, we took the Velencia Peak Trail about 1.1 miles to the Beebe Trail and then the New Oats Peak Trail. From there it was another 2.3 miles to Oats Peak. After Oats Peak we head off to Alan Peak which was about 2.4 additional miles. The total elevation gain (including the rolling ridgeline from Oats Peak to Alan Peak) was about 1745 feet. Our descent from Alan Peak to Oats Peak and back to the trailhead added an additional 900 feet in elevation gain. Making our total gain over the 11.4 miles, 2645 feet.

Lots of awesome views on this trail. Very little mud early on. Poppies lined the trail along the ridgeline from Oats Peak to Alan Peak. Like Bishop Peak there is poison oak early along the trail and also in the final 1.5 miles to the summit. Very exposed trail with the exception of a stretch along the ridgeline in which the trees cover the trail, but also the poison oak.