The 5th peak of the Bay Area Peak Challenge was conquered on 4/1 by a group of brave hikers battling blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures on a beautiful day at Mt. Umunhum! This brave group hiked 16.8 miles in a little over 5 hours to summit the 3488 ft mountain gaining about 2687 in elevation to get the free candy promised by the group organizer.
The group met up at the Sierra Azul Open Space parking lot and took off promptly at 830am. The weather was perfect and cool as the hikers followed the Woods Trail.
The trail provides good cover, and you could hear the many creeks flowing. The group was in high spirits talking and taking many pictures along the way.
They made a left on Barlow Rd, and this is where the group began to climb. The road was in decent shape but had a few good ruts from where the water had carved out its path from the recent rains. Also, along all the trail you could see trees that had fallen and mini landslides. Barlow Rd has many ups and downs and will give you a good workout.
Finally, the group made a right and connected with the Mt. Umunhum main trail. This is a well-maintained trail which many avid hikers use to get to the top after parking close to the trail head. By this time the group was strung out along the trail, everyone taking their time and hiking at their own pace.
About 2 miles before the summit is the Guadalupe Creek Overlook. It was defiantly worth stopping for a few minutes to take in the view.
The group then pressed on and hit the summit of Umunhum at about 1115am. The group celebrated with crisp high fives, pictures of their victory, and the flying of the 6 Peaks Challenge flag. Lunch was enjoyed and candy was available as promised. There was a rumor that a taco truck might be at the top but sadly it was just a rumor.
After a good 30-minute break the group headed back down following the same trails back. The air was warmer, and the sun was shining down. There was not much in the way of flowers, but the trails were lush and green.
Again, the hikers were strung out along the trail on the way back but the majority of them returned back at about 215pm.
It was an incredible day to be on Mt. Umunhum. Thanks to all who hiked today! I have posted all the pictures and videos of my hike to this page. Also, there is a link to the All-Trails route we took. If you would like to ask more questions about my hikes, please feel free to message me and I will share all my info. If you are interested in my hikes, you can follow me on my Facebook page Jason’s Hiking Adventures and Bay Are Hikers, Instagram @jasonshikingadventures, Social Hiker, and All Trails. Thanks for reading!
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