Yes, it’s possible to be beautiful and irritating at the same time. This hike proves it.

Weather  It was a cool, cloudy day with the sun breaking through at noon. I experienced all kinds of weather conditions today; searing hot sun at noon and early afternoon, which can be pretty brutal since the four-mile plus fire road is exposed. I went down to one layer and gulped down tremendous amounts of water, questioning my judgment for wearing leggings instead of shorts. As I got closer to the summit, the wind began getting wild and cold. Suddenly, I put on four layers and wished I brought gloves, a beanie, and real pants to wear over my leggings which now seemed so flimsy. Mt. Saint Helena, you exposed me as an underprepared hiker.

Trail Conditions  Fun. The first mile was rocky and raw, which then gave way to a smooth, it not sometimes boring, fire road all the way to the summit. However, the views all the way to the summit were worth it. Though I missed seeing views of distant mountains due to cloudy and foggy conditions, hiking over cloudscapes was enchanting and magical.

Now to the annoying bits. I  got slightly lost. I almost went to the summit of the wrong peak, as there is absolutely no signage for the summit.

My biggest beef of the hike: I hate that I have to “trespass” to reach the summit, and be possibly exposed to..radio waves? Whatever, I trespassed anyway and hiked through some gorgeous power towers and breathtaking power equipment to reach the summit, where someone thoughtfully ripped off a historical marker. Lovely, just lovely. Thankfully, the geodetic survey marker was spared.

The view from the summit, once you’ve gotten over the irritating parts, brought back the feeling of enchantment.

Mt. Saint Helena-confounding. But fun.

This hike is dedicated to the  Pomo, Onasatis and Mishewal-Wappo tribes, the first people of Napa Valley.