Didja know that “Umunhum” means “resting place of the hummingbird” in the Ohlone language?

I know this area very well, having been hiking the trails below the mountain for many years. On the third day after it officially opened to the public, back in the fall, I rode my bike up the road, from Hicks Road, and back down on the trail (Link: https://alpharoaming.com/2017/09/24/umunhum/ )

I found a short window of opportunity on a weekday, and off I went! Due to time constraints, I started at the Bald Mountain parking lot, instead of the lower parking lot. (Pro tip: If the 7 or 8 car parking lot is full at Hicks Road, enter the dirt road, across the street. There is parking for 50+ cars, less than 1/4 mile away.)

Up I went, at a leisurely pace, playing with my phone and chatting with the other hikers that I passed. (A few asked about my Six Pack shirt, so I told them about the Challenge, and gave them an information card.) I enjoyed the views of the Cube, and the white ball, which was humming loudly. I spend a few minutes at the top, then headed down.

Shameless plug: The https://umunhumconservancy.org/ saved the concrete cube from being torn down. MidPen wanted to bulldoze it, and my good friend formed the Conservancy specifically to provide necessary funds and public pressure to save this very visible and historic landmark.