In 2019, I tried to backpack to the top of Rose Peak with my dad during a particular hot November day. Weighed down by backpacks that were a little too heavy and exhausted from hiking trails that were a little too steep, we turned around at Williams Gulch. It just wasn’t our day to summit the peak.

On May 16, 2022, we set out on our second attempt to summit the peak. Starting out this time from Sunol Regional Wilderness, we hiked 3.78 miles along the Ohlone Wilderness Trail to site #4 (Stars Rest) in the Sunol Backpacking Camp. We went to sleep shortly after sunset that evening so we could wake up and hit the trail soon after dawn the following morning. We traversed many brown grassy hillsides before finally reaching the summit of Rose Peak, which I was shocked to see covered in California poppies! After snapping a few photos and eating a few snacks, we continued along the trail towards Del Valle Regional Park. The second day ended up being quite a bit more difficult and longer (16 miles), so we were quite excited when we saw my car waiting for us in the parking lot, ready to take us the rest of the way home.

What I’ve learned from the past couple of years is that life is unpredictable and you don’t often get a chance to get a re-do. Which is why, despite the difficulty of this trip, I was glad to finally be able to give my dad a hug atop the peak that we had unsuccessfully tried to summit those many years ago.