I got to the parking lot for Bald Mountain around 2:00 P.M. on a Tuesday and was glad to see there were a few spots still available. After a quick stop at the pit toilets, we crossed the road and started the hike to the peak of Mount Umunhum.

The trail gradually goes up and down so many times that 1) there were a couple of times that I wondered if I was on the right trail and 2) I wondered if the trail would really cover enough elevation gain to make it to the peak in just 3.7 miles.

One thing that really stood out to me about this trail was how beautiful it is. A lot of the trails in the South Bay have great views from the top but are exposed to the unforgiving summer sun and offer little to look at along the way. I appreciated that the vast majority of the trail to Mount Umunhum is shaded by an interesting variety of greenery.

I passed a handful of hikers on the way up and another handful on the way down. I got back to my car around 5:00 P.M. I can imagine that this trail is hoppin' on the weekends, so I'm really glad I came on a week day.