Hoping to avoid commute traffic, I decided to tackle Black Mountain early on a Saturday. I arrived at the Rhus Ridge Trailhead at 7:30 AM only to find the ten spot parking lot full. I drove back down Moody Rd and parked at Foothill College. Nice that's an option, but it adds two asphalt miles to the hike total (ugh).

The trail is well maintained. Parts of the trail are steep, but not exceptionally so until the last mile which will definitely get your heartrate up. Much of the trail is shady and pleasant, with views of the South Bay, Moffett Field, and a quarry. I noticed a trailcam chained to a tree along the trail. The label on the camera said it was part of a mountain lion study and included a website which showed the location of many mountain lion sightings on the Black Mountain Trail.

After a pretty tough last mile to the summit you're rewarded with … a grassy field for the summit. The views aren't nearly as nice as those on the way up.  Enjoy those views again on the way down.