| |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 10.38 Miles |
2,356 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.38 Miles | 4 Hrs 48 Mns | | 2.76 mph |
| 2,356 ft AEG | 1 Hour 2 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Marin? Check. Santa Cruz Mountains? Check. Henry Coe SP and the East Bay? Check and check. What's left? Mount Saint Helena has been taunting me ever since I moved here in 2010, and today was the day. I was planning on completing the northern 2/3 of the Bolinas Ridge Trail, but my smartphone thingy indicated heavy traffic on the way so I audibled to Napa.
I drove up on Hwy 29 and suffered through the congestion in the wine country-touristy town of St. Helena before the final winding road up to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. This is truly beautiful country with the wineries and farms on the valley floor ringed by ridges with soft chaparral and thick forests of Douglas fir and tanoak.
The hike itself is a fairly mellow 10.3 miles round trip with 2,300' AEG and mostly on a fire road. The sugar pines near the top are the only ones I've seen in the greater Bay Area. Amazingly enough I didn't see any dogs, but they are prohibited here. It's still surprising. Great views on the way up and at the summit. The high puffy clouds got thicker in the late afternoon, but I think I still got some good pics. Pretty good hike, and I'd like to do it again. Maybe either a sweat-a-thon in the summer or after one of the few times each year when snow covers the top.
Full hike description and pictures to follow. |
|
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
|
|
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
