Dan's Outside

Yesterday's Mission Peak Hike

I took far longer climbing this peak than I should have yesterday, but there were too many excuses to stop and take pictures. On the way up (the main trail) it was very foggy with the sun occasionally trying to peek through but not quite succeedng. Wildflowers were everywhere. Almost every square foot contained dozens of flowers that were only visible close up.

Just below the face of Mission Peak I was suddenly above the clouds; I literally did not realize it had happened, as I had been looking the “wrong” direction while taking a picture of some rocks. I stood up… and looked across an ocean of cloud tops to Santa Cruz Range on other side of the valley with the cloud bank floating not 20 feet below me.

Fog below Mission Peak. April 16, 2005. Photo copyright Dan Mitchell.

The peak was beautifully sunny and covered with California Poppies and Lupine. I could convince myself that the outline of the snow-topped Sierra was barely visible on the horizon.

After a break on the peak, I continued on to the other side and descended via the Horse Heaven trail; a new route for me. Rather than following a well-gravelled road (like the main route) much of this trail is narrow and somewhat overgrown, with many springs. Althoug a bit longer, it seems like a more interesting way to go.
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April 17, 2005 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary