Dan's Outside

Bay Area Turkey Day Hike: Mission Peak

Tom Mangan at Two-Heel Drive (Why do I keep typing “to hell drive”… ? ;-) has suggested a Thanksgiving morning hike to the summit of Mission Peak. At my perverse suggestion, he has agreed to make it a sunrise hike, meaning we’ll start very early, but if the weather cooperates we’ll be rewarded with a stunning sunrise view. The details, including any updates, are posted at Tom’s site.

Bay Area hikers are welcome to join us. We’ll meet at the Stanford trailhead and start up the trail at 5:30 a.m. – Tom says this will get us to the summit in time for the 6:55 a.m. sunrise. (Slow hikers, those carrying large packs, and those who want to watch pre-dawn light may want to start a few minutes earlier.)

This is not an organized, sponsored hike so everyone is on his or her own. Based on my previous hikes at Mission Peak, here are a few random suggestions and observations:

• The small parking lot at the trailhead often is full. Do not park in the dirt areas along the road below the park gate – you’ll get an expensive ticket. Instead go back down to the first paved cross street and park there.
• Bring a headlamp – it is still very dark at 5:30! And there are cattle on the trail, if you get my drift… or, er, squish.
• Be prepared for weather. It will likely be cold this early and it can be windy on the summit. If it rains… all bets are off.
• Bring water and a snack.

And the best thing – besides meeting a few Bay Area outdoor bloggers – is that you’ll have a great story to tell at your Thanksgiving dinner, and you’ll feel less guilty about eating all that food.

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November 19, 2006 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Events