| Photos
from a March 2001 hike at Mission Peak Regional Preserve (click on any image for a larger view) |
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 Parking lot |
 Gate at trailhead |
 Hang glider sign |
 Junction |
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 Hidden Valley Trail |
 Hummingbird |
 Languid cows on the side of the trail; cow temperament seems to get more nasty as you climb |
 Approaching cattle gate |
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 The climb |
 Edging along a creek |
 Coast live oak |
 Shortcut is visible; the trail climbs less steeply on the right |
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 View south |
 Edging near the creek again |
 Young male turkey |
 Sagebrush and monkeyflower |
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 Poison oak |
 Hidden Valley Trail |
 Approaching junction |
 View up to the peak |
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 Baby snake |
 "What are you lookin' at?" |
 Another nice view uphill |
 Rock-dotted hillside |
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 More frisky cows along the trail |
 Into rocky valley |
 Approaching junction |
 More climbing |
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 Looking back down to the valley |
 Fiddlenecks |
 Junction |
 Approaching another gate and junction |
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 Approaching junction |
 Peak Trail |
 Looking back |
 Garbage cans mark the final stretch to the summit |
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 Peak Trail |
 Rocky |
 Heading for the top |
 Rocks |
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 Last bit |
 At the top |
 View north |
 View south |
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 View west |
 View east |
 Continuing south on Peak Trail |
 Another view east |
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 View west |
 Poppy |
 Popcorn flowers |
 Rocky trail |
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 Approaching junction |
 A look back |
 Horse Heaven Trail |
 Descending |
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 Near a creek, buckeyes and California bays thrive |
 Junction? |
 Brief ascent |
 Approaching gate |
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 View back uphill |
 If you look carefully, you might see cows precariously perched on the peak's steep face. Crazy! |
 Trail is hard to follow |
 Trail splits; not on map and created by cow traffic. Bear left. |
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 Blue-eyed grass |
 Rutted muddy trail. Damn cows. |
 This is the muddy hellhole where I got stuck. Luckily I eventually freed myself before the cows got me. |
 Again the trail is hard to follow |
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 I'm not sure it's the trail, but at least it's not muddy. |
 Here I'm totally off course, but I no longer care because it's not muddy and I'm still descending. |
 Back on track, Peak Meadow Trail is visible |
 Approaching junction |
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 Peak Meadow Trail |
 Descending |
 Peak Meadow Trail |
 Olive tree |
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 New maple leaves |
 Junction and return to trailhead |
Go to Bay Area Hiker Mission Peak page Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page |
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