Sierra Azul is a 15,000 acre preserve unknown to many bay area outdoor enthusiasts. Although thousands of south bay residents drive past the preserve daily, and the highest peak, Mount Umunhum strikes a conspicuous profile, Sierra Azul still receives relatively few visitors. It is a fragmented preserve, with a fractious surrounding community, and some of the property is fraught with unsafe conditions. Most of the land now belonging to MROSD was part of the defunct Almaden Air Force Station, and the summit of 3486 foot Mount Umunhum remains off limits, closed due to hazardous materials and structures. As of this date the Air Force has ignored pleas from the community and MROSD to clean up some old buildings and remove toxic contaminants. A square structure looming above the summit of Mount Umunhum (some say it looks like a giant sugar cube) makes the mountain easy to identify from almost anywhere in the south bay, but for many it's just a daily reminder of the Air Force's desecration of a sacred peak Ohlone Indians called "resting place of the hummingbird."
     The heart of the preserve stretches in a continuous swath from Lexington County Park at Lexington Reservoir east to Almaden Quicksilver County Park and south almost all the way to the summit of Loma Prieta. Some smaller parcels, separated from the main area by intervening private property, are isolated to the west, near Lake Elsman. Private property conflicts developed after the Air Force abandoned Mount Umunhum in 1980. In 1986 MROSD began purchasing land at the summit and on both sides of Mount Umunhum Road. Some property owners, with inholdings deep in the mountain, claimed Mount Umunhum Road as a private drive, and no trespassing signs sprouted at the junction with Hicks Road. (Conduct a Google groups search with Umunhum as a keyword to access perhaps apocryphal stories about unpleasant confrontations between property owners with guns and "trespassers.") MROSD is attempting to remedy any and all property conflicts by steadily buying parcels of land throughout the Sierra Azul, and to date the combined acreage makes the preserve the 7th largest park/preserve in the bay area. But most of this preserve is a destination for only the hardiest hikers and cyclists (or groups with car shuttles), with steep and long fire roads ascending the mountainous slopes. An expanded trail network is expected in the future, but currently there are just 6 trails. A trip from a roadside pullout on Hicks Road to Lexington Reservoir is over 11 miles one way, and the shortest loop is more than 4 miles, with a 700 foot elevation gain. This moderate loop could be a good initial hike for Sierra Azul newcomers, but Overgrown Trail, part of Lexington Reservoir Park, has been closed since 2001; you'll have to settle for an out-and-back hike on Priest Rock Trail. For sheer ease, no path tops the out-and-back hike to Bald Mountain. This is a hike that the very old and the very young should be able to accomplish without batting an eyelash. It's just 0.7 mile to a viewpoint at the end of Bald Mountain Trail, and from there you have the entire Santa Clara valley at your feet. Visit in spring for wildflowers, and in winter for blossoming manzanitas.
      Start at the roadside parking area, then cross Mount Umunhum Road and walk a few feet back downhill to gate SA07. Once you squeeze between the gate and guardrail, you'll find yourself in a broad flat grassy area. The hillside drops off to the right, and there are unobstructed views south to Loma Prieta. Sierra Azul means blue mountain range, a description some find elusive, but on a January visit the forested mountains were indeed tinged with an azure hue. Heading east on the wide level multi-use trail you'll pass through a chaparral community of manzanita, sagebrush, poison oak, chamise, coyote brush, monkeyflower, yerba santa, toyon, pitcher sage, ceanothus, holly-leaf cherry, California coffeeberry, and shrubby oaks. Only a few full-size trees stand out along the trail, and you might notice a few blue elderberry and California bay, as well as a patch of sycamores on the right. Views southeast are blocked by a hillside, but as Bald Mountain Trail leaves chaparral for grassland, look left at a saddle for a hint of the panoramic views to come. The trail climbs easily along the side of a hill, then arches left. A few shortcut paths streak through the grass on the right. Bald Mountain Trail sweeps to the right, then circles a belvedere and viewpoint at 0.70 mile. From this little grassy hill, on a clear day you'll have incredible views, from Mount Tamalpais in the north, east to Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton, all the way south to the mountains of Henry Coe State Park. Just at your feet to the east the rolling hills of Calero, Almaden Quicksilver, and Santa Teresa seem positively puny. US 101 is visible slicing through Coyote Valley, where distant headlights sparkle in thin silver ribbons. This viewpoint is an ideal destination for a picnic on a warm day, but in chilly weather it can get windy. When I visited on a sunny January day I watched a northern harrier scouring the hillsides, looking for a snack. When you're ready, retrace your steps back to the trailhead, savoring the views of Mount Umunhum.

Total distance: 1.40 miles
Last hiked: Friday, January 11, 2002

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