Mt Umunhum Hike

***This is NOT a Sierra Club sponsored hike***
Sierra Club does not assume any liability for this event.
Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver at the trailhead to release the leader for any liability for mishaps that may occur during the course of this event.

Level: Moderate (2C) 8.5 miles 2425 feet elevation gain

Leader: Kimberly Sandstrom [OutingsBMHS@gmail.com](mailto:OutingsBMHS@gmail.com)

Meet: Sierra Azul Parking Lot At Mount Umunhum Summit Area (GPS: 37.16014581579278, -121.9005836880418). Vault toilets are available at the parking area. There is no potable water available anywhere on Mt Umunhum.

Description: Amah Mutsun people have lived on the land now called Sierra Azul Preserve for at least a millenium and their creation story centers on Mt Umunhum. At 3,486 feet, Mt Umunhum tops Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve’s largest preserve, Sierra Azul which protects more than 19,000 acres of wilderness. From 1957 to 1980 the summit was the site of the Almaden Air Force Station, with a rotating radar array perched on the huge concrete building that is prominent on the summit. When Midpen acquired the land, they worked hard to restore it, raising the summit 15 feet as they recovered land that had been scraped and pushed over the edge. Midpen gathered native plant seeds within Sierra Azul and replanted the summit. In 2019, the Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat was discovered, which had been reported in the past, but not seen for 75 years.

We will meet at the top parking lot and then carpool down to the Jacques Ridge parking lot, and hike Woods Trail to Barlow Road to Mt Umunhum Trail. Wildflowers should still be around for our enjoyment. The hike will proceed one way, from bottom to top and after taking in the 360 degree view, we will enjoy refreshments at the covered picnic tables near the summit parking lot. We will then carpool back down the hill to the lower parking lot, and the remaining cars.

We will hike at a moderate pace with a few stops to enjoy the surroundings. There are no trash receptacles, so plan to practice "leave no trace" and carry out everything you carry in.

Note that carpool transportation is at the sole risk of the participants. Poison oak, ticks and rattlesnakes all live in this preserve, so be aware of and avoid them.

Wear/bring: sturdy hiking boots/shoes, 2 L water, layered clothing, snacks, lunch, sun protection, basic first aid kit, hiking poles (optional).

Restrictions: Dogs are forbidden on Mt Umunhum.

Cancellation Policy: steady or significant rain, other adverse weather conditions