Mission Peak Hike

  This crazy, short, steep hike, is located in the backyard of Ohlone College (Fremont, California).   It is not a difficult place to find, and the location is not too far of a drive for the local bay area hikers.   Mission Peak trail is different compare to those in Washington- where I would normally see lots of trees and water creeks.  The hike is just a little over 3 miles, but do not be fooled by the short hiking distance.   The intensity of this hike will make a nice workout for most of us.  It is an extremely steep hike, that rises 2,517 feet above sea level.   If you are crazy like me, hiking up the peak with a 20-pound backpack made it much more difficult.   I under-estimated my ability to hike this hill so I did not have the opportunity to take any photo break along the hike.   All I could think about was getting to the top as soon as I can to catch the sunrise.  Sure enough, I made it just in time to capture one good photo:

If you can reach the peak early enough in the morning, you may be able to catch the low fog, hovering over the mountains.  The view is definitely worth the pain.   Since we decided to hike this mountain on the fourth of July,  we were able to celebrate the victory with a group of college students from San Jose State University.