Black Mountain ^2x P750 CC / NN

Out for another Sierra Challenge training hike, I headed to the popular Black Mountain in the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mtns, above Cupertino. Though it sports more than 750ft of prominence, it's only the second most prominent Black Mtn in Santa Clara County and the third highest Black Mtn - but undoubtedly the most popular, considering the other two lie on private property. There are easier ways to reach the peak, but to keep it sporting and something of a training hike, I started from Rancho San Antonio OSP, the most popular OSP in the entire South Bay, and possibly in the whole Bay Area. Upon my arrival before 7a, the large parking areas were already near capacity. They now have one of those electronic signs out front to tell you how many spaces are available, like a shopping mall or an airport garage. My route followed the Stephen Abbors Trail on the ascent, really just a PG&E powerline road that services transmission lines running east to west across the preserve. The trail is popular with hikers and runners - no bikes allowed on most of the preserve trails. At the vista point at the junction with the Upper High Meadow Trail, I followed the Quarry Trail west on an easement through (you guessed it) the Permanente Quarry property found to the south of the preserve. This connects with the Black Mtn Trail climbing to the south to reach Black Mtn's summit in the adjacent OSP. Coastal fog kept the sun hidden for most of the morning and the summit was burried in the clouds on my arrival. It was just starting to clear as I headed back down. Once back in Rancho San Antonio, I took the Upper High Meadow Trail for the return, followed by the Bypass Trail that skirts around the ever-popular Deer Hollow Farm down in Rogue Valley. All of the trails were pretty busy the entire morning, though of course more so the closer one gets to the parking lots. I finished up shortly before 11a, a little over 4hrs for the 12mi and 3,000ft of gain the outing entailed.

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