Mount Umunhum
Trail Review:
I biked a loop by riding Hicks Road, Mount Umunhum Road, Almaden Road, and Los Alamitos Creek Trail.
Hicks Road was tough. It starts out with some climbs, but past the reservoir, it gets to some super steep grades that made me question if I could get to the top of Umunhum. However, near the end of the steep parts, I started zig zagging to cut the grade, and I found myself not having to stop, which brought back hope.
Mount Umunhum Road was what I was dreading, but I ended up mastering the zig zag method, and didn’t have a tough time at all. I mean, I rode at a slow pace, but I was able to just keep riding. Once I got to the Bald Mountain Parking Area, I knew that it was just a matter of time until I could summit Umunhum. At the top, I was all smiles as I had gotten to the top in 3 hrs, which was exactly what I had hoped for.
Almaden Road and Los Alamitos Creek Trail went by fast. I had rested my legs on the steep descent from the mountain, so I was able to maintain a pretty high speed (at least for me). I felt strong, which is exactly how I wanted to finish this ride.
What I Learned:
I wore my running shoes and even with wool socks, it let too much cold air in where my toes felt numb. Next time, I’m going to wear something that doesn’t let air in.
I bought winter biking gloves from REI, and even with those, my fingers were really cold until I started climbing. I think I need to wear an inner layer for my gloves when the temperature is below 40 degrees.
I can’t remember another hike or bike where I dragged my feet so much. Because of how cold it was, I didn’t want to get dressed and go outside, but after about an hour, I was really glad that I was outside and biking.
I had brought more than a liter of water and I drank it all! I definitely need to pack more water (and snacks) next time.
I tried out the Peak Designs phone mount and it worked wonderfully. I was able to use my phone’s camera more effectively and I’m not sure I’ll bring my Fuji cameras around when I’m biking. Although, I couldn’t use the video it recorded as it was too shaky. I realized that I still need my GoPro for that.
This was the first ride where I zig zagged across the road to cut the grade, and it worked amazingly. I was power up my legs on the turns and rest on the diagonals. I basically did the the whole way up and it allowed me to continue riding with out fatiguing out.
I hit 35+mph, which is the fastest I’ve ever gone on this bike. I was actually really surprised I was going so fast, as I didn’t feel too scared.
Because I started riding before sunrise, I lit my self up with 3 red light LEDs and 3 white light LEDs. I felt more than sufficiently lit up, so that I wouldn’t be run over.
Fears Faced:
Am I strong enough to face the steepest sustained climbing I’ve ever faced?—Yes! But this ride is something that I avoided for 5+ months because I was scared of how hard it would be. But when I was at the top, I truly thought, “it wasn’t too bad.”
Media Consumed:
North—finished!
What Happened?
34.1 miles, 4 hr 39 mins, 3826 ft of ascent
Early this year, I had this goal of riding up three peaks in the bay area on my bike. They were Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais, and Mount Hamilton. When I finished those three before July, I thought maybe I was strong enough to do Mount Umunhum. I mean, Geoff had rated Mount Hamilton as tougher than Mount Umunhum, but the steep grade cowered me. I still remember how tough the last 100 meters on Mount Diablo felt... but I did successfully bike all three of the previous mountains on my first try. So, as a challenge, I added on Mount Umunhum to my 2022 list. Two weeks ago, I had put this ride on my calendar, but due to work stuff, I couldn’t go. This time, there were no excuses, and I had to get it done.
I was really tired when I woke up and I slept in an extra 10 minutes before actually putting my clothes on and brushing my teeth. Even after that, a huge part of me just didn’t want to go, but I told myself that I was already up, and since I couldn’t go back to sleep, I just had to do this ride.
I was miserable for the first hour of this ride—my feet and hands felt like they were going to freeze. The temperature was 37 degrees, and with me choosing to wear running shoes, there was just too much wind stealing my body heat. Fortunately, the uphill portions started, and due to the lack of speed, I was able to warm up a little bit (even in my shoes).
The weather was beautiful and once the sun rose, the day became infinitely warmer. It felt amazing to be riding on this road and actually enjoying the views all by myself. I think I saw two cars on Hicks and Mount Umunhum Road, and I relished the solitude.
At the top, I was all smiles. I just remember not being able to stop smiling. I was afraid of this ride for so long, and to conquer that... well, there’s not much that feels better.
I then enjoyed a light snack, some water, and I biked home in a blur. When it was all said and done, I finished the ride in less than 5 hrs, which was my goal for the day, and I was immensely happy with myself.