Mount Umunhum
Almost exactly a month ago, I failed to hike Mount Umunhum due to a lack of parking spaces at the trailhead. But I’m a persistent bugger, so I tried again.
I made it to the trailhead at 4:30pm and started the hike. The Bald Mountain parking lot was almost empty, and I only ran across two groups of hikers the whole time I hiked this trail. I thought that the trail would be mostly exposed, but I was surprised to find that it was actually well wooded, so there was lots of shade and plant/animal life.
Around the halfway point is the Guadalupe Creek Overlook, where I enjoyed a quick break. I had been wearing my cotton shirt and a long sleeve shirt, but it was a little warm, so I took off my shirt and kept the long sleeve on. I kept going and got to the top of the mountain in a no-nonsense fashion.
I walked around and took in the views, but I didn’t stay long. I knew that even if I hurried, it would be way past my usual dinner time by the time I got home. As I started walking down, I realized how chilly it was, so I took off my long sleeve and put on a shirt and sweater that I had in my backpack.
I got back to my car without anything of interest happening.
What I Learned:
The Bald Mountain parking lot is almost empty on a Wednesday afternoon.
I got a new hiking backpack that weight 2 lbs less than my regular backpack. I really felt the difference and am glad I invested in a ultralight hiking backpack.
Because the ascent seemed to be not too bad, I didn’t hike with a trekking pole and I think that was the right decision. I really didn’t need it. This hike was pretty easy.
There are no trash receptacles at the mountain. I carried my own trash (and others that I found) back with me.
I hiked in a moisture-wicking active shirt, and it really works! I really am going to try to wear less cotton as I get more and more into hiking.
8.7 miles, 3 hrs and 11 min, 1209 ft of ascent
Hike Review:
Because the ascent was over 4 miles, I was surprised that I had gained so much elevation over the hike. The trail is easier than the pure numbers suggest.
The trail was clean and narrow the whole way up.
The trail was shaded entirely after 6pm. That combined with the temperature being 51 degrees made me wear a sweater on the way down. Even without the shade of the mountain, the trail goes through lots of woods, and thus has good shade.
I saw my first coyote of 2021! It looked at me from about 50 yards out and before I could take a photo, it scampered off the trail. I also saw about 6 deer in two different parts of the trail.
There’s a loop at the top of Mount Umunhum, but that part of the trail was temporarily closed. Shame.
I thought that the flowers would have all wilted under the hot weather we’ve had, but there were tons of flowers.