January 30, 2013-Kreyenhagen Peak

Title: Jan 30, 2013, Hike
Trail head: Mineral Springs close to Coalinga

Hike Info:
Trail: Mineral Springs Trail
Destination: Kreyenhagen Peak
Distance: 4.8
Travel Time: 3:54 (1.23 mph)
Moving Time: 2:29 (1.93mph)
Elevation Rise: 1,495'
Maximum Elevation: 3,564'



Description:
Got to Kohls at 6:30. Sherri discovered she did not have her boots. So we tell the group that we will meet them in Coalinga before heading up. We get to Coalinga before most of them and stopped at the McDonalds there. After we regrouped, we pulled out and drove the 30 minutes to the Count park on Mineral Springs Road.

All 20+ of us got out and once ready started our hike up. Jerry K is our leader as John and Cathy were not able to make it this time. Going northwest out of the parking area, we cross a trough and start our ascent. It is foothill hiking, filled with sage brush, juniper, and yucca plants. Kreyenhagen Peak looms over us. We climb the western side of the peak, which keeps us in shadows much of the morning. Fortunately, it is not too cold, nor too warm. While the ascent keeps our heart beating, it is pretty good going. Enough so, that I am down to my T-shirt before long. We are in the back third of the pack, mostly hiking with Bill. Each rise brings us to a new perspective of the ridges along the Diablo Range.

The trail is narrow, but well marked with trail signed every quarter of a mile. The narrowness of the trail is not a problem as there is not any really dangerous drop offs. But there are drop offs and in some places the trail is not graded very well.

We get to the spine of the peak and walk along that for the final half mile. From this vantage point, we are able to look over into the Los Gatos County Park area on the eastern side, and in to the Salinas Valley, beyond a ridge, on the west side. Most of the people have made it up to the top before us and are enjoying a late morning munch. We sit next to Rose--who recognizes from some of the REI classes we have taken. Plenty of rocks to recline on and to enjoy the view. The view itself is 360.  I pull one tick off of me here. Sherri has made us sandwiches, thickly covered with peanut butter and nutella--what else?

We take up our places in the rear.  I stop quite a few times, taking in the sights. Such as a red-tail hawk floating over the top of the peak, or the many ridges. I catch up quickly, most of the time. Sherri is hiking with Bill and I go on down the mountain with a couple of German ladies. The hiking poles were of great use as the grade of the trail was somewhat slanted towards the downhill slope. Also in places, the trail had drops of three or four feet. On one of these drops, a lady slipped and banged her head, enough to bleed some. But she was able to make it down the trail back to the car.

This is a good winter or spring hike. Not too cold and definitely not hot. But in the middle summer, it would be pretty hot. Some people went out to Harris Ranch for lunch. But with our sandwiches, Sherri and I did not think that was a good end to the hike. So we headed off to Hanford and Superior Diary and its best in the world ice cream. Now that was the way to end the hike. Got back home around 4:15.